The composer Pascal Bentoiu died today, aged 88.

He leaves 8 symphonies and a large volume of chamber music.

Pascal Bentoiu

Michael Berkeley reports the death of his mother Freda, widow of Lennox Berkeley. She was 92.

An account of her life can be read here.

Our sympathies to Michael and the family.

lennox berkeley_freda_michael

The airline has decided to claw back the concession it made for a while, allowing violin and viola players to carry their instruments on board. Now it is back to demanding a full extra fare for small instruments.

On 18 February, a Slipped  Disc reader emailed Air Berlin with our post on their concession, asking them for a policy ruling. Their policy is unambiguous: you must buy an extra seat, unless your violin is 55x40x23cm (which, of course, it never is).

Other readers have received similar guidance. Our advice: take another plane.

Airberlin have just rejoined the list of world’s worst airlines.

Here’s the rule:

Sehr geehrter Herr X

vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail.

Wenn Sie ihr Musikinstrument mit in die Kabine nehmen möchten, müssen Sie telefonisch oder persönlich an einem Airberlin Schalter einen Extra Seat buchen. Ansonsten müssten Sie sich an unsere Handgepäckmaße halten,  55 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm / max. 8Kg.

Zögern Sie bitte nicht, sich bei Rückfragen an uns zu wenden.

Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag und verbleibe mit freundlichen Grüßen

Ihr P. Engelberg
Service Team airberlin group

Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG
Saatwinkler Damm 42-43
D-13627 Berlin
Germany

airberlin

The row over Pierpaolo Polzonett’s account of teaching musical analysis in prison has spilled over into a nuclear war over the alleged lily-white state of American musicology.

Sample contribution:

I recall going every year to the AMS for the last 15 years and generally seeing a sea of white faces with very few people of color present and very few papers addressing race or music by people of color.

I recall the AMS List posts when Michael Jackson died.
A musicologist posted a post along the lines of: “I don’t know anything about Michael Jackson since I focus on art music…but no one seems to be saying anything about his death…why is that?” and then seeing responses that included, “Why should we say anything about him, he was an entertainer not an artist.”

But I most remember the AMS List posts of January 2011, when people on that list were defending Eggebrecht from the evidence that he was part of a Nazi unit that participated in the mass execution of 14,000 Jews in the Crimea during World War 2. And people on the list, and not just one person, defended Eggebrecht. People on the AMS List were defending a Nazi war criminal. Phrases like, “well can we really prove he pulled the trigger?” and most upsetting, “Well, even if he were a Nazi war criminal, that wouldn’t have an effect on his scholarship…I mean, if he had discovered the identity of the Immortal Beloved would we ignore that because of things he did in his private life?” or “Your private activity has nothing to do with your scholarship.”

People were defending a man they thought was an amazing musicologist who probably murdered 14,000 Jews.

These are people in the AMS.

Read more, many more, here.

kansas symphony jail

 

 

The Mexico City Philharmonic has named Scott Yoo as its next music director.

Scott, who filled in as Dallas Symphony assistant concertmaster and associate conductor in 1999-2000, is also music director of Festival Mozaic in San Luis Obispo, California.

 

scott yoo

 

Wolfgang’s favourite daughter Katharina now has sole control of the festival, abetted by her imperious ally Christian Thielemann, who is music director.

But there’s still a missing link. Ever since Hans-Dieter Sense handed in his papers last year, there has been no-one to look after the business side of the festival – and that’s becoming a critical issue as Bayreuth needs to raise a fortune for new productions and building renovations.

Step forward Holger von Berg, 49,  Geschäftsführer of Munich’s Residenztheater.

We wish him every success.

katharina wagner thielemann

Katie in a huddle

These are the latest accomplishments of Denis Matsuev, music advisor to the Russian President.

 

Денис Мацуев – олимпийский тапер (Из передачи “Вечерний Ургант”)

Posted by Денис Мацуев on Wednesday, 18 February 2015

(Click on the link if video does not pop out)

 

denis matsuev