The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has named the British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason as its 2024 MAC Music Innovator.
The role is ‘a year-long residency that works to showcase and highlight Black leaders of classical music.’
The critic Kenneth Goldsmith spotted this tribute vehicle in Trieste, Italy, five years ago.
It’s not an official Opel. Just un hommage.
We are honoured to publish the last review in the Birmingham Post by its longstanding chief music critic, Christopher Morley. Chris’s reviews will appear in future on www.slippedisc.com:
by Christopher Morley
SAKARI ORAMO RETURNS TO THE CBSO
Symphony Hall ****
This triumphant, emotional return of Sakari Oramo to the CBSO whose podium he graced so productively during ten years as music director, had one perhaps unexpected side-effect. So authoritative on the platform is this now principal conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, so naturally at ease with the players, so thrilling in the effects he conjures, that his presence throws into relief many of the other conductors the CBSO has engaged since his departure in 2008, and makes their contributions appear disappointing in retrospect – rather like Ulysses returning to Penelope, whose many suitors were cast into the shade.
It was thrilling to welcome Oramo back, to huge acclaim on both sides of the footlights, and what more fitting programme than one allowing him to bring his experienced insights into the music of his Finnish homeland. A rare performance of Sibelius’ late incidental music to The Tempest proved revelatory of the composer’s grasping towards a new language as he approached the end of his creative career, its modernist, searching sounds expertly paced by Oramo, rhythms crisp, drama informing all the playing, not least the grinding, stamina- and concentration-sapping Storm finale.
Mrs Oramo, soprano Anu Komsi, was soloist in the Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss. Her immersal in these autumnal texts was touching, but her steely timbre in high tessituras seemed inappropriate when rounded Wagnerian tones were desired. She bravely responded to the very slow tempo set for the concluding Im Abendrot, and had earlier collaborated in wonderful dialogues with solo violin and horn.
Komsi was far better suited to the fragmentary textures of Ekho, by Aarre Merikanto, a Finnish composer working a generation or so after Sibelius, in this work telling of the myth of Echo and Narcissus. The fact that Narcissus loved only his own reflection in the water has echoes (ha!) of Debussy’s Melisande, and in fact resonances of that delicately-shaded opera were very near here, with Komsi contributing in effect a vocalised instrumental line to these delicate structures.
But where were the texts and translations for both these vocal works? None in the programme-booklet, and no surtitles. When one considers the money being expended on spurious lighting effects in selected concerts, some of it should have been diverted here.
Finally came what would certainly qualify as mu Highlight of the Year in the halcyon days when such an annual roundup existed, Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony in a reading monumentally responsive to its intellectual and emotional magnitude, belying its structural compactness. Over the years Sakari Oramo has built up a total understanding of its organic growth and shape, and from its framework he drew here generous richness of orchestral tone, building sonorous climaxes, eventually arriving at that famous long-drawn out C major cadence which sealed such an awesome experience.
The three pivotal trombone solos were noble in their delivery from Richard Watkin. Thank goodness the new razzmatazz didn’t impinge upon this concert, otherwise he would have stood like a jazz soloist for each one, and we would have been expected to applaud as he concluded each spot.
Christopher Morley
Here’s the latest from the horribly troubled Cleveland Institute of Music, where many of the teachers are players in the outstanding Cleveland Orchestra:
The CIM Faculty has voted No Confidence in President Paul Hogle and Provost Scott Harrison.
Regarding Paul Hogle, the vote was 83 to 8 (91% in favor of the resolution of No Confidence).
Regarding Scott Harrison, the vote was 81 to 10 (89% in favor of the resolution of No Confidence).
These results will be sent to Susan Rothmann, Chair of the CIM Board. The resolutions are as follows:
Paul Hogle
WHEREAS CIM faces its most dangerous financial situation in decades, is running its first budget deficit in decades, and faces the difficulty of recruiting students with an uncompetitive discount rate for the foreseeable future;
WHEREAS President Paul Hogle has overseen a debilitating turnover of over 120 members of the staff, including eighteen in Development (including seven Chief Development Officers), eleven in Concerts and Events, ten in the Deans Office, nine in Marketing, and eight in Admissions, as well as unprecedented levels of resignations, causing substantial problems with continuity, institutional knowledge, and competency;
WHEREAS President Hogle appointed Scott Harrison to the position of Provost, who lacks any of the traditional qualifications, credentials, and experience required for the role of Provost to the position, leading to serious mismanagement of the Institute’s academic and artistic affairs, as well as repeated actions in violation of traditional academic standards and norms, as well as CIM and HLC policies;
WHEREAS President Hogle disregarded and/or ignored repeated complaints by students, staff, and faculty about the orchestra situation at CIM during the 2022-23 season, including ignoring the recommendations of the Orchestra 2.0 Task Force, as well as a fall 2022 survey of CIM orchestral musicians which was damning in its result;
WHEREAS President Hogle’s leadership style is ill-suited to an academic environment which relies on consensus-building and compromise in decision-making;
WHEREAS President Hogle accepted a raise of $111,282 (26.3%) between the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years while simultaneously guiding CIM into its first deficit in 30 years and advising faculty that merit-based or cost-of-living raises would not be expected for several years;
WHEREAS morale among faculty and staff is at a level detrimental to the functioning of the institution and advancement of its mission;
WHEREAS the once-great reputation of CIM has been severely diminished at a national and international level;
WHEREAS the aforementioned misdeeds have significantly jeopardized CIM’s ability to pass its 2025 comprehensive HLC accreditation site visit;
WHEREAS CIM is hungry for new, positive leadership which looks to the future and understands the educational challenges – and opportunities – facing the Institute and the young musician of the 21st century in a rapidly changing landscape. CIM needs leadership which will restore morale, inspire the faculty and staff, and renew trust in the Office of the President. CIM needs a leader with the temperament, education, academic experience, and shared values to lead us into our next century;
Therefore, we the Faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music are expressing a vote of NO CONFIDENCE in Paul Hogle.
