Marshall Marcus, head of music at Europe’s biggest arts centre, has resigned from London’s South Bank after five fruitful years.

Marshall’s greatest achievement was to maintains the peace between four resident orchestras – LPO, Philharmonia, London Sinfonietta and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – while bringing in high-calibre promotions like Daniel Barenboim’s Beethoven cycle, Gustavo Dudamel’s residency and the present focus on Pierre Boulez.

But he’s  restless man, ready to move on. He has a long-standing relationship with José Antonio Abreu and el sistema in Venezuela and his next task will be to develop joint projects between the South Bank and the sistema. He will also head up a baroque music programme for the Simón Bolívar Music Foundation in Venezuela.

His timing is immaculate – ahead of the 2012 Olympic overkill, and the inevitable letdown that will follow. I wish him well.

UPDATE: If you read the South Bank press release, out this morning, you will be hard pressed to understand that Marshall is actually leaving. The clever smoothies have spun it to give the impression that he’s staying put forever. Read on:

4 November 2011
 
SOUTHBANK CENTRE ANNOUNCES PLAN TO BUILD NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH EL SISTEMA
Over the last half decade Southbank Centre has been at the heart of the ‘social transformation through music’ movement in the UK, working closely with Maestro José Antonio Abreu (the Founder and Director of El Sistema), the conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and young musicians from El Sistema, all of whom are inspiring figures for artists and educationalists worldwide. Following hugely successful residencies with both the Simón Bolívar and Teresa Carreño Orchestras, as well as the forthcoming residency of Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in June 2012, Southbank Centre now intends to develop a programme of work that significantly deepens that relationship.
Southbank Centre is delighted to announce that Marshall Marcus will lead the work to develop this new partnership. Marshall has had a longstanding relationship with El Sistema since its establishment in the 1970s, and this project will allow him to focus his work on the international development of El Sistema. The project will see him working on the development of a business plan that supports a wide range of music partnerships nationally and internationally, advising the Centre for Social Action Through Music (CASPM) in Caracas, and facilitating staffing exchanges between Southbank Centre and CASPM. At the same time Marshall has accepted an invitation from El Sistema’s Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar to create a new orchestra within El Sistema. He takes up the dual positions of Special Project Advisor for Southbank Centre’s El Sistema project and Director of the Simón Bolívar Music Foundation’sVenezuelan Baroque Music Programme, relinquishing his current position as Head of Music at Southbank Centre in order to fulfil these new posts. He has been resident in Venezuela as a guest of El Sistema during autumn 2011in order to commence work on these projects.
Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre, said: “We are very pleased to announce this research programme aimed at deepening the long-term partnership between Southbank Centre and El Sistema‘s Centre for Social Action Through Music in Caracas. I know we are lucky to have Marshall Marcus leading on the development of this research, and whilst I am very sorry to lose him from the Music Team after five exceptional years, this is an incredible opportunity for him.  I know we all look forward with excitement to the new project, both here at Southbank Centre, and in Venezuela.”
Eduardo Mendez, Executive Director of Maestro Abreu’s Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar, said: “London’s Southbank Centre is a profound supporter of El Sistema and embraces and espouses the values at the heart of the Simón Bolívar Music Foundation. It gives us great joy therefore to see our long-time friend Marshall Marcus help create a bridge between our two organisations and we look forward to him deepening and strengthening our bonds.’Marshall Marcus, said: “I feel privileged to be able to carry forward my commitment and enthusiasm for Venezuela’s revolutionary El Sistema, whilst at the same time retaining a close connection with Southbank Centre. I have enjoyed five spectacular years at Southbank Centre, following the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall, and am honoured by the invitation to establish an orchestra in Venezuela alongside the project to further cement ties between Southbank Centre and Venezuela.”

I am hearing from Moscow that there was unreported drama at the Bolshoi during the opening night of Ruslan and Lyudmilla.

Apparently, the international mezzo-soprano Yelena Zaremba broke her hand during the performance. She went backstage, received a painkilling injection and bandage and came right back half an hour later to resume the role of Naina.

Although the fracture has showed up on x-ray, she still plans to sing the next performance. There has been no official confirmation of the reports I am receiving and I am hedging them with appropriate caution. If you were there, please post a comment or contact the site direct.

The premiere has been surrounded with secrecy. At a press night, journalists had a chance to see only one scene from the opera (photo).photo (c) Ria-Novosti/Lebrecht Music & Arts.

The incident calls to mind Joyce DiDonato’s courage when she broke a leg in Barber of Seville at Covent Garden, in July 2009. They are made of good stuff, these mezzos.

