Here’s the warning letter the ROH has sent ut to all who have bought tickets for William Tell. Too long by half?

 

We are writing to you as you have booked a ticket for Rossini’s Guillaume Tell. You might be aware of very strong public reactions to a scene in this production in the third act where there is a depiction of a young woman being attacked and sexually humiliated by a group of officers.

We want to assure you and your guest/s that the public reaction to this scene has been of great concern to us and we take it very seriously. For this reason, we also wanted to make sure that you had a warning in advance of watching the show, that you would be seeing a scene depicting momentary nudity and violence of a threatening sexual nature.

We feel that the scene in question is not gratuitous but is founded in the libretto of the opera and in the context of the overall action of the piece. In the first act of the opera, we hear that a father has had to violently defend his daughter, resorting to murder, against an attempted abduction by an Austrian officer. In the third act the libretto suggests a brutal domination of the Swiss women by the Austrian military.

The production tries to convey the horrible reality of warfare. A tragic fact of war around the world is that women are sexually attacked and violated, and the director wanted to shine the spotlight on this and express disgust for such behaviour and any kind of sexual violence. It is made clear in the production that it is an act of brutality and inhumanity that is indefensible, and the hero Guillaume Tell intervenes to save the girl who is attacked, at the risk of his own and his son’s life.

As mentioned, the reactions have made a deep impact on us. It has never been our intention to offend members of our audience, but for the scene to prompt reflection on the consequences of such terrible crimes on their victims. However, we are aware that some audience members might not want to be exposed to a depiction of sexual violence in this way, and so we are writing to you to make sure you feel properly warned about this short scene in act 3 in advance of watching the production.

I do hope that our production of Guillaume Tell will still make a strong impression on you in a good way.

william tell2

After tearing itself apart over the next music director – the bosses wanted one man, the players another – the Beethoven Orchestra of Bonn has hired an interim chief conductor for the 2016/17 season.

He is the seasoned Christoph Prick.

Once upon a time in America, where he was music director in Charlotte, North Carolina, he used to spell it Perick.

For some reason.

chris prick

The Royal Opera House, which has been squeezing its lowest-paid staff, has made significant concessions to avoid a strike by maintenance and auxiliary workers.

Covent Garden has agreed to pay the London living wage – presently £9.15 per hour – as a minimum. It will also grant a 2.75% pay rise backdated to September 2014, with a further rise of 1.25% in September 2015.

covent garden

Joseph Calleja has cancelled Rigoletto in September, due to an undisclosed illness.

And  Ludovic Tezier is out of Macbeth in October, in order to undergo surgery.

Replacements are Celso Albelo and George Petean.

vienna state-opera-house-the

Marc Minkowski, 53, has been named Director General of the National Opera of Bordeaux.

Announcement follows:

minkowski

 

Un nouveau Directeur pour l’Opéra National de Bordeaux

Alain Juppé, maire de Bordeaux et Fleur Pellerin, ministre de la
culture et de la Communication se sont accordés avec Laurence
Dessertine, Présidente de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux pour nommer
Marc Minkowski, (53 ans) directeur général de cet établissement. Il
prendra la succession de Thierry Fouquet au mois de juin 2016 lorsque
ce dernier fera valoir ses droits à la retraite.

Marc Minkowski a débuté sa carrière comme bassoniste dans des
formations baroques comme Les Arts Florissants ou La Chapelle Royale,
puis très vite, à l’âge de dix-neuf ans il fonde les « Musiciens du
Louvre », avec lesquels il rencontre rapidement un reconnaissance
internationale dans laquelle Mozart tient une place de choix.

Marc Minkowski a toujours maintenu une intense activité à la tête
d’orchestres du monde entier et est devenu en 2008 directeur musical
du Sinfonia Varsovia.

En juin 2011, dans l’ile de Ré qu’il affectionne tout
particulièrement, il lance son propre festival « Ré majeure ».
Enfin en janvier 2013, il devient directeur artistique de la
Mozartwoche (Semaine Mozart).

Marc Minkowski dans son projet attractif et exigeant, veut faire de
l’Opéra National de Bordeaux le port d’attache des valeurs montantes
parmi les chanteurs de demain, ralliant à la capitale girondine tous
les talents avec lesquels il a construit sa brillante carrière. Il
entend construire son projet en collaboration étroite avec les
directeurs artistiques de l’institution et tout en se rendant
totalement disponible pour ses nouvelles fonctions. Il poursuivra
également le travail en résidence mené avec R.Pichon.

Director-General Tony Hall today announced a cut of 1,000 in the BBC’s 16,672 workforce.

He gives his reasons in a letter to staff, reproduced below.

But the executive level keeps on growing, especially in classical music broadcasting which can least afford it. More and more chiefs, not enough creatives on the shop floor.

Explain that, please, Tony.

 

bbc proms

Dear All,

I care deeply about this organisation – and the people in it. That’s why I wanted to share with you, openly and honestly, some big changes we’re making to make the BBC simpler and leaner.

There are two things going on, which make today’s announcements very necessary. 

The first goes back to something I said when I came back here. I said I wanted a simpler organisation. It’s what many of you have told me too – and it requires a different approach.

