One of the world’s 10 worst airlines just got a whole lot worse. This just in from UK-based violinist Walter Reiter:
So… Back from Oslo on Norwegian Air, nice red plane. Settling down in my seat, stewardess pulls violin out of overhead compartment and and tells me It has to be offloaded. I fumble for my printout of the rules that say violins are allowed. She seizes a child violin from somewhere, waves it in the air and says only that size of violin is permitted. I do my best to imitate general merriment and yell “it’s a toy, haha” .. a steward arrives: no violins allowed, it’s the rules. I show him the rules: violins up to 98 cm long are allowed, he says they are only allowed widthways not side ways. I say haha that’s not logical. I shove my violin back and sit down. This is war! I tell him there’s going to be an article in the New York Times about this, playing classy. Then the guy says ok this time but never again. Norwegian Air: back on the black list!
Walter adds:
These are the online rules of Norwegian Air. A shame their cabin staff needed me to teach them…
Take your instrument as hand baggage
You can bring a small musical instrument on board provided you do not exceed the hand baggage allowance for your fare type. If you’re travelling with a larger instrument, such as a violin or viola, then you can bring this instead of a carry-on bag. The instrument can be slightly bigger than a regular carry on bag, but must not exceed 90 x 35 x 20 cm and the carry-on weight limit for your fare type.
Can’t they train their cabin staff to read?
The German virtuoso Frank Peter Zimmermann relates what happened to him after a failing bank called in his previous Stradivarius.
It’s a tortuous tale of nights with the wrong violin, posted today by the Czech Philharmonic.
Despite not taking over as Kapellmeister until January 2018, Andris Nelsons has undertaken 15 heavy concerts in Leipzig next season, it was announced today. This is in addition to his considerable duties as music director in Boston and his busy guest conducting schedule.
Nelson, 37, is one of the most overworked maestros on the circuit.
How his Boston-Leipzig shuttle will work out is anyone’s guess.
In a breach with tradition, Gloucester Cathedral (est. 678 AD) is finally going mixed.
Announcement:Gloucester Cathedral is delighted to announce the establishment of Girl Choristers, who will sing as members of the Cathedral Choir for the first time in history. Auditions will be held on Saturday 23 April for girls aged 7-12.
See here for the evolution of girls choirs in English cathedrals.
The Norwegian double-bass player John Martin, 48, has been given a life sentence for murdering his wife Natalia Strelchenko at their Manchester home on their second wedding anniversary last August.
He will serve a minimum 18 years, reduced to 17 when time already spent in jail is taken into consideration.
Justice Laura Cox said he had inflicted a ‘brutal, sustained and unprovoked attack’.
Martin pleaded in defence that he had no recollection of the attack after consuming alcohol and diazepam. But he told police who arrived at the scene, ‘Kill me, kill me please, I have nothing to live for, I do not deserve to live’.
Message from a concerned Latvian musician, who requests anonymity:
I am writing about the monopolisation of Latvian concerts… there is just one company running them.
Concerts with distinguished musicians are being cancelled for no apparent reason. A leading cellist is being summoned to court for telling the truth on the national radio.
The boss of Latvian Concerts, Guntars Kirsis earned 46,393 euros in 2014. An orchestra musician in Sinfonietta Riga makes 5,000 euros. Mr Ķirsis is very good friends with the Cultural Minister Dace Melbārde and with many of the ministers in the Latvian government.
Musicians are afraid to speak out …especially those in Sinfonietta Riga whose work depends on ‘Latvian Concerts organisation.
Leading musicians are seldom seen in Latvia because of the post-Soviet system: Kristine Blaumane, Vineta Sareika, Baiba Skride, Linda Skride, Lauma Skride, Elina Garanca, Andris Nelsons, Mariss Jansons, Kristine Opolais.
The matters raised by our correspondent are of global concern since Latvia is one of the most productive sources of high-grade musical talent.
From our Manhattan operavores, Elizabeth Frayer & Shawn E Milnes:
Loft Opera knows their hip audience—they’ve partnered with Brooklyn Brewery for beer and also had Archer Roose wine—serving boxed wine and beer to operagoers. While the bottles and cups later proved a slight distraction—yet maybe added to the vibe (I’m still deciding)—when tipping over and clanging on the cement floor during the opera, I think allowing drinks during the opera is a smart move…
The director of the Royal Opera company at Covent Garden has intervened in the debate over excesses of sex and violence in its forthcoming production of Lucia di Lammermoor.
In a posting on Slipped Disc this morning, Kasper says (inter alia):
First of all, let me underline that there is no case of sexual violence in this production, as some comments in an earlier thread suspected. Trust me, following what happened around Guillaume Tell we would have warned specifically about that, if that had been the case. I tried to make it clear that the sex and violence are entirely separate.
Second, whilst I enjoy the discussion about interpretations and productions in general, maybe we should stop discussing Lucia specifically now until the production has actually opened.
Jean Prodromidès, composer of Et mourir de plaisir for Roger Vadim in 1960 and of Danton for Andrzej Wajda in 1983, has died at the age of 88.
A student, with Pierre Boulez, in Olivier Messiaen’s 1945 class at the Paris Conservatoire, Jean Prodromidès also wrote an opera on Goya, several ballet and much concert music.
His oeuvre was ever classical.
‘This thoughtful album, an anatomy of Europe torn apart, is …. a flawless record, a five-star. You won’t see many of those.’
From the Lebrecht Album of the Week. To read the full review, click here or here.
The Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle walked out of the Salzburg Easter Festival at short notice in May 2011 when they got a better offer from Baden-Baden.
They were swiftly replaced by the Dresden Staatskapelle and Christian Thielemann. Ticket sales immediately improved and the Berliners were not missed.
Next year, however, Eliette von Karajan has paid to bring the defectors back for a single, conciliatory concert, marking the 50th anniversary of her husband’s festival. She has also summoned the Vienna Philharmonic for a Beethoven 9th, conducted by Thielemann.
‘The Salzburg Easter Festival would like to thank Eliette von Karajan for her extremely generous support of the special concerts’ – as the programme puts it.
3 Click here to apply for the next Dallas Opera Institute for Women Conductors, where six candidates and four observers get a big push forward into the profession.
You will see ads for this enlightened program on Slipped Disc. We support the dream.
