The New York Philharmonic propaganda machine has been busy on CBS TV.
Yechiam Peled, principal piccolo of the Israel Opera Orchestra, died today aged 67. Equally versatile on flute and piccolo, crossing all genres of music, his proudest hour was as solo accompanist to the soprano Victoria de Los Angeles. A warm-hearted man he never lost a wry sense of humour. Here’s the last joke he posted on his facebook page: What’s the difference between a musician and a family pizza? A family pizza feeds four.
The composer Oded Zahavi offers us the following tribute:
From the 1970s, Israeli popular music embraced a rich acoustic sound as its aesthetic, and the need for a good flautist become essential. Such an artist had to combine Middle-Eastern folkloric timbres with great bel-canto instincts and for many years the flute of Yechiam Peled embodied these ideals. Peled, one of the most admired and versatile flautists in Israel (both in the recording studio and onstage), died today at the age of 67. He also served as a member of the Israeli Opera Orchestra and as head of that orchestra’s Players Union, led the orchestra through some tough labor negotiations. We will miss this talented and unique crossover musician.
The US-German violinist David Garrett plays Paganini in Hollywood’s first composer biopic for a couple of decades. Here are two trailers:
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande has reached a last-minute, out-of-court settlement with its former manager, Miguel Esteban, who was suing for 1.8 million francs (US $1.95m) compensation on his five-year contract.
Esteban has done well out of the settlement and the orch will have much explaining to do to its financial and political supporters. No good cause was ever given for dismissing the manager, and the manner of his dismissal was particularly humiliating. The board chairman at the time has since resigned.
More good news today for Miguel Esteban: the moment the settlement was announced, he was appointed Vice President Artists and Events at Universal Music Arts and Entertainment (www.u-live.com). Clearly, the world’s biggest music company has more faith in his abilities than the crabby orchestral gnomes of Geneva.
Statements below.
Lundi le 4 novembre 2013
La Fondation de l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande et M. Miguel ESTEBAN portent à votre
connaissance qu’ils ont mis, d’un commun accord, un terme au litige qui les opposait en relation
avec la fin des rapports de travail de M. Miguel ESTEBAN survenue le 12 juillet 2012.
Ils vous remercient de votre attention.
Florence Notter
Présidente de la Fondation de l’OSR
Miguel Esteban
Miguel Esteban a été nommé Vice Président d’Artistes et d’Événements auprès d’Universal Music
Arts and Entertainment (www.u-live.com), filiale de la société Universal Music Group International
qui se consacre à la promotion de concerts, des tournées et d’autres événements en Europe et dans le monde entier.
UPDATE: The following statement was included in the severance document:
La Fondation de l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande et Monsieur Miguel Esteban ont mis un terme à leur relation de travail avec effet au 12 juillet 2012 sans que les qualités professionnelles ou personnelles de Monsieur Miguel Esteban ne soient remises en question.
The Foundation of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Mr. Miguel Esteban ended their working relationship on July 12, 2012, without casting any doubts on the professional or personal qualities of Mr. Miguel Esteban.
The German Tonkünstlerverband, concerned at rising rates of burnout among performing and teaching musicians, has commissioned a study from a psychiatrist, Dr. Jürgen Brunner, to examine the phenomenon and recommend forms of therapy. You can read his essay here in German. It sets out the condition in general terms, without case histories, but many of the symptoms will be widely familiar.
Anecdotally, we have become increasingly aware of rising dropout rates in the musical professions, as well as incidents of self-harm and suicide. There seems to be no single immediate cause. The German initiative is welcome for opening the field of study.
The Latvian mezzo Elina Garanca tells her life st0ry in a new book, out next week in Vienna. The title, ‘Wirklich wichtig sind die Schuhe’, gives a taste of her ironic tone. Or maybe she loves her Manolos best. Ms Garanca, 37, is taking time out at present to have her second child.
The diva sang with Lou on the 20th anniversary of the Czech Velvet Revolution. Its leader, Vaclav Havel, was a fan of Lou’s Velvet Underground.
