Sony Classical have just announced the signing of an exclusive new artist.

His name’s Placido Domingo, and they don’t breathe a word about repertory. Not a whisper or a tease.

So what’s it going to be – a late reprise of his tenor glories at the age of 70? More likely a baritone rumble and a bit of conducting.

We’ll let you know as soon as we hear more. Meanwhile, here’s the press release:

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Sony Classical is proud to announce the signing of an exclusive recording contract with Plácido Domingo. This new agreement brings the legendary singer back to the company where his unparalleled recording career started in the late 1960s. Sony Classical’s catalog boasts many of his milestone recordings, and the renewed collaboration between Mr. Domingo and the label promises to explore new repertoire areas and showcase fascinating new aspects of this great artist.

His work in the recording studio has earned Plácido Domingo 12 Grammy Awards, including 3 Latin Grammys. His discography consists of more than 100 recordings of complete operas, compilations of arias and duets as well as crossover projects. He has also made more than 50 music videos.

This world-renowned, multifaceted artist is not just recognized as one of the finest and most influential singing actors in the history of opera, he is also a conductor and a major force as an opera administrator (he is general director of LA Opera and has led Washington National Opera for 15 years). As a singer, the extraordinary breadth of his repertoire ranges from opera and zarzuela to Broadway musicals and contemporary ballads. In opera, it encompasses 137 roles, a number unmatched by any other tenor in history, with more than 3500 career performances.

Plácido Domingo’s fame extends far beyond the confines of the operatic world. His celebrated “Three Tenors” concerts with Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras at three consecutive soccer World Cup Finals have been seen by billions across the globe and his “Christmas in Vienna” TV specials have been international best-sellers on CD and DVD. He performed at the closing ceremonies of both the 2006 World Cup in Berlin and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In addition to three feature opera films — Carmen, La Traviata and Otello — he voiced the role of Monte in Disney’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua, played himself on The Simpsons, and his telecast of Tosca from the authentic settings in Rome was seen by audiences in 117 countries.

Mr. Domingo is feted for his charity work, giving numerous benefit concerts and performances every year for a variety of worthy causes.

In 1993, he also founded the international voice competition Operalia, recognized throughout the business as the world’s most important platform for the discovery of new singers.

Plácido Domingo said: “I am thrilled to be establishing an exclusive recording relationship with Sony Music. Sony and its predecessors (Columbia, CBS, RCA/BMG) have played such an important part in much of my career, yet I have not had an exclusive contract with any company in nearly forty years. Finding a permanent home for my future recordings appeals to me very much, and this steady relationship will enable Sony Classical and myself to create a variety of new, innovative, and fascinating musical projects, many of them in repertoire that I have never recorded before. In this way, we are moving forward with hope and trust in the future of the music industry.”

Doug Morris, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, stated: “Plácido Domingo is a true music icon and we are delighted to welcome him to the Sony Music family. The addition of one of the world’s most beloved and successful vocalists to the Sony Classical roster underscores our continuing commitment to building our classical music business, and further strengthens our line-up of world-class artists.”

Bogdan Roscic, President of Sony Classical, said: “Plácido Domingo surely is one of the defining artists of the recorded music era, in opera and beyond. He has created what is possibly the most comprehensive and diverse discography of any singer since the beginning of that era. It will be a privilege to work with him as we start adding new recordings to this astonishing body of work.”

 

Alberto Vilar, the financier who gave more money to opera than any other man or bank, has presented his appeal against conviction for consiracy to commmit fraud, for which he is serving a nine-year sentence at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

A source close to the defence tells me that the appeal argues there was no fraud, nor any conspiracy.

The jury was not told that there was twice enough money left in his company Amerindo’s account to pay the claims. It was revealed only at the sentencing hearing that $43 million was available for restitution against claims of $22 million.

‘Alberto and his partner Gary Tanaka never denied they owed this money,’ says my source. ‘When the government shut down Amerindo in 2005, Bear Stearns froze their accounts.’ That money is now at JBMorgan Chase, the bank that took over the collapsed Bear Stearns in 2008.

Alberto’s appeal was submitted yesterday. A separate status conference dealing with the money matter will be held tomorrow.

Alberto, who is 70, should not be kept in jail at a time when none of the collapsed US bankers, who committed far greater conspiracies, has been prosecuted. He should be allowed to pay the claims and walk free, while continuing to fight to clear his name – a name that the Metropolitan Opera, which received  gift of $30 million, lost no time in removing from its wall.

