From a new US documentary:
Conductors were recently rated 3rd in a survey about what causes the most performance anxiety in musicians. Here we use both musicians and conductors to discuss the use of fear in orchestras. Tell us below what you think?
For more videos click here.
The violinist says he’s considering moving to Berlin because he does not want to live in a ‘fascist, ‘racist’ country.
He told the Murdoch-owned Sky News: ‘I’m seriously considering Berlin as an option to try and go and live there if they will have me as a German citizen because I don’t want to be part of a country which is so racist. And I don’t mind using that word.
‘Everyone says Brexit isn’t racist, it kind of is racist if it is being built upon the premise of immigration and refugees.’
He added: ‘I would move to Poland but it is even more fascist than England.’
His grasp of political terminology seems as flawed as his political judgement.
The twenty have been whittled down to three young men:
Niklas Benjamin Hoffmann (Germany)
Vlad Vizireanu (Romania/US)
Kerem Hasan (UK)
The final is tomorrow. The winner gets £15,000 and the chance to be Assistant Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra for up to a year.
Extracted from a touching reminiscence of the dear, departed Jules Eskin by his friend, Arnold Steinhardt.
While I was assistant concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, I shared a house for a period of time with Jules Eskin, the principal cellist. Over coffee one morning, Jules told me that The Carnival of the Animals had been scheduled for a future concert and that he would be playing the cello solo. From that point on, Jules practiced “The Swan” daily. The snippets of phrases I would hear as I passed in and out of our house sounded beautiful, but Jules, apparently unsatisfied, continued to work on it. I was amused at first. Granted, “The Swan” is a lovely melody, but it baffled me how much time Jules devoted to something so simple, so naïve.
One day, Jules called me into the living room where he practised and asked my advice on how to shape a particular phrase of the solo. He played the phrase and looked up questioningly. To the best of my recollection, it sounded utterly convincing in Jules’ hands and for the moment, I could think of nothing to say. He played the same phrase once more with a small but discernible difference. I remember voicing an opinion and then offering a suggestion or two. Jules played the phrase again and again — softly and intimately in one version, more intensely in another — pausing each time so that we could talk about the phrasing inflections he had just crafted. Finally, Jules thanked me for my input while ruefully concluding that he was still not sure what was best. Our discussion about a section of music lasting no more than fifteen seconds had taken easily five minutes….
… I brought up our “Swan” encounter recently. To my surprise, Jules had no recollection of the fierce battle he once waged in his living room some fifty years ago. The event must have made some subliminal impression on him, however. Jules told me he asks cellists auditioning for the Boston Symphony to play “The Swan.” He looks for musicality, tone production, intonation, bow control, and artistry in a prospective cellist. Jules said, “Once I hear a cellist play ‘The Swan,’ I know absolutely everything I need to know.”
Read the full article here.
‘We look forward to Bob Dylan’s Nobel lecture, which he must give – it is the only requirement – within six months counting from December 10, 2016,’ said the Prize committee, wiping egg from pale faces with very tight lips.
Will he bother?
The League of American Orchestras has published Orchestra Facts: 2006-2014, a survey of US orchestra finances and operations.
There is good news and there is bad news, some very bad.
The good news is that 1,224 orchestras contributed $1.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2014, drawing an audience of nearly 25 million. The bad news: two in three orchestras operated on less than $300,000 a year.
More bad news: audiences declined by 10.5% between 2010 and 2014.
The less bad news: classical concerts declined by just 5.5%.
Mixed news: Three-quarters of all gifts to orchestras were under $250.
You can download the full report here.
The last president, Jed Bernstein, was fired for neglecting to disclose a sexual relationship with a staff member whom he promoted.
His successor, fed to the NY Times, is the Barnard College president, Debora L. Spar.
Professor Spar, 53, has a huge task ahead of restarting a stalled $500 million site development while keeping all the site’s tenants involved.
At Barnard, she raised $400m.
She is the author of ‘Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection.’
And a director of Goldman Sachs.
Well fancy that.
photo: Youtube (much livelier than the NY Times mugshot)
It was Jacqueline du Pre who called William Pleeth her Cello Daddy.
William died in London in 1999. Next Sunday, surviving students will convene for a centenary symposium and concert.
Just look at their pedigree:
Participating Artists: Tony Pleeth and Tatty Theo, with Adrian Brendel, Natasha Brofsky, Colin Carr, Thomas Carroll, Robert Cohen, Rebecca Gilliver, John Heley, Frans Helmerson, Orlando Jopling, Seppo Kimanen, Joely Koos, Steve Orton, Melissa Phelps, Hannah Roberts, Chris Vandespar, Kristin von der Goltz and Jamie Walton.
Special Guests: Alasdair Beatson, pianist; Lana Bode, pianist; Carolyn Gibley, Harpsichord; Catherine Bott, presenter; the Sacconi Quartet
Reuters reports:
United Airlines will become the first big U.S. airline to limit low-fare customers to one carry-on bag that fits under a seat… United, the No. 3 U.S. airline by passengers carried …will also prohibit these travellers from carrying on bags that can only fit in overhead bins, and they will not accrue miles toward elite status.
The company expects the moves to add $4.8 billion to its annual operating income by 2020.
We‘ve added United to the list of airlines for musicians to avoid.
Just in:
The charitable trust IMPACT Scotland and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) have developed a proposal to create a new world–class arts centre in the heart of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh.
The proposal is to build a facility in St Andrew Square which would be the new home of the SCO, as well as a venue for education, conferences and public engagement.
The centrepiece is a 1,000 seat auditorium, as well as a studio providing rehearsal, recital and
recording space to rival the best in Europe. The new building will be immediately behind Dundas House at 36 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh. The historic Royal Bank of Scotland branch will continue to operate as a stand-alone branch.
The auditorium would meet the long-recognised need for a purpose-built, mid-sized performance venue in Edinburgh,combining excellent acoustics with access for all forms of popular music, jazz, folk, chamber and other small classical music groups as well as solo and song recitals and small dance ensembles.
Joshua Roman’s response to the election result was to post the six Bach suites on Ted Talks.
No-one expected he’d get a million views before the week was out.
Joshua says: ‘I see a lot of emotional volatility all around: on social media, when I speak to friends, as I observe strangers. I’m not here with words of advice or judgement, but as a musician, I want to offer something else. One of the most important values in art is openness, so I am doing this separate from my own political beliefs, separate from yours, but as a simple gesture of shared humanity.’
Joshua, 32, is a former principal cello of the Seattle Symphony who has made a career as soloist and festival curator.
Professor Abbie Conant reports that Aki Matsugi has won the principal trumpet position in the Tokyo City Philharmonic.
She thinks Aki is the first woman to hold a principal trumpet position in Japan.