Renée has posted the track on her Facebook page.
Watch. Listen. Do not for one moment call it crossover.
Data from Nielsen Soundscan, which registers every record sale in the US, reports that 4.5 million albums were sold last week. That covers all genres and formats, from classical to Coldplay, digital to vinyl.
This is the lowest weekly number since accurate records were first kept in 1991. The only recorded format to show an increase is vinyl, which continues to boom.
The downwards trend points to the end of the hour-plus album as a means of bundling music. Consumers appear to be heading for pick and mix with single tracks.
Nothing stands still. Nothing stays the same.
The Brahms Institute in Lübeck has successfully digitalised that great composer’s handwritten legacy. It is now getting to work on his mentor, Robert Schumann. So far, 128 works have been copied. Navigating the site is a little tricky, but it promises to be a terrific resource.
The pianist has posted this picture with dancers of the Houston Ballet. Photo © Jean-Philippe Raibaud
Renée Fleming has cancelled a keenly-awaited orchestral concert in Oxford tomorrow. Her replacement will be Sylvia Schwarz. Announcement below.
Renée Fleming deeply regrets that she has been called to the United States to be with an immediate family member in a medical emergency. She hopes to find the earliest opportunity to reschedule what she knows will be a lovely concert with Maestro Papadopoulos, the Oxford Philomusica, the choirs of Christ Church Cathedral, The Queen’s College, Oxford and Exeter College Chapel Choir and students. Renée sends her sincere thanks for the understanding of her esteemed colleagues and the kind audiences at Oxford, and she looks forward to returning soon.deeply regrets that she has been called to the United States to be with an immediate family member in a medical emergency. She hopes to find the earliest opportunity to reschedule what she knows will be a lovely concert with Maestro Papadopoulos, the Oxford Philomusica, the choirs of Christ Church Cathedral, The Queen’s College, Oxford and Exeter College Chapel Choir and students. Renée sends her sincere thanks for the understanding of her esteemed colleagues and the kind audiences at Oxford, and she looks forward to returning soon.
The Concertgebouw conductor has been made a knight of the order of the Netherlands Lion. Grrrr.
The award was presented on Friday after a performance of Mahler’s second symphony by the minister for education, culture and science.
Chef-dirigent Mariss Jansons Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw
Mariss Jansons, chef-dirigent van het Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest, is sinds vrijdag 1 november Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw. Minister van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap Jet Bussemaker reikte de onderscheiding aan de Letse maestro uit. De uitreiking vond plaats direct na het concert op de avond van 1 november, waarbij de Tweede symfonie van Gustav Mahler op het programma stond.
“Mariss Jansons is één van de meest betekenisvolle dirigenten van onze tijd”, aldus minister Bussemaker bij de uitreiking van de onderscheiding. “We zijn dankbaar voor zijn diepgaande bijdrage aan ons Nederlandse muziekleven en voor de kracht waarop hij dit met het Concertgebouworkest in de wereld uitdraagt. Onder zijn bezielende leiding straalt de parel in de kroon van ons Nederlandse muziekleven als nooit tevoren.”
De onderscheiding geeft een extra feestelijke tint aan de 125e verjaardag van het Concertgebouworkest, dat op zondag 3 november gevierd wordt. Op het Verjaardagsconcert dirigeert Mariss Jansons Ein Heldenleben van Richard Strauss (ooit opgedragen aan het Concertgebouworkest) en het gloednieuwe Mysteriën van Louis Andriessen.
Vijfentwintig jaar geleden, op 28 oktober 1988, maakte Mariss Jansons zijn debuut bij het Concertgebouworkest. Al snel ontstond er een zeer goede relatie tussen dirigent en orkest, en in 2004 werd hij chef-dirigent. Jansons heeft al vele onderscheidingen gekregen. Nog op 4 oktober jongstleden ontving hij het Bundesverdienstkreuz uit handen van de Duitse bondspresident Joachim Gauck.