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.
Nicolas McCarthy and the “surprisingly vast” repertoire for left-hand piano (The New York Times)
Ahead of his Proms debut, the New York Times spoke with pianist Nicolas McCarthy, who was born without a right hand, and woven into the interview is a fascinating summary of the history of the unexpectedly extensive repertoire for left-hand piano, which numbers over 3,000 pieces (including over 30 concertos!). Many classical fans will already know of pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who commissioned a substantial number of pieces after losing his right hand in WWII, but the story actually begins much earlier…
Road rumble strips play Beethoven’s Ninth in the UAE (AP)
A creative art installation in Fujairah, UAE, has transformed a stretch of the E84 highway into a “Street of Music,” where road rumble strips play Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. When vehicles drive over the specially designed grooves at approximately 100 km/h, the vibrations produce the iconic “Ode to Joy.” Spanning nearly a kilometer, this project aims to integrate art into daily life and promote cultural appreciation. Initiated by the Fujairah Fine Arts Academy, it’s the first such installation in the Arab world, drawing attention to the emirate and becoming a social media sensation.
Gabriela Ortiz climbs into the spotlight (NPR)
Couldn’t agree more with this NPR piece on Gabriela Ortiz, a 60-year-old Mexican composer who has flown astonishingly under the radar until recently, when a slate of Grammy wins—for an album recorded by none other than Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil—and a stint as composer-in-residence at Carnegie Hall pulled her into the limelight. Dudamel has long championed Ortiz’s repertoire and it’s her magical Kauyumari that he used to kick off the Berlin Phil’s prestigious Waldbühne concert this summer. It’s a short but almost magical piece—a great intro to her style!
Acclaimed conductor Sir Roger Norrington passed away (The Guardian)
British conductor and pioneer of the early music revival Sir Roger Norrington passed away this week at the age of 91. Norrington will be remembered for his revolutionary approach to performing music from past centuries and in particular for his controversial opinion on vibrato, to which he had a “dogmatic aversion.”
Khatia Buniatishvili plays Mozart upside down (Instagram)
And to finish, a video that’s been getting a lot of buzz (at least on the medici.tv team Slack): pianist Khatia Buniatishvili played the piano upside down, live on French TV show C à Vous this week—yes, upside down.