Secondly, we’re facing a very difficult financial situation. Many of you have worked hard to achieve the savings we’ve made already. I know it’s been hard. But there’s more to do. And, before we do anything else that affects our programmes and services, we have to make sure we’re running the BBC as efficiently as possible.

I’m announcing four things – aiming to do just that. 

Merging divisions

We’re looking at the number of divisions we need. As a first step, I’ve asked Ralph Rivera, Matthew Postgate and David Gibbons to bring together our teams in Technology, Engineering and Digital. And, that’s not just in the public service, but across Worldwide too. It’s just a start – and, over the next few months, I’ll be working with our Directors to see what more we can do.

Cutting out layers

We’ve taken a good look at the structures across the BBC. In some places there are ten layers between the top and the bottom of the organisation. I think that’s too many – and, in future, we’ll work to a maximum of seven.

Reducing management roles

I’m a huge believer in strong management – management that’s enabling and supports creativity. But the reality is, a simpler organisation, with fewer divisions and layers, will inevitably require fewer senior decision-makers in all parts of the BBC. I know this is hard – but it’s the right thing to do.

 Simplifying procedures

Finally, we’re looking at how we run our professional and support areas – by which I mean all the teams, doing things as varied as marketing, finance, legal, HR and communications. They do a vital job for us. We’ll be asking how each area should be structured, how we can simplify, and standardise, the ways we work – looking right across the public service and Worldwide.

These changes will save £50million a year. And, you know as well as I do, that many of those savings will be roles that we close. We estimate over a thousand jobs will go.

I recognise this is a very tough message. And, I want to make it clear that even though we’ll inevitably be closing posts, it’s not a reflection of the commitment or hard work of the people doing those jobs. 

This is about structural change. It’s about doing the right thing – to deliver maximum value to audiences, in a very challenging financial situation.

I want you to know we’ll handle this decently – and fairly. There’ll be more opportunities to discuss all this today and over the coming weeks. And we’ll keep staff informed throughout, before any final decisions are taken.

Best wishes,

Director-General

 

When word of Karl Kramer’s resignation as dean of the Sydney Conservatorium was slipped out at the dead of night before a long weekend, Slipped Disc suspected that something murky was afoot.

Sure enough, it is now reported that Karl was asked to leave after a discrepancy was found on his corporate credit card.

That, however, is still not half the story.

The discrepancy is for just A$5,000 (US$3,800), of which A$1,000 covers a ‘lavish’ meal he threw for staff.

Small change. There are other reasons behind his forced resignation.

The Con is still covering up.

karl kramer

A few days ago, London’s Royal Opera House announced an impressive 12 percent income upturn, reaching a ‘record’ £127.5 million.

Today, the Vienna State Opera declares ‘record’ income of 34.01 million Euros.

Both companies are, at the same time, cutting costs and seeking savings wherever they can. Both demand more subsidy and private donations.

So, if there’s more money coming in, where is it all going?

Expensive new productions, apparently.  New production costs at Covent Garden rose from £97.1m  in 2013 to £104.6m in the year ended December 2014. That’s in a near-zero inflation, no-interest charge period.

Clearly, directors are making excessive demands. Rein them in, and opera can play to its strengths.

william tell

We’ve received sad news of the death of Edward Greenfield, two days before his 87th birthday.

greenfield Joan-Sutherland

 

Ted was music critic on the Guardian for 30 years (1964-1993) and senior reviewer on Gramophone magazine for longer still. His agreeable, authoritative, unfailingly gentle style gave him huge industry clout; one DG executive told me, only half in jest, that Ted sold more records than most of their artists.

A former political correspondent, he maintained a stubborn admiration for Edward Heath, the most lamentably awful of British prime ministers, and a failed musician to boot.

Once, over a long cool drink in Salzburg, I asked Ted for his critical values.

‘Well, you see, Norman,’ he beamed, ‘I never like to write anything bad about anyone.’

‘Er, Ted, so why did you become a music critic?’

‘Because I do like listening to the stuff.’

greenfield

photo (c) Lucinda Douglas-Menzies

Sic transit.

First tribute here.

 

A final comment on the Tchaikovsky Competition from our observer, Marina Evreison Arshinova:

 

A few days ago,  one could read in «Izvestia», the biggest Russian newspaper:

It’s a matter of fact that Tchaikovsky Competition has become The Star Factory. A winner takes a tremendous prize – $130,000 and gives his life for the hard work of constantly playing concerts. Valery Gergiev needs a strong, wiry winner, almost like himself, to take him play everywhere with – in undying glory of music and probably sometimes in glory of Russian music tradition.

These words describe quite well why Dmitry Masleev was named the first prize winner of the XV Tchakovsky piano Competition. He is A really good pianist but he lacks individual features. Although not everybody thinks the same: some audience’s circles, especially Michail Pletnev’s naive fans, see in Masleev a talent of Pletnev’s range. Maybe they are perplexed a slight facial similarity?

dmitry masleev

 

Below is Mikhail Pletnev playing at VI Tchaikovsky Competition. One can compare. The program itself was very modern for that moment and included lot of contemporary music: Prelude and Fugue by Schostakovich, Seventh Sonata by Prokofiev, and also Rodion Tschedrin’s «Prologue and Horse-Racing from the Ballet “Anna Karenina” arranged by young contestant Michail Pletnev. He was 21 then and no one could suspect in him lacking individuality

dmitry masleevpletnev young