From this week’s Lebrecht Album of the Week:

Ever wonder what Henryk Mikolai Górecki did before he hit the jackpot with that million-selling third symphony?

The sage of Katowice never stuck to any doctrine or style, allowing himself to develop from modernism to minimalism and all points between….

Read on here.

And here.

We are very sorry to hear that Anne Parsons, president of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, has been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer.

She has delivered a full assessment to her colleagues and is staying very positive, though she may need to take some time off for treatment.

Anne is one of the heroes of the American music scene, having turned Detroit around from despair to hope.

We send her all good wishes for a full recovery.

Here’s a statement from the orchestra:

This fall, DSO President and CEO Anne Parsons was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. Her doctors at the Henry Ford Health System have done extensive testing and found several options for treatment. As a lifelong non-smoker and an overall healthy and positive individual, Anne has many reasons to feel optimistic, and she plans on working throughout her treatment. As her plan has recently moved to a stage involving a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, she wanted to be fully transparent with her DSO family about potential changes to her schedule. In sharing this news, Anne specified that her two goals are to do everything she can to stabilize her health and to ensure that the DSO continues to thrive and is not adversely affected by her personal circumstances. Together, the DSO and Anne aim to be completely transparent about this matter, and we will provide updates if necessary. As there is currently little change foreseen to the daily operations of the orchestra, this will be our only statement on this personal health news at this time.

It has become apparent that, of the $12 million left to Ventura College at her death by Miriam Schwab, $10 million has been designated to improving instrumental teaching at the Southern California college.

Miriam’s late husband, Henry Schwab, was a concert violinist and she was herself a capable player.

Miriam died a year ago, aged 89.

The German composer and experimental pianist Hauschka (real name: Volker Bertelmann) has switched from DG to Sony Classical and from his Cageian prepared piano to a regular grand.

Sad on both counts. He sounds now just like any other minimapianist.

Listen here.