tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161161713279734412012-02-05T03:07:42.492-08:00A few comments on the fabulously rich world of classical music.Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-59445494834057575482012-02-05T03:07:00.000-08:002012-02-05T03:07:42.498-08:00

YouTune is not the only place where it is possible to find some treasures from the past. I recommend French-speaking readers to go to the wonderful archive site of France's Insitut National de L'audiovisuel. I will come back with more documents as I explore what they have but have already found an excerpt of the Cosi Fan Tutte done in 1983 with Daniel Barenboim conducting his Orchestre de Paris.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-12719433324008317022012-02-02T06:59:00.000-08:002012-02-02T07:03:51.337-08:00

So, summary of last episode ... I could not download via the DG, Amazon, Itunes site the tracks of Ives' Violin Sonatas by H Hahn and Valentina Lisita. I gave it another try a couple of days via my Ipad through Itunes ... and in a bizarre twist of the cyber world, got my order accepted. Thanks to iCloud, the content got synchronized  to my Ipod and my PC and I am listening to Ives's works as

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-19325526044347368982012-01-30T01:25:00.000-08:002012-02-02T06:59:18.959-08:00

Buying digital tracks on the web can be just crazy ... I wanted to get the recent recording of Ives's Violin Sonatas by Hilary Hahn and Valentina Lisita. Like many, ie 99% of us, I no longer buy physical CDs but buy digital tracks. I visited the DG web site, selected the content, proceeded to checkout and filled all information on payments, where I was suddenly told that I cannot buy this in

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-74566148892594912352012-01-25T09:31:00.000-08:002012-01-25T11:31:41.557-08:00

I have taken some more time to read the books I mentioned on an earlier post. Of the three, I was left dry is on the one on George Szell. The author Michael Charry display a genuine respect for Szell but Szell beginning go too fast. One does not get a sense of how he developped. The other topic of Szell's famous dicatorial attitude is briefly mentioned but too cautiously (and can I remind

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-82452185861868149492012-01-24T05:44:00.000-08:002012-01-24T05:44:02.735-08:00

The berlin Staatskapelle under Daniel Barenboim was in Victoria Hall to perform a superb Bruckner Third Symphony. This work is among the rarely played of his Austrian composer works. My wife who is Austrian had never heard it live and had a great comment: "the first mouvement sounded like Philip Glass". Well, think about it !

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-83927241677335085332012-01-05T04:23:00.000-08:002012-01-05T14:22:19.315-08:00

Maurizio Pollini 70th birthday is today. Every musician has a figurehead who is the reference. For me, for us, this is Pollini. An artist which represents modernism and progress in his artistic filed. In their times, this might have been Hans von Bulow or Gustav Mahler (the conductor not the composer). I first heard Pollini in concert as early as 1976 when he played Schubert's last three

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-25808700608079563732011-12-20T02:15:00.000-08:002011-12-29T06:04:28.047-08:00

2011 was a busy year for me. My "day job" kept me extremely busy. I probably travelled somewhat less than usual so my musical experiences were more Swiss-based. This being said, there were no shortage of events that left a big impression on me: the Leipzig Gewandhaus sound is a marvel and they were right at home on their Beethoven Mendelssohn program. I also could hear some great pianists: the

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-29784324061302397202011-12-09T00:40:00.000-08:002011-12-09T00:57:14.595-08:00

As a habit, I am preparing my end of year book reading retreat ... as well as contributing to Amazon's end of year revenue spike. I have ordered a few books on (and in the case of Muti by) conductors. One is about George Szell, another one is by Leonard Bernstein personal assistant. Others which have not reached me are Muti's autobiagraphy as well as probably another book on why we will

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-12139529220212992712011-12-01T04:36:00.000-08:002011-12-05T01:30:29.042-08:00

I read Peter Andry's memoirs after hearing about them on Bob Shingleton's excellent blog. This EMI producer can be credited to have overseen some of the label greatest successes (which may be a thing of the past but this is another topic). One of the side stories he tells was EMI's decision to sever relations with Maurizo Pollini. EMI had signed the Italian pianist after his success at the

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-36867816870084817512011-11-28T12:55:00.000-08:002011-12-04T23:46:35.836-08:00

Lots of work for this end of year. This blog is neglected. I have some unfinished posts which I will finish after the end of year. In the meantime, Beckmesser's rants is mentioned as part of the Independant Views in the Big List of Classical Music Blogs whom I encourage you to visit. For French readers, I have been my usual busy for Concertonet covering the Geneva season. I celebrated Zubin

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-53941575090489449672011-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:002011-10-15T21:34:07.295-07:00

The French-German cultural TV station Arte showed last week a fascinating documentary on Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. It may still be available on their site so I would recommend it. I heard her last recital in Paris back in 1976 and yes her voice was just unique. In this documentary emerges an artist always in pain never in peace and never happy. Her famous outbursts during masterclasses are those

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-15897532966493159342011-10-02T08:17:00.000-07:002012-01-24T05:41:26.948-08:00

