The general manager and music director of the Met stage a phoney Youtube conversation, full of superlatives and mutual admiration.

There is, however, one interesting moment when Yannick discusses technique.

Here’s a more unbuttoned Yannick:

Hats off to the mathematician satirist.

With a tribute below from Stephen Sondheim.

The Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has moved swiftly after the death of Jose Antonio Abreu to take state control of the music education foundation, El Sistema.

The new head of El Sistema is Delcy Rodriguez,  a former propaganda minister who is now president of Maduro’s laughably-named Constitutional Assembly. There are three other members of the board of directors. One of them is Maduro’s son.

This regime is starving its citizens into submission for the benefit of a clique of kleptocrats.

Now is the time for the rest of the world to cut its ties with El Sistema.

(That means you, Julian, and you, Nicky).

From our diarist, Anthea Kreston:

Two concerts down, nine to go in 11 days on this US tour. We started in Princeton, where I had the distinct pleasure of staying with someone I had met through the comments section of this blog – the noted author and Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton, Andrew Moravcsik. I was also able to meet his wife, the celebrated author Anne-Marie Slaughter, a hero of women (and men) the world over. Over dinner and breakfasts, I got to know these remarkable people a bit better – their advice on work-family balance have been a life-changer for me over these last years, and have saved me from several serious relationship blunders.

As I walked into the historic Nassau Hotel for lunch with the presenter and Quartet, I froze at the sight of a fellow Chicagoan Bill Murray, chatting and posing for photos. As he walked by, and my Quartet showed up, I learned that his Quartet (with German cellist Jan Vogler) was playing Princeton the same night, at the other venue in town. Our cellist knows their cellist, and I begged him to go over and say hello, nearly jumping out of my shoes with excitement.

Long story short, I sat next to Bill Murray for lunch, and had such an uproariously silly time. He was up and down, chatting with the guys at the bar, talking to the waitresses, he was exactly like all of his characters he plays – he is himself. His battered, tan and green RV Van was parked outside the swank hotel – he himself drives the band from venue to venue. He grabbed the huge pepper shaker from the waitress and with a unique flourish, peppered everyone at the table, whether they had something pepper-worthy or not. I was on my “A” game, and we hit it off well enough that I got an invite to go suspender shopping with him after lunch. I begged off – my jetlag was starting to show – tonight’s concert was going to end at 4 am Berlin time. I have had few regrets in my life, but I do believe that passing up a suspender shopping trip with Bill Murray may have been the largest.

Last night was Library of Congress, and I again opted out of the hotel in favor of a deeper experience. Linda Stern, the widow of Isaac, had extended a welcome to me, and we had a tender, intimate afternoon together, where she reminisced and walked me around her lavish apartment, awash in memories of Isaac as well as countless Chagall and Picasso paintings, memorabilia and framed original scores and documents. I jumped in a cab directly after the concert, and the two of us stayed up to all hours together, drinking wine and eating cheese sticks.

So, now onto the Midwest. By next diary, I will have played Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Carnegie, Cincinnati and Houston.

with Bill Murray

The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra has named the Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan as one of two principal guest conductors from next season. The other is the expensive Christoph Eschenbach.

Even more noteworthy is that two past music directors – Neeme Jarvi and Gustavo Dudamel – will not be returning next season.

The roster of new guest conductors includes Simone Young, Han-Na Chang and Joana Carneiro. The music director is the boyish-looking Finn, Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

Gothenburg has a record of making maverick picks.

 

 

 

From the Lebrecht Album of the Week:

On first hearing, this seemed nothing special – a Russian-Jewish pianist, Kirill Gerstein, tackling the two Gershwin concertos with the all-American St Louis orchestra. Worthy cultural diplomacy but nothing that immediately gripped the ear. It took a second spin to grasp the truly challenging aspects of this undertaking.

Gerstein takes the jazz band version of Rhapsody in Blue and bends the rhythms in such a way that they sound almost Jewish….

Read on here.

And here.

The head of the Czech Olympic Committee wants the national anthem to be changed before the next Games in 2020.

This infinitely wise and sensitive ex-rower says the anthem is (a) not patriotic or confident enough and (b) too short. It’s over in 80 seconds.

The chair, Jiri Kejval, has formed a committee to find a new anthem to replace the one by František Škroup with something with a bit more swagger (like the Slovaks, for instance).

 

With Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony.

From Boston Classical Review:

Jonas Kaufmann and Camilla Nylund were each making role debuts as the title doomed lovers.

Both are prominent Wagnerians, having performed lead roles at the Bayreuth Festival, the Metropolitan Opera and in many of Europe’s major houses. And both, too, possess a warm tone that captured a sense of stirring humanity in Wagner’s lush score. The Liebesnacht featured the two singers in some of the most poignant moments of the evening as each delivered Wagner’s soulful duet with soft yet radiant lines.

Kaufmann, who has drawn critical acclaim for his performances of Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera, also sang with power and depth in the opening of the scene between the two lovers. Bold and ringing clearly, his voice brought a genuine heldentenor quality to the role.

In the portions of the act that demand powerful singing, Nylund, unfortunately, had trouble filling the hall. Her voice is rich and brilliant but it lacked the power and intensity to cut through Wagner’s thick orchestration in her opening scene.

From the Boston Globe:

Standing behind music stands on opposite sides of the podium, Kaufmann and Nylund sang their impassioned duet while facing the audience oratorio-style, and both of them relied heavily on their vocal scores. 

Within that scope Kaufmann delivered, despite a few less steady moments. Certainly when he telegraphed Tristan’s ardor with ringing tenorial power, or when he sang of night’s gentle charms with beautifully shaded tones that somehow combined tenderness and intensity, you sensed the winning Tristan he could eventually become. Nylund, who is also still finding her way into this daunting role, sang honorably and at her best moments, registered her character’s impatient ecstasies with bright vocal radiance. 

Photo: Hilary Scott/BCMR

Listen to a performance clip:

The diva made an unfortunate statement on Classic FM. Asked about recent sexual allegations in the opera world, she said:

‘Any of this sexual bullshit, we don’t have it. I’m sorry, and I think it’s total shit. But if you don’t want, nobody will ever force you to do anything, never. If you did it, it means that you allowed that.’

She continued: ‘In our profession it’s also absolutely not possible because if you are not talented nobody will help you. You have to have a talent, you have to have a voice, you have to be somebody.’

She swiftly rowed back from that position in three tweets:

 

Something’s gone awry at the head of New York’s premier arts centre.

The last president resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct.

His successor, Debora L. Spar, appeared to be a brilliant choice. She has just resigned – a year into the job – saying she’d rather be back in academia, which is another way of saying she can’t take the heat in midtown Manhattan.

Here’s her statement yesterday:

‘Earlier this morning, I formally resigned my position as President and CEO of Lincoln Center. The advancement of the arts is a cause very close to my heart, both on a personal and professional level, but I feel compelled at this moment to refocus on other interests.’

And that’s it. Not another word.

Ms Spar used to work at Goldman Sachs. She is no pushover.

Does anyone know what really went down?

 

This is the unbelievably precocious Bertrand Chamayou.

He is now 36 and wears long trousers.

The great Russian bass Mark Reizen (1895-1992) sings a Chaliapin showstopper.