Swiss music school ‘Un, Deux, Trois, Musiques…’ founded by Nicole Coppey is celebrating its 20th anniversary. « This pedagogical school of musical art extols the supreme dimension of music, deep and uplifting, as it plays a clear role in the global development of the personality, bringing about the growth of a structured human being, self-assured and creative. », Coppey says. Read More →
From February 16-20, the Westminster Choir College in Princeton (New Jersey) and choir events organizer Interkultur will host 20 choirs from the United States, China and Indonesia to sing together in Friendship Concerts, compete in an international choir competition and celebrate the variety of international vocal music at the Sing’n’Joy Princeton Choir Festival. They will be joined by composer Morten Lauridsen, the American Boy Choir and by the hosting choir of the Westminster Choir College.
More information is available here: http://www.interkultur.com/events/2017/princeton/
Takemitsu: Signals from Heaven; Gershwin: Summertime; Monteverdi: Toccata aus L'Orfeo; Gabrieli: Sonata / Canzone; Spirituals: Sometimes I feel; Nobody Knows; Swing Low; Ellington: Come Sunday aus Sacred Concert; Jeroen Berwaerts, Trompete, Gesang, Salaputia Brass; 1 CD Audite 97.725, Aufnahme 06/2016, Veröffentlichung 24/02/2017 (50'15) – Rezension von Norbert Tischer
Der belgische Musiker Jeroen Berwaerts entwickelte das genreübergreifende Konzept dieser CD, tritt solistisch als Trompeter und Jazz-Vokalist auf und leitet das Ensemble ‘Salaputia Brass’. Read More →
Etienne-Nicolas Mehul: Uthal; Karine Deshayes, Yann Beuron, Sebastien Droy, Reinoud van Mechelen, Choeur de Chambre de Namur, Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset; 1 CD Ediciones Singulares ES 1026; Aufnahme 05/2015, Veröffentlichung 03/02/2017 (60'40) – Rezension von Remy Franck
Étienne-Nicolas Méhuls einaktige romantische Oper ‘Uthal’ ist eine ‘Opéra-comique’ mit deutlich dramatisch-tragischem Charakter, die am 17. Mai 1806 in Paris uraufgeführt wurde und bald darauf in der Versenkung verschwand. Dafür mag das in einer etwas schwülstigen Sprache verfasste Libretto von Jacques Benjamin Maximilien Bins de Saint-Victor mitverantwortlich sein, das auf den damals sehr beliebten ‘Gesängen des Ossian’ des Schotten James Macpherson (1736–1796) fußt. Read More →
Nicolai Gedda
Nicolai Gedda has died yesterday in Switzerland, aged 91. His family has confirmed the death which is more than important, since in May 2015 rumours said, Gedda, one of the greatest tenor of the XXth Century had died on Saturday, 16 May. Wikipedia pages in several languages mentioned his death. Two days later, the death references and dates were removed from those pages. Read More →
Stéphane Denève
(c) Henry Fair
French conductor Stéphane Denève has signed a new three-year contract as Principal Guest Conductor, through the 2019-2020 season. Stéphane Denève, 45, is also Music Director of the Brussels Philharmonic, and Director of the Centre for Future Orchestral Repertoire (CffOR). From 2011-2016, he served as Chief Conductor of Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR) and from 2005-2012 as Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Jordi Savall
(c) David Ignaszewski
At the initiative of the Catalan musician Jordi Savall, The Saline Royale (Royal Saltworks), a historical building at Arc-et-Senans in the department of Doubs, eastern France will host the project Orpheus XXI, Radio France Bleu reports. The project aims at the integration of professional musicians, who fled their countries, Syrians, Afghans and many others. So far, 12 musicians have been recruited, and the last auditions are to take place in March.
Bayreuth, Festspielhaus
Für die Bayreuther Festspiele (25. Juli bis 28. August) beginnt am 12. Februar (14 Uhr) der Online-Verkauf von Eintrittskarten. Jeder kann bis zu vier Eintrittskarten für eine oder mehrere Aufführungen bestellen – ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’, ‘Tristan und Isolde’, ‘Parsifal’ sowie eine Einzelvorstellung der ‘Walküre’ – und zudem bis zu zwei Stück für die ‘Ring’-Tetralogie. Eine Vorab-Registrierung empfiehlt sich. Ticketshop: www.bayreuther-festspiele.de
ICMA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Matti Salminen has been among the most famous basses of opera stages already over 40 years. He is especially famous in Wagner-roles, but his repertoire is large, reaching even to Finnish tangos. His steady, resonant bass is flexible enough also for subtle nuances, and he emphasizes opera always as a comprehensive theatre. Read our article by Harri Kuusisaari, ICMA Jury member for the Finnish magazine Rondo Classic.
Matti Salminen
There is nothing diva-like in Matti Salminen’s behaviour. He has one natural, unpretentious charisma on stage, and his long experience on top of the opera world becomes evident when he speaks about his life. But still you can feel his background as a son of a working class family in Turku, who earned cash for his voice lessons by singing Finnish tangos in nightclubs. Read More →
Franz Schubert: 4 Impromptus op. 90 D 899, 4 Impromptus op. 142 D 935, Allegretto c-Moll D 915, Ungarische Melodie D 817, Andante A-Dur D 604, Kupelwieser Waltz D Anh. I, 14; Michael Endres; 1 CD Oehms Classics OC 458; Aufnahmen 2014, Veröffentlichung 24/02/2017 (80') – Rezension von Remy Franck
Michael Endres beschließt seinen Schubert-Zyklus mit 80 Minuten kontrastreicher Musik. In den Impromptus stellt er tonaler Schönheit harsche Outbursts gegenüber. Damit grenzt sich seine Interpretation stark von all jenen ab, die ganz besonders die lyrischen Qualitäten der Impromptus herausgearbeitet haben. Read More →