I was yesterday at Victoria Hall to hear the "Orchestre de Ribaupierre" play Brahms Piano Concerto, the soloist in the first being the French pianist François-René Duchable. International readers may not have heard of him but worked with Artur Rubinstein, played Bartok's third Piano Concerto with Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic in Salzbourg (I still have the tapes and they are just superb),

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-35218729491975055992011-09-27T08:36:00.000-07:002011-09-27T08:36:35.548-07:00

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-79610466330642251542011-09-20T00:05:00.000-07:002011-09-20T00:05:45.002-07:00

My review of the latest CD of the OSR is on line. One of the work played is Vincent d'Indy's Symphonie sur un chant montagnard. While I avoided any references to D'Indy antisemitic postures but pointed out the uniqueness of its music which resembles none other. Stepping back, I am struck how a handful of composers manage to create sounds which are evocative of the landscape of their country. Not

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-74447743134092039632011-09-19T02:18:00.000-07:002011-09-19T23:50:49.608-07:00

... the Leipzig Gewandhaus was in Geneva last week. Just a few lines to mention how uniquely Germanic and old-fashioned this orchestra is. String tone is firmer and warmer while with more darker tones than say the Vienna Philh or more brilliant ensembles from the US. This enables the line to be maintained while bringing out inner voices very naturally. Who said that all orchestras sound the same

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-46126364502088789212011-09-07T09:45:00.000-07:002011-09-07T09:45:58.253-07:00

Terra Ferma and EMI Act 5

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-91683796662346758682011-09-05T23:43:00.000-07:002011-09-05T23:43:38.237-07:00

I was yesterday at the dress rehearsal of André Chénier at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. While it is unfair to make a comment on singers who were marking their roles, J Fiore's conducting was easy and fluid and John Dew staged a lively first part full of ideas with great costumes (there were an integral part of the staging ...) , lightning, ... clear action without sacrificing ideas. I also

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-65088763366079314522011-09-05T04:38:00.000-07:002011-09-05T04:40:13.446-07:00

 ...has been posted ... so this means that my earlier comment on their silence is no longer valid. It would be nice to hear mention of future invitations of the IPO accepted and confirmed. Thiking about it, I have had some kind of experience like this. In March 2003, the Vienna Philharmonic visited Paris to play Brahms 3rd and Second Symphony under Ozawa at the Théatre des Champs-Elysees. This

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-36830853730467740742011-09-02T07:56:00.000-07:002011-09-02T08:42:26.671-07:00

Arte has put on their web site a one hour fascinating documentary on Kit Armstrong working with Alfred Brendel. Do spend the time and try to hear this pianist if he plays close to you. In the meanwhile, this is highly recommended: Listen in particular to them working on Schubert D 958, great comments on tempis, pedalling, even emotions, ..., as well as the physical exercise on the shoulders

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-52871977906297372712011-09-02T06:10:00.000-07:002011-09-02T06:11:49.271-07:00

News are spreading in the music world of last night disturbance by Palestinian activists at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra concert at the London Proms. The BBC report is here. Several amateur videos can be seen including this one below: There are various comments on this. The first one is on the Palestinian situation for which these guys are protesting. While I admit at having my clear

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-81673211023278597722011-09-01T05:26:00.000-07:002011-09-01T23:11:08.195-07:00

My day work has forced me to shorten my stay in Salzburg very significantly. I managed though to pack 4 performances in two days as well as see many friends from across the world and basically had a great time. For the sake of swiftness, here are my quick takes on bullet point format just like last year: I love my blackberry ... It has something which Iphone afficionados do not have which is

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-37325035550689281922011-08-12T12:44:00.000-07:002011-08-12T12:44:45.867-07:00

Have a look at Milan's based Opera chic blog entry ... I do not wish to comment on what seem to be yet another attack on Israel made by someone who has probably never visited the place. What I can comment is that I attended the production Vick did of the Magic Flute in 2005 at Salzbourg. It was as offensive as what he seems to have done for Rossini's Moïse. I took my kids there hoping to get

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-29500643812411178292011-07-08T13:10:00.000-07:002011-07-08T13:10:47.431-07:00

Alex Ross has found a marvellous interview of Jascha Horenstein on YouTube. There exists three interviews of Dinu Lipatti with a delightful singing Romanian accent. It is so special to hear him speak. This however, is only in French but highly recommended. The last one is particularly moving as it speaks about his health.Lipatti's record of Mozart 21st Piano Concerto and the 8th Sonata

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-92117947361323113602011-06-05T09:39:00.000-07:002011-06-05T09:39:10.028-07:00

Well, if not, then go to the movies or on line ... And have a look at what Alfred Brendel is saying.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-33035225008137561652011-05-30T04:10:00.000-07:002011-05-30T05:10:28.859-07:00

