All shall have prizes: A Karajan for Lise Davidsen
OperaThe annnual Herbert von Karajan Easter eggs have been allocated, each worth 16,000 Euros.
The eye-catching recipient is the Norwegian suprema Lise Davidsen.
Also collecting little checkies are the South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha and the rising Swiss mezzo Eve-Maud Hubeaux.
The irrelevancy and devaluation of these prizes marches apace.
To their credit, the recipients usually donate their prize money. Maybe they have read Ecclesiastes, a must read for all of us, regardless of religious beliefs.
Given her – much deserved – superstardom, isn’t the 16,000 euros almost an insult. Other such prizes sometimes amount to 100,000 euros, which allows even a successful, wealthy, recipient to start, or support, a program of their own that would benefit others.
My 5th rule of personal finance – “never walk away from certain money.”
Karajan lost the high frequencies fairly early but he had pitch nonetheless.
16000 Euros will buy you 2 Salzburg Festival tickets and a Sacher-torte.