The #1 cellist is trying so hard not to crack up.

From our diarist Anthea Kreston:

I am resting up between rehearsal and concert – snuggled into a comfortable bed, fluffy white duvet atop, knobby chunky blanket covering my feet. We have returned to the private castle in Brussels, owned by our Quartet tax man, a hearty and happy man who loves classical music and a home filled with people. We stay down the road in an old estate – the castle is too busy with preparations for tonight’s concert and after-party (which is held in the Rathskeller – a maze of interconnected rooms, bars, eating nooks, wine cellar and and original well for the castle grounds, covered in rough-hewn boards and festooned with candles and winter boughs and berries). He loves to cook – the front door is invitingly wide open as we arrive, crossing the moat with instruments in hand, dazzled by the candles in every window, the moat lit from within by large clear lights, schools of fish lazily meandering. The host can barely contain himself with glee – he burst out of the castle and ran along the bridge, hugging and waving – our hugs interspersed with little jumps of joy.

The hostess hands us glasses of champagne as we shed our coats, introductions are made to the other members of the dining party. Tonight we met an instrument dealer – he had brought a Stradivarius for me to try – he is the father of violinist David Garrett. I was seated next to him, and as he began to speak, I quickly inserted a caveat – he happened to be sitting next to someone (me) who knows very very little about violins and makers. I could already tell I was going to be completely lost, so I thought, better to give full disclosure here. I said – “I am from Chicago, where we drink beer from cans and yell at huge tv screens featuring men pulverizing each other in football, and I bought my daughter’s pink violin on eBay”. That was a close one.

The dinner was magnificent – beyond the row of differently-shaped stemware, myriad plates, and an intimidating number of silverware; gleaming silver vessels, baskets of breads, bouquets of white roses created a savory hedge between the sides of the table, itself a work of art with inlays of different types of wood. Here I was awash in my fresh German language – sportily trying to hold my own with my broken sentences, all improperly pronounced. But I did it. Course after course was served, with accompanying wine. When the party finally came to an end, and my head hit the pillow, I fell into a deep sleep which lasted until minutes before our ride came to bring us to another resplendent meal – a breakfast with scrambled eggs (made with fresh herbs and truffle), homemade jams, and a cheese that made me melt. Our host is an accomplished chef (as well as an experienced seaman), and all food which crossed our lips was expertly prepared by his own hand. This morning, I was witness to the entire process of the amazing eggs – from the browning of the butter to the final delivery into the oven-warmed serving platter.

Our rehearsal was between this breakfast and an equally decadent lunch, which I am now planning on sleeping off a bit off. (Whoops that was a funny sentence). The concert is tonight – we are making our way through our new program in preparation for our touring which begins this week. These first tries, these house-concerts, are a chance for us to see what worked, what didn’t, and to find our combined freedom and inspiration. What happens behind closed doors is only the shell of what will happen on-stage – our hearts racing, our instincts finely balanced with rigorous control and extreme detail.

So – a little rest, and off to the starting line. And what a race it will be!

We hadn’t heard for a while from our old friend Manuela Hoelterhoff, former critic and editor on Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. This may be why.

From Pen America:

Manuela Hoelterhoff and Emad Tayefeh share an interest in politics and art, and for three months last year, they shared a home.

Tayefeh is an Iranian filmmaker who fled Tehran in August 2015 having been repeatedly jailed for documenting the political repression in his country following the 2009 Green Revolution.

After a perilous journey through the forbidding mountains of northern Iran and on to Turkey, he arrived in the United States a year later. Tayefeh found refuge at the home of Eve Kahn, a former art columnist for The New York Times. Several months later, Kahn led Tayefeh to Hoelterhoff….

Read on here.

 

I have broken another rule in this week’s Lebrecht Album of the Week:

I am about to break another of my hard-and-fast rules. A while back, I swore never to give another three-star review as long as lived on the grounds that such things are cop-outs for critics who cannot make up their minds, one way or another, about the recommendability of a record. One way or another, I stand by that judgement. So why the exception?…

Read on here

And here.

And here.

 

In a sweet and sentimental touch, the opening of the La Scala season next month will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of a former – and formative – music director, Victor De Sabata.

The opening production was confirmed today:

 

 

Riccardo Chailly conducts Andrea Chénier

 

Giordano’s masterpiece returns to La Scala for the Opening of the 2017/2018 Season in a production staged by Mario Martone with sets by Margherita Palli and costumes by Ursula Patzak.

The title role is played by Yusif Eyvazov, Anna Netrebko is Maddalena di Coigny, and Luca Salsi plays Gérard. The Première is dedicated to Victor de Sabata on the fiftieth anniversary of his death.

Once again this year, the Première will be broadcast live on RAI 1 and in cinemas around the world.

 

 

The most independent, individualist and esoteric of classical labels has done a deal with DG.

See release below:

 

Munich/Berlin, November 17, 2017 – Esteemed independent label ECM Records today announced they are expanding their partnership with long-standing distribution partner, Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music based entertainment to bring the entire ECM catalogue to major streaming platforms on Friday November 17, 2017.

Renowned for contemporary, jazz and classical music, ECM’s catalogue is critically-acclaimed as the finest of its kind. Curated by its visionary founder Manfred Eicher, ECM has maintained a consistently high standard of artistry and production. The music and its accompanying artwork have been the subjects of books, films and exhibitions around the world.  Music from the likes of Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Paul Bley, Arvo Pärt, András Schiff, Kim Kashkashian, Anouar Brahem, Jack DeJohnette, Tomasz Stanko, Avishai Cohen, Nik Bärtsch, Vijay Iyer, Gidon Kremer, Meredith Monk a.o. will now be available on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz and Tidal.

Deutsche Grammophon, UMG’s prestigious Yellow Label will be responsible for international digital distribution of the extensive ECM catalogue, the launch will be accompanied by a wide-ranging campaign in conjunction with the highly-engaged participating streaming partners.

 

The death is reported in Bournemouth of Patricia Bonelli, an Irish musician who played with I Solisti Veneti and the orchestra of the Arena di Verona and for 18 years as principal flute at the Teatro Verdi di Trieste.

After retiring in England, Patricia was church organist in Westbourne for 20 years and music director of South Wessex Opera.

A rich and varied musical life.

 

A so-called adult venue in Newcastle has been penalised at the High Court in London for playing recorded music without a performing right licence.

So what happens now?

Probably the young women put their clothes on and learn to play an instrument.

 

Not like this.

Fergus Linehan, who has single-handedly raised Edinburgh from a decade-long slough of despond, has been offered a contract renewal, taking him to 2022. He started in 2015.