June 3, 2024

When the sons of Lennon and McCartney release a song, it's like finding out the Beatles got back together — but only in a parallel universe.

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In this week’s email:

• The big idea: The most expensive cities for concert tickets
• Venues: Dubai announces plans for multi-billion dollar floating opera house
• Classical happenings: Vladimir Putin awards conductor Valery Gergiev Order of Merit
• Laugh of the week
• Around the web: Bird radio, how to make a paper airplane, a wiggle racing game, plus more curious internet finds.

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

The Most Expensive Cities for Concert Tickets Revealed

FinanceBuzz has released a deep dive into the resale ticket market to uncover where fans are shelling out the most and least for concert tickets. Analyzing data from over 20 major cities, they found some fascinating trends.

Biggest spenders: If you’re in San Francisco, brace yourself — resale concert tickets here cost 29% more on average compared to other cities. Close behind is Toronto with prices soaring 26% above average. Music lovers in these cities are paying a hefty premium to catch their favourite acts.

Budget-friendly: On the flip side, Nashville is a haven for budget-conscious fans, with resale tickets priced 27% below average. Las Vegas isn’t far off, offering tickets at 25% less than the norm. So, if you’re planning a musical pilgrimage, Music City and Sin City are your best bets for affordable entertainment.

Taylor’s price tag: Unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominated the pricing charts. Median ticket prices exceeded $2,000 in six cities, peaking at $2,907 in NYC. Phoenix fans, however, snagged a bargain with tickets at just $353.

Queen Bey’s reign: Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour saw the priciest tickets in her hometown of Houston at $932, while Phoenix once again offered the lowest at $103.

Bottom line? Location matters. Whether you’re chasing the Toronto Symphony or Beyoncé, knowing where to score the best deals can make a world of difference. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

Soprano Erika Baikoff  (Photo courtesy of the artist)

World-Class Soprano Denied Right to Settle in the UK  —  Soprano Erika Baikoff has been denied the right to settle in the UK because Home Office officials deemed she did not spend enough time in Britain, despite her international opera career and pandemic-related travel. | The Telegraph

English Touring Opera to Move From London to Sheffield — English Touring Opera (ETO) will relocate from London to Sheffield by October 2024, citing strong local audience connections and Sheffield's vibrant cultural scene, while continuing to rehearse and launch tours from London before establishing a permanent base in Sheffield in 2025. | Gramophone

Why Queen Elisabeth Competition’s 2024 Winner Declined Juror’s Hand Shake —  Ukrainian violinist Dmytro Udovychenko declined to shake the hand of Russian jury member Vadim Repin after winning the 2024 Queen Elisabeth Competition, citing ethical concerns related to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and Repin's connections to the Russian government. | Violin Channel

Woman Receives Wholesome Reply From Neighbour After Complaining About Children Playing Piano Loudly — After London-based influencer Martina Panchetti politely requested her neighbours to reduce early morning piano practice, she received a sweet apology letter from the children and mother next door, along with some national Azeri sweets, which went viral for its wholesome content.  | The Independent

VENUES

The Azizi Venice Opera House (Photo rendering: Azizi Venice)

Dubai Announces Plans for Multi-Billion Dollar Floating Opera House

The city of Dubai recently announced plans for a floating opera house that will open in Dubai South. Situated in the new Azizi Venice development, the opera house will join the Dubai Opera as another centre for classical music and performance in the United Arab Emirates. 

Driving the news: Azizi Developments has revealed their plans for a new, floating opera house that will open in Dubai South in the coming years. The opera house will be in the Crystal Lagoon community of Azizi Venice, part of Dubai’s most expansive new urban development. 

With 2,000 seats, the opera house will have a golden floating stage surrounded by fountains “immersed” in the Crystal Venice lagoon. It will host opera, ballet, concerts, music theatre, and comedy performances and can also be rented as an events space.

Next door, visitors can visit a museum sharing details of the opera house’s construction and sound engineering. The entire development will cost around 30 billion dirhams (over 8 billion USD) and is planned to open between 2025 and 2028. 

Digging deeper: While a floating opera house may sound absurdly lavish, the Azizi Venice Opera House in Dubai is not without precedent. The famous Sydney Opera House occasionally hosts floating performances on the Sydney harbour, and Austria’s acclaimed Bregenz Festival as well as the Seefestspiele Mörbisch both feature opera on floating stages. A production of Rusalka, anyone? — SS

CLASSICAL HAPPENINGS

Valery Gergiev (Photo: Mil.ru)

Vladimir Putin Awards Conductor Valery Gergiev Order of Merit

On May 30th, the Russian conductor Valery Gergiev received the Kremlin’s Order of Merit for the Fatherland from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Gergiev, a favourite of President Putin’s, heads Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg as well as the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. 

The scoop: On May 30th, the Kremlin Press Service reported that conductor Valery Gergiev has been awarded Russia’s Order of Merit for the Fatherland. Gergiev accepted the medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a speech, Gergiev expressed that the strength of the organizations he leads comes from their courage to showcase performers and composers of all nationalities alongside one another. 

A bit of context…: The conductor Valery Gergiev is a longtime ally of Vladimir Putin’s. But, since his refusal to denounce the war in Ukraine, Gergiev’s busy performance schedule outside of Russia has come to a grinding halt. But, Putin has rewarded Gergiev’s allegiance by giving him a monopoly as leader of Russia’s major classical music presenting organizations....

...And, Gergiev isn’t the first conductor to be favoured by a despotic leader. During WWII, the German conductor Wilhem Furtwängler was the de facto chief conductor of the Nazi regime and a favourite of Adolf Hitler’s.

Gergiev claims his orchestra is being courageous by playing Glinka alongside Mozart. However, we at Ludwig Van would prefer to hear the sounds of peace alongside those of Ukrainian composers, including Valentin Silvestrov,

Ukraine’s most famous composer who now lives in Germany as a refugee, or young contemporary composer Alla Zahaykevych. Check out Silvestrov’s Prayer for Ukraine performed by the Bamberg Symphony in 2022. — SS

GAMES

Nothing says Monday like a mini-crossword.

AROUND THE WEB

📅 On this day: Georges Bizet dies, 1875.

🐦 Amazing: Bird Radio

👾 Cure boredom: Wiggle your way towards the finish line with this racing game.

✈️ Useful: Build a paper airplane.

😺 Awww: The real grinning cat emoji.

LAUGH OF THE WEEK

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Today's email was brought to you by Sara "Multi-Billion Dollar Floating Opera House" Schabas and Michael "Brace Yourself" Vincent.

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