As medici.tv’s Chief Content Officer I spend a lot of time thinking about classical music—and a lot of time on the internet. Here’s my selection of the top five news items you need to see this week if you want to stay in the know.
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Reading time estimated : 4 min
A brief introduction to Pierre Monteux, a central figure of early twentieth-century music (NYT)
Most classical music fans are well familiar with the infamous Rite of Spring premiere in 1913, but few know much about the man that led the orchestra fearlessly—”nerveless as a crocodile,” according to Stravinsky—through what must have been one of the most stressful concerts in history. This NYT piece is a short but welcome introduction to Pierre Monteux, a French conductor who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Brahms, Debussy, Saint-Saëns, and more…
We’re lucky enough to have video of maestro Monteux in the medici.tv archives, so follow up your reading with this vintage performance of Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at the helm of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Sir Simon Rattle wins big at the Gramophone Awards (Gramophone)
The Gramophone Awards—one of the most prestigious events in the classical calendar—took place in London this week. The coveted Artist of the Year award went to British conductor Sir Simon Rattle, who became the first artist to win the prize twice (he first earned the title in 1993), and recording of the Year went to French conductor Raphaël Pichon and the Ensemble Pygmalion for their work on Bach. Other winners include pianist Alexandre Kantorow, violinist Maria Dueñas, composer Sir George Benjamin, and baritone Sir Thomas Allen. Gramophone has the full list.
Oboist Katherine Needleman’s important activism (Washington Post)
The Washington Post published a long article about Katherine Needleman, an oboist and activist who has worked extensively to expose and fight bigotry and sexual harassment in the classical music industry, and who has faced significant bullying and criticism herself for championing this important cause. A difficult but necessary read about a dark and unfortunately slow-to-evolve side of the industry few fans think about.
Sandra Oh hits the stage at The Met (multiple sources)
The Metropolitan Opera’s decision to cast Sandra Oh made the weekly round-up roughly a month ago and now the time has come for the Hollywood star to hit center stage: La Fille du Régiment opened this week, with Oh in the non-singing role of the Duchess of Krakenthorp. Curious? Check out The Met’s video interview (below), production photos in Playbill, or interviews in the NYT and Inquirer.
Watch the trailer for the new Amadeus series (Classic FM)
The trailer for Sky’s Amadeus dropped this week, giving us a first-look at the new five-part mini-series based on the life of young Mozart (and the well-known stage play by Peter Shaffer) that will run this December. Will Sharpe stars as Mozart and the cast also features Paul Bettany as his rival Salieri and Gabrielle Creevy as his future wife Constanze Weber.