Scott Harrison
WHEREAS Scott Harrison was appointed Provost by the President despite lacking the traditional credentials (an earned doctorate degree and extensive academic administrative experience, often as a dean or senior faculty member intimately familiar with the norms and standards of academia and the concept and role of shared governance) required for the role of provost at an institution of higher education;
WHEREAS Provost Harrison has zero prior experience in academic administration and has never served on a university faculty senate, academic committee, or other governing body and has never managed an academic department or college;
WHEREAS his lack of credentials and relevant experience have led Provost Harrison to repeatedly violate norms of shared governance, disregard faculty consultation, and make decisions detrimental to the Institute, including:
– Overseeing alarming faculty/staff turnover due to toxic working conditions, stagnant salaries, and one-year contracts
– Showing a lack of fundamental understanding of basic management of academic areas and ensembles, leading to serious logistical and artistic issues that negatively impact the quality of offerings and well-being of students
– Attempting to unilaterally restructure the faculty in disregard for the role of shared governance and commonly accepted established academic norms and procedures
– Creation and modification of academic programs without the approval of faculty or the Curriculum Committee, as outlined in institution policy
– Refusing transparency in appointing a new Title IX investigator, causing confusion and distrust
– Replacing a unanimously supported department head without proper faculty consultation and against clearly defined policy, as outlined in the Faculty Handbook
– Refusing to follow standards of academic pay and benefits to candidates to join the faculty, resulting in loss of competitive talent to peer institutions
WHEREAS Provost Harrison’s lack of qualifications and actions have compromised CIM’s accreditation standards with the Higher Learning Commission;
WHEREAS the faculty have lost all confidence and trust in Provost Harrison’s ability to fulfill the duties of the position;
Therefore, we the Faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music are expressing a vote of NO CONFIDENCE in Scott Harrison.
The Spoleto Festival USA has cancelled it Music in Time series after more than three decades.
Between 1990 and 2023 the series presented work by 475 composers including US premieres of Michel van der Aa, Thomas Adès, Gavin Bryars, Britta Byström, Tansy Davies, Brett Dean, Kui Dong, Pascal Dusapin, Bernd Franke, Toshio Hosokawa, Giya Kancheli, Steve Martland, and Saariaho.
But executive director Mena Mark Hanna and his music director Timothy Myer just cancelled the strand.
Its founder John Kennedy writes:
When Spoleto Festival USA recently announced its 2024 festival, something was conspicuously absent: the Music in Time (MIT) series. Music in Time had served as a core element of the festival since 1990, and had a tangible impact on the evolution of the festival’s reputation for innovative opera and orchestral programming. Music in Time also developed a personality and relationship with many audience members over its 31 seasons, so its death would seem to call for an obituary and some honorific closure, at least noting the broad strokes of its life.
Read on here.
The South Bohemian Phiharmonic has appointed Alena Hron to be its chief conductor from September.
Apparently, no professional Czech orchestra has thought of hiring a woman before.
Alena is a student at the Zurich concervatoire. She has also been a member of the 
Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship.
Waco Symphony Orchestra in Texas has chosen New Yorker Larry Loh as music director, succeeding Stephen Heyde who retired after 35 years in the job.
Loh presently heads the Syracuse Orchestra.
We know it comes round only once in four years, but Italian media are reporting that the venerable opera house forgot to book any of its 89 ushers for today.
Most are students on one-year fixed contract.
But the computer calendar was not configured for a leap year.
Musicians in western Canada are getting restive about an eruption of gimmicky Candelight Concerts that are threatening to steal their audience.
Here’s a commentary by the Organisation of Canadian Symphony Musicians:
by Tamsin Lorraine Johnston (Regina Symphony oboist and OCSM 2nd VP)
Even if you haven’t performed in a Candlelight Concert, you would have had to go to a lot of trouble to avoid their advertising on social media. These classical-music adjacent experiences engage local musicians using Listeso Music Group, Inc. The similar Italian musical term L’istesso, meaning the same as before, succinctly describes Listeso’s business model of cloning concerts.
Listeso Music Group runs a tight ship. They are a thoroughly corporate classical music agency specializing in “connecting top local string quartets directly with clients.” By hiring local musicians to perform in otherwise identical Candlelight Concerts, Listeso takes advantage of competitive regional markets, especially those with talented and motivated pools of symphonic musicians, and applies a glossy uniformity.
