Category Archives: Classical Music News
“These days”?
Alex Ross snarks Deutsche Grammophon in his latest New Yorker essay:
Recommended Not-so-casual Weekend Reading
The Baltimore Sun‘s Tim Smith comments on Donald Rosenberg’s lawsuit against the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Musical Arts Association, which is now being heard in court. Rosenberg rested his case earlier this week; the judge has dismissed one of of two complaints brought by Rosenberg; and the defense is now mounting their case. [Hat tip: Tim Page]
Aw, Heck — Sir Charles Mackerras, 1925-2010
I’ve just learned via Stephen Baggaley, a Facebook friend in Australia, that one of my favorite conductors, Sir Charles Mackerras, died a few days ago. I have a pile of his recordings on Vanguard, Hyperion, Telarc, RCA, and at least a dozen permutations of EMI, but the sole concert I saw him conduct was memorable — an incandescent performance of Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (the soloists included the incomparable and still sorely missed Lorraine Hunt Lieberson). Australian ABC will be broadcasting a tribute to the maestro Saturday (late Friday in North America — link to their mp3/m3u stream here).
Floating Xenakis
I refer specifically to Persephassa, lighter than the water of Central Park Lake. Tony Tommasini has the details at the NY Times.
Maureen Forrester, 1930-2010
Not two minutes after Sybille Werner forwarded news of the magnificent Maureen Forrester’s passing as reported in the Globe and Mail, Tony Tommasini’s NY Times obit went live. Continue reading Maureen Forrester, 1930-2010
Ernest Fleischmann, 1924-2010
Fleischmann was a giant among arts managers. Mark Swed’s appreciation in the LA Times is here, the NY Times obit is here, BR-online’s obit (in German, naturlich) is here, and you should also check out arts blogger Adolfo Guzman-Lopez on Neville Marriner and Fleischmann.
Philadelphia Orchestra names Yannick Nézet-Séguin music director
The story just got posted to the NY Times Web site, one half hour after the Inky broke the news online. The appointment comes as no surprise to many insiders in the music biz.
Report: Chris Roberts OUT at Universal Classics and Jazz (DG/Decca)
Is the Justice Department about to trust-bust Apple and their online music dominance?
It sure looks like it. And it’s no surprise it “took so long,” as some would complain: the previous administration’s Justice Department seemed to be big business’s BFF, and AG Eric Holder has made it pretty clear that he’s no Alberto Gonzales. Continue reading Is the Justice Department about to trust-bust Apple and their online music dominance?