What follows is a sorry little story about a successful classical artist who dumps his agent. Not altogether uncommon, except that it takes place in the holier-than-how world of organ playing and the agent who gets dumped is the torch bearer for one of America's most famous organ legends, Virgil Fox. The artist who does the dumping is almost equally famous in organ circles. His name is Cameron Carpenter and he's a star-spangled hero who is as likely to be found on a pop stage as in a cathedral. … [Read more...]
Raging Ricky tells it like it is (yeah, right)
September 29, 2010 By
Richard Bonynge is 80 today. The Australian conductor, husband of diva Dame Joan Sutherland, gives a relaxed interview to my friend, Michael Shmith, here: http://www.melbarecordings.com.au/newsletter/eNews1010/Bonynge.html There is some useful information on various turning points in the couple's careers. Just don't expect the diva's helpmate to unbutton. Not in this life. … [Read more...]
EMI sign a new pop picker
September 29, 2010 By
EMI Classics have a new international head of artists and repertoire. He is Andrew Cornall, a former Decca producer who, when Universal all but abolished the label, took a dead-end job in 2004 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, an orchestra that appeared to be nearing the end of its days. Cornall's impact was transformatory. He spotted and hired a Russian conductor in his 20s, and stood well back as Vasily Petrenko applied charm and art to repair damaged morale … [Read more...]
It’s chop-chop for the Dutch – 22% arts cuts
September 17, 2010 By
The performing arts in the Neth erlands are reeling from government plans to cut more than one-fifth of arts subsidies, with the brunt falling on the country's excellent orchestras. Total savings estimated are 220 million Euros. As many as 280 to 300 musicians' jobs may go, affecting such international ensembles as the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Residentie orchestra of The Hague to the point where their survival might be at stake. Tough times ahead for … [Read more...]
Birmingham breaks its Mahler jinx with a perfect 8
September 17, 2010 By
Britain's second largest city launched its first Mahler cycle last night with a heart-stopping concert of the eighth symphony, shrunk to 600 performers. That was the most the hall could sensibly accommodate but the result was a performance of rare intimacy in which the conductor Andris Nelsons seemed to reach out and almost touch the banks of singers posted at the back of the stage, both sides and the overlooking balconies. It was 100 years to the week since Gustav Mahler gave the … [Read more...]
More tricks from the record labels
September 16, 2010 By
Promotion, what promotion? fumes a well-known artists' agent in an email this morning. The artists have to pay for their own PR (and it doesn't come cheap). They also pay for the photo in the booklet and for the sleeve notes if they want them to be more than a hacked rehash of Grove Online. Even more pernicious, Sony in particular has told certain soloists to get an orchestra that is paid for by a radio organisation. That means the label gets the entire production for … [Read more...]
Whistle-blower: Sony wants a pound of flesh
September 16, 2010 By
When Sony Classical offers a young artist a record deal these days, it no longer just wants to own what goes on in studio. Agents have been alarmed to read in the new contracts that, in exchange for the privilege of appearing on its label, Sony expects to receive a share of all the artists' earnings - in concert, on tour, in media, wherever. The contract specifies that Sony will own 15 percent of 80 percent of all the artist's live fees. Some agents are putting up a fight … [Read more...]
More shenanigans alleged at the Solti
September 15, 2010 By
One of the competitors at the Georg Solti Conducting Competition has been in touch to suggest that the results were heavily pressured by a single jury member. None of the top three finishers expected the Venezuelan José Luis Gomez Rios, 32, to win - and that includes Rios himself. He had booked a flight home after the second round, thinking he had done poorly. He is less experienced than Kevin Griffiths, 32, and Tito Munoz, 27. Much of the discussion in the jury … [Read more...]
What really goes on at your agent’s
September 15, 2010 By
I submit herewith the minutes of a recent staff meeting at one of the world's leading artist agencies. Item one: pats of butter in the fridge, