The composers Wolfgang Rihm and Matthias Pintscher are takig over the artistic direction of the academy of the Lucerne Festival, with Pintscher assuming principal conducting duties as well. ‘I am very honoured,’ says Pintscher. Pierre Boulez is bedridden and can no longer attend the festival.

pintscher rihm

Kalevi Aho’s 16th symphony had its premiere in Helsinki this week.

Our correspondent writes: ‘
I was surprised, in general, by the meditative, nearly religious character of the 5-movement piece with a duration of around 52 minutes. The string sections are really superb. Occasionally we get reminders of Shostakovich and perhaps some Polish contemporary composers. Yet, there is no doubt about the sincerity of the emotional level involved here.

Climax is the final movement (starting at 40:00) – it starts and ends as a kind of a magical oriental ritual: the percussions are joined by the soprano that recites poetry of Gertrud Kolmar – first behind the stage, then on the stage, and finally behind the stage again.’

You can listen to the symphony by clicking here.

kalevi aho

 

Bill Palant was one of several high-profile agent departures from IMG Artists this year. He has just founded his own firm, Étude Arts.

The roster consists of sopranos Christine Brandes, Julia Bullock, Christiane Libor, Melody Moore, and Lauren Snouffer; mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor; tenors Michele Angelini, Paul Appleby, Joseph Kaiser, Sean Panikkar, Stuart Skelton, Nicky Spence, and John Tessier; baritones Alan Opie (pictured below in ENO’s Death of Klinghoffer) and Sean Michael Plumb; and basses Peixin Chen, Soloman Howard, and Bastian Thomas Kohl.

Bill says: ‘Étude Arts is dedicated to the holistic success of both performer and presenter; to health and well-being; to dynamic growth and career longevity; to progressive business practice; and to outstanding performance on a global stage. We are fuelled by integrity, and emboldened by the possibilities open to artists and the arts in the twenty-first century.’

Contacts: www.etudearts.com

 

UPDATE: We understand that some of these artists will continue to be shared with IMG London. Nicky Spence – IMG Artists remains General Manager (Stefania Almansi, Anna Ianni), Stuart Skelton – IMG Artists remains European manager (Peter Wiggins), John Tessier – IMG Artists remains European Manager (Stefania Almansi).

The Death of Klinghoffer

The San Francisco critic Robert Commanday, music and dance critic for the Chronicle from 1964 to 1993, has passed away. He was always a good read, sometimes severe. After retiring from the Chronicle, he helped found San francisco Classical Voice.

‘If we’re tough, it’s because we care,’ was his parting motto.

 

Commanday-MCA[1]

Vincent Sipprell, a sometime member of the Elysian Quartet and several rock bands, was found hanged in January while having treatment for depression.

Vincent, who was 35, had played in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra and studied at Trinity College of Music. He played in an historic performance of Stockhausen’s Helicopter quartet (1st right) in Birmingham.

A verdict of suicide was returned.

 

elysian quartet

Warner Music has got rich in court on protecting what it claims to be its copyright in the song.

Now an original copy has turned up at the University of Louisville.

The song, unearthed by librarian James Procell, was part of a songbook called Song Stories for Kindergarten, written by Louisville residents Patty and Mildred Hill.  That manuscript was later donated to the Louisville Dwight Anderson Memorial Music Library by a family friend in the 1950s, but remained buried and uncatalogued for decades.

Read more here.

Sadly, this is is not the version with the ribald words.

happybirthdaymanuscript2

With the transfer window closing, there’s no question which team has bought the most talent this summer.

Harrison Parrott yesterday completed a deal for the German-Italian pianist, Sophie Pacini.

Previously, they signed Thibaudet, Perianes and Francois Leloux, a canny midfielder.

Not much happening elsewhere on the agency front.

 

sophie pacini

Riccardo Chailly’s resignation appears to have been well-coordinated. We hear that a media conference will be called midweek to introduce his Gewadnhaus successor.

Meanwhile, at La Scala, the house cats are smiling. Chailly intends to devote more time to his opera job after next June, especially to its philharmonic orchestra.

riccardo-chailly-conducts-rossini-2