Winners

1 Andris Nelsons – he’s done it, doesn’t have to do it again

2 Every other conductor who thinks s/he can do it better

3 Muti, obvs

4 The Vienna Phil – probably its biggest payday

5 The Green Party – they’re in government now. Next year, the concert will be done in candleight.

 

Losers

1 Sony – they’ll never get their money back

2 The Vienna Phil – it’s looking rather jaded

3 Austria – is this the best it can do?

 

 

From today’s Telegraph:

…School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: “We want all children to be leaving school able to read and write music, and to have been introduced to a wide range of musical traditions. 

“Today’s funding announcement is designed to help our schools deliver that ambition.”

Press release from the Concertgebouw:

On 8, 9 and 10 January 2020, Jaap van Zweden will be conducting the Concertgebouworkest. The programme includes a two-part version of Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 completed by Willem Mengelberg. This little-known version features both the Adagio as well as the ‘Purgatorio’, and has not been performed since the world premiere given by Mengelberg and the Concertgebouworkest in 1924. Van Zweden, music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra – a post Gustav Mahler himself once held – is juxtaposing this work with a world premiere by the Dutch composer Martijn Padding, Softly Bouncing, and Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps.

This crass campaign is causing distress among metropolitan opera lovers.


What, only one Ball? How very singular…


Is that T May I see before me?

Response from a young UK singer:

And from a violinist-conductor:

Covent Garden has named the Spanish tenor Ismael Jordi to sing Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor this summer.

He replaces the Italian star Vittorio Grigolo (pic), who was fired for being too handy around the place.

Among other things.

 

Last night’s New Year’s gala concert had to be abandoned after persistent micriphone failures.

There were noisy audience protests.

The hall is offering customer refunds.

More here.

The Stage names Ian McKellen in its annual list of most powerful people in UK theatre.

Here’s the Slipped Disc list for music. It has fewer luvvies, more pen-pushers.

1 Darren Henley

The Arts Council’s chief exec is the loudest, most influential voice for the survival of orchestras.

2 Simon Rattle

Has half of London dancing to his beat

3 Sarah Connolly

The diva pack a big punch on social media

4 Antonio Pappano

Covent Garden’s ringmaster is the one who pulls in the big stars

5 Danielle De Niese

The Glyndebourne chatelaine is a person of note

6 Fergus Linehan

Has restored the Edinburgh Festival to primacy

7 Nick Kenyon

Rattle’s old pal who runs the Barbican is running out of puff now his new hall has bit the dust

8 Tony Hall

The BBC’s besieged boss

9 Mirga

She’s resetting the tone for what a UK music director can do

10 Nicola Benedetti

The go-to person for music in education