Have a look at the lively blog of the Orchestre de Paris. It is in French but contains a very smart comment on the acoustics of the Vienna Musikverein: "One can hear every instrument, even in a fortissimo ... " (my translation ...). This is a very important point raised by Christian Leblé..With the improvement of the Salle Pleyel, resident orchestras like the Orchestre de Paris and the Nouvel

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-58082274508476885642011-05-19T04:53:00.000-07:002011-05-19T04:53:29.078-07:00

I was glad to read from Andrew Partner's excellent Chicago based blog that Mason Bates is performed by the CSO and R Muti. As per my previous post, this is a composer of talent and it is encouraging to read that he is being performed. We also need to hear his works in Europe but like new technology, things takes time to cross the oceans and reach the old world.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-80939571220832438672011-05-18T23:19:00.000-07:002011-05-19T04:51:56.750-07:00

Peter Davis in the NYT has an article on Mahler's time in New York.Universal edition is as usual a gold mine of fascinating information. But for us in Geneva, Valery Gergiev and the LSO celebrated May 18 by playing the adagio of the 10th Symphony (as a substitution for a Mozart oboe concerto with an indisposed soloist) and gave a truly moving performance. For another type of Mahler performance,

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-2730494575661151892011-05-09T08:52:00.000-07:002011-05-09T09:06:37.985-07:00

I was all of last week in the US and was able on my way back to Switzerland to catch the second instalment of the new production of the Ring at the Met. I did not go there (and spend significant sums of money) to see the visual pyrotechnics of Robert Lepage but to hear James Levine's special way with Wagner. ... which explains my disappointment to read in the program that Levine was sick and was

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-50460643009164674142011-04-11T06:23:00.000-07:002011-04-11T06:23:58.122-07:00

I was Saturday at Paris's Comédie-Française to see Tennessee Williams's a Tramway named Desire in the production of American director Lee Breuer. Breuer's concepts is a highly stylised one. Settings are inspired from Japan. They are both spare and sophsiticated as they keep changing. 4 mute characters keep coming and leaving to bring it alive. It both allows to make the most of a simple stage,

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-83165968367564850912011-04-01T05:57:00.000-07:002011-04-01T05:57:16.936-07:00

Exciting news from the UK for Britten fans ... well seriously !! some more serious ones: James Levine is writing a book ...

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-83262748408160923102011-03-27T02:26:00.000-07:002011-06-06T02:53:24.168-07:00

Have a look at my review of his Geneva concert there. If you have the opportunity, do go and hear him. I have not been that impressed by the originality of a newcomer for a long time. (Follow-up of my last post on this young pianist ...)

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-14521686068987501342011-03-24T15:21:00.000-07:002011-03-24T15:27:09.994-07:00

We are not April 1st so this may be a joke ...or a tragedy. (Yes, I confirm, I wanted to name this short post: the Royal couple's speech but instead choose to have Decca in the title ...)

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-85491146044894464772011-03-04T05:25:00.001-08:002011-03-04T05:26:16.531-08:00

Sad news ...

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-79510634358416344252011-02-01T11:59:00.000-08:002011-02-01T11:59:02.183-08:00

Citirgoup has taken over EMI. This will go in business history as one of the biggest business mistake along with IBM's selling their stake in Intel or the Time Warner - AOL merger. As an aside, all the descriptions of EMI's business mention the Beatles and other pop/rock music. Classical must be very small or unable to relate to the press, or simply maybe the only profitable and stable part of

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-67229756220855811092011-01-25T04:32:00.000-08:002011-01-25T06:08:57.127-08:00

The world, musical or not, is celebrating Placido Domingo's 70th birthday. All the accolades we are hearing are true: immense repertory, rock-solid technique, unique capability for phrasing, presence and acting skills, ... There is though one quality which has not been so discussed which I would like to mention: when Domingo is on stage, he does not play the star, he actually makes other singers

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-67349320343614556012011-01-20T04:34:00.000-08:002011-01-20T04:34:13.076-08:00

If so, then, enjoy: PS: Wordle is here.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-10729288505929291052011-01-06T02:55:00.000-08:002011-02-04T08:02:38.640-08:00

Just a quick FYI. I will be in the US for my work end of January and will go via NY to see the MET premiere of Adams' Nixon in China with a review for Concertonet. I am thrilled to hear this and at the Met. I heard the same team play it in Bobigny in 1991. Previously, I ha discovered Adams's work via the monumental Harmonium in Boston with the BSO under Rattle. I remember going into the Boston

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-63130591618834120172010-12-12T02:22:00.000-08:002010-12-12T04:19:45.505-08:00

Thomas Hampson was last week in Geneva. While he is singing at the Zurich Opera, he is touring with the Wurttenberg Philharmonic in one of these typically frustrating recitals made to accomodate star performers. Program was a typical mix of unrehearsed arias, -this was the first concert in the serie and yes, one could hear it in  more than few places - intertwined with basically "Elevator music"

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-1607469403390244722010-12-01T04:44:00.000-08:002010-12-01T04:44:31.242-08:00

