The death was announced tonight of Arik Einstein, singer, actor and icon of soft-power Israeli masculinity from the 1960s on. Aged 74, he suffered an aortic aneurysm.
An international petition was issued tonight via US academic networks.
Please find below the text of a petition that conductor François-Xavier Roth, composer George Lewis, and composer Franck Bedrossian have decided to send tomembers of the international musical community.
As some of you may know, due to alleged economic reasons, the SWR (Südwestrundfunk) board members plan to fuse both SWR orchestras, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR (RSO) and the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg (SO), despite a large outpouring of protest in Germany and abroad, including major composers and interpreters of new music as well as politicians. Despite a 28,000-name petition compiled in 2012,[1] and two new petitions signed by 160 renowned conductors[2] and 148 composers,[3] plans for a merger continue. We strongly believe that this protest needs to be expanded internationally to prevent a cultural tragedy.
The decision to fuse the two outstanding orchestras, which have developed contrasting artistic profiles over the course of decades, is not only damaging to German musical life, but concerns all new and classical music lovers internationally. This is why we are requesting your support, via the attached petition. If you wish to sign, please send your name and professional affiliation to be added to the list, which will be sent to the SWR board and the press. The information provided will not be used for any other purpose.
“We, the undersigned composers, performers, professors, students, listeners, and cultural partners from around the world are writing to express our deep concern upon learning of the possible fusion of the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR (RSO) with the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg. The SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg is highly appreciated at the international level for its unwavering commitment to the emerging music of our time.
The SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg stands as a positive symbol for those of us who support the most innovative and progressive ideas emerging from the orchestral tradition. From its birth, the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg has been a champion of musical creativity, and it continues today to celebrate and encourage the imagination of living composers. Many symphonic works that made music history and now belong to the repertoire performed around the world were written for and premiered by this orchestra. Its influence has touched all of us and many more, far beyond the borders of Germany, and stands as a point of reference and a promise for those who support new music globally.
To halt the activity of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg will severely threaten the classical and modern repertoire, and will negatively impact its musical admirers across the globe. To dismantle this orchestra is to turn one’s back on the humanist values of the symphonic tradition, disheartening audiences around the world who believe that an orchestra has the possibility to remain a vital and relevant part of our collective culture and include the public in new expressive experiences.
For all of these reasons, we urge you to reconsider this decision.”
For more information, or if you do not wish to received further messages, please reply to Aaron Einbond at swr.petition@gmail.com.
The Lang Lang International Music Foundation brought together young pianists from all over the world for the first international “Junior Music Camp” in Munich, from November 3 – 8, 2013.
There’s no end of things you can get arrested for these days. Like being a musician and getting caught short in the state of Ohio. Against the wall of a motel, apparently.
Musician Nathan Klages, 27, faces charges of public indecency, for heaven’s sake. He could go to jail.
Musicians in Cincy, 22 miles uproad from the alleged offence, are rallying to his support. And so should all of us.
The next piano idol in China comes from Taiwan via Manhattan.
Chen Han today won first prize (US$30,000) in the 6th China International Piano Competition (Xiamen). He is 21 years old, and blew away the competition in all rounds, including looks.
The only woman finalist, Shi Boyang, 20, came sixth.
Lilly Schwartz is leaving the Minnesota Orchestra for a new position as associate producer at SFJAZZ in San Francisco. More here. No future there. Last one, please turn out the lights.
Staff at Rome Opera are on strike over threats of redundancy to 480 staff. The company is formally bankrupt. But the unions this morning agreed to let tomorrow’s premiere go ahead after music director Riccardo Muti said ‘it would be a crime’ to cancel it.
Power to the podium.
Abrupt to the point of rudeness, the beleaguered Peter Boudgoust who is trying to merge two SWR orchestras has told some of the world’s leading composers:
“Because your demands and arguments are very similar to those put forward by the conductors, we happily pass on to you the statement we printed on our website. We would be grateful if you could forward it to all those who signed your letter.”
He ends with:
“We would like to stress that we very much value your commitment to the Baden-Baden and Freiburg Symphony Orchestra. We would be happy if you could take note of our arguments.”
Full German text here.
The Vienna Opera and Cleveland Orchestra music director should have conducted for the first time at the Semper Opera tomorrow, but he’s not feeling well. Under such short notice, say Dresden, they couldn’t find another conductor. So they’ve hired a pianist, Rudolf Buchbinder, instead.
Announcement below.
Krankheitsbedingt musste nun aber Franz Welser-Möst sein Dresdner Debüt absagen. »Wir hatten uns sehr auf die erstmalige Zusammenarbeit mit Franz Welser-Möst gefreut. Auch er war voller Vorfreude, als wir ihn letzte Woche anlässlich der Uraufführung von Rihms ›Verwandlung 5‹ in Wien trafen. Seine Absage ist daher umso bedauerlicher, aber die Gesundheit geht natürlich vor und wir wünschen Franz Welser-Möst vor allem schnelle Genesung. Infolge der Kurzfristigkeit seiner Absage war es – trotz großer Anstrengung – leider nicht möglich, einen Dirigenten zu finden, der das Programm hätte übernehmen können. Wir freuen uns aber, dass Rudolf Buchbinder sich bereit erklärt hat, die Leitung der Konzerte vom Klavier aus zu übernehmen und zwei Solokonzerte von Ludwig van Beethoven zu spielen. So etwas ist sicherlich nicht alltäglich und eine schöne Reminiszenz an die Saison 2010/2011, in der Buchbinder unser Capell-Virtuos war und in den Konzerten der Staatskapelle zwei Beethoven-Konzerte sowie – in einem Sonderzyklus – sämtliche Beethoven-Sonaten interpretierte.« (Jan Nast, Orchesterdirektor der Sächsischen Staatskapelle Dresden)
Susie Herman is desperately missing her Howarth academy bassoon no 6334 in black leather Marcus Bonna case, worth £5,000, stolen on October 6 in West Hampstead.
Finder please contact pud295t@gmail.com
Elke Neidhardt, a German-born actress who premiered Wagner’s Ring in Australia in 20o4, has died, aged 72. She was resident director at Opera Australia for 13 years and her Adelaide Ring won global recognition.
Elke referred to Wagner as ‘an evil man’ and to conductors as ‘egomaniacs’. Singers thought she was terrific.
Last week, Leonidas Kavakos suffered an extraordinary misfortune in Helsinki when the E string on his violin came loose just as he started a Mozart concerto. Listen here.
Last night, on home turf in Athens, Leonidas pitched into the Brahms concerto only for a string to break. What did he do? Over to our man on the spot, Alexandros Rigas:
At first, he changed his violin with the violin of the concertmaster #2 and a female violinist took Kavakos violin backstage. Kavakos tried the new violin for two notes and after a short discussion with the conductor, they went backstage. They returned fuve minutes later with the string fixed and they started from the beginning. Overall, Kavakos was far more loose and more free than in his recent recording (with Chailly). He offered two encores: Ysaye’s Sonata no 4 – Allemanda and the Andante from Bach’s Sonata no 2 in A minor.
Cool, or what?
UPDATE: And here’s an exclusive picture of the moment:
ASSOCIATION OF THE FRIENDS OF MUSIC ATHENS CONCERT HALL HALL: Christos Lambrakis 11/25/13. 60 Years of Association of the Friends of Music. Festive Concert. Athens State Orchestra. Musical direction by Vassilis Christopoulos. Leonidas Kavakos violin. HARIS AKRIVIADIS akriviadis@otenet.gr www.fotobox.gr The photographs are protected by law.