Setting Alberto free would give payback to the claimants, and justice to him.

But this is America, where justice is blind and a man can be sent to execution, despite prosecution witnesses revoking their testimony.

I hope Alberto has better luck, and better lawyers.

with Michael Kaiser, at Washington National Opera

The Daily Telegraph has published a letter from cultural individuals, urging the LPO to re-admit the four players it suspended for calling on the BBC to ban the Israel Philharmonic. It is a position with which I have some sympathy, having publicly urged the orchestra to mitigate itssentence.

However, the list is distinguished by its standard anti-Israel stance. I cannot find one name – correct me if I’m wrong – who can even be considered neutral on the Middle East. There is not one pro-Israel voice. The letter, therefore, is not about natural justice for the players, rather a restatement of known political positions. Here’s the text, and the list:

Dear Sir,

We are shocked to hear of the suspension of four members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra for adding their signatures to a letter calling for the BBC to cancel a concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

According to a statement from LPO managers, quoted in the Jewish Chronicle (“UK musicians suspended over Israel Proms row,” 13-9-11) the action was taken because the musicians included their affiliation to the orchestra with their signatures (a convention which is common practice within the academic world, for example).

One does not have to share the musicians’ support for the campaign for boycotting Israeli institutions to feel a grave concern about the bigger issue at stake for artists and others.

There is a clear link being forcibly created here between personal conscience and employment, which we must all resist. A healthy civil society is founded on the ability of all to express non-violent and non- prejudiced opinions, freely and openly, without fear of financial or professional retribution.

The LPO management state that for them, “music and politics don’t mix” – yet their decision to jeopardise the livelihoods of four talented musicians for expressing their sincerely held views is itself political.

Why should it be so dangerous for artists to speak out on the issue of Israel/Palestine? We are dismayed at the precedent set by this harsh punishment, and we strongly urge the LPO to reconsider its decision.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Barrett, composer

Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC, solicitor

Howard Brenton, playwright

Caryl Churchill, playwright

Siobhan Davies CBE, choreographer

John Harte co-director, Choir of London

Philip Hensher, novelist

A.L. Kennedy, author

Ken Loach, film director

Miriam Margolyes actor

Simon McBurney OBE actor, writer, director

Mike Leigh, playwright and film director

Steve Martland, composer

Annette Moreau Founder Arts Council Contemporary Music Network

Cornelia Parker OBE artist

Prof. Jacqueline Rose, Queen Mary University, London

Michael Rosen, writer

Alexei Sayle, writer and comedian

Kamila Shamsie, writer

Mark Wallinger, artist

Dame Harriet Walter DBE, actress

Benjamin Zephaniah, author and performer

Kirsty Alexander artist and teacher

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, writer and broadcaster

Michael Attenborough, theatre director

Prof. Mona Baker, University of Manchester

Derek Ball, composer

Chris Bluemel, pianist

Richard Black, pianist

Ian Bournartist/filmmaker

Prof. HaimBresheeth, University of East London

Victoria Brittain, author and journalist

Michael Carlin, production designer

Jonathan Chadwick theatre maker

Prof. Michael Chanan, University of Roehampton

Sacha Craddock, curator

Andy Cowton, composer

Raymond Deane, composer

Ivor Dembina, comedian

Dr KayDickinson, Goldsmiths College, University of London

Dr HughDunkerley, writer University of Chichester

Tony Dowmunt filmmaker, Goldsmiths College, University of London

Patrick Duval, cinematographer

Gareth Evans, writer and curator

Moris Farhi, MBE writer

Dr Naomi Foyle, poet and writer

Jane Frere artist, theatre designer

Carol-AnneGrainger, soprano

Tony Graham, theatre director

Lee Hall playwright.

