The Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras in Madison are losing an incredibly gifted conductor, who gave the young musicians in those orchestras completely new perspectives. After 31 years as the Music Director of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, James Smith will be retiring at the end of WYSO’s 51st season. James Smith took over as Music Director in 1985. His gift for enabling students to give their very best in rehearsal, week after week, year after year, has contributed to their personal growth and the musical success of the orchestra.  Read More →

Venezia 1700; Violinsonaten von Albinoni, Bonporti, Caldara, Torelli, Dall’Abaco, Vivaldi; Thibaut Noally, Les Accents; 1 CD Aparté AP128; Aufnahme 10/2015, Veröffentlichung 11/2016 (68'38) – Rezension von Uwe Krusch

Am Ende des 17. Jahrhunderts war Venedig der Ort, der vor dem Untergang seiner Grandezza mit Kultur und Pomp feierte. Dazu gehörte neben dem Karneval die Musik, die mit den Formen des Konzerts à la Vivaldi und der Sonate auftrumpfte. Ausgehend von Corellis Sonatentypus entwickelte sich in Venedig eine vielfältige Landschaft, in der etliche herausragende Komponisten insbesondere für die Solovioline oder derer zwei zuzüglich Basso continuo schrieben. Read More →

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Messe KV 427 c-moll (Große Messe), Credo-Fragment ohne vervollständigte Instrumentalstimmen; Sarah Wegener, Sophie Harmsen, Colin Balzer, Felix Rathgeber, Kammerchor Stuttgart, Hofkapelle Stuttgart, Frieder Bernius; 1 CD Carus 83.284; Aufnahme 2016, Veröffentlichung 09/01/2017; Rezension von Remy Franck

Die ‘Große Messe’ des 26-jährigen Mozart blieb unvollendet. Frieder Bernius und Uwe Wolf haben eine neue Rekonstruktion vorgenommen, die « mit größtem Respekt vor dem vorhandenen Material das Mozartsche Fragment für heutige Ensembles aufführbar » machen will. Read More →

Gustavo Dudamel
Photo: Mathew Imagaing

Dem Dirigenten Gustavo Dudamel gelingt es nicht so leicht, seine Villa in Los Angeles zu verkaufen. Die Luxusvilla auf großem Grundstück ist seit Juni im Verkauf, nachdem sie für den von seiner Frau geschiedenen Dirigenten zu groß geworden war. Im Juni wurde sie für 3,3 Mio. Dollar angeboten, jetzt berichtet die ‘Los Angeles Times’, das Haus sei für 3,095 Mio. im Verkauf.

Riccardo Chailly
Photo: ICMA

Riccardo Chailly wird immer mehr zum ‘Absager’. Krankheitshalber, so teilen die Berliner Philharmoniker mit, wird der 63-Jährige die Konzerte am 12., 14. und 15. Januar in der Philharmonie nicht dirigieren. Für ihn tritt der 77-Jährige Marek Janowski ans Dirigentenpult, um Giuseppe Verdis ‘Messa da Requiem’ zu dirigieren.

Bernard Haitink

Italian newspapers report on what they call the rebirth of Claudio Abbado’s Orchestra Mozart. And indeed, as Pizzicato announced in June 2016, the Bologna based ensemble plays today, 6 January, a concert under the baton of Bernard Haitink, with soloist Isabelle Faust, a concert that will be given also in Lugano on 8 January. Read More →

Opéra Comique, Paris

If opera fans are used to learn that the renovation of opera houses never happens to be within the announced deadline, the delay in the opening of the Opéra Comique in Paris, which has been announced now, is rather short. We are not speaking about years like in Berlin or Cologne, but of a few weeks. Read More →

Daniel Barenboim
(c) Peter Adamik

A guest in a broadcast of French radio Europe 1, conductor Daniel Barenboim heavily criticised the Israeli government. He said: « Even if we think that every Jew in the world has the right to live in Israel, it cannot be realized without the others. The land was not a desert, the Palestinians were there. (…) And it is unacceptable that there is a government in Israel which is completely deaf, which is interested not at all in the opinion of others and continues to build colonies, making it impossible to have a normal Palestinian State ». Read More →

Géori (Georgette) Boué, born 16 October 1918 in Toulouse, has died yesterday, 5 January, in Paris, at the age of 98. She made her debut at the Capitole de Toulouse in 1934. In 1939 she started singing at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, as Mimi in La Bohème. She rapidly became known for her affinities with the French repertoire, Lakmé, Manon Marguerite, Juliette, but also with Italian roles like Gilda, Violetta, Desdemona, Tosca and Cio-Cio San. Read More →

Anthony Goldstone
(c) Divine Art

British pianist Anthony Goldstone passed away 2 January at the age of 72. He was a major figure in the Divine Art Records catalogue both as a soloist and duo partner with his wife Caroline Clemmow, and in a press release the label says that he will be very sadly missed. Divine Art is currently working on Goldstone’s last solo recording which is to be released in the summer (Piano at the Ballet, Vol. 2) and also the re-release of the  7-CD set of the complete works for piano duet by Franz Schubert. Read More →