Concertonet's Zurich Correspondant and long-time friend John Rhodes emailed me this morning on the passing of German tenor Peter Hofmann. I heard him first in Paris in 1981 a concert performance of the act 3 of Parsifal with the Berlin Philharmonic and Karajan, then as Lohengrin, then the following year in Paris in Lohengrin under Dohnanyi. But it was in Bayreuth that I heard him in many roles:

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-8708325945338398082010-12-01T01:35:00.000-08:002010-12-01T01:35:27.473-08:00

Courtesy of Eileen.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-27081532333939180552010-11-24T06:53:00.000-08:002010-11-24T07:07:37.862-08:00

France's government has released extra funding for the new (totally  unnecessary) Parisian Concert Hall. See here in French. Good luck to France and Paris and all involved ... but I have already expressed my huge doubts ...

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-16212331475959151062010-11-19T03:30:00.000-08:002010-11-19T03:30:22.280-08:00

For French speaking readers an interview of the intendant of the Migros concert series. Please note that they are doing ads on TV for the concerts and have now an audience capacity of 86%. Marketing works ... even for music. (and yesterday was the last round of the Geneva Piano competition, report is here.)

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-61868406318061027972010-11-18T23:53:00.000-08:002010-11-21T02:14:11.416-08:00

My blog is getting dusty. Daily work is intense and I have not posted for a while ... I was yesterday meeting my friend Pascal Rophé who is conducting the OSR for tomorrow's final concert of the Geneva Piano Competition. A review of the concert will be in Concertonet. I told him that I am ashamed at not remembering the name of our old common  High School music teacher (I think that it is

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-85646244005726841092010-11-01T00:24:00.000-07:002010-11-01T00:31:34.059-07:00

Courtesy of Massorti  Rabbi Dalsace who gave me some wonderful lessons back when in was in Nice. He is now in Paris and his articles can be read in his excellent site.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-91788702445219468752010-10-28T12:15:00.000-07:002010-10-31T10:45:37.573-07:00

French TV will broadcast on November 3rd the revival of the ultra-famous Strehler - Solti 's production of Mozart's Nozze di Figaro. Cast looks strong and the excellent P Jordan will conduct (being the Opera's artistic director, he should have more rehearsal time than what he had at the Met in 2007.) Every French Opera-lover of my generation has marveled at what was one of the most distinguished

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-32891121998417751782010-10-10T08:51:00.000-07:002010-10-10T08:52:07.410-07:00

I was last week in Boston and attended Mahler's Second with Levine and the BSO. Review is here. There are still rumors of contracts not yet renewed for 2012 ... but what a performance. It speaks volumes on where the musicians heart is.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-37412068609048997222010-10-03T00:37:00.000-07:002010-10-03T00:39:02.598-07:00

Have a look at these bad news. Not only is there no need for an extra hall in Paris. This project is just not going well and is likely to run into cost and expense overrun. Once again at the risk of repeating myself, Paris has Pleyel and the Theatre des Champs-Elysees as well as Gaveau as well the Cité de la Musique as well as Bastille and Garnier as well as the Opera-Comique. Pleyel in

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-49588445527932622822010-09-22T09:29:00.000-07:002010-09-25T13:41:33.805-07:00

Beckmesser is happy to let you know (probably before many) that the OSR has appointed the young Japanese conductor Kazuki Yamada as principal guest conductor and that Janowski will be replaced in 2012 by Neeme Järvi. Neeme Järvi was in Geneva last December for a stunning Chostakovitch 10th Symphony. The OSR played very well for him and delivered more  colorful sound than for me. One Jarvi in

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-11761541005072169422010-09-08T11:51:00.000-07:002010-09-08T11:52:22.291-07:00

ראש השנה

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-73434846060123205982010-09-08T08:49:00.000-07:002010-09-08T08:49:12.743-07:00

FYI, I was at the Boulez - Lucerne Festival Academy concert in Lucerne.Review is here. The road after Evian was blocked: So we had to drive an extra 90 minutes to cross the border via the Vallée d'Abondance: Which had us miss the first half of Boulez's own Figures-Double-Prismes. As you can guess, we were quite mad.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-19240242868689472332010-09-05T23:58:00.000-07:002010-09-05T23:58:52.417-07:00

Well, I did not said it but I read it: and why do not we hear about their financial status any more ?

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-19925911547236870852010-09-02T22:57:00.000-07:002010-09-03T23:56:45.730-07:00

and I am not talking about academic results nor bond rating ...

