77-year-old Alfred Brendel is taking the stage for the last time this week, playing Mozart’s “Jeunehomme” Piano Concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic under Charles Mackerras.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Alfred Brendel Is Glad He’s Leaving Something Behind
On ending his 60-year career as a concert pianist: “What I will miss, probably, is the adrenalin – its medical benefits… These farewell concerts have turned out to be enlightening. When I have been told, ‘You are leaving a big hole in the lives of so many people,’ I felt glad that I could leave something behind, even if it’s a hole.”
Tate Britain To Restage William Blake’s Solo Show
“Britain’s Tate gallery will recreate the only solo exhibition staged by poet, printmaker and artist William Blake 200 years after it was held in London. The 1809 show, held in Blake’s brother’s shop in Soho, was a flop, drawing a single, stinging review and largely ignored by the public.”
A Symphony Seen And Not Heard
“Universal Edition have published the score of Arvo Pärt’s Symphony No. 4 ‘Los Angeles’ online. It’s the first symphony the reclusive Estonian has composed in nearly 40 years and it hasn’t even had its premiere yet (Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic will give the first performances next year).”
Spain Creates A New National Ballet
Beginning next April, the Ballet Clásico Nacional, directed by choreographer and teacher Victor Ullate, will be based at a new Center for Choreography at the Teatros del Canal in Madrid.
What’s Killing Newspapers Is The Same Thing That Killed The Slide Rule
“The only reason we’re so well-informed about journalists’ suffering is they have easy access to a megaphone. The underlying cause of their grief can be traced to the same force that has destroyed other professions and industries: digital technology… Wherever digital zeros and ones can dislodge analog processes, they either have or are. Call it a digital slay-ride.”
Canada’s National Youth Orchestra Robbed
“The downtown Toronto offices of one of the top youth-orchestra programs in the world were broken into late Monday night or early yesterday morning, and thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment was stolen.”
Cincinnati Cancels A Nutcracker
“Cincinnati Ballet has canceled a performance of The Nutcracker for the first time since it began mounting the holiday classic in 1974.” Only 140 people had bought tickets for the Dec. 26 presentation.
More On The Dire Consequences Of File-Sharing
“Illegal downloading of films, TV programmes and music could mean the loss of 30,000 British jobs, according to a powerful alliance of retailers and rights-holders.”
Brooklyn Museum Sends Its Costume Collection To The Met
“After three years of negotiations, the financially strained Brooklyn Museum has arranged to transfer its rich collection of American and European costumes and accessories to the Metropolitan Museum of Art so that it can be properly cared for and exhibited. Although widely considered one of the best in the world, the Brooklyn costume collection has been out of public view for more than a decade.”