We have just received this message from the Italian ensemble Il Complesso Barocco, founded by the American harpsichordist and conductor, Alan Curtis. 

Today, in his beloved Florence, Alan Curtis died suddenly, cut off in the midst of his ongoing work as both conductor and musicologist. Alan was one of the legendary musicologists responsible for the revival of interest in Early Music.

His orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco, which he led since its creation in 1977, was one of the first and best known groups to play the rediscovered music of Monteverdi, Cavalli, Handel, and many others. His scholarship and conducting helped lead to the revival of international interest in and enthusiasm for this music, and his many performances and recordings only added to the revival of public enthusiasm.

He will be deeply mourned by generations of musicians who have profited from this work and will be profoundly missed by the many musicians and music-lovers who came to respect, admire, and love him over the decades of his work.

Alan was 81. our sympathies to his family and many friends.

Dear Friends,
On Friday, July 24th we will say the last goodbye to our dear colleague Friedemann Weigle. The funeral ceremony will be held at the SchlosskircheBerlin-Buch (Alt-Buch 36; 13125 Berlin) at 2pm.

The Argentine comedian Peter Capusotto has produced a little sketch about the word-of-mouth hysteria surrounding the great pianist when she comes to pay on native soil.

Argerich is due to play the new 116,000 square metre Centro Cultural Nestor Kirchner, three times the size of the Pompidou Centre in Paris. She’ll need mucho word of mouth to fill it.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington is just back from Havana. ‘Doing a musical tour to promote LGBT rights to Cuba was the right thing to do at the right time,’ they said.

More here.

Our chers amis at resmusica.com are raising the curtain on next year’s plans for the Henri Dutilleux centenary. Leading the commemorative charge is conductor Pascal Rophé with the Orchestre National des pays de la Loire.

They have just recorded four unknown works by Dutilleux for BIS. But local government cutbacks are putting their plans in jeopardy. Full story here (in English).

In the early years of the 21st century, the US-based Argentine composer was one of the hottest properties in contemporary music, producing multi-ethnic confections that suited the spirit of the times.

Then he hit a brick wall. Premieres of a song cycle, a string quartet and a violin concerto all had to be cancelled when the composer failed to deliver a score. That was four years ago. Since then, nothing.

Until this weekend, when Sign of the Leviathan, described by Steve Smith as ‘a melancholy 12-minute work for solo French horn and string orchestra’, had its premiere at Tanglewood. Read Steve’s review here.

Four months ago Simon Blendis, leader of the Schubert Ensemble, fell over and fractured his left arm. We’re delighted to report that Simon returns tonight at the Wigmore Hall to celebrate his 20th anniversary with the ensemble. Tickets here.

The semi-finals take place tonight in London. The list of successful candidates can be read below.

Our observer notes the usual preponderance of South Koreans but the best performance so far has come from the Norwegian Lise Davidsen, who took second place and the audience prize at the Hans Gabor in Amsterdam the week before last. Lise’s on fire.

Park Seyoung Soprano

Greenhalgh Tobias Baritone

Szelazek Kacper Countertenor

Jung Jaeyoon Tenor

Mas Héloïse Mezzo-soprano

Yoo Hansung Baritone

Park Hyesang Soprano

Ray Kevin Tenor

Davidsen Lise Soprano

Abete Raffaele Tenor

Kubheka Bongani JusQce Bass-baritone

Fagan Lauren Soprano

PaQ Derren Pene Tenor

Mejías Anais Soprano

Behr Julien Tenor

Hwang Sumi Soprano

Kelly Rachel Mezzo-soprano

Parks Edward Baritone

Carroll Andrea Soprano

Hotea Ioan Tenor

Idrisova Dilyara Soprano

Devos Jodie Soprano

Agadzhanian Migran Tenor

Howarth Kiandra Soprano

Rapier Renee Mezzo-soprano

Mpofu Noluvuyiso Soprano

We have received this tribute from the great Canadian soprano:

Jon was the love of my artistic life. He was the greatest artist that I have ever worked with, but was also the greatest artist I ever saw or heard sitting in an audience. One always had the feeling that you had to reckon with the whole wretched world, but also with the exquisite beauty found in it simultaneously.

Jon Vickers defies words and descriptions, and his magnificent voice carried the entire danger, volatility, and suffering of humanity within it and yet at the same time, the tender and positive redemptive power of love.

It was as if his voice knew everything about this world. Maybe that’s why we could always recognize his sound for it was unique and like no one else’s. His voice could be filled with fury and simultaneously filled with tenderness.

He was a mysterious man both on and off the stage. In my first Otello in Montreal with Jon in the mid 1960s, I had a feeling he could snap me in two, the element of danger loomed so large on stage. At the same time he was so vulnerable, that I wanted to run to him and cradle him in my arms, despite his fierceness.

He always brought his high intelligence and those unique qualities to every one of his roles. For example in the Bartered bride you didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was also such a perfectionist. I remember he would give a monumental performance in Pagliacci, then pick me up at the end when I was still in awe of the moment and ask me if he had been okay? He was always striving to make his art better.

On Friday, surrounded by family and music, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch will celebrate her 90th birthday.

Anita survived Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. She came to London in 1946 and became a focal member of the musical community, a co-founder of the English Chamber Orchestra,  a moral presence wherever music was made.

In this new interview for the Royal College of Music archive, Anita talks about her childhood in Breslau (Wroclaw), studying in Nazi Germany with Leo Rostal, making music in Auschwitz with Mahler’s niece, Alma Rosé… and so much more. Of survival she says: ‘It was arbitrary…. I was lucky.’

Watch.

A malign Russian musician, masquerading online as ‘Grigory Rasputin’, has posted on Youtube some highlights of a March 2015 performance of the Tchaikovsky concerto in Seoul, South Korea.

The soloist is Lisa Kim, Associate Principal Second Violin of the New York Philharmonic. The intonation is not altogether pinpoint. More lowlights, as it were, than highlights.

‘Rasputin’ calls the video How Not to Play…. Click here if you need to hear more.

The original link has now been taken down. You can see the performance under discussion here.

It’s hotting up in Saxony.

After the Semper Oper of Dresden turned in seasonal attendance figures of 91 percent, Leipzig Opera has responded today with returns of just 70 percent – and only 62% for opera itself. Ballet and concerts performed slightly better.

Leipzig Opera’s music director is Ulf Schirmer; the director of opera is Franziska Severin.

We hear the unmistakable rustle of socks being pulled up.