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-35238301455496960672010-09-02T13:24:00.000-07:002010-09-02T13:25:31.594-07:00

Yet another scoop of Bob Shingleton at  on an overgrown path ... Tune in on Future Radio on Sunday. Not to be missed.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-25675664450845029892010-09-01T12:26:00.000-07:002010-09-02T10:47:39.341-07:00

There has been a lot of discussions and articles on James Levine's health. He has had to spend another extended time off the podium, missed a lot of events in Tanglewood and was replaced on various cases at the Met. In his usual insinuating style, English critic Norman Lebrecht has hinted that he will be replaced by Riccardo Chailly in Boston and also mentioned that both Pappano and Jurowski

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-30152247800336366022010-08-26T02:19:00.000-07:002010-08-26T02:19:56.858-07:00

Bob Shingleton's On an overgrown path raises the question of who is pushing the envelope for classical music. I can think of 2 names which are clear examples although not simple ones: If you do not come to the Met, its new manager Peter Gelb is ensuring that it goes to you via the now celebrated simulcast movie theaters performances. If on the one hand, he is still struggling to get New York

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-67828550061821344752010-08-17T12:01:00.000-07:002010-08-18T05:04:51.262-07:00

We were a little disappointed by this Elektra, perhaps were we expecting too much .. Main problem are Gatti's tempis, just too slow and not moving forwards enough. Yes, he brings a lot of details, but where is the support that Albrecht gave to his singers in Lulu or the team-ensemble of Muti in Prokofiev's Ivan the terrible the day before ? And why was the orchestra so consistently loud ? The

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-12759391532930318512010-08-15T00:28:00.000-07:002010-08-18T04:54:39.259-07:00

I am in Salzbourg for a few days and attended yesterday Lulu. I am not on Concertonet duties but cannot escape the habit of leaving the place with a list of comments: 6 Women on the pit, times have changed in the VPO the veterans are a formidable force: Grundheber in Schigolch and Zeidnick as the Prince, if some of the shine of the voice has gone, they do so much with words Surprisingly lively

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-81407238365202016012010-08-02T05:27:00.000-07:002010-08-02T06:09:24.018-07:00

On the same Gramophone which I mentioned in my last post was a review of Bruckner's 5t Symphony by the OSR and Marek Janowski. I am not too keen on Bruckner (my fault I know ...) so my friend and excellent colleague Simon Corley did a review on Concertonet here. On Gramophone, the review was done by Richard Osborne who is probably a specialist of German conducting. He knows his stuff and has

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-43262605221166140042010-07-30T01:51:00.000-07:002010-07-30T03:13:56.380-07:00

I was in London for a day of work and picked Gramophone at the newsstand.The venerable magazine new layout is easier to read and it has always interesting content. The accompanying CD includes the storm from Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony played by the Basel Chamber Orchestra under its chief conductor, Giovanni Antonini. Listening to the excerpt in my car was a surprise, the orchestra sounds huge

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-31167106383219905242010-07-27T09:29:00.000-07:002010-07-28T01:21:08.801-07:00

J Duchen's blog is well-known. I was sorry to read that she felt unwell during the Proms's Meistersinger but saw that I may not be the only one who has a problem with the Royal Albert Hall, read here ...

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-38243183119358024462010-07-16T14:29:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:08:07.368-07:00

It was my intention to watch the opening night of the Proms, Mahler 8 but the cable of my TV may have been (yet again) eaten by my children rabbits. My loss is the blog gain. (More on the Proms here). The Proms is an initiative for which I am at best ambivalent. It offers at an attractive price a wide range of music. Programs are genuinely varied. If the end of the season brings visiting

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-4316417319087466952010-07-15T13:32:00.000-07:002010-12-12T04:31:18.351-08:00

Please remember that there was a time when Janacek was unknown and very rarely played. Two persons can be credited for the composer's revival and presence, one is Gérard Mortier who stressed the depth and importance of Janacek as a genuine theatrical composer, the other one is Charles Mackerras who sadly passed away today. I heard him conduct a magic  Cunning Little Vixen at the Théâtre du

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-56406719729181309282010-07-07T07:12:00.000-07:002010-07-07T11:19:33.582-07:00

For those interested, the NY Phil and some other American orchestras are hiring. Pay is said to be good, so ... Remember that this is not true everywhere. As an example, hiring ensembles from Eastern Europe is and has been a common practice to reduce costs. The Chatelet whom I have so many times regretted the declining standards with the new management did this for West Side Story (in French

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-37957239069053463012010-06-27T15:28:00.000-07:002010-06-28T06:56:44.079-07:00

I saw a large part of the Gala staged at the Vienna Staatsoper to celebrate the last year of Ioan Hollander after 19 years at his head. Hollander will go into history. These 19 years were great. He ran the place magnificently and God knows that this is an unbelievable tough job. For those who doubt it, I recommend that you read Joseph Volpe's memories reviewed here by yours truly. This gala

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-91394489781220545282010-06-24T01:22:00.000-07:002010-06-27T15:05:33.677-07:00

A quick editorial (in French) of Geneva's developments at the OSR I recommend "Serving Genius", a biography of Carlo Maria Giulini. It does a great job of describing Giulini's formative years and also analyses well the wonderful conductor musical style. I was not aware that Giulini was born in the Nothern Italy which is so close from Austria. No wonder he was equally at home in Mahler and Verdi.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-50927889408585584042010-05-31T01:19:00.000-07:002010-05-31T01:20:17.629-07:00

