…. silence like a cancer grows
The mental health awareness week cover:
The cellist Matt Haimovitz will join musicians across the US to #playforthevote on election day, November 3rd, offering a more positive voter experience to people waiting in long lines.
Haimovitz will play Bach suites, as well as works by US composers Philip Glass and Vijay Iyer in Des Moines, Iowa.
Where?
Outside Polling Station at Roosevelt High School Commons Area
4419 Center Street, Des Moines, IA, 50312
Tuesday, November 3rd, 5-6pm
Three members of The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform patriotic music and classics at the polls inside the Kimmel Center today, starting 3:00 PM. They volunteers are Elina Kalendarova (violin), Miyo Curnow (violin), Kerri Ryan (assistant principal viola), and Kathryn Picht Read (cello).
This is Yehonatan Berick playing a Beethoven duet this summer with his partner, Rachel Mercer, before the onset of a rapid cancer that took his life. He is widely mourned.
The Staatsoper is shut for performance.
But its playback is open from tomorrow at play.wiener-staatsoper.at
Here’s this week’s menu:
3 November 2020, 19.00
Piotr I. Tschaikowski
EUGEN ONEGIN, (Vorstellung vom 31. Oktober 2020)
Musikalische Leitung: Tomáš Hanus
Inszenierung und Bühne: Dmitri Tcherniakov
Tatjana: Nicole Car
Eugen Onegin: Andrè Schuen
Olga: Anna Goryachova
Lenski: Bogdan Volkov
Fürst Gremin: Dimitry Ivashchenko
4 November 2020, 19.00
Benjamin Britten
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, (Vorstellung vom 2. Oktober 2019)
Musikalische Leitung: Simone Young
Inszenierung: Irina Brook
Oberon: Lawrence Zazzo
Titania: Erin Morley
Puck: Théo Touvet
Lysander: Josh Lovell
Demetrius: Rafael Fingerlos
Hermia: Rachel Frenkel
Helena: Valentina Nafornita
Bottom: Peter Rose
Quince: Wolfgang Bankl
Flute: Benjamin Hulett
Snout: Thomas Ebenstein
Snug: William Thomas
Starveling: Clemens Unterreiner
5 November 2020, 19.00
Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI (Vorstellung vom 2. November 2020)
Musikalische Leitung: Marco Armiliato
Inszenierung, Bühne & Kostüme: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Santuzza: Eva-Maria Westbroek
Turiddu: Brian Jagde
Alfio: Ambrogio Maestri
Lucia: Zoryana Kushpler
Lola: Isabel Signoret
Canio (Pagliaccio): Roberto Alagna
Nedda (Colombina): Aleksandra Kurzak
Tonio (Taddeo): Ambrogio Maestri
Beppo (Arlecchino): Andrea Giovannini
Silvio: Sergey Kaydalov
6 November 2020, 19.00
Piotr I. Tschaikowski
EUGEN ONEGIN (Vorstellung vom 31. Oktober 2020)
7 November 2020, 19.00
Olga Neuwirth
ORLANDO (Vorstellung vom 18. Dezember 2019)
Musikalische Leitung: Matthias Pintscher
Regie: Polly Graham
Orlando: Kate Lindsey
Narrator: Anna Clementi
Guardian Angel: Eric Jurenas
Queen/Purity/Friend of Orlando’s Child: Constance Hauman
Sasha/Chastity: Agneta Eichenholz
Shelmerdine/Greene: Leigh Melrose
Orlando’s Child: Justian Vivian Bond
8 November 2020, 19.00
Charles Gounod
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE (Vorstellung vom 1. Februar 2017)
Musikalische Leitung: Plácido Domingo
Inszenierung: Jürgen Flimm
Lichtarchitektur: Patrick Woodroffe
Roméo: Juan Diego Flórez
Juliette: Aida Garifullina
Stéphano: Rachel Frenkel
Tybalt: Carlos Osuna
Mercutio: Gabriel Bermúdez
Frère Laurent: Dan Paul Dumitrescu
ONEGIN (c) Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pöhn
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has renewed its contract with General Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles until 2027.
Managing Director Thomas Fehrle has also been extended to 2027.
Intendant Dietmar Schwarz will leave slightly sooner in 2025.
The combative Dutch commentator Peter van der Lint has taken issue with the orchestra’s incompetence at attracting a new chief conductor, pointing out that it seems likely to go at least seven years without a chief in the podium.
He suggests, as I have done, that it may be time for the title to be abolished: Perhaps it is time to throw the very expensive institute of the chief conductor overboard.
Read here.
One of the leading directors at Intermusica, Maria Mot, has broken away with all 26 of her artists to form MWA Management.
