March 3, 2025

👋 Keep your ears open, folks — history was made at the Oscars as experimental musician Daniel Blumberg took home Best Original Score for The Zone of Interest. It’s the first time a largely electronic and improvisational score has won, shaking up the industry’s usual orchestral dominance.

+++

• The big idea: From Beethoven to prison Beethoven: 7 classical musicians who got arrested
• Talking points:  
  — German violinist Christian Tetzlaff boycotts US
  — Kennedy Center cancels pride performances
• Around the web + Laugh of the week

CLASSICAL CHARTZ

Weekly selections are based on sales numbers and albums we simply love and think you NEED to hear!

For the complete top 20, tune into Classical Chartz with the New Classical FM’s Mark Wigmore every Saturday from 3-5 pm EST!

THE BIG IDEA

From Beethoven to Prison Beethoven: 7 Classical Musicians Who Got Arrested

Ever been busted for adding a spicy chord to the national anthem? No? Then you're already doing better than Igor Stravinsky.

From murder to tax fraud, these classical music legends got into more trouble than your average rock star. Here's who did what:

1. Igor Stravinsky: The Anthem Outlaw
The same guy who caused riots with "The Rite of Spring" got shut down by Boston police in 1944 for... wait for it... adding a dominant seventh chord to "The Star-Spangled Banner." The cops literally made him pull his arrangement from the next day's concert. Talk about harsh music critics.

2. Glenn Gould: The Well-Dressed "Vagrant"
Picture this: You're a world-famous pianist chilling on a park bench in Florida. But because you're wearing winter clothes (in summer), the cops arrest you as a homeless person. Classic Gould move.

3. Carlo Gesualdo: The Murderous Composer
This one's not funny. Gesualdo straight-up murdered his lover and her boyfriend, then used his noble status to dodge prosecution. He spent the rest of his life writing music that sometimes referenced the killings. Yikes.

4. Beethoven: The Angry Window-Peeper
Lost in an Austrian town, a dishevelled Beethoven got arrested for looking through people's windows (he was just trying to ask for directions). While in jail, he yelled so much that one cop begged his boss for help, saying, "We have arrested a man who gives us no rest and keeps claiming he's Beethoven." Plot twist: He actually was Beethoven.

5. Bach: The Stubborn Employee
Got passed over for a promotion? Bach got thrown in jail for 30 days when he tried to quit his job. But because he was Bach, he spent his jail time composing organ music that we still play today. Best use of prison time ever?

6. Montserrat Caballé: The Tax-Dodging Diva
This Spanish soprano could hit all the high notes except when it came to paying taxes. She got caught dodging €500,000 in taxes and had to pay a €250,000 fine. That's a lot of opera tickets.

7. Franz Schubert: The Mouthy Musician
Schubert talked back to some Vienna cops during a wild night out and got arrested for "opprobrious language." Basically, he was the 19th-century equivalent of that friend who always argues with the bouncer.

Next time someone tells you classical music is boring, hit them with these stories. 

PS: Mozart's shenanigans didn't even make the list. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

Michael Tilson Thomas (courtesy photo)

💔 A legend’s final coda: Michael Tilson Thomas, the revered conductor and composer, has shared a deeply personal update on his ongoing battle with brain cancer. The former San Francisco Symphony music director has been candid about his health struggles since his 2022 diagnosis, continuing to conduct even as treatments took a toll. In a new interview, MTT reflects on his legacy, his relationship with music, and what comes next. Read more

🎹 Remembering Betsy Arakawa: The accomplished pianist and wife of actor Gene Hackman has passed away at 65. Arakawa, a respected musician in her own right, was known for her artistry as well as her steadfast support of Hackman’s career after he stepped away from Hollywood. Read more

🎼 A Finnish maestro extends his stay: Jukka-Pekka Saraste will remain at the helm of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra through 2027, ensuring continuity in his bold artistic vision. Saraste, a conductor known for his meticulous interpretations of Sibelius and Bruckner, first took up the post in 2023. Read more