He is the LAPO's composer in residence. L Slatkin cancelled a concert (he is reported to have suffered a strike so we wish him prompt recovery) so both John Adams and Jayce Ogren shared duties to replace him for one of their East Coast - West Coast series. Time for us to hear the broadcast in Europe and to discover that in the program,  Mason Bates's Liquid Interface is a stunning work. Like

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-43236475996794369412010-05-31T00:49:00.000-07:002010-05-31T01:04:29.462-07:00

I was in Victoria Hall last Thursday for a Sibelius - Henze concert. The Henze was a discovery but I have to admit that Ihave been very early a huge fan of Sibelius whose control of musical form and orchestral colors is just unique. How accepted is Sibelius even today ? It seems that he is still not that known in Germany and that Rattle has to do some efforts to get a full cycle accepted in

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-70188521831709089612010-05-26T06:46:00.000-07:002010-05-31T01:26:18.220-07:00

Claudio Abbado has been admitted to a hospital following exhaustion. His short-term concerts including the Mahler 2nd at la Scala and the Mozart Prokovief Mendelssohn in Paris has not yet been officially cancelled but will be soon ... We wish him the best and prompt recovery but never expected to see the name of Abbado in this ... (31/05/2010: A quick udpate, there are plans to move the Pleyel

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-59248897411198154972010-05-18T00:37:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:42:11.631-07:00

Back from an extended week-end in Vienna. No Concert or Opera performances to report but music is everywhere and we do recommend the Gustav Mahler und Wien exhibition at the Österreichisches theater museum. We probably know a lot about Mahler and shedding new light can be difficult. Mahler's Czech influence was well represented and it was a pleasure to see that Hans Rott's picture was visible

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-6366985511436800382010-05-01T09:43:00.000-07:002010-05-02T12:22:50.572-07:00

Hans Rott is not the only composer whose works are unjustly neglegted in concert halls. Allow me to add a selected list of works which are masterpieces which I have never heard live: Villa-Lobos has written a Symfonia which is a Mozart hommage. My friend Muhai Tang recorded it with his Zurich forces. It is a work full of rythmic subtleties, elegance and finesse with yes, a Mozartian spirit. Do

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-53005196167353888702010-04-28T05:18:00.000-07:002010-04-28T17:57:29.225-07:00

Hans Rott has been the object of some news and some contreversy: It seems that Pavo Jaarvi is preparing a recording of the Symphony with his Frankurt Orchestra His comments, somewhat provocative, can be found here Additional comments on Kenneth Woods's blog are there

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-76180737848816019852010-04-22T01:24:00.000-07:002010-04-22T14:04:28.621-07:00

Rushing to the Scala web site 9 h sharp, booking page overloaded Hitting reload key a few times, managed to get in Where are they. OK, I understand I need to go to page 2 forAbbado concerts High hopes: 53 seats for the Friday one; this is 53 more than I expected Selecting 2 Proceeding The site does not recognize my home town which is a small Swiss village, I need to change and use my work adress

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-48542012467618324242010-04-20T07:31:00.000-07:002010-04-21T14:08:12.166-07:00

http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/tag/rott/ courtesy of Kenneth Woods.(It also includes a far too short video of Paavo Jarvi on Rott's Symphony) (Let me add a few more words: I discovered Ken's blog by googling Hans Rott. Initially, I had planned to do an analysis of the Symphony and in particular of the premonitions of Mahler, the influence of Bruckner and even of Brahms .... but after reading

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-33235850714327606872010-04-19T04:59:00.000-07:002010-04-22T14:55:55.253-07:00

Henry-Louis de la Grange's fascinating biography tells the story of Mahler along with 2 room-mates being kicked out of their rented attics in Vienna for singing too loudly the act 1 of Walküre. The 2 others were Hugo Wolf and Hans Rott. Rott died early. His mental health it seemed was poor and he suffered from paranoia believing that Brahms wanted to kill him.His musical legacy is small (see

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-58498757241165441022010-04-17T03:12:00.000-07:002010-04-17T03:12:31.588-07:00

Many consequences of the ash cloud: My colleagues are stranded in places they went to work, so are some of my company Business Partners. Needless to say, the world biggest users of flights are musicians and the NYT started identifying the first cancellations and reports. This should be good news for fans of Gergiev who seems to be stranded in New York as we speak but his agenda was already very

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-15648489079093888442010-04-08T05:40:00.000-07:002010-04-11T03:01:43.783-07:00

I was last week in Paris where several friends discussed the recent events in Geneva. A quick summary of the OSR Press Conference is included in my review of Janowski's concert here. In addition, let me add a few points in no particular order from the conference: 11 new players are in the orchestra which received more than 100 times the number of applicants All concerts are more than 95%

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-37913750951572379902010-04-01T04:51:00.000-07:002010-04-01T04:52:08.915-07:00

lhttp://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/alexross/2010/04/season-announcement.html Enjoy ...

