Alarming news from the Czech Republic. The city of Brno has imposed a cut too far on its opera house, which may be forced to shut down.
Brno was home to Leos Janacek and its opera house staged Jenufa in January 1904 to great local acclaim. A dozen years passed before Prague agreed to take a second, heavily revised production.
It would be an act of cultural vandalism to leave Brno without an opera house. I sincerely hope the Czech politicians can see that.
Here’s the message I have received:
Dear friends,
Sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to share some information with
you as with cultural friend of Czech Republic.
The way, culture is treated nowadays, is a big issue in the whole of
Europe. Sadly it has gone really far by us in Brno. The town council
there has cut 20% of an already low budget of all culture institutions
due to poorly planned investments and the next step, as it turns out,
is the abolishment of the opera ensemble, chorus and orchestra. They
say, they will eventually take the people back after 7 month, but
there is no guarantee and everyone, who has the qualities will be
employed elsewhere by then anyway. Even if I don`t mention the
soloists, who theoretically could guest and then come back, the
orchestra and chorus are very good in there and it would be a huge
waste to damage that. It is incredible, that the 2nd biggest city in
CZ should have NO OPERA HOUSE!
Tonight we play wonderful Excursions of Mr. Brou?ek, I hope not for
last time.
There is already a petition out there possible to sign it on internet.
http://zachrante-operu.cz/
If you could sign it for us, we will be very pleased!
Thank you for your time and help!
Sincerely yours Tereza Merklová Kyzlinková
member of Janá?ek opera house
We have also support from Wiener Staats Oper, and from Slovak
Philharmonic Orchestra. Yesterday we made some public protest in Brno
downtown, and came there around 1000 people to sign this petition and
support us.
For Czech speaking people here are some small videos from internet,
where is described our problem in detail.
Most important is the first from briefing in theater, and the second
reaction of our politicians.
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/kultura/139969-odbory-se-bouri-proti-sefovi-brnenskeho-narodniho-divadla/
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/10101491767-studio-ct24/211411058311019/
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/regiony/140103-protestujici-zamestnanci-a-priznivci-brnenske-opery-zaplnili-namesti/
http://brno.idnes.cz/protestujici-divadelnici-vyrazili-brnem-nelibi-se-jim-skrty-v-kulture-1mt-/brno-zpravy.aspx?c=A111019_163805_brno-zpravy_dmk
I have been sent these drawings by Gregor Dekleva, of the International Montessori Preschool Vienna. They were made by children aged three to six years old, to the theme, “The man who made music!”.
A while back, I warned you that Liszt’s B-minor sonata had been transcribed for solo violin and was being played by Giora Schmidt at Ravinia.
Well, here’s the video. Enjoy.
This Sunday, to mark the 200th birthday of the restless Abbé, the European Broadcasting Union will be putting on concerts and recitals from many of the cities he visited, from Dublin to Bucharest.
Like many multinational organisations, the EBU does not allow access to its website, thereby defeating the aim of multinational cooperation.
However, here’s one event I’ve heard about from Bucharest – and do feel free to add more:
(Pic: (c) Lebrecht Music & Arts)
From Romania, where Franz Liszt toured in 1846/47, the member stations broadcast a concert by pianist Luiza Borac live from the Mihail Jora Radio Concert Hall, Bucharest.
The concert will be broadcast at the following times and by the following stations:
– Germany by MDR at 3pm CET (www.mdr.de/mdr-figaro/ipg/sendung53994.html)
– Spain by RTVE at 3pm CET (www.rtve.es/rne/rc/programa/20111023)
– Estonia by KLASSIKA RAADIO at 4pm EET (klassikaraadio.err.ee/saated?saade=633&d=2011-10-23&tm=15:00)
– Latvia by LATVIJAS RADIO at 4pm EET (www.latvijasradio.lv/program/3/2011/10/20111023.htm)
– Denmark by DR at 3pm CET (http://www.dr.dk/P2/P2+Koncerten/Liste/2011/09/16181216.htm)
– Hungary by MR3 at 3pm CET (www.mr3-bartok.hu)
– Iceland by RUV at 1pm WET (http://dagskra.ruv.is/rondo/2011/10/23)
– Rumania by RADIO ROMANIA at at 4pm CET (www.romania-muzical.ro/program/?d=2011-10-23)
The program includes Franz Liszt’s piano transcriptions on songs by Franz Schubert (S. 558) and the “Reminiscences de Don Juan” after Mozart (S. 418).
First it was the London Symphony Orchestra restoring the City gem of St Luke’s as a rehearsal and education centre, a place of infinite possibilities for interaction and outreach with diverse communities (as well as black-tie dinners).
Now the Halle in Manchester has received grants to renew St Peter’s Church, Ancoats, along similiar lines.
It’s continuing God’s work in secular times, I guess.
Here’s the press release:
THE HALLÉ RECEIVES MAJOR DONATIONS TO SECURE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ST. PETER’S CHURCH, ANCOATS
Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra is delighted to announce an award of £702,000 from Viridor Credits Environmental Company, to support the redevelopment of St. Peter’s Church in Ancoats. The award was announced publicly at a special event today (Friday 14 October) in Taunton to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Viridor Credits.
News of the award came just days before the Hallé received confirmation of a grant of £150,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
This means that work can begin on the transformation of St. Peter’s into a new rehearsal base for the Hallé, and a home for the Orchestra’s education and community programmes. The new facility, which will preserve the exterior of the building itself, will also act as a base for the Hallé Choir, Hallé Youth Orchestra, Youth Choir and Children’s Choir. The Hallé are being advised on the project by Manchester law firm George Davies.
The Hallé Choir was founded by Sir Charles Hallé (alongside the Orchestra) in 1858. St. Peter’s will offer, for the first time in the Choir’s history, the chance to have a permanent rehearsal venue. The three youth ensembles rank amongst the Hallé’s proudest achievements of recent years. They offer talented young people from Manchester and the North West the chance to develop their skills by working alongside professional musicians, conductors and choral directors.
John Summers, Chief Executive of the Hallé, said: “This is brilliant news, both for the Hallé and the sleeping beauty that is Ancoats. We are delighted to be able to focus our education and community work in an area which played such a central role in Manchester’s emergence as a city of world significance. We are hugely grateful to both Viridor Credits and the Garfield Weston Foundation for giving us such an excellent start to our fundraising campaign.”
Lisa Nelson, general manager of Viridor Credits, said: “We were inundated with entries for our tenth Anniversary Commemorative Awards but the Hallé really stood out to us. Not only will it help to restore the impressive St. Peter’s Church for everyone to enjoy, but it will also help to provide valuable space for the prestigious Hallé Orchestra, helping to regenerate this area of Manchester.”
The former St. Peter’s Church is located in Ancoats, a part of Manchester that is widely regarded as the world’s first industrial suburb and an historic feature of the city’s heritage. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) recently inherited the Ancoats Estate from the North West Regional Development Agency.
Pictures have just come online of the Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa receiving the Premium Imperiale culture award, sometimes referred to as the Japanese Nobel. He shared it with Anish Kapoor, Ricardo Legorreta, Bill Viola and (below) the British actress Judi Dench.
(photo: AP)
Ozawa’s August comeback from cancer treatment ended after one performance of Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle and the cancellation of a China tour.
Meet Daria van den Bercken. I did, yesterday in Amsterdam.
She’s an enterprising young pianist who wheels away from one canal to the next, playing her favourite composer.
Here’s her video – Handel hits the road.
The HRF has issued a statement attacking those actors and musicians who performed for the Putin-appointed Chechen president on his 35th birthday. The Foundation points out that President Ramzan Kadyrov is responsible for many alleged ‘disappearances’.
Vanessa-Mae was singled out, along with Hilary Swank and Jean-Claude Van Damme for their participation.
The Colombian singer Shakira was praised for her withdrawal. Full statement here.
Below: Kadyrov with Van Damme at his birthday. (photo: Ria Novosti)
The New York Times today reports that Nicholas Huebbe has signed on for another five years as artistic director of Royal Danish Ballet.
It does not mention that the Ballet is mired in a massive cocaine scandal centred on Huebbe and his circle. The matter has been public knowledge for months and is being swept under a Copenhagen carpet.
Hard to tell which is worse – the Danish Ballet turning a blind eye to drug abuse or the New York Times turning a blind eye to truth.
