January 13, 2025

🎶 Our thoughts are with the LA musicians who’ve recently lost their homes — a sobering reminder that life can upend our plans at any moment. When world-class artists face such challenges, it underscores just how vulnerable we all can be.

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The big idea: Schoenberg archive incinerated in historic blaze
Talking points:
— Germany’s richest man donates 300 Million Euros to Hamburg Opera
— Philadelphia principal bassoonist’s instrument trapped in deceased repairman’s shop
Around the web + Laugh of the week

CLASSICAL CHARTZ

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THE BIG IDEA

Schoenberg Archive Incinerated in Historic Blaze

A devastating fire in Pacific Palisades, California, has destroyed Belmont Music Publishers, the exclusive publisher of Arnold Schoenberg's works, wiping out their entire inventory of scores and rental materials.

The loss goes beyond paper

Belmont Music Publishers wasn't just any music company. Since 1965, it has been the guardian of Schoenberg's revolutionary compositions, from his early Romantic pieces to his groundbreaking twelve-tone works.

The publisher's catalogue included essential 20th-century masterpieces like "Verklärte Nacht" and "Pierrot Lunaire" – works that transformed modern classical music.

A personal toll

The devastation hits especially close to home for Larry Schoenberg, the composer's son, who lost his house in the same fire. Despite undergoing surgery this week, he managed to issue a statement about the cultural significance of this loss.

What was lost:

Complete inventory of sales materials
Rental collections
Some original manuscripts
Printed works spanning decades

Silver linings

Fortunately, the vast bulk of Arnold Schoenberg's personal and musical archive remains safe, having been moved from the University of Southern California to Mödling, Vienna in the late 1990s. The composer's former home in the LA suburb of Brentwood, where he lived from 1936-51, is also currently safe from the fires.

Digital phoenix rising?

While the physical loss is immense, Belmont isn't giving up. The publisher plans to "rise from the ashes" in digital form, though the transition won't be immediate.

"We have digital scans of some scores and performing materials," the publisher stated. "We're asking customers to contact us so we can determine if we can fill requests through these digital means."

Looking ahead

For now, Belmont continues to respond to questions about Schoenberg's life and works while planning its digital future. The transformation from physical to digital publisher won't replace what was lost, but it might help ensure Schoenberg's revolutionary musical ideas reach new generations.

Why it matters

The destruction of Belmont Music Publishers represents more than just a business loss — it's a blow to classical music's cultural heritage. As the sole dedicated publisher of Schoenberg's works for nearly 60 years, Belmont was not just a repository of scores but a crucial link between one of the 20th century's most influential composers and the musicians who perform his works. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

Joachim-Ma Stradivarius (Photo: Tarisio)

🎶 Are under-35s fueling a classical renaissance? Classic FM says the kids are turning up the volume on Beethoven and Tchaikovsky more than their parents ever did — surprising, right? While orchestras still grapple with aging audiences, the younger crowd’s growing love of classical might just offer a fresh future for the genre. Read more

🧛 Bill Skarsgård has gone full-on Phantom for “Nosferatu,” training with an opera singer to perfect his creeptastic performance. Think: opera meets vampire flick. It’s a bold combo that has fans buzzing, and it could open the door for more crossover between classical performing arts and pop culture. Read more

🔦 A powerful new documentary from violinist Lara St. John exposes long-standing sexual abuse in the classical music world — a topic rarely broached in a tradition steeped in old-school norms. As the film sparks uncomfortable conversations, institutions may finally face louder calls for transparency, accountability, and cultural change. Read more

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Ants vs. humans in a piano-moving puzzle? Researchers are learning that ant colony smarts can help us solve big, awkward tasks — like lugging that Steinway around. Read more

TALKING POINTS

Klaus-Michael Kühne (Photo: Kühne Logistics University)

Germany’s Richest Man Donates 300 Million Euros to Hamburg Opera

The billionaire Klaus-Michael Kühne donated €300 million to the Hamburg Opera. Kühne’s donation will fund the creation of a new opera house for the company.

Was ist los: Over in Germany, the country’s richest man, billionaire Klaus-Michael Kühne has donated a landmark €300 million to fund the creation of a new opera house for the Hamburg Opera. Kühne previously helped to fund the creation of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Klaus-Michael Kühne’s fortune is estimated at $44 billion USD. The grandson of the founder of the transport and logistics company Kuehne + Nagel, Klaus-Michael Kühne holds a 20% share in Lufthansa as well as massive shares in the Hamburg HSV soccer club, Hapag-Lloyd, Brenntag, and the company that owns the Greyhound bus company.

A look back in time…: The Kühne family history is not without its controversies. During WWII, Klaus-Michael Kühne’s father and uncle ousted their Jewish business partner and profited from the Nazi regime’s persecution of Jews by transporting looted Jewish property across Western Europe. Klaus-Michael Kühne—who was born in 1937–has claimed that his father “wasn’t a Nazi.” Yet, Kühne has refused to open the Kuehne + Nagel archives from during the war, as many other German companies did.

As cultural memory of the Holocaust fades, it’s important to acknowledge the complicated history of the corporations that so influence our world. Transparency might be a good place to start. — SS

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Mark Gigliotti. (Photo: Jessica Griffin)

Philadelphia Principal Bassoonist’s Instrument Trapped In Deceased Repairman’s Shop

Co-principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra Mark Gigliotti’s bassoon has been trapped in a repairman’s shop in Yonkers, NY since last November. The repairman died suddenly, leaving the instruments under his care locked up.

What’s the buzz: In November, Mark Gigliotti—co-principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra—brought his prized 1931 German bassoon to Nicholas Evans’ repair shop in Yonkers. After a couple of weeks of silence from Evans’ shop, Gigliotti learned the repairman had unexpectedly died in his sleep. As Evans had no immediate family or will, it was unclear what would happen to the instruments under his care. Gigliotti hired a lawyer. Yet, he is still yet to be reunited with the instrument he’s played for five decades.

In the meantime…: While nothing could replace Gigliotti’s own instrument, he has managed to return to the stage thanks to a loan from Peter Schoenbach. The son of former Philadelphia Orchestra bassoonist Sol Schoenbach—with whom Gigliotti studied—, Peter Schoenbach is a bassoonist himself as well as former dean of the Curtis Institute of Music. Both Schoenbach and Gigliotti’s bassoons were made in Germany during the 1930s, a golden era for bassoon-making.

Schoenbach and Gigliotti have described having Gigliotti play Sol Schoenbach’s bassoon as a way of bringing the legendary bassoonist back to life. What will happen to the instruments trapped in Yonkers remains to be determined. — SS

GAMES

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AROUND THE WEB

🎼 On this day: In 1864, American composer Stephen Foster, often hailed as the “father of American music,” passed away at the age of 37. His enduring melodies, such as “Oh! Susanna” and “Camptown Races,” shaped the sound of 19th-century America.

🎥 Video: Curious how submarine internet cables carry data beneath our oceans? Dive into this fascinating glimpse of the global network that keeps the world connected—literally under the sea! Watch here

⚙️ That’s cool: Take a spin through the evolution of bicycles, from clunky wooden “dandy horses” in the early 1800s to today’s high-tech e-bikes. Pedal power has come a long way! Learn more

🕹️ Game: Get whisked away to Purrgatory, a whimsical narrative adventure where you guide adorable lost souls (who happen to be cats) through a surreal afterlife. Play now

🐈 Aww: Meet Chuche, a sweet kitty who was rescued at just eight weeks old—and two years later, he’s living the cozy life every cat dreams of! View cuteness

LAUGH OF THE WEEK

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