Reading backwards, on Friday night a pianist of advanced years will make his belated debut. Simon Rattle, the name is. There has been a late programme change here.
Thursday evening, the guvnor John Gilhooly will go live online to break the new season, including – for the first time – live streaming.
And more. Twice as many £5 tickets for under-35s. Apparently, parts of the Wigmore Hall have undergone a demographic metamorphosis.
A woman composer in residence.
Cecilia Bartoli.
Brigitte Fassbender.
An Igor Levitt Beethoven cycle.
Mahan Esfahani doing the complete Bach over five years.
Debuts by Barbara Hannigan and Emmanuelle Haïm.
The Wigmore just carries on reinventing itself. Don’t miss the launch.
Selections from the press release below.
Artistic Director, John Gilhooly doubles the number of £5 tickets for under 35s for 2016/17 Wigmore Hall season announced today
Doubling of number of £5 tickets offered to under 35s
New digital capability of Wigmore Hall further extended internationally with new partnership with medici.tv
Helen Grime becomes Wigmore Hall’s first female Composer in Residence
Major artist residencies and series from trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianists Angela Hewitt, Igor Levit & Francesco Piemontesi; violinists Janine Jansen & Patricia Kopatchinskaja; harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani and Takács Quartet
Vibrant Early Music & Baroque Series includes Arcangelo with Jonathan Cohen as first Baroque Ensemble in Residence, plus performances by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Les Arts Florissants, Collegium Vocale Gent, Le Poème Harmonique, The Sixteen, The Tallis Scholars, La Venexiana, Vox Luminis
Major contemporary music with Thomas Adès Day ‘Arcadiana’, Ensemble 360: Music in the Round weekend and 52 major premieres including 25 world premieres of Wigmore Hall co-commissions
Return concerts for Cecilia Bartoli, Philippe Jaroussky, Sir András Schiff, and Violeta Urmana
Masterclasses by Brigitte Fassbaender and Sir András Schiff
Wigmore debut recitals from René Pape and Barbara Hannigan. Emmanuelle Haïm makes her debut as a conductor
Christian McBride returns and celebrated pianist Vijay Iyer becomes Jazz Artist in Residence
Schubert: The Complete Songs continues with outstanding and compelling visions of the composer’s late song-cycles, as well as the songs in English as part of Wigmore Hall’s Learning programme
Wigmore Hall’s rich legacy of great performances, artistic revelations and creative daring is set to grow throughout the 2016/17 season. The Hall’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director John Gilhooly was last Sunday named as one of Britain’s 500 most influential people in Debrett’s 2016 People of Today list, published in The Sunday Times. He announces his bold new 2016/17 programme on Thursday 28 January, shortly before a performance given by an ensemble of remarkable young artists. The season launch and subsequent concert is the first event to be streamed live from Wigmore Hall, inaugurating an online series designed to broaden international access to Europe’s leading venue for chamber music, early music and song. It was also announced that Wigmore Hall’s 115th Anniversary Gala Concerts on 31 May, 1 & 2 June 2016 will be streamed live in partnership with medici.tv.
Wigmore Hall now attracts capacity audiences to many of its 488 concerts each year,’ observes John Gilhooly. ‘We want to share the experience of great music-making with the greatest possible number of people. This is why we created a world-class digital studio as part of our £2.1 million building infrastructure upgrade last year. I am also delighted to announce that, as a result of its overwhelming success, we will increase our £5 ticket scheme for Under-35s from 10,000 tickets this season to 20,000 tickets in 2016/17. Our digital capability and work to attract new and younger audiences belong to the Hall’s vitally important investment in its future.’
Wigmore Hall’s complete survey of Schubert’s 600-plus songs, launched in September 2015 and presented in partnership with Austria’s Schubertiade Schwarzenberg and Hohenems festival, unfolds with 20 concerts across the new season. The series offers the chance to hear many of the world’s finest Schubert interpreters and a carefully chosen group of exceptional young talent. This season’s roster of distinguished Schubertians – singers and pianists – includes Florian Boesch, Robert Holl, Graham Johnson, Simon Keenlyside,Elisabeth Kulman, Stephan Loges, Malcolm Martineau, Georg Nigl, Mauro Peter, Christoph Prégardien, Anna Lucia Richter, Dorothea Röschmann, MarkusSchäfer, Sir András Schiff, Violeta Urmana and Elizabeth Watts. The series contains complete performances ofWinterreise with Matthew Rose and Gary Matthewman (15 February), Die schöne Müllerin with Henk Neven and Imogen Cooper (11 April), and Schwanengesang with Ian Bostridge and Lars Vogt (10 May). The song-cycles can also be heard in new English translations by Jeremy Sams, performed under the umbrella of Wigmore Hall’s Learning programme by Toby Spence, Roderick Williams, Sir John Tomlinson and Christopher Glynn.
