A message from the conductor, Ivan Ostapovych:

ostapovych

 

‘We are a community of young and active Ukrainian musicians – Collegium Musicum. We promote culture, classical music and poetry in our country. We recorded this performance of Handel`s concerto grosso in the ruins of an abandoned industrial building.’

It’s haunting stuff.

ostapovych

Martyn Rose was appointed chairman of English National Opera two years ago with a brief to improve the company’s political connections and raise much-needed donor contributions.

In March he resigned, blaming the artistic director John Berry. Now he’s back for a gloat over John’s resignation:

‘This is the right decision for the English National Opera,’ says Rose, ‘which I have long believed was in need of a fresh artistic vision and an improved business model.’

Well, Rose failed to add a single political heavyweight to the board, or to bring in new donors. He positively slathered himself in glory at ENO.

martyn rose

 

When Mahan Esfahani made an unprompted debut with the Chicago Symphony, three agents flew out to see him. Mahan is a fixture on DG records and at the Wigmore Hall.

The news is, he’s signed today with Colbert. Interview here.

mahan album

The Egyptian actor, who died today, chose his eight favourite tracks for Desert Island Discs here.

Strangely, Lara’s Theme was not among them…
omar sharif

The Met maestro has pulled out of the Verbier Festival next weekend with an ear infection. He will be substituted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. It has been several years since Levine was last seen in Europe.

He said: ‘I am distraught and frustrated beyond words that I cannot come back this summer to the Verbier Festival, but my doctors have forbidden me to fly in the immediate future due to a particularly bad ear infection.’

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press release:

Verbier, 10 July 2015 / James Levine will not conduct at the Verbier Festival on 17 July. He will be replaced by the Finnish maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen. Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 will be performed in place of Schubert’s Symphony No. 9. The rest of the programme remains unchanged (http://www.verbierfestival.com/programme-tickets/programme/event/2015-07-17-1900?language=en).

 

The Verbier Festival regrets that James Levine will not be able to conduct the opening concert on 17 July due to a serious ear infection which prevents him from flying. He will be replaced by Esa-Pekka Salonen, a world-renowned conductor and composer, who returns to Verbier after several years of absence. The first part of the programme remains unchanged; Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 will be performed in place of Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in the second part of the concert.

 

Maestro James Levine expresses his deep regret to the Festival public and team, all of whom were waiting with enthusiasm for his return: “I am distraught and frustrated beyond words that I cannot come back this summer to the Verbier Festival, but my doctors have forbidden me to fly in the immediate future due to a particularly bad ear infection”.

Martin Engstroem, Founder and Executive Director of the Verbier Festival, shares his disappointment: “I am saddened that James Levine will not be with us this summer. It would have been an important moment for me personally but also for James Levine who wanted to come back to “his” Verbier Festival where he was Music Director for 8 years (between 2000 and 2007). We wish him a prompt recovery and hope to see him back in Verbier very soon”.

Patti LuPone saw someone texting in her show. So she stepped right down and grabbed the device.

Then, she issued this statement:

 

 

patti lupone

We work hard on stage to create a world that is being totally destroyed by a few, rude, self-absorbed and inconsiderate audience members who are controlled by their phones. They cannot put them down. When a phone goes off or when a LED screen can be seen in the dark it ruins the experience for everyone else – the majority of the audience at that performance and the actors on stage. I am so defeated by this issue that I seriously question whether I want to work on stage anymore. Now I’m putting battle gear on over my costume to marshal the audience as well as perform.

Go, Patti!

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra has named Stephanie Gonley, a frequent guest, as its new concertmaster. She will combine the post with her leader’s role at English Chamber Orchestra.

Looks like reverse devolution.

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The Cincinnati World Piano Competition, which likes to be considered among the world’s best, has fired its artistic director Awadagin Pratt. The chairman and two board members simultaneously resigned.

Janelle Gelfand has it first here. Expect updates later.

pratt

Slipped Disc editorial

Say what you like about John Berry, who resigned this morning as artistic director of English National Opera, the one quality he had was vision.

He raised ENO high above its station, brought in European directors who had never worked in London before, courted controversialists, locked Peter Sellars into a close relationship with the company and generally created an illusion that ENO was not London’s second opera company but a world-class equal with Munich and the Met.