Naturally, times are tough and musicians need all the work that comes our way. So why the big deal? The larger concern is how Candlelight Concerts are disrupting the entertainment ecosystem created and defended by non-profit organizations with deep roots in their communities….
Read on here.
Alastair Macaulay reviews last night at English National Opera (where every night feels like the last).
by Alastair Macaulay
It’s hard to believe now that, just a few decades ago, Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” seemed a simple piece of story-telling to most of its worldwide audience, a vividly varied myth without pretentiousness. Today, much of it seems a sociopolitical minefield: didactic, cruel, dystopian. And yet its music, however, is by God, or at least by one of the top apostles.
The opera’s young hero, Tamino, has fallen in love with its heroine, Pamina, merely from seeing her portrait – but no sooner do these lovers meet in the flesh than they are brutally separated, are kept from communicating with each other and from asking any questions, and are put through alarming ordeals of Fire and Water. This highly questionable procedure is instigated by Sarastro, the leader who has also ordained that Pamina must be kept from her mother, who is not only wicked but (fasten your safety belts) a woman. Soon, even the lovelorn Tamino is spouting misogynistic warnings about the lies spread by women’s lips. Pamina, not unreasonably, is sent to such extremes of despair that she attempts suicide. All this is part of the path to Enlightenment. The good end happily, the bad unhappily: which is, as Miss Prism shrewdly observed, what fiction means.
Probably Mozart and his audience had no problems about which parts of this story were meant to be not entirely literal or serious, but today “The Magic Flute” is less enlightening than bewildering. Simon McBurney’s production at English National Opera, which returned to repertory on Wednesday evening (it’s recently also been adopted by the Metropolitan Opera, New York), is a fresh, no-nonsense exercise in metatheatre. On either side of the stage, friendly artists, in full view, create video projections and sound effects, while a suspended stage on top of the stage rises, tilts, and falls. The overt artifice involved in this staging does help at once to distance us from the story even while it involves us.
There are marvels along the way. I love how Tamino and we see Pamina’s portrait in the sky,l; I’m grateful that she is shown his portrait too; and the treatment of her mother, the dangerous Queen of Night, is original and effective. She’s a vengeful, ageing cripple, whose ambiguous but dazzling coloratura brilliance – sung from a wheelchair in which she cannot keep still – becomes an expression of her furious quest for domination and of her own personal frustration. As for the wannabe-rapist villain Monostatos being a blackamoor in the original scenario, that’s simply – and mercifully – ignored here.
Still, other creepy features are added. The three boys who guide Tamino and supervise Pamina are far from the embodiment of innocence: they’re aged and malign, like witches from “Macbeth”. Nothing is disguised about the way the very masculine Sarastro does tell the initiates “You must practice total submission even to the point of death”: shortly after which the half-enlightened Tamino sings of “the lies that women’s lips invent”. It’s not reassuring that these three boys save Pamina from self-harm: nobody has been helping her heartbreak.
I don’t want to sound woke about “The Magic Flute”: this was one of the six operas I’ve adored since early childhood. But the story that Mozart and Emanuel Shikaneder devised in 1791 does now need more imaginative assistance than it here receives. For example, it would help if Sarastro and his cohorts inhabited a temple that was beautiful and illumined by a mystic sense of the numinous, as has happened in many “Magic Flute” productions (some of them at English National Opera). Yet the action that McBurney and his designers Michael Levine (sets) and Nicky Gillibrand (costumes) is at its most chillingly bleak around Sarastro. His scenes become all too like the opera of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, the dystopian futuristic myth of state misogyny recently revived by this very company – except that “The Handmaid’s Tale” looked more appealingly colourful.
Another awkward twist is that, in this revival, the massive-voiced John Relyea as Sarastro and the astonishingly vivid Rainelle Krause as the Night Queen (marvellously dangerous in her amalgam of physical immobility and upper-body vigour, and in the thwarted venom and balls of fire in her vocal pyrotechnics) are the most powerfully realised characters onstage. Jonathan Lemalu is also impressive – mysteriously authoritative – as Sarastro’s highly ambiguous Speaker. Papageno is usually played and sung with coarse forms of cuteness; and so he was on this occasion by David Stout.
Too bad that Sarah Tynan’s Pamina and Norman Reinhardt’s Tamino were different shades of bland; and the production does too little to make them sympathetic. Tynan’s pretty singing is not far from being touching; Reinhardt’s chesty vocalism has its heroic sides. But both characters stay more passive and less communicative than usual. Although Erinq Yashima, conducting, paced everything with colour and external liveliness, she never brings the breath of life to give emotional three-dimensionality to the story’s central characters. Where here is a heart that beats?
photo: Manuel Harlan/ENO
The Russian-German conductor has been appointed Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, on the advice of the UK Foreign Secretary.
He put in the hard yars as music director of Glyndebourne and the London Philharmonic.
These days he’s in charge at Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is advertising for a principal flute. Hint: gets to play solos at the Proms.
Apply here.