Rolando Villazon: ‘We will always remember his shiny white hair, his conquering smile, his handsome, devilish eyes, his Herculean presence, his wonderful, unique singing, powerful and delicate at the same time. Dima, the great singer, the great colleague has left us, but his legacy remains.’
Jonas Kaufmann: With great dismay, I have learned today that my great colleague and dear friend dmitri hvorostovsky has succumbed to his cancer. Jonas Kaufmann
Angela Gheorghiu: Today, the world lost a beautiful soul… I am devastated and heavy-hearted by the loss of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, a wonderful friend and a beautiful soul gone too soon! His voice is now shining for the angels in Heaven!
To Florence and his precious family – words cannot heal the pain, but may loving memories bring you strength, comfort and peace, today and always!
Rest in peace, my dear Dimichka, you will continue to live forever in our hearts!
Olga Borodina: Deeply loss! Dima! Why so early? I can’t describe this pain……
Joyce DiDonato: The best way i can think of to honor a life as voracious, generous and as beautiful as that of beloved Dimitri is to share in the healing, communal power of music. I dedicate tonight’s performance of Semiramide at the @RoyalOperaHouse to Dima.
Joseph Calleja: Gutted to the bone. A charming singer with a greatness that will immortalize his artistry.
Sarah Connolly: Terribly sad. He was always a shining star, always sounding gorgeous and being a good colleague. A huge loss.
Fabio Luisi: He was indeed one of the kindest singers I ever worked with – and we worked extensively together, especially at the Metropolitan Opera.
Always a good word for everybody and a helping and positive attitude.
Decca Records: Very sad to hear of Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s passing. He was a legend, one of the most charismatic voices of our time and he will be sorely missed.
Lawrence Brownlee: An Opera GIANT has fallen. RIP DmitriHvorostovsky.
Elina Garaca: I am heartbroken today to hear of the passing of my dear friend, Dmitri Hvorostovsky. An incredible singer, artist, colleague and friend — gone far too soon. His voice and spirit will stay with us forever. Rest in peace.
Costa Pilavachi, former head of Philips: “Dima”, as he was known to all, joined Philips Classics in 1989 after winning the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. He was not only immensely talented but also charming, lively, funny, boisterous and above all, a good and loyal friend. What a loss!
Vienna State Opera: The Vienna State Opera is deeply affected by the loss of Dmitri Hvorostovsky. This is a very, very sad day for all of us at the Wiener Staatsoper. With Dmitri Hvorostovsky we lost an outstanding singer and a real friend. It is with great wistfulness that we remember his memorable Wiener Staatsoper performances – as Iago, Posa, Eugen Onegin, Rigoletto and Simon Boccanegra. Or his last performance in La Traviata in November 2016, when he sang the role of Giorgio Germont so touchingly and beautifully – he was so strong, even though he was
already suffering under this disease. ‘I especially admire the wonderful way in which he carried himself during this terrible illness,’ said Vienna State Opera Director Dominique Meyer – ‘Dima leaves a great void behind. He will stay in our memories as an exceptional artist who always gave a hundred percent – and as a person who enriched us with
his laughter, his joy, his warm-heartedness, his positive manner and his generosity. To his wife Florence and to his children we, the entire Wiener Staatsoper family, express our deepest sympathy.’
The Wiener Staatsoper has raised the black flag in mourning and will dedicate Dmitri Hvorostovsky a minute of silence before today’s performance.
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden: ‘All at The Royal Opera are saddened to hear of the death of our friend and colleague Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.’
ROH Chorus: ‘No words seem enough to describe our feelings on the loss of Dima. His love and friendship was valued by all of us and we will miss him terribly. xxx’
More later.
He was the kindest, friendliest, most immaculate of opera singers.
In a world where egos rage and talent is measured by the size of fees, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who died today, stood apart, in a class of his own. No-one ever had a word to say against him.
Raised in Siberia, an only child, he won a couple of Russian competitions before bursting onto the world scene, running away with the BBC’s Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 1989, ahead of the hotly-favoured Welsh baritone, Bryn Terfel.
He went on to play every major opera house in the world, charming one and all with the ease of his musicality and his unfailing good nature. He was the foremost Eugene Onegin of our time, the sexiest Don Giovanni, the dominant Rigoletto, a role he sings in his final recording, released just last week. It would be invidious, at this moment of grief, to single out one performance or another: all were stamped uniquely with his character.
He was also a formidable concert recitalist, eagerly sought as a partner by the leading sopranos. He wore his fame with humility, ever alert to the needs of the less fortunate and frequently turning up to sing in charity fund-raisers.
After a failed first marriage, he found deep contentment in London with Florence and their children.
Like every Russian artist, Dmitri was put under considerable pressure to declare his support for Vladimir Putin. He bravely and notably refrained from doing so, all the while continuing to give recitals in far-flung parts of Russia where he was loved as a man of the people.
In quarter of a century he never put a foot wrong. And when cancer struck he handled his shrinking horizons with delicacy and unfailing candour. At 55, he was cut off in his prime.
He will forever be remembered for the greatness of his voice. But we must never forget his humanity.
The great Russian baritone died early today in London at the age of 55.
He had been suffering with brain cancer for the past two years, remaining cheerful and positive to the end. He retired from opera performance last December.
He was last seen singing in concert with his arm in a sling.
His death was announced by the family: ‘On behalf of the Hvorostovsky family, it is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dmitri Hvorostovsky – beloved operatic baritone, husband, father, son, and friend – at age 55. After a two-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer, he died peacefully this morning, November 22, surrounded by family near his home in London, UK. May the warmth of his voice and his spirit always be with us.’
