I had to read this twice to make sure the hangover hadn’t turned into a Bruckner nightmare, but even in the cold light of day it appears that the conductor Christian Thielemann has told the Berliner Morgenpost that he’d like to spend some time with Madonna.

‘I find this woman fascinating,’ said Thiely. ‘Not just musically…. I’d like to get to know Madonna a whole lot better.’ Click the link above for the full sticky and sweet interview in German. 

Now I know that opposites attract, but this is just silly. Madonna is a rabbi-quoting kabbalah freak who drops her clothes for artistic purposes and lines up for all the right – that is, left – causes. The German conductor is a noted conservative in social outlook and deficient – until now – in any notable appreciation of foreign, popular and feminine culture. 
What on earth might they say to one another? And what do they do for a second date? Can you see Madge summering in Bayreuth or Thiely smoking spliffs backstage at her next Tel Aviv gig?
This is not so much a date as celebrity mania gone berserk. It could be the basis for a reality television version of Jean-Paul Sartre’s Huits Clos, a date that runs and runs until one of the dates shrieks ‘I’m a Maestro, Get Me Out of Here’ and the band strikes up the opening of Götterdämmerung. In your dreams…

I had to read this twice to make sure the hangover hadn’t turned into a Bruckner nightmare, but even in the cold light of day it appears that the conductor Christian Thielemann has told the Berliner Morgenpost that he’d like to spend some time with Madonna.

‘I find this woman fascinating,’ said Thiely. ‘Not just musically…. I’d like to get to know Madonna a whole lot better.’ Click the link above for the full sticky and sweet interview in German. 

Now I know that opposites attract, but this is just silly. Madonna is a rabbi-quoting kabbalah freak who drops her clothes for artistic purposes and lines up for all the right – that is, left – causes. The German conductor is a noted conservative in social outlook and deficient – until now – in any notable appreciation of foreign, popular and feminine culture. 
What on earth might they say to one another? And what do they do for a second date? Can you see Madge summering in Bayreuth or Thiely smoking spliffs backstage at her next Tel Aviv gig?
This is not so much a date as celebrity mania gone berserk. It could be the basis for a reality television version of Jean-Paul Sartre’s Huits Clos, a date that runs and runs until one of the dates shrieks ‘I’m a Maestro, Get Me Out of Here’ and the band strikes up the opening of Götterdämmerung. In your dreams…

To ease the world back into working mode, Slipped Disc presents the last pair of free tracks in the present series – a run that has attracted listeners from most corners of all five continents.

To end, here is a star pairing from the two founding indie labels, Onyx and Orchid.
By popular demand to hear more James Ehnes playing Mendelssohn, here he is again – not in the concerto but with a pack of pals attacking the presto of the Octet, possibly the most perfect piece old Felix ever wrote. Click here to download.
The other seven players are Erin Keefe, Andrew Wan, Augustin Hadelich, Cynthia Phelps, Richard O’Neill, Robert deMaine and Edward Arron.
From Orchid, we present a forthcoming release from Orchid, never yet heard on public airwaves. It’s the British pianist Martin Roscoe playing Dr Gradus ad Parnassum from Debussy’s Children’s Corner. Click here.

And that’s all, folks, for the moment. We’re assessing the free download numbers to see what implications they might have for the industry and I’ll report results when ready.
Meantime, do post below if you had a particular favourite track, or one you loathed.
All good things come to those who listen.