A decision to omit the name of Peter Pears from a new foundation merging two organisations – Britten-Pears and Snape Maltings – has cused enough of a fuss online for the lords of the fens to reconsider the title.

Here’s the latest from Snape:

24 May 2019

We are continuing our discussions with the Britten-Pears Foundation about our plan to merge our two charities by next April. The idea of the merger has been overwhelmingly positively received. It is a very exciting time for us as sister charities.

There has been much discussion about the proposed name for our newly-merged organisation. There is a lot to think about and organise, as well as legal issues to be addressed before we finally merge and both organisations’ boards have been carefully considering the feedback we have received about the name.

Having listened carefully to those views, it has been decided that we will give further consideration to the name of the new charity. It has been agreed that we will retain the names of both Britten and Pears.

The flurry will be known in future as BrittenPearsGate.

photo: www.britten100.org/Hans Wild

From the new Lebrecht Album of the Week:

Never a flamboyant conductor, Jiri Belohlavek goes for large dynamic contrasts in the opening movement, pushing the Czech Philharmonic to the edge of its comfort zone. The third movement Vivace sounds more Mahlerian than ever (did Mahler always dance best in Czech?) and the two adagio finales reach deep into the human soul…

Read on here.

And here.

The post-#Metoo Italian conductor is going from strength to strength.

He’s head of Rome opera, is having a symphony orchestra financed for him by a Milanese plutocrat and today he has taken over at the Orchestra Mozart. Nothing like a little scandal to give a maestro a career boost.

press release:
The Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna has the pleasure to announce that Maestro Daniele Gatti has been designated as the new Music Director of the Orchestra Mozart. The Maestro will be the music director in a vast project that will see him engaged with the Orchestra Mozart from now and for the following three years. The first date is due on Easter 2020.

The President of the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna, Loris Azzaroni, the Orchestra Mozart Artistic Consultant, Gastón Fournier-Facio, and the Orchestra Mozart Board, composed by the musicians Raphael Christ, Manuel Kastl, Lucas Macías Navarro, Mattia Petrilli and Francesco Senese, haveunanimously seen in Maestro Daniele Gatti the ideal figure to assure a great and stable future to the activities of the Orchestra Mozart, guaranteeing at the same time the utmost quality level reached by the orchestra during the ten-year collaboration with Maestro Claudio Abbado and the most enriching relationship developed during these last years with Maestro Bernard Haitink.

“We believe the collaboration with Maestro Gatti represents a fundamental and decisive opportunity for our future – explains Mattia Petrilli – in order to play more frequently, aiming at intensifying the annul activities with projects, residences and tournées. The Board is very happy and convinced of this choice, which is both important and rich in perspectives, a choice strengthened by the fact that Maestro Gatti was in the list of names Claudio himself indicated as his possible successors.”
 

We let you into Emma-Jane Wyatt’s secret little agency the other week, launched with a minimum of fuss.

Today she signed a terrific violinist (below) and a piano trio.

But that’s it, says Emma-Jane. No more.

press release:

An extraordinary event will take place on 16 June at the Wiener Musikverein: the countertenor Bejun Mehta sings arias by Mozart as a soloist with the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Zubin Mehta (a cousin of Bejun Mehta’s father).

Message from Rolando Villazon:

 

Unsere Stimmen für ein offenes, buntes und vereintes Europa! Am 26. Mai haben wir alle die Chance, über die europäische Zukunft zu entscheiden. Nutzt Eure Stimmen, geht wählen!

Our voices for an open, diverse and united Europe! On May 26, we all have the chance to decide the future of Europe. Use your voices, go vote!

press release:
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra joins the city-wide celebrations in the run up the Champion League Final on Saturday 1 June, with their release of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the team’s anthem.

The Orchestra, Choir and mezzo soprano Jennifer Johnston recorded the single in December 2018 at the annual Spirit of Christmas concert at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

Liverpool-born international opera star and former member of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Jennifer Johnston is featured on the single, which is also included on her album, Love Letter to Liverpool. All profits from the album will be donated to Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company.

The single can be heard on all major streaming services here: http://smarturl.it/neverwalkalonefoot

 

Our diarist Anthrea Kreston attended the 30th anniversary party for Sonia Simmenauer, the only agent ever to specialise in string quartets and still come up smiling. Here’s Anthea:

had been under the wildly mistaken impression that by leaving the Artemis Quartet that I would be embarking on a less hectic, more centered and steady life. If this week has anything in common with the next stage in my life, this little fantasy of a restful period – a moment to catch my breath and lie in the warm grass, just staring up at the sky and being bored, packing lunches for my daughters and grocery shopping – is just that. A total fantasy.