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-16054846723842190932010-03-29T22:32:00.000-07:002010-04-09T08:58:33.587-07:00

Constant travel has made me miss Pierre Boulez's 85th birthday, celebrated in Vienna with a Szymanowski, Debussy, Boulez concert in Vienna. 85, really ! Boulez's modernism and intellectual intensity has never stopped and is just unbelievable. For those of my generation, his return to Europe to oversee the creation and development of Ircam was a historical event. I would identify two among his

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-82924875208107264482010-03-25T14:25:00.000-07:002010-04-11T03:02:15.739-07:00

Two great new recordings of modern French composers not to be missed: The first one is the complete Solos for Orchestra by Pascal Dusapin with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège under Pascal Rophé. The orchestral sounds that Dusapin obtains are unique. There are no electronic equiments to enhance modify the sounds. He just has more ideas. The other one is a set of orchestral works by

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-36269588863948293732010-03-22T02:29:00.000-07:002010-12-12T04:34:10.043-08:00

Has passed away at the age of 90. I would recommend to anyone the excellent book of Jonathan Carr: the Wagner Clan to be able to both appreciate Wolfgang Wagner positive and dark side. Whatever one can feel on his conservative stagings as well as on his overpowering grip on the Bayreuth Festival, his personality was larger than life, operatic and definitely Wagnerian. How the Festival evolves

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-70759720767989766032010-03-20T05:09:00.000-07:002010-04-11T03:03:07.066-07:00

The temptation to go to visit Lucerne to hear Abbado conduct the Simon Bolivar Orchestra and meet so many friends was so great that to went there yesterday. This was my first time in Lucerne which is a lovely very Swiss city with a view from the lake which is breathtaking. As a building, the KKL is very dark both inside and outside and the chairs are among the most uncomfortable I know. This

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-63758136913520622862010-03-16T08:17:00.000-07:002010-04-22T14:06:17.192-07:00

I was yesterday at the Dress Rehearsal of Parsifal at the Grand Theatre. The production is classic, beautiful to look (especially in the Flower Maiden scne at act 2) at while being a little short of PersonenRegie.Singing is fairly homogeneous. Dohmen is a much better Gurnemanz than Amfortas at Easter under Abbado, his personal severity being on line with the character, words so clear and notes so

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-74966940207181650242010-03-15T05:30:00.000-07:002010-03-15T05:56:39.238-07:00

While looking at the new season of the Orchestre de Paris, I have read details of the project of the upcoming Philharmonie de Paris. Having a good hall is fundamental to the development of a coherent sound. and basically a personality. This is what has happened over decades in places like Vienna or Amsterdam to name the most obvious examples. This is why I am fearful for the OP. As I explained

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-44136352143340265402010-03-11T05:44:00.000-08:002010-04-11T03:03:24.191-07:00

EMI is replacing its head of the recorded music division by a Goldman Sachs advisor ... and some more bad news for EMI in French here.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-66303740733369965652010-03-08T07:34:00.000-08:002010-04-25T06:12:05.845-07:00

Very sad to read that Philip Langridge passed away. He was the very example that one can be a tenor with a great voice, supreme elegance and keen intelligence. His repertory was also very original. I heard him in a subtle Shuisky in Boris Goudonov under Abbado, an anguished Laca in Jenufa under Rattle and an mesmerizing Aaron in Schoenberg's Moses und Aaron in Salzburg under Levine in the

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-66818736123076160712010-03-01T12:20:00.000-08:002010-04-09T08:50:10.012-07:00

The whole musical world is celebrating Chopin's 200th anniversary. This is justice as Chopin is a genius composer. A quick parallel: Think of Monet and the impressionists. When their first works were shown to the audience, they were derided by conservative audience. Chopin's harmonics are similarly very modern paving the way to Debussy and Ravel. The lesson is that one can really be worldly

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-35171149936510107622010-02-28T07:34:00.000-08:002010-04-11T03:19:30.997-07:00

No need to remind the readers on EMI trying to sell the Abbey Road studios. Lots of media and big names (none from the clasical music world) outcrys so EMI's owners backed down and stopped the sale. To ensure that the crown jewel of English culture would never be sold to Chinese investors or worse, the UK government declared Abbey Road a historical treasure, a protected species status or whatever

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-10824854598676902692010-02-24T12:41:00.000-08:002010-04-11T03:04:43.253-07:00

The Met 2010 - 2011 season has been announced. Opening night will be Wagner's Rheingold under James Levine who will follow later with a Walküre. Both productions will replace the "realistic" one of Otto Schenk and will be done by Robert Lepage. There will be a number of shared productions: the wonderful Traviata from Salzburg by Willy Decker replacing the ridiculous Zefirelli one,  the ROH Don

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-80505999617605112882010-02-21T02:57:00.000-08:002010-04-11T10:01:16.564-07:00

