This is a fascinating conversation, just posted by The Hollywood Reporter, between five Oscar contenders: Marco Beltrami (The Homesman), Danny Elfman (Big Eyes), John Powell (How To Train Your Dragon 2), Trent Reznor (Gone Girl) and Hans Zimmer (Interstellar). No holds barred.

‘What’s it like when a director first hears the music?’

 

trent-comproundtable

There’s a small storm brewing in France over a concert review in Le Figaro, where the stand-in conductor was praised to the skies and the soloist in the Brahms concerto barely got a name-check. The double-stand-in conductor was the timpanist Adrien Perruchon, who made his debut after Lionel Bringuier and Mikko Franck called in sick. Good story (we broke it first).

But to ignore Francois-Frederic Guy, who received an ovation and an encore for the second Brahms concerto was a bit casual on the reporter’s part. The article is not exactly a review, more a celebration of the late substitute, but it left the soloist quite unhappy.

le monde review

This sort of thing happens quite a lot.

Michael Fine, former head of Deutche Grammophon G and now a world-travelling independent record producer, attempts to explain a difficult role.

michael fine

Kerenza Peacock, leader of the Pavao String Quartet and a regular soloist at London venues and sporting events, is stripping off tomorrow and taking the plunge at Felixstowe. It’s for charity, raising funds for the St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich, where here dying mother was cared for in March this year. Good for Kerenza. You can support her swim here.

kerenza peacockchristmas dip

The budget for the competition is 300  million rubles, but with the fluctuation in currency values the organisers have bee forced to stipulate that the award oney will be paid in US currency according to the exchange rate on the day.

The gold medal winner will collect $130,000, the biggest prize anywhere.

Valery Gergiev, the co-chair, has also clarified that Placido Domingo will not, as announced, be one of the judges of the vocal section. He will, however, attend as a guest.

 

ap080118051624

 

The great soprano has been spared jail by a Spanish court after admitting to one year’s tax evasion. Caballé has paid back half a million Euros and a 240,000 Euro fine, and accepted a six-month sentence that she will not have to serve, under terms of a plea-bargain deal.

The singer is practically under house arrest from ill-health and mobility issues, her defence team said.

pati caballe

The headline quote is from Gustav Mahler, Symphony #4. The rest is vish fulfilment.

We lost a great entertainer this week.

udo-jurgens

The great Fairouz turned 80 last month. Her work used to be disseminated across the Levant by EMI Greece. Halcyon days.


fairouz