He is survived by his wife, Florence, and their children, Maxim and Nina, by twins from a previous marriage and by his parents, Alexander and Lyudmila.
He had been a star of the international opera stage for quarter of a century. The singing world is in shock.
Like most other newspapers, the New York Times is pulling back from reviewing classical concerts.
A concerned reader informs us that no reviews have appeared for:
Benjamin Grosvenor
Paul Lewis
Swedish Chamber Orchestra
Tetzlaff Quartet
A quick online check reveals that some were mentioned in the art section’s weekly preview, but that’s it. No reviews. The paper’s old claim to cover the musical waterfront is, it appears, being allowed to fade out.
It’s no fun at all for an international orchestra to fly to New York and fly back home unnoticed.
From Baruch Meir, associate professor of piano at Arizona State University:
R.I.P Xiaoying Wen (1989-2017)
It is with deep pain and sadness that I separate from Xiaoying Wen, my student, friend, colleague and a gifted artist. Xiaoying was taken away from us on November 16, 2017. He was hit by a pick-up truck while riding his bicycle at a crosswalk. He was pronounced dead at the hospital’s ICU a few hours later. Xiaoying was only twenty-eight years old and had a bright future ahead. A life cut short. A senseless death.
While being one of the most talented people I have ever encountered, Xiaoying was also very humble. He was a bright light among us and embraced life to the fullest. Anyone who knew Xiaoying could see his gentle soul, and his playfulness. He was really wonderful with children including my Zohar. He had a special generosity about him, a true kindness and a positive spirit.
Xiaoying was so devoted and passionate about his music and art. In recent years, Xiaoying developed a special affinity to Scriabin’s music. I gave him his first Scriabin’s piece, the Vers La Flamme and he soon developed a passion for the music in all of its eccentricities and the uniqueness of its colors. Perhaps it was the real fire in the music, that sensuous spark that is so rooted in it, that he so easily related to. I have never heard better climactic moments than in Xiaoying’s performances. Soon after, he tackled the 5th sonata and played it with such exquisite sensitivity and strong personal verve. He gave fantastic performance of it at Schlern festival 2016 and at his second DMA recital last March. The 10th sonata was his next project and he already memorized it quickly for his next recital together with Medtner’s fairy tales, and the Barber sonata. I was so looking forward to his next recital. His ecstatic and triumphant Vers La Flamme will stay with me forever.
The slide show I created following Xiaoying’s passing is celebrating his life. I gathered it with the help of many of our students at ASU who sent me photos and quotes about him. He was so loved and admired by everyone and he loved back.
I miss you dear friend. Farewell Xiaoying. You are in my heart forever!
We have been notified of the death of Raymond Carpenter, principal clarinet of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra from 1953 to his retirement in 1987.
He can be heard on recordings with its chief conductors Rudolf Schwarz, Sir Charles Groves, Constantin Silvestri, Paavo Berglund, Uri Segal and Rudolf Barshai.
On joining the orchestra, Raymond married one of the violinists, Cynthia Mitchell; they had five children.
Bramwell Tovey, stepping down as music director in Vancouver after 18 years, is to be principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, starting January.
Nobody quite remembers what the BBC CO is there for, but maybe Bram will give it some branding.
He will do an opening radio slot on Wednesday from, er, Watford. To be followed by the long-running Friday Night is Music Night.
The BBC, by the way, has omitted to make an announcement.
The tenor David Edward Lewis will appear in court in Sydney charged with offences against a girl of 14.
Lewis, now 58, was a member of the OA chorus at the time of the alleged offences, in the 1990s. The girl was in the children’s chorus. The incidents are said to have occurred inside the Sydney Opera House.
Musicians of the Mexico Symphony Orchestra have long been fed up with their veteran music director, Enrique Batiz, denouncing him to the Government as abusive and profligate.
Now the musicians have published a new denunciation of the maestro, together with a tape recording of his foul, aggressive and mostly unprintable language in rehearsal.
Toscanini might have got away with it. But Batiz is no Toscanini.
The diva is known to be fond of her husband’s facial growth.
The director of La Scala’s Andrea Chenier, Mario Martone, does not share her fondness for fuzz.
He has ordered Yusif Eyvazov to get rid of the beard, leaving the tenor in tears.
Here’s what Yusif writes on Instagram: So.. Director asked me to shave my beard 🙈😂 .. crying and getting used to it.. 😂🙏 Режиссёр попросил убрать бороду … 😂😂😂😂😱😱🙈🙈🙈привыкаю со слезами 🙈
For years, the first port of call for New York classical PRs, after the Times, has been the NPR and CBS talkshow host Charlie Rose, a man who genuinely enjoyed classical music and never subjected any artist to probing questions.
Charlie Rose was suspended last night by CBS News and PBS after the Washington Post published accusations of sexual molestation against him by eight women, mostly on his staff.
Rose, 75, issued this statement: ‘In my 45 years in journalism, I have prided myself on being an advocate for the careers of the women with whom I have worked. Nevertheless, in the past few days, claims have been made about my behavior toward some former female colleagues. It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.
‘I have learned a great deal as a result of these events, and I hope others will too. All of us, including me, are coming to a newer and deeper recognition of the pain caused by conduct in the past, and have come to a profound new respect for women and their lives.’
Classical PRs will need to find a new outlet.
Meanwhile, the bragging pussy-grabber sleeps soundly in the White House.
Hannah Rankin plays bassoon in the the London orchestras.
In her spare time, she fights other women.
Last week she won her first title. She calls herself The Classical Warrior.