It was, of course, all smoke and mirrors. ENO never had the cash to compete with La Scala, any more than Bristol City FC does to beat Bayern Munich. Reliant on state funding and pegged at two-thirds of Covent Garden’s subsidy, ENO lacked a power base of wealthy donors to bridge the gap and ran up ever more eye-watering deficits.

Berry’s blithe ambition to do bigger and better was an affront to a down-dumbing, cost-paring Arts Council, which demanded his head.

Four months ago, the heads of all the words leading opera houses published an unprecedented declaration of support for John Berry. The Arts Council’s pen pushers stuffed it in a file.

In the end money speaks, talent walks. It’s a sad day for opera.

What lies ahead is blinkered ambition and fiscal obedience.

John Berry’s eight seasons at ENO will be remembered as glory years. Who will remember the pen pushers?

Messiah-at-London-Coliseu-001

 

A much-modified press release has just landed, announcing the departure of John Berry from ENO. The Arts Council, which has been demanding his resignation for more than a year, offers smug satisfaction. See the bottom paragraph of these official equivocations.

coliseum eno

English National Opera (ENO) has announced today that its Artistic Director, John Berry CBE, intends to step down from his role after 20 years with the Company. Commenting on his decision to leave the Company, John Berry said:

“My work is now done and ENO is today regarded as one of the most creative forces in opera.The decision feels right to leave at the end of a hugely successful season both from an artistic perspective and in terms of audience numbers. ENO is an institution that has an international reputation for producing important new work, recognised by opera awards won at the Oliviers earlier this year and the recent Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Opera and Music Theatre. We played to packed houses for Sweeney Todd – over half the audience had never visited the London Coliseum before – and we welcomed record numbers to see The Pirates of Penzance on stage and in cinemas across the UK.

“After eight seasons leading the Company artistically and as the award winning 14/15 season comes to a close, I am looking forward to spending the summer deciding on my next role. I look forward to remaining involved with ENO in the future, as an audience member and supporter.”

Speaking on behalf of the board, Acting Chairman Harry Brunjes said: “John Berry’s contribution to ENO over the past two decades has been phenomenal. Under his leadership, the artistic programme at ENO has been unrivalled in its quality, ability to entertain and to innovate. He has helped build ENO a UK-wide and international reputation for excellent dramatic opera that makes us unique – introducing directors from other art forms to the world of opera. He has driven the use of international collaborations bringing in significant financial contributions to our productions and has been instrumental in forging a future for the London Coliseum with a partnership with Benugo. We have been fortunate to have John’s insight and capability driving productions which have thrilled our audiences over the last ten years. My fellow trustees and I all wish him every success in his future endeavours. I would like to thank John for helping us stabilise the Company as we continue to build a sustainable and fiscally sound organisation.”

Artistic planning at ENO will continue under the present team working closely with the Board’s Artistic Committee headed up by Anthony Whitworth-Jones.

Sir Vernon Ellis, President also commented: “We all wish John Berry well for the future. We are very confident that the artistic team will maintain ENO’s high standards of excellence and entertainment quality going forward. We are looking forward to the new season and our new Music Director, Mark Wigglesworth, joining us. Mark has already been involved in the planning for future seasons.”

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England added: “John Berry’s track record for innovative and challenging work is well established and warmly welcomed across the global opera fraternity. Throughout his time at ENO he has demonstrated a strong commitment to keeping opera at the cutting edge of cultural production in the UK. We wish him all the best for the future.

“We’ll continue to work closely with ENO as they develop their business model and plans to bring excellent and exciting work to broader audiences.”

John Berry has resigned as artistic director of English National Opera.

john berry

Artistically, the company has never known such heights as it reached under his direction. Financially and administratively, it is in deep trouble.

More follows.

A Barcelona court has ordered a forensic medical specialist to examine the great soprano in her home and report back on the state of her health.

Ms Caballé 82, failed to show up for a court hearing two months ago to settle her outstanding tax obligations. She pleaded ill health. The judge is now demanding evidence of her medical condition.

The diva faces six months jail and a quarter-million Euro fine over a long-running tax avoidance charge.

pati caballe