April 22, 2024

Even grand operas aren't immune to the drama of a budget cut. Italian director Romeo Castellucci has withdrawn from Wagner's Ring Cycle at Belgium's La Monnaie due to less-than-expected resources.

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In this week’s email:

• The big idea: Vale, Maestro: Sir Andrew Davis (1944–2024)
• Industry: IMG and TACT agencies form strategic alliance
• The situation: British Tenor halts concert over audience filming
• Laugh of the week
• Around the web: An amazing forever zoom,  the 2024 Sony World Photography Award winners, a terrible time on the world’s largest cruise ship, 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

Sir Andrew Davis (Photo courtesy of the BBC Symphony Orchestra)

Vale, Maestro: Sir Andrew Davis (1944–2024)

The classical music world mourns the loss of Sir Andrew Davis, renowned conductor and music director, who passed away unexpectedly at 80. Diagnosed with leukemia, Sir Andrew's condition became critical in recent weeks. 

Beloved for his jovial and compassionate spirit, Sir Andrew's career was a testament to his musical prowess and generous mentorship.

From Hertfordshire beginnings to prominent roles with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, his influence spread globally. He was the esteemed principal conductor for the Toronto Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, and Lyric Opera Chicago.

His talent for fostering solid relationships within the music community was unparalleled, as was his skill in navigating the delicate balance of singer's needs.

Sir Andrew’s wide-ranging repertoire and profound competence were evident in rehearsals devoid of any pretense and performances marked by a sheer passion for his calling.  His genius for music and ability to alleviate rehearsal tensions with humor were legendary. 

Post-BBC and TSO, he resided in Chicago, leaving behind a legacy of respect for the arts and endearing bonhomie.

We raise our glasses in tribute to Sir Andrew Davis, a life of music exquisitely lived.

As Andrew Davis would have wanted, we will leave you with a smile. Watch his reaction as the Toronto Symphony surprised him on his 75th birthday. (Read the full story here.)

—MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

Associate Principal Trumpet Matthew Muckey and Principal Oboist Liang Wang

Two New York Philharmonic Musicians Sidelined After Misconduct Allegations  —  Two New York Philharmonic musicians were sidelined following misconduct allegations detailed in a Vulture article involving a 2010 incident. | Violin Channel

Welsh National Opera Drops Shows Over Funding Cuts  — The Welsh National Opera is reducing performances due to significant funding cuts from the Arts Councils of Wales and England. | BBC

Peter Eötvös Obituary  — Peter Eötvös, renowned Hungarian conductor and composer, is remembered for his contributions to modernist music and the creation of twelve operas adapting diverse literary texts, from Chekhov to Kushner, during his later years. | The Guardian

New Cello Appointment at Eastman School of Music —  Joseph Johnson, principal cellist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and an Eastman School of Music alumnus, has been appointed associate professor of cello at Eastman, starting in autumn 2024. | The Strad

Robert Levin Receives the Golden Mozart Medal —  Robert Levin, a renowned pianist and scholar, has been honoured with the Golden Mozart Medal by the International Mozarteum Foundation for his contributions to Mozart performances and research.  | OperaWire

This Cancel Culture Takedown is the Finest American Film of the Century  —  Simon Heffer praises Todd Field's film "Tár," starring Cate Blanchett, as the finest American film of the century, highlighting its exploration of authority abuse, empowerment, and cancel culture in the classical music world.  | The Telegraph

INDUSTRY

IMG and TACT Agencies Form Strategic Alliance

On April 17th, IMG Artists and TACT Artists’ Management announced that their two companies will form an alliance to combine their vocal rosters. Both companies expressed confidence that the alliance will support the singers they represent within a fast-changing industry.

Catch-up: IMG Artists has been one of the world’s major agencies for singers and other classical musicians since it began operations in 1979. Stretching across three continents, the agency manages singers including Renée Fleming, Lawrence Brownlee and Angela Gheorghiu. TACT focuses on singers working in Europe, and has been in operations for over twenty years. Its roster includes Aigul Akhmetshina, the Met’s most recent Carmen, Rihab Chaieb and Adam Palka.

Behind the curtain: The pandemic has not been easy on classical music agencies. In 2020, Columbia Artists’ Management (CAMI) folded after 90 years in operations, citing disturbances caused by the pandemic. CAMI’s clients included recent stars such as Isabel Leonard and Maurizio Pollini, as well as historic ones like Leonard Bernstein, Igor Stravinsky and Aaron Copland.

New York’s Barrett Artists’ Management was another pandemic casualty, announcing its closure in 2020 and leaving its 47 artists (mostly vocalists) out to dry.

Let’s hope the strategic alliance between IMG and TACT bodes well for the two companies and the singers they represent.  — SS

THE SITUATION

 Tenor Ian Bostridge (right) (Photo: Video still via BBC Radio 3)

British Tenor Halts Concert Over Audience Filming

The English tenor Ian Bostridge made headlines after stopping singing during his April 17th performance in Birmingham. Bostridge was reacting against the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO)’s new rules that permit audience members to film and take photos during performances. 

Driving the news: Ian Bostridge was mid-way through the third song of Benjamin Britten’s fiendishly difficult Les illuminations when he stopped singing. The tenor claimed to find the audience’s proclivity towards filming his performance “extremely distracting,” and requested that they turn off their cameras. The CBSO’s CEO Emma Stenning had recently announced new rules that not only permitted but encouraged audience members to film and document snippets of concerts.

Digging deeper: Many critics and classical music fans sympathized with Bostridge’s plea for audiences to put their devices away. Yet others are torn, as the CBSO’s new rules were clearly an effort to make classical music more accessible. Benjamin Britten’s Les illuminations is a varied, lively and sensitive series of settings of Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry, which premiered in 1940.

Britten’s music would be in master’s hands when performed by Ian Bostridge, a sensitive tenor who specializes in Lieder and art song and has authored four books about the art form.

Perhaps a more Instagram-friendly, less cerebral artist in slightly easier repertoire might have been a better choice to try the new rules out on. What do our readers think?— SS

GAMES

Nothing says Monday like a mini-crossword.

AROUND THE WEB

📅 On this day: Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70, B. 141 by Antonín Dvořák premieres in 1885.

🔎 Interesting: This forever zoom will memorize you forever.

📷 Cure boredom: Check out the winning photos from the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards!

🛥️ Stories: How to have a terrible time on the world’s largest cruise ship.

🐶 Awww: The two finally made friends.

LAUGH OF THE WEEK

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Today's email was brought to you by Sara "Strategic Alliance" Schabas and Michael "Forever Zoom" Vincent.

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