Oh, it’s by Daniel J. Wakin: sign of an unrecycled press release.
I reported a few weeks back that musicians of the Finnish Radio Orchestra have their own private sauna in Helsinki’s new concert hall. Well, I’ve just heard that they broke club rules and allowed a maestro in to shed his tails and share their space after a particularly enjoyable session.
The first conductor in the steam room was … Esa-Pekka Salonen. Who’s next?
I have just heard from a colleague in Pittsburgh that Gideon Toeplitz, who ran the symphony orchestra from 1987 to 2003, has died in his sleep while visiting family in Israel. He was 66 and suffered from diabetes.
Gideon’s great achievement was to bring Mariss Jansons to Pittsburgh in 1997 after a deep-chill dose of Lorin Maazel. Jansons struck an instant chord with city and musicians alike, but he hated long-distance flights and quit after just five years. Gideon followed him through the door a year later. He had a short spell with the ill-fated Honolulu Symphony and then dropped off the radar.
I had New Year greetings from him three weeks ago, and he sounded in good spirits. Although externally gruff, he was a warm and funny man when you got to know him. His father had been principal flute of the Israel Philharmonic and he knew orchestras inside out. I shall miss Gideon. I hope the PSO give him a good send-off. An orchestra manager’s life is not always a happy one.
Here’s a longer bio:
GIDEON TOEPLITZ, SENIOR ADVISOR – WASHINGTON, DC
ARTISTIC PLANNING, MUSIC DIRECTOR SEARCHES, ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTING
Gideon Toeplitz joined the Arts
Consulting Group in 2004 with over 30
years of experience in the performing
arts field. He was formerly the Executive
Vice President and Managing Director
of the Pittsburgh Symphony from 1987-
2003, and has had a remarkable career
as one of the most respected
administrators in the performing arts.
Under Mr. Toeplitz’s leadership, the
Pittsburgh Symphony achieved new
levels of artistic excellence, becoming
one of the U.S. orchestras most often
invited to tour aboard. He was
instrumental in attracting two of the
world’s finest musicians to Pittsburgh —
Mariss Jansons as Music Director and
Marvin Hamlisch as Principal Pops
Conductor. Balancing artistic
excellence with fiscal responsibility, Mr.
Toeplitz was the architect of several
dynamic strategic plans.
Mr. Toeplitz is recognized for his bestbusiness practices in bringing the
“Hoshin” style of management to the
Pittsburgh Symphony, where board,
musicians, staff and volunteers all had a
voice and stake in the future direction
of the institution. He is an expert in
labor relations, artistic planning,
organizational culture and maximizing
revenue from both earned and
contributed sources.
He was integrally involved in bringing
the Pittsburgh Symphony to an
international audience. Between 1989
and 2003 the Orchestra toured Europe
seven times, the Far East four times,
South America twice, Mexico and
Puerto Rico. These performances were
in addition to numerous U.S. tours,
including annually at Carnegie Hall.
Prior to joining the Pittsburgh Symphony
in 1987, Mr. Toeplitz was Executive
Director of the Houston Symphony for six
years. He previously held the Orchestra
Manager post at the Boston Symphony
and was Assistant Manager of the
Rochester Philharmonic.
Mr. Toeplitz was the first President of the
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance, and
serves on the advisory boards of
Carnegie Mellon University’s School of
Music and the Avery Fisher Prize. He
was a member of Board of Directors of
the American Jewish Committee, the
Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, and the
Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre. He has also
served on the American Symphony
Orchestra League Board of Directors.
He was also a participant in National
Endowment for the Arts panels and has
written numerous articles for
professional publications.
Born in Israel, Mr. Toeplitz was raised in
a musical family. He first studied piano
and then flute with his father and later
with Marcel Moyse, the dean of flute
teachers. His father Uri was a founding
member of the Israel Philharmonic and
was its principal flutist for 35 years.
Mr. Toeplitz has a BA in Economics and
Political Science from the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem and an MBA
from the University of California, Los
Angeles.
Yefim Bronfman is having a bad month. First he cancelled Oregon with a middle-ear infection. Now he’s out of Los Angeles with – more serious – a broken finger.
He may be out for a while. Wish him better.