More on the Salzburg Easter Festival scandal can be found here. Also go to the LSO on Tour blog to read some of Valéry Gergiev's comments during a rehearsal and understand what he would imply as characterisation.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-29151122041373635542010-02-16T13:09:00.000-08:002010-04-11T03:04:19.924-07:00

I really wanted to do a positive report on Alexandre Tharaud's Geneva concert. He is an excellent pianist full of originality which I have often enjoyed in the past. His first half entirely devoted to Scarlatti was great but the Chopin left me somewhat puzzled and I could not in all honesty be as upbeat as I really wanted to.(My comments however were high praise compared to my colleague Sebastien

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-36395804351294392922010-02-14T07:00:00.000-08:002010-04-22T14:05:56.460-07:00

Geneva is very cold these days, Minus 8 when I leave in the morning ... This has not prevented Alexandre Tharaud to visit Victoria Hall as well as Neeme Järvi to remind us the the OSR potential. Meanwhile Lang Lang has cancelled his Sunday appearance. I personnally received the following mail: "Après le début triomphal de la tournée suisse, le 7 février à Zurich, le récital de Lang Lang 

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-6680608681826906882010-02-11T02:06:00.000-08:002010-02-11T02:06:48.633-08:00

Hear here the answer to this question from leading conductors. Not to be missed. Listen to the end of Janssons's comments on the "Auferstehen" ... In my case, I first heard the beginning of the Abschied on Das Lied von die Erde and stopped midway finding the music too morbid. I really entered later to Mahler's world via the cycle of the Knaben Wunderhorn, which I would describe even as today as

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-27823975946658637302010-02-10T12:42:00.000-08:002010-02-14T07:30:49.861-08:00

The entire intelligencia of Austria is under shock as the Salzburg Easter Festival director, Michael Dewitte, had been found guilty of stealing funds and other embezzlements charges. It seems that more than 2 M € were missing. This seems to be also the case of Klaus Kretschmer, the Summer Festival Technical Director who attempted suicide in Salzburg. Reports also indicate that he betrayed

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-23705002599674458452010-02-08T12:02:00.000-08:002010-04-22T14:06:50.576-07:00

The Salle Pleyel has started recording live some of their concerts, some of which are available on their excellent site. What I have heard and seen is superb musically but also visually with a lot of variety in the images perspective. Be careful, they are available only available for a short period. Do not miss the Tchaikowsky cycle done by Gergiev and his Mariinsky team. Is there any real need

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-76109665610643450612010-02-08T01:16:00.000-08:002010-04-11T03:03:42.316-07:00

After the UK, it is now the French music press which is raving on Barenboim's Beethoven - Schoenberg cycle. One of these is the French "Le Monde". Yet in January 1998, Barenboim should have been appointed the musical director of the Bastille Opera yet could not agree with the administrative director, Pierre Bergé. Barenboim asked for arbitration at the French authorities who, for reasons that

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-88273077095897433332010-02-04T12:13:00.000-08:002010-04-11T03:05:05.265-07:00

While Fabio Luisi has abruptly resigned from the famous Dresden Staatskapelle and Christian Thielemann has to fulfill its duties in Munich, the more modest Lyon Orchestra has its shares of tensions. Let us hope that this will not happen in Geneva as well.

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-67556084238096282232010-02-02T13:48:00.000-08:002010-04-09T08:55:00.849-07:00

Blogging is fun. One can write short messages, update them if needed, add pictures and videos in a few seconds. I cannot do any of these when I write for Concertonet whose readership is more than 20 k worldwide. This is not an issue of paying a price to reach such an audience, it is a genuine complement to te work done in Concertonet. I have added a few blogs on my personal list. Most except

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-69799642090670165652010-01-29T14:44:00.000-08:002010-10-10T08:52:36.492-07:00

Does the prospect of hearing Pollini playing Mozart K 488 and Schoenberg Piano Concerto under James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra sounds good to you ? It certainly does to me and it is good to read that both artists are announced in this program for March 26 in Carnegie Hall. Do not jump in a plane or the Metro, we have to wait somewhat. This is due for 2011 and not 2010. January

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-38595108527754720882010-01-26T14:00:00.000-08:002010-04-11T03:18:47.628-07:00

More details could be available tomorrow but it seems that Bertrand de Billy will not be the next Chief Conductor of the OSR. He would have asked to be able to decide on which conductors to invite both at the OSR and for the Grand Théâtre, a condition which was refused given that both institutions are keen to preserve their independence although the same orchestra operates there. We should know

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916116171327973441.post-64667306502167809752010-01-24T12:00:00.000-08:002010-01-24T12:04:06.018-08:00

Courtesy of fellow-blogger Intermezzo, the Bayreuth Festival is teaming with an Internet ticket service to offer black-market-like priced tickets. These will be acknowledged as valid ones, i.e., will be personalised so that valid holders will not be turned down. I guess that the Festival purpose is not to encourage scalping but neutralise it. At least, if some are ready to pay for these prices,

Antoine Leboyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14027811769393725415noreply@blogger.com0