🏆 A surprise Oscars first: Experimental musician Daniel Blumberg has secured an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score—an unexpected feat for an avant-garde composer. His work on The Zone of Interest, a chilling Holocaust drama, is a departure from traditional film scoring, relying on raw, improvisational textures. Read more

MORE NEWS TO KNOW

• Your chance to ask a minimalist master: The Guardian is inviting readers to submit their questions for Steve Reich, the pioneering composer behind Different Trains and Music for 18 Musicians. If you’ve ever wanted to ask him about phasing techniques or his biggest musical influences, now’s your shot. Read more

• In memoriam: Finnish composer Ilkka Kuusisto has died at the age of 91. Known for his operas and choral works, Kuusisto played a major role in shaping Finland’s musical landscape, following in the footsteps of his father, composer Tauno Kuusisto. Read more

• A pop-opera crossover at the Oscars? Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked duet has music theorists buzzing. A deep dive into their Oscar performance reveals classical influences in their harmonies, a sign of Broadway’s ever-evolving musical language. Read more

TALKING POINTS

Christian Tetzlaff (Photo: Giorgia_Bertazzi)

German Violinist Christian Tetzlaff Boycotts US

The renowned German violinist Christian Tetzlaff abruptly cancelled his tour of the United States. Tetzlaff cited Trump’s embrace of Russia, his policies regarding transgender people, and Trump’s cuts to the federal workforce as reasons for his tour cancellation.

Die Nachrichten: The German violinist Christian Tetzlaff has become one of the first major foreign artists to boycott the United States in hopes of influencing its administration’s new policies. Tetzlaff, who is based in Berlin, made the announcement following President Trump’s February 28th public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tetzlaff described his “utter anger” regarding Trump’s policies towards Russia, transgender rights, and cuts to the federal workforce. The Tetzlaff Quartet was scheduled to play in eight-cities, culminating in a Carnegie Hall performance on March 27th. 

Ein bisschen mehr…: Christian Tetzlaff, along with other foreign artists, pays 32% taxes to the United States government on each US engagement. The violinist has already boycotted performing in China and Russia due to those government’s policies. He expressed that he would be open to playing fundraising concerts in the US to benefit Ukraine or women’s rights.

Tetzlaff is something of a musical thought leader. In 2022/2023, he was a Portrait Artist at London’s Wigmore Hall, and has been Artist-in-Residence with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Dresdner Philharmoniker. Let’s see if other foreign artists follow his example in boycotting the Trump administration’s abhorrent policies.  — SS

International Pride Orchestra 2024 (Photo: Jonathan Pellow)

Kennedy Center Cancels Pride Performances

The Trump administration cancelled performances at the Kennedy Center by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and the International Pride Orchestra. These cancellations follow Trump’s self-appointment as head of the Kennedy Center.

What’s up: Last week, the International Pride Orchestra announced that their invitation to perform at the Kennedy Center had been rescinded. The San Francisco-based orchestra is made up of queer and ally musicians from across the United States. Their rescinded invitation follows news that the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s show A Peacock Among Pigeons, based on an LGBTQ+ children’s book, has also been cancelled by the Kennedy Center.

Echoes of the past: The Trump administration’s decisions to censor or ban certain minority groups from performing music at the Kennedy Center echoes other right-wing government’s censorship of the arts around the world. A few years ago, the Hungarian government cancelled a performance of Billy Elliot after a newspaper columnist labelled it “gay propaganda.” In Poland, the Law and Justice (PiS) party previously cancelled LGBTQ+ shows for not adhering to conservative Catholic values. — SS

GAMES

Dig in to today's mini-crossword.

AROUND THE WEB

🇺🇸 On this day: In 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" was officially adopted as the national anthem of the United States.

😂 Funny: The most scathing book reviews of 2024 — brutal, hilarious, and possibly even better than the books themselves.

🧮 That's cool: A study found that participants would rather experience an electric shock than be bored.

🛠️ Helpful: Discover simple strategies for protecting your peace of mind during stressful times.

🐶 Aww: A guy got their dog a new dog.

LAUGH OF THE WEEK

How did you like today's email?

Today's email was brought to you by Sara "Spicy Chord" Schabas and Michael "Angry Window-Peeper" Vincent.

CONTACT US