Out today.

silly walks

We think it’s the first time a composer has been named president of the jury at a major international film festival. Alexandre Desplat will wield the gavel at Venice.

alexandre desplat

The Canadian government has abolished a $275 processing fee it had added to the $150 work permit required for every non-Canadian who plays in small Canadian venues.

It’s a small step. much to be welcomed. Chamber musicians should breathe a sigh of relief.

canada army

 

Deborah Rutter is leaving Chicago with a flourish after 11 years in the top job. The orchestra has not been this happy with its music director since Solti was in his prime.

The finances are stable; an extra $32 million flowed in just last week. The orchestra is socially engaged, interested in new music and thinking creatively about its future.

Rutter-Muti-year

Deborah is one of four women who have turned around US orchestras. The others are Deborah Borda at New York and Los Angeles, Allison Vulgamore at Philadelphia and Anne Parsons at Detroit. No man has performed at this level in a generation. Fact one.

Kathryn McDowell at the LSO is the outstanding orchestra manager in London with a vibrant band, bursting the new ideas. No man &c. Fact 2.

Pamela Rosenberg was the best and brightest of recent managers of the Berlin Philharmonic. Fact 3.

There’s more evidence wherever you care to look. Discuss.

 

This is the Halle Orchestra in Manchester yesterday. They used to love cricket and soccer but, after recent international setbacks, are in the process of changing their sporting allegiance.

Watch. Whatever you do, do not try this at home.


halle hakka

After weeks of almost unprecendented hype, London dealers Ingles & Hayday failed at Sotheby’s last  night to get a price for the Macdonald Strad, formerly owned by Peter Schidlof of the Amadeus Quartet. The price being mooted was a record, ridiculous $45 million.

The dealers used every gimmick on the PR handbook short of having a soloist fall onto the instrument, but the market was not interested. A shamefaced Sotheby’s has yet to tweet the result. After last week’s failure by Christies to shift a $10 million Kreutzer Strad, it looks as if some sanity may return to the top end of instrument prices.

Which is good news for everyone – unless you own one.

Staff member puts the 'Macdonald' viola made by Italian artisan Stradivari on a stand during a preview at Sotheby's gallery in Hong Kong