It is reported in Switzerland that Boris Giltburg, the Israeli pianist who came second to Daniil Trifonov in the Rubinstein before going on to win the Reine Elisabeth, has signed an exclusive recording deal with Naxos.

Giltburg, 30, had previously worked with niche label Orchid while awaiting an approach from the majors. But the majors no longer rely on international competitions for the next generation of talent – a development that has seriously undermined the pretensions of the competition industry.

Giltburg has recorded Schumann for the Hong Kong-based Naxos.

Frank Castorf, last-minute director of last summer’s catastrophic Ring cycle has engaged the Gregor Gysi law firm to pursue a case against Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier, directors of the Bayreuth Festival.

Castorf claims the Wagners replaced his Alberich without consultation, sacked his designer and tried to prevent him putting a neo-Nazi placard on stage. He also has a problem with Bayreuth fees which, he says, have shrunk to the point of caricature.’ Read interview here (auf Deutsch).