Michelle Hanson, columnist

Laura Hastings-Smith, film producer

Dr Wallace Heim, writer

John Hegley, poet

Matthew Herbert, composer

Prof. Susan Himmelweit

Mary Hoffman, writer

Dr Fergus Johnston, composer

Ann Jungmana, author

Reem Kelani, musician

Judith Kazantzis, poet and writer

Conor Kelly, artist

Anthea Kennedy, filmmaker

Aleksander Kolkowski, musician

Dr AdamKossoff, artist/filmmaker

Malcolm Le Grice artist, Emeritus Professor, University of the Arts, London

Prof. Yosefa Loshitzky

Jamie McCarthy, musician and lecturer

Dr CaroleMcKenzie FRSA

Ewan McLennan, folk musician

Jeff McMillan, artist

Helen Legg, curator

China Mcville, novelist

Lowkey,musician

Roger Mitchell, film and theatre director

Jenny Morgan, film director

Carol Morley, film director

Alan Morrison, writer

Paul Morrison, film director

Ian Pace, concert pianist

Sam Paechter, composer

Miranda Pennell, filmmaker

Jeremy Peyton Jones, composer

Henry Porter, novelist and commentator

James Purefoy, actor

Laure Prouvost, artist

William Raban, filmmaker, reader at University of the Arts London

A.L.Rees, writer

Lynne Reid Banks, writer

Frances Rifkin, theatre director, Utopia Arts

Leon Rosselson, singer songwriter

Martin Rowson cartoonist

Dr Khadiga Safwatwriter

Sukhdev Sandhuwriter and historian

Dominic Saunders, pianist

Guy Sherwin, artist

Kevin Smith, art activist, PLATFORM

Prof. John Smith, filmmaker University of East London

Anne Solomon, violinist

Ahdaf Soueif, writer

Helen Statman, performer

Michael Stevens, co-director, Choir of London

Susannah Stone picture researcher,

Trevor Stuart, performer

Ingrid Swenson, director PEER

Alia Syed, artist

Jennet Thomas, artist, senior lecturer, University of the Arts

MirandaTufnell, dance artist

Prof. DavidTurner

Francesca Viceconti,artist

Michelene Wandor, writer

David Ward, composer

Samuel West, actor and director

Ian Wiblin, photographer

Andrew Wilson, curator

Eliza Wyatt, playwright

RobinYassin-Kassab novelist

An opera that should have premiered this week in Beijing has been cancelled, according to its promoter, ‘for political reasons’.

The opera deals with the life of the nationalist leader Sun Yat-Sen, who is anathema to the Communist regime. It was always a delicate proposition.

Its composer, Huang Ruo, is represented by Karsten Witt music management in Berlin. Their statement on the cancellation says that the western-instrument production was ‘cancelled at short notice due to political reasons’. The management is seeking another venue for the world premiere.

A journalist in Beijing tells me that an official postponement had been ascribed to “technical difficulties in the vocal and orchestral score”; the production has been replaced by a work called Chinese Orphan.

The impresario has messaged this site to say that the Chinese-instrument version of the opera is still going ahead in Hong Kong on October 13.

Meanwhile, I hear privately from someone who was present at the first rehearsal in Beijing that the reason for cancelling the western-instrument was that one senior official decided, there and then, that the music was ‘too modern’ for senior Party cadres, who were due to attend the opera, which marks the centenary of the Chinese Republic. More information is still coming in.

Here is an advance report on the opera and its first act, previewed in New York in May.

Sun yat sen opera

 

Researchers in Germany have been working on the age-old legend that sopranos have their monthly ups and downs.

After intensive study of 23 female singers, the Department of Cognitive Ethology in Göttingen, working with partners in Britain and Israel, has come up with an answer. Or maybe half an answer. Sort of.

It concludes that there is no apparent change to the voice with ovulation, but some roughness and higher pitch during menstruation. The survey leans rather heavily on male perspectives of changes in the female voice. Here’s a sample:

In the perceptual preference tests, British heterosexual males who did not speak German rated the free speech samples recorded three days prior to estimated ovulation to be, marginally significantly, more attractive than those recorded in the middle of the ovulatory period (t27 = 2.662, p = 0.013). There were no significant differences between attractiveness ratings during the period of ovulation and at the onset of menstruation (t27 = ?0.377, p = 0.709; see Fig. 4). For the sustained vowels, we found no difference in preference (vowel /a/ pre-ovulation vs. ovulation t27 = 0.493, p = 0.626; ovulation vs. menstruation t27 = ?0.891, p = 0.381).

 

Here‘s the full peer-reviewed academic report.

 

The opera house and dramatic theatre in Cologne have run into deficit after cuts to their public subsidy.

Director  Uwe Eric Laufenberg says he has taken five million Euros from reserves and still faces difficulties. More here.