Longest ever opening note?
The Fremch organ composer Maurice Duruflé (1902-86) was a shy and retiring man who did little to promote his music other than playing it in church. This is the composer playing his Suite opus 5. […]
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Another anti-musician airline is taking off
PLAY is a low-cost Icelandic airline flying between Europe and North America. Without instruments, apparently. The violinist Pétur Björnsson had this experience: I just had access to PLAY flight to Berlin with a violin on […]
Fraudster’s wife gets new agent
The Russian cellist Nina Kotova lost her grip at IMG Artists when its co-woner, her husband Barrett Wissman, was ousted by his Russian partner Alexander Shustorovich. No-one grieved for Wissman, a self-confessed fraudster. But Kotova, […]
Czechs mourn chief conductor
The death was made known today of the long-serving Chief Conductor of the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra Vladimír Válek. He was 89 years old. Founder of the Dvořák Chamber Orchestra in 1970, Valek was in […]
Concertmaster is offered 15-year rape plea deal
The former Harrisburg Symphony concertmaster Odin Rathnam has been offered a 15-30 year sentence if he pleads guilty to 28 charges of child rape in Pennsylvania. The alternative is life in jail. Prosecutors want to […]
Composer Profile: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): A Reserved Finn with White-Hot Passion Within by Barry Lenson If you ask a group of music lovers to tell you something about the Finnish Composer Jean Sibelius, at least 10 of […]
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): A Musical Biography
By Barry Lenson The British composer Benjamin Britten wrote a remarkably large and varied body of music. His compositions range from the simply delightful Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra to the ravishingly beautiful Spring […]
Wakefield woes again
Nine months after its last flare-up, Wakefield Cathedral is back on the skids. The Dean announced this morning that he’s clearing out. Dimon Copwling has been in the job just over six years. There has […]
Fire at Paris Opera
The audience were evacuated Friday night from a performance of Lully’s opera Perseus. Fire broke out five minutes into the performance, apparently from a kitchen in the basement. Report here. The post Fire at […]
French trains will now carry double-basses – just one per train
French culture minister Rachida Dati has made an announcement at the Gare de Lyon that double-basses will be permitted in future to travel on TGV trains. Under these conditions: • Double basses transported on board […]
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