A graphic novel on the composer’s life by Brandon Montclare and Frank Marraffino, released today, would have you believe that he got close.

You can order The Final Symphony: A Beethoven Anthology from Z2 Comics webstore.

Not sure howthis can be sung without a cigarette in the corner of your mouth. Here’s the latest recording:

 

The orchestral version:

 

 

Fun with candles.

Bernd Loebe, who has been in charge at Frankfurt Opera September 2002, has received a new contract taking him up to 2028.

Loebe is presently 68.

Frankfurt does not practise age discrimination.

From his CV: In November 1990 he took up the post of Artistic Director at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. He worked with Keith Warner and Antonio Pappano on a new production of Wagner’s Lohengrin at the 1999 Bayreuth Festival. He receives many invitations to sit in the jury of leading singing competitions. He worked as an advisor to General Music Director Paulo Carignani at Oper Frankfurt from September 2000 and became Intendant in Frankfurt in September 2002.

The family have announced the death of Anton Ruppert, a successful composer who worked for many years as repetiteur at Bavarian State Opera with Joseph Keilberth, Carlos Kleiber and Wolfgang Sawallisch. He won the Munich Music Prize in 1977.

 

 

 

The Scottish violinist comes close to tears when announcing the suspension of the Christmas concerts she had initiated in Battersea.

She says, quite rightly, that nowhere are the Covid rules more stringently observed than in a concert environment. But rules are rules and London is being shut down.

Watch her very moving appeal.

 

 

We’re hearing persistent rustles from Paris that Gustavo Dudamel is to be named music director of the Opéra, succeeding Philippe Jordan who has moved to Vienna.

Dudamel has taken Spanish citizenship and his agent is pursuing a suitable European post. He has made no secret of his ambition to conduct more opera. Paris ticks a lot of his boxes.

The orchestra say they like him. Alexander Neef certainly does.

He can probably balance Paris with his LA job.

Watch this space.

 

Barely have the tears dried for Alexander Vedernikov, who died six weeks ago of Covid, than the orchestra of the Royal Danish Opera, where he was chief conductor, have announced a replacement.

The Italian Paolo Carignani has been given the title of principal guest conductor for the next three years.

Carignani, 59, was formerly chief conductor at Frankfurt Opera.

We hear that Israel’s oldest music academy has signed an exchange deal with the Gulf state.

A classical act of normalisation.

 

Hilary Jones, known to her colleagues as ‘eagle ears’, has retired from the LSO after 35 years.

They won’t sound the same without her.

Tributes here.

Discography here.

The city of Stuttgart is converting its Liederhalle into a mass vaccination centre against Covid. It will serve to immunise 2,500 people daily.

The hall is presently closed for renovation.

 

 

The French contralto-condutor, who was named principal guest last week at the Philadelphia Orchestra, has been renewed for two more years as chief conductor at the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra in Norway.

She says: ‘This is my Norwegian family. The orchestra is young and eager to develop, and I am looking forward to continuing this journey with the musicians. This gives us the possibility of long-term thinking and that is a big advantage when you have ambitions with an orchestra.’