Maria looks after, among others, Lise Davidsen, Danielle de Niese, Erin Morley and Iréne Theorin. The fact that all 26 artists are departing with her says much for her personal touch.
She has been with Intermusica for almost nine years and will continue an administrative relationship with the parent company in a so-called joint venture, one that mirrors that arrangements made by IMG with its many departing managers.
Maris says: ‘I wish to thank Intermusica, and all my colleagues there, for all the support I have received over the past eight years; I look forward to continuing to work closely with them. From the day I was born I’ve been immersed in the world of opera. My father was a bass and soloist at the Iasi National Opera in Romania so the local opera house was my playground and the staff my extended family. While still enjoying the support of my colleagues at Intermusica, MWA allows me to continue to honour those gifts given to me by my family and to ensure that legacy is multiplied many times over in helping to shape, support and guide the careers of those singers I’m fortunate enough to represent.’
Intermusica Chief Executive Stephen Lumsden said: ‘Maria has a passion for and deep knowledge of opera and has played a pivotal role in the careers of many outstanding singers during her time at Intermusica. Her entrepreneurial approach has always been a great asset and developing a venture of her own, whilst remaining closely connected to us, is a natural next step which we are delighted to support. We are happy that this partnership maintains a close collaboration with Maria and her artists, and look forward to the enhanced business possibilities that this venture will bring.’
Full artists list here.
Here’s the translation of an email sent by State Secretary for Culture Andrea Mayer to heads or arts ensemble, expressing empathy for their situation under lockdown and a determination to help them return:
Dear representatives of the Austrian art and culture companies, dear artists,
…I want to inform you directly about the acute developments in connection with the Covid 19 crisis and not through the media.
In the past few months we have jointly managed to contain the spread of the corona virus. This enabled us to restart social, economic and cultural life to an acceptable level. These relaxations were right and important because art and culture are an essential part of our lives.
I would like to express my thanks once again to all those involved in the art and culture industry for their tireless work on the security and prevention concepts and for their exemplary implementation by the bank. Together they have made a lot possible – moments and experiences without which our lives would definitely have been poorer.
In view of the rapid increase in new infections in Austria, we are faced again with a very difficult situation. A further increase in the spread of the virus would have effects on our health system that we must avoid at all costs.
In the next few weeks – until the end of November – we will unfortunately have to do without a large part of the cultural life again. I deeply regret that because I know how important culture is for our lives. Closed cultural establishments are a disaster. But they are currently necessary to prevent an even greater catastrophe. That’s why my heart is bleeding too. However, it now takes a joint effort by the entire population to get the spread of the virus under control again.
I am continuing to work with all my might to design support measures in the arts and culture in such a way that Austria’s art and cultural landscape can survive this difficult phase. It is my declared goal to preserve this landscape in all its creative power and diversity. Doors that are now closed must open again.
The last few months have shown us that we can achieve a lot in Austria if we pull together. I know how challenging these new measures are. These are cuts in our lives that nobody wants – you and I don’t. But they are, unfortunately, necessary in the current situation.
My team and I are by your side and we will get through this difficult time together.
Thank you for your understanding and continued commitment.
Yours, Andrea Mayer
PS: Please share this message in your area of activity.
The petty fiefdom and offshore banking centre is keeping its concert hall open for the time being.
The Liechtenstein Symphony Orchestra will continue to perform in the capital, Vaduz.
What do they know that we don’t?
The violinist has posted from her farewell tour as Britain goes back into lockdown:
Well, if this is how it ends, it’s truly ok. I have just given three performances with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra in the space of less than 24 hours – each performance was unique and enjoyable, spontaneous and lively, optimistic and peaceful. What more could I wish for?  I began my first professional concerts in 1985 playing with this orchestra and I have given 55 performances in total with them, which is, I gather, the most performances any soloist has ever given with them! I have known various members of the orchestra since my days at the Guildhall School of music and drama – several of them were on stage with me for the last two days. A beautiful speech was made about me before the final concert, outlining all the things that I have done over the years with young musicians in the area, and the breadth of concerts and recordings I have given with the orchestra. At the end of the concert, I received a heartwarming standing ovation. I loved playing each concert and am content. Who knows what the coming two months will bring? But one thing I know is that my last few concerts have been full of joy and personal connections with people and players whom I truly value.
Behind the mask is Sandra, Merseyside’s friendliest face.
The Gagliano cello, once played by Sir John Barbirolli and owned by his widow Evelyn until her death in 2008, has come up for sale at a French auctioneer in Lyon next month.
It has previously been offered by at least two other outlets.