Several substantial new series come to Wigmore Hall in 2016/17. Igor Levit starts his first complete survey of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in a major concert hall, comprising a total of eight concerts. Beethoven Cycle: Igor Levit opens on 28 September with four works, including the early Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor Op. 2 No. 1 and the dramatic ‘Waldstein’ Sonata. Takács Quartet: Beethoven String Quartet Cycle presents a prominent platform for Wigmore Hall’s internationally acclaimed Associate Artists to explore some of the greatest works in the chamber music canon. The Takács Quartet’s series starts on 3 February 2017 and unfolds with five further concerts. Angela Hewitt: The Bach Odyssey, devised by John Gilhooly to run over several seasons, starts on 25 September and continues on 20 January and 10 June. The divinely-inspired composer’s keyboard fantasies, inventions and sinfonias provide the creative launch pad for this landmark series, which will grow in 2016/17 to include a complete survey of the French Suites. Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, also at John’s request, begins a long-term survey of Bach’s keyboard works on 21 December with theGoldberg Variations.
Good vibes coming in from the philharmonic orchestra of Radio France.
Mikko Franck, their music director, has come down with flu.
There’s an all-star cast lined up for Saturday’s concert performance of Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt – take a look here.
Orchestra and cast were offered a replacement conductor, called in at short notice. They replied: we want Marzena.
Marzena Diakun, 34, from Wroclaw, Poland, has been Mikko’s assistant conductor for just four months. She’s quickly making an impression as more than an assistant. This is the second time she’s replacing Mikko.
Jaap belongs to few conductors that I have met during my 40 years as an orchestra musician, 39 of which as Concertmaster I met only a handful who had ” their sound” Jaap had it.This talent became obvious during our first rehearsal with him. The very first note revealed that immediately. It was focused, hot and very muscular!!
The transformational effect of his conducting remained through the program and in many subsequent concerts.
The orchestra recognized it and chose him to be their Music Director. and now almost a decade later the New York Philharmonic made the same choice. Good for them and good for the NY audience. I think he may be one of the most effective conductors they have ever had.
And Caleb Young, cover conductor at St Louis Symphony, writes:
The rumors I have been hearing have been confirmed this morning, Jaap has risen to the top and will be going to the Big Apple. Being a young conductor I have followed the Maestro’s career and have always been fascinated by his work.
When my significant other won a position with DSO last year I was fortunate enough to see the Maestro work on a very regular basis. I have to admit; I’ve been damned impressed. From his Brahms to Bruckner, the level of artistry in Dallas is of the highest level. For the record, his Bruckner 4 was the finest I’ve ever heard. She reports of determined and focused rehearsals, but this intensity is born from the music and his high standards. I have also spent some personal time with the Maestro at DSO “functions” and I’ve only found him warm and receptive. (And short for the record…) His mingles well, sharply dressed, usually in a blue suit.
I have covered and worked with some of the finest conductors around, and I promise, Jaap can hold his own. Recently with unnamed major US orchestra, I’ve had many conversations with players and admin who admire Jaap’s work and consider him the highest of talents. He might not have the breadth of repertoire when it comes to new music, such as Alsop or Gilbert, but he is interested and capable.
I for one am excited to see where Maestro van Zweden will steer this ship in New York. There were many options, but I feel this is a positive change of guard. All may not like his methods, but I know he is deeply respected for what he brings to the table musically… The big D has big shoes to fill.
The winner of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2017 has just been announced.
It’s the excellent Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos. He gets to perform a couple of concerts in Copenhagen next January and goes home with DKK600,000, which he can change at the airport for EUR80,000, or US$125,000.
The citation says: ‘Leonidas Kavakos is one of the most expressive violinists you can hear today. He interprets the masterpieces for violin from Bach and Mozart to the classics of the 20th century with authority and with profound musical understanding. His strong personality, virtuosity and the honest, direct nature of his playing mark him out as an artist of rare calibre.’
1 Take a look at these names: Riccardo Chailly, Antonio Pappano, Vladimir Jurowski, Kirill Petrenko, Paavo Järvi, Daniele Gatti, Andris Nelsons, Christian Thielemann, Daniel Harding. All these outstanding interpreters were considered last year (some briefly) by the Berlin Philharmonic. None was invited to audition at the New York Phil. The NY choice was made from a shortlist of three. Too short a list and with the wrong names on it.
2 Consider these names: Simone Young, Marin Alsop, Susanna Mälkki, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Alodra de la Parra. Yes, women who are excellent conductors. It’s 2016. Not one came into the reckoning at the redneck New York Phil. That’s half the human race written out of the orchestra’s future.
3 And let’s not begin to ask about ethnic minorities. A decade ago the NY Phil tried to poach Gustavo Dudamel from Los Angeles. That’s the closest they’ve got to departing from an all-white script in a multicultural city (unless Gilbert counts as half-Japanese)*.
4 Jaap Van Zweden’s career up to this point has been almost as modest as Alan Gilbert’s. Zweden started out at 18 as concertmaster of the Concertgebouworkest in Amsterdam. When he took up conducting in his mid-thirties, he found jobs with Dutch orchestras and stuck with them for a decade. His first international position was with Dallas, in 2008. Since then, he has added the Hong Kong Phil to his portfolio. He has not come into the reckoning with any of the major European orchestras, not even with the Concertgebouw when they were on the prowl in the last two years. He was not, in a word, a contender. Except at the NY Phil.
5 His record at Dallas – where he earns $1.5 million – has been bumpy. Players complained of being browbeaten in rehearsals. The orchestra overspent heavily on his programs, coming to within three months of insolvency. A European tour was abruptly cancelled. Van Zweden is not an easy working partner, nor always an effective one. He is also a full league below the calibre that New York expects of its music directors. This can only go bad.
*FOOTNOTE: UPDATE: Someone say Zubin Mehta? That was half a lifetime ago (and he was the wrong choice, too).
The orchestra has named Jaap van Zweden, 55, as its next music director.
A Dutchman, van Zweden is presently music music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
A maestro of modest accomplishments, few would consider him among the foremost in his profession.
Few, except the ever-unready New York Philharmonic.
His appointment was announced at 9 am today by the Philharmonic’s president, Matthew Van Besien. The New York Times was briefed ahead of the rest of world media.
Van Zweden will succeed Alan Gilbert in 2018, cutting back his stay in Dallas by a year.
We’re hearing that Wiesbaden will announce its new GMD this week. The name in the frame is apparently Patrick Lange.
Patrick, who is 35, is a former Abbado assistant at the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. He has worked at the Komische Oper, Berlin, since 2010.
An inquest at West London Coroner’s Court has heard details of the sad life and tragic death of Anne Naysmith, who was reduced to sleeping rough after a promising recital career came to a halt.
The coroner, ruling that Anne had been accidentally crushed to death by a lorry travelling at below 10mph, said ‘She was very bent, meaning her vision was the line of the ground. She always dressed in black and moved very slowly.’
‘I was not a very open person when I was a kid. I was kind of shy and not really connected to people.’
One of the longest-running classical blogs, Sticks and Drones, has come to the end of its useful life, or so its co-authors have decided.
Conductors Bill Eddins and Ron Spigelman started sharing their thoughts on September 14, 2007. They covered the US orchestral scene and achieved a committed, sometimes passionate, readership. But now they have concluded that nothing’s going to change, so why bother?
Here’s Bill’s parting shot:
Despite our best efforts I’m really wondering if S&D had any kind of impact on the profession that we love. Looking across the landscape there is … well, the usual madness. Strange disputes in Fort Worth, Grand Rapids, and Hartford that are based on the usual touchpoints – lack of vision, trust, and money – tho’ the last is a direct consequence of the first two. Meanwhile, the juggernauts keep on juggernauting, oblivious to what is actually happening in classical music, the non-profit equivalent of “too big to fail.” There are a few bright spots, and I’m delighted that The Minnesota Orchestra is one. It is possible that they might forge a different path worth emulating. (Although I recently did set foot in that monstrosity of a new foyer that untold millions was wasted on. Ugh.)
But all and all not much has changed, which leads me to the inevitable conclusion that it’s not the business that needs changing, it’s the people. The problems in Hartford, Grand Rapids, and Fort Worth wouldn’t happen with the proper leadership on all sides, and that includes Board, Administration, and Musicians. This is hard to come by, as shown by the very public disaster at Carnegie Hall last year. Having two outta three doesn’t cut it. On the flip side of that coin is the aforementioned Minnesota Orchestra, where leadership in all three departments has led to an astonishing turnaround. Did the model change in Minnesota? Sure, but not as much as the people did.
We regret to share news of the death of Lizzy Aston (Edmonsen), founder in 1992 of Yorchestra, a summer ensemble in the city of York that went on to produce many professional musicians.
Lizzy died on January 15. She was also known as the author Lizzy Pewsey and Elizabeth Aston.