This week – two farewell Artemis concerts in Vienna, a third farewell concert in Schloss Schwetzingen, the second of 4 Piano Trio concerts of the Beethoven Cycle in Berlin, attending a Curtis On Tour concert in Berlin, a 30th anniversary party for our magnificent manager, Sonia Simmenauer, and days crammed with teaching my 10 chamber groups at the University of the Arts and a flurry of meetings across town – I just need to catch my breath. I have begun to work on my next projects – a podcast (details still under wraps) had my days busy in Vienna – visiting graves and house museums of composers with audience members, teachers and media personalities. I am also putting together a one-off Podcast for Curtis On Tour – it was fun to be on the other side of the microphone, interviewing the student performers, audience and director Roberto Diaz.

It’s pretty late – I just arrived back home after the 30th anniversary/birthday party shindig, held at the Maison de Français, which shares a corner building in the heart of the swankiest blocks of Kurfürstendamm with Sonia Simmenauer‘s legendary music management company, Impresariat Simmenauer. Sonia has been running her own show for 30 years. 30 years ago, she was the mother of a 3 year old child, was pregnant with her second one, living in Hamburg and working for Schmid Management in Hannover. She took a step away from the management (she explained to the packed rooms tonight – I was completely geeking out – the crowd was made up of famous musicians and managers who had come from great distances to attend and cheer Sonia on) for the sake of her family. But, Günter Pichler (first violinist of the legendary Alban Berg Quartet) asked for her to become their private manager. Before she knew it, 6 other quartets has jumped ship and she was now the mother of them all. Thus began the powerful reign of Sonia Simmenauer.

Vadim Guzman toasted her, violin in hand, as a stream of mythical living string quartets personalities took turns emerging from behind a set of immense wooden doors (Arditti, Ebene, Belcea, Berg…..). He bounded up on stage, and began to play. Stopping mid-phrase, he said – but I am lonely! The curtains parted to the gasps of the audience – a 20 piece orchestra of some of my quartet idols, bows poised above the strings. What happened next was a rough-shod, lightly (if even) rehearsed miniature concert – the stage command of these veteran performers – each one with a face and physical performance mannerism that we know so well. How could they even play together – individuals, every one, and with personalities that threatened to take the roof off. Just the collection of instruments on stage was enough to take your breath away – and the portamento….. What a thrill. Total thrill. I will be up until the wee hours tonight – I have interviews to prepare for, planning and crafting and learning new skills. Maybe tomorrow I can lay in the grass….

The pianist Denis Matsuev, who is closer to the Russian president than any musician except Valery Gergiev, has announced the resumption of the long-dormant Rachmaninov competition in 2021.

There will be three categories – for pianists, conductors and composers.

Matsuev said he raised the idea with Putin in December 2017 and the approval has now come through.

Putin, as the world knows, loves free, open and incorruptible competition.

The Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer is stepping down in 2022 after 13 years in Utah.

From the press release:

Thierry Fischer today announced plans to conclude his tenure as Music Director of the Utah Symphony in August 2022. Upon stepping down at the end of the 2021–22 season, he will have led the Utah Symphony as Music Director for thirteen years, during which time he has revitalized the orchestra and raised its national and international profile through creative programming, renewed excellence in performance, and ambitious tours and recording projects. In September 2022, he will assume the title of Music Director Emeritus, in which capacity he will continue his musical relationship with the orchestra through regular return engagements.

“I am deeply grateful for the rich musical partnership I have enjoyed with the members of this outstanding orchestra, and for the experiences we’ve shared as musical ambassadors to the people of Utah,” said Mr. Fischer. “My journey with the Utah Symphony has been remarkably fulfilling, and I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished together, whether in concert at Abravanel Hall, on recording, or on tour across the beautiful state of Utah and to Carnegie Hall. Though this musical journey is far from over, with additional projects planned for seasons to come, I have decided to step down as Music Director upon the conclusion of my current contract in August 2022. I feel that the time will be ripe then for me to explore new musical horizons and for the orchestra to embrace a new vision that continues the extraordinary growth we have already achieved. It will be a great honor to assume the title of Music Director Emeritus at that time and a true pleasure to reunite with the orchestra in that capacity for many years to come.”

“Thierry has been the driving force behind the incredible artistic growth of this orchestra,” said Paul Meecham, President and CEO of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. “Under his leadership the orchestra has risen to be truly exceptional and has become well known among prominent guest artists and conductors for its excellence and professionalism. Thierry has built a legacy here that will continue to benefit us for years to come.”

 

As a conductor, he tells BR, he doesn’t know how he will transport musicians and instruments back and forth across Europe once the UK is out of the EU.

‘And as a farmer it’s even worse. I’m afraid of non-ecological and non-biological products from America: “A chlorinated chicken” from Donald Trump. This is a nightmare.’

That could be the least of his problems.