Im Jahre 2003 erschien die ersten Profil-CD mit der Produktionsnummer PH03001 unter dem Label Profil: Die Heidelberger Symphoniker  präsentierten die Werke für ‘Viola d´amore and orchestra’ von Stamitz mit dem Solisten Gunter Teuffel. Zwei weitere Produktionen folgten kurze Zeit später: Joseph Schmidt, ein Porträt zum 100. Geburtstag, eine CD, die heute noch ein Bestseller ist und Mozarts Klavierkonzerte mit Rudolf Buchbinder und den Wiener Symphonikern. Gefeierte Referenzeinspielungen zum Start eines Labels – eine Geschichte nimmt seinen Lauf. Nach 10 Jahren sind alle internationalen Schallplattenpreise eingefahren und heute mehr als 500 CDs veröffentlicht. Read More →

Sergei Prokofiev: Symphonie Nr. 6, Lieutenant Kijé (Suite), Die Liebe zu den drei Orangen (Suite); Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton; 1 SACD BIS 1994; Rezension von Remy Franck

Prokofievs zwischen 1945 und 1947 entstandene Sechste Symphonie ist ein Werk des Zweifelns, der Unsicherheit, die auch das Ende des Weltkriegs nicht aus dem Weg räumen konnte. Das macht die Musik komplex und schwer verständlich, was die Rezeption seit jeher belastet. Read More →

Der österreichische Cellist Friedrich Kleinhapl ist einer der interessantesten und eignwilligsten Cellisten unserer Zeit. Remy Franck hat sich mit ihm unterhalten. Read More →

In Minneapolis and Saint-Paul, the future of the Twin Cities Minnesota Orchestra is more and more uncertain. The musicians write in an open letter: « Now, our world-renowned Music Director, Osmo Vänskä, has publicly said that he will resign if the lockout doesn’t end. Our top players are being offered positions throughout the country, and we are already down more than 20 musicians from our full complement. Read More →

Minnesota’s ‘Star Tribune’ reports that Music director Osmo Vänskä will resign if the Minnesota Orchestra is not playing again by September at the latest, and ideally by this month. Vänskä’s contract normally would run through the 2014-15 season. Read More →

In its second year under the artistic direction of Heiner Goebbels, the German Festival ‘Ruhrtriennale’ (August 23–October 6, 2013) features major artists from around the world in world premieres and new productions and continues to expand its dialog with the visual arts. Over 150 events, 43 productions, including 20 premieres, as well as concerts and artist discussions transform the industrial monuments of the North-Rhine Westphalia region into unique venues for music, visual art, theater, film, dance, and performance. Read More →

Italian pianist Roberto Prosseda, internationally known for his Mendelssohn Discoveries CD series for Decca, is now promoting a new project, dedicated to the revival of a rare and interesting instrument: the ‘piano-pédalier’ (or pedal piano). He claims to be currently the only concert pianist playing the ‘piano-pédalier’ in public. Since June 2012, Roberto Prosseda gives recitals with original repertoire for pedal piano by Schumann, Liszt, Boely, Alkan and contemporary composers (Morricone, Nyman and others). Read More →

Grundsätzlich versteht sich der Finne Esa-Pekka Salonen vor allem als Komponist. Aber er ist auch ein anerkannter Dirigent.Im folgenden Interview spricht er sowohl vom Dirigieren als auch vom Komponieren. Das Interview entstand 2011, als Salonen von der ICMA-Jury zum ‘Artist of the Year’ gekürt wurde. Read More →

Pizzicato – 7, rue Bellevue L-3345 Leudelange ( Luxembourg) – Phone +352 661 37 96 16
Editor in chief: Remy Franck – rfranck at pizzicato.lu

Pizzicato is an Internet Journal devoted to classical music,  published in Luxembourg by Orkite a.s.b.l. (Trade & Companies Register: RCS F 1923; No VAT registration)
It contains news, features and interviews as well as CD and DVD reviews. It was founded in 1991 by the Luxembourgish journalist Remy Franck. The magazine is a member in the Jury of the International Classical Music Awards, ICMA. It also has its own Awards (Supersonic Award). Pizzicato’s print edition was published  from 1991 to 2013.