 

UPDATE: openspace.ru  has just confirmed my original report. Here’s the google translation:

In the first part there was not a soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre.Mezzo-soprano Elena Zaremba, who sang Naina, during the performance fell badly on the stage and broke her arm. But heroically sang the show completely. And, apparently, will sing the remaining six performances. Statement before its commencement was announced in the media scandal.Indeed, the scandal was in the hall: every now and then shouts from the floor, and once the audience was divided into two camps, and began chanting “Shame!” And “Bravo!”, Trying to shout each other. That is in the best opera houses of Europe. Nothing of the kind we did not have before. So even in this sense, the first night of “Ruslan and Ludmila” can be called historic. A more detailed review of the statement will be released on OPENSPACE.RU shortly.

 

Lorin Maazel has tweeted, asking us to share this post around to help up the ante on his forthcoming violin sale.

So here’s the gospel according to Mrs Maazel: http://tarisio.com/wp/through-my-eyes/.

After cleaning up at Weimar, Russians have taken the Grand Prize at Liszt 200 in Chicago.

The winners of the $8,000 award are Duo Vis à Vis, Polina Grigoreva and Yulia Yurchenko (St. Petersburg, Russia). They also collected a $2,000 Norman Pellegrini Schubert Prize.

They must be looking happier now. Surely?

The competition’s full name is “Liszt 200” Chicago International Duo Piano Competition, presented by the Music Institute of Chicago.

From the press release:

Duo Vis à Vis (Grand Prize “Liszt 200 Chicago” and “Norman Pellegrini Schubert Prize”): Duo Vis à Vis (Grand Prize “Liszt 200 Chicago” and “Norman Pellegrini Schubert Prize”): Polina Grigoryeva and Yulia Yurchenko perform at leading concert series in their native Russia, including St. Petersburg, and at festivals and with orchestras in Germany and abroad. They have participated in the Schubert Festival in Rostock, Germany and the International Festival of Modern Music “Musical Spring.” Other competition prizes include 1st prize in the Valentino Bucchi Competition in Rome and top honors in the Jesenik, Czech Republic Schubert competition and  the Bialystock, Poland Competition for piano duo. perform at leading concert series in their native Russia, including St. Petersburg, and at festivals and with orchestras in Germany and abroad. They have participated in the Schubert Festival in Rostock, Germany and the International Festival of Modern Music “Musical Spring.” Other competition prizes include 1st prize in the Valentino Bucchi Competition in Rome and top honors in the Jesenik, Czech Republic Schubert competition and  the Bialystock, Poland Competition for piano duo.

Sony Corp lost nearly $200 million in the last quarter, which is enough to give anyone a headache.

But the big worry is music, which is dipping ever lower below the Plimsoll line. Music was 6.6 percent down on the quarter, with just two big earners – Beyonce and Adele. Beyonce wants to have a baby and Adele, who has taken the rest of the year off, is not even a Sony artist. Just a US distributee.

Talent is at a low ebb in Sony Park. The waters are rising.  Here‘s the latest.

photo: (c) EPA, Bangkok.

The hyper-inflation of works by Gustav Klimt defies rational explanation. In the 1950s, a good Klimt canvas went for $5,000.

Last night someone paid $40.4m at Sothebys New York for a common-or-garden lakescape of the Attersee, where Klimt and Mahler spent their summers, Mahler in the early 1890s (2nd and 3rd symphonies), Klimt a bit later. See here for further connections.

Klimt, idle, painted lots of Attersee views. And the price just keeps rising. Here’s CultureGrrl on the bidding war.

SothKlimt.jpg

I warned you about this a while back, and it finally opens to the public tomorrow.

It’s the big one – Salzburg’s belated tribute to its most famous citizens. Not Mozart (who’s Mozart?). It’s the Trapp Family exhibition in the town that kicked them out.

Artikelbild: Die sieben Kinder Georg und Agathe von Trapps mit Stiefmutter Maria Augusta und der Hauskaplan Franz Wasner - Foto: APA/SALZBURG MUSEUM

The exciting Sound of Music exhibition at the Salzburg Museum has 180 pieces of genuine family memorabilia gathered from around the world. And this is just a trial run. Plans are in hand for a year-round Trapp Family Museum. Salzburg has finally forgiven the unreasonable, anti-Nazi Trapps.

The Trapp Family Singers in the 50s on tour in the USA.  Image: SN / VIENNA MUSEUM / TRAPP FAMILY LODGE

The Sound of Music itself has just opened in a Salzburg theatre for the first time. According to Der Standard, the city is gripped by Trapp-mania. Next, they’s be asking the Pope to beatify the singing children.

I shall be staying away…. and I may be gone awhile.

Here’s a video promo to keep you happy.

 

A sharp-eyed audience member tells me that Robert Lepage’s new Siegfried set froze dead yesterday in the transition to the final scene.

Deborah Voigt came on, saw nothing was moving, so she lay down and played the entire finale from the apron of the stage.

Fortunately, it was not a first night so no-one of any social significance witnessed the embarrassment.

Still, the Met has spent millions on this multi-planked production. It ought to work. Why doesn’t it?