November 25, 2007

It’s this week in classical music, an update on what’s happenning in the classical music world, I’m Randy Kinkel.

76-year-old pianist Alfred Brendel says he plans to retire after his final concert Next year.  Brendel’s spokeswoman, Josephine Hemsing said that Brendel’s decision was not brought about by any kind of health concerns—she said, “This season will be his final one for concerts and recordings. “this has been on his mind for some years.  I know he’s not doing this for the publicity—he just wants to… stop.”  Brendel’s final concert will be next December in Vienna.

Edo De Waart has extended his contract with the Hong Kong Philharmonic until the year 2012.   The news that the maestro would stay on for the next five years was announced recently after a successful performance of Mahler’s Symphony #6.  De Waart took up the position of Artistic director and chief conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic in 2004.  Since Edo de Waart's arrival three years ago, paid attendance has risen over 20% and participation in outreach activities over 30%. Income from box office and fund-raising also rose over 50%. Conductor and orchestra are very happy with the extension; says De Waart:  “We have worked extremely hard in these last three years, and the orchestra and I have had some very exciting concerts, so I’m very happy that we have extended my contract; I am looking forward to many years of wonderful music-making with them.”

Bad acoustics caused some bad reviews in Miami recently for Andrew Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic. Andrew Litton said it wasn’t his fault, though; the adjustable acoustic panels on the stage were not adjusted properly, and no one in the hall knew how to correctly do it.  Litton wrote in a letter to the Miami Herald, “From the first downbeat it was clear something was very wrong. There was a strange backslap effect from the podium so that I heard certain close sounds, like the piano of Mr. Watts, twice. More shockingly, the second row of Woodwinds, some of my most-spirited players, were completely inaudible! I could see them playing but could not hear them. It is virtually impossible to conduct and keep a cohesive ensemble when you cannot hear key solo players.

After our brief rehearsal, I inquired of the stage crew if anyone from Artec (the company that designed the hall) were around to supervise the adjustments I wished. The answer was no, but "this is the setting used by the New World Symphony". I took their word for it… I asked if we could lower the outer ring of the stage canopy a little to see if it could at least help us hear each other on stage a little bit. The technician obliged by lowering the outer ring "one foot". That tiny adjustment in no way could have adversely affected the acoustics. It was the only one I requested. The acoustic settings for the Hall were simply wrong, and there was no one there to help.