CD REVIEW POLICY

Pizzicato is asked more and more for reviews due to our success on the Internet. We receive requests from all over the world and can review barely a quarter of what is suggested by artists, labels and PR people. In order to limit the album tsunami we are constantly exposed to, we have established the following rule.

The best way to get a spot in our reviews is to request very early. We expect to receive new releases several weeks before the release date, so that we can start planning.

Even if we get albums released one or two weeks ahead, those barely have any chance of being considered. We are full then and rarely have any spaces left. Any album arriving after the release date is automatically discarded.

You may see on our website that our reviews are always published during the week of the release.

Ideally you should send WAV files and digital booklet 4-6 weeks in advance. WE DO NOT NEED NOR WANT physical copies.

Please take this into account and don’t be late with your review requests which we would like to able to take into consideration. First come, first served. And we give the absolute priority to our advertising clients.

As a Jury member of the International Classical Music Awards we are able to nominate Audio and Video productions for the Awards. However we make out choice only among releases that have been reviewed by Pizzicato in the course of the year and we take in account only productions which received at least 5 notes ♪♪♪♪♪ or a Supersonic. There is no need to send a bunch of releases just 2 weeks before the deadline. Do it regularly, always some weeks before the release date.

Remy Franck (biography)
Born in Luxembourg in 1952, Remy Franck started listening to classical music at a very young age. He published his first articles about music in 1968, when he was 16, got its own broadcast series, Allegro assai, two years later on RTL and begun do present concerts for children as early as 1971, being one of the first to do so on a regular basis in Europe.
He studied journalism at the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme in Paris (ESJ Diploma in 1975). He was Cultural Editor at Luxemburger Wort (1975-1978) and Editor in chief of the weekly magazine Télécran (1978-1990). As a broadcast producer he worked for RTL, Deutschlandfunk, Deutsche Welle, Saarländischer Rundfunk and, since 1993 until today, for Luxembourg’s public broadcaster ‘radio 100.7’. He worked also as a film producer for the Luxembourgish company ‘profilm’. He wrote the story-board for several musical documentaries and, notably, for a production with Vivaldi’s Quattro Stagioni transformed in an ecological tale.
He was an active member of Jeunesses Musicales Luxembourg from 1968 to 2000, as Executive Secretary, Board Member and Secretary General. Within the International Federation of Jeunesses Musicales, JMI, he was president of the Communications Committee.
Remy Franck lectured in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg and Poland. He was a jury member of distinguished musical competitions as well.
He has been the producer of CDs for various international labels, mostly for Naxos, and as narrator he recorded works by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Debussy, Chappell and Pierné for Timpani, OPL and Artevents labels.
In 1991 he founded the musical magazine Pizzicato. In 2014 this magazine became a flourishing Internet site www.pizzicato.lu. As editor in chief of Pizzicato, Remy Franck is a member of the Jury of the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA). Since 2009 he is the president of the Jury. He was also a jury member of the Mahler Record Prize in Toblach, Italy, from 1998 to 2015.
Remy Franck speaks Luxembourgish, French, German, English and Italian. He is married since 1976, father of five and has 6 grand-children.

PRIVACY POLICY STATEMENT
This Privacy Policy explains the nature, scope and purpose of the collection and use of personal data by Pizzicato when you visit our website and use our online Newsletter service. The personal data limited to your user name and the e-mail address will only be saved when voluntarily fill out the requested information fields in the process of subscribing to the Pizzicato Newsletter Mailing.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to websites and online services and offers of third parties.
By using this website, you are agreeing to this Privacy Policy.
The privacy policy can be accessed at any time at https://www.pizzicato.lu/about-pizzicato-classics-in-luxembourg/
If you have questions regarding the processing of your personal data, we are at your disposal at contact(at)pizzicato.lu
Collected stats and logs are used exclusively for statistical evaluations for the purpose of operation, security and the optimization of our online offer. Passing on and retrospective checking of the data only takes place on the basis of concrete indications, if there is a legitimate suspicion of unlawful use.
By using this platform, you agree to the processing of the data collected about you in the manner described above and for the aforementioned purposes. For all other questions please refer to the European General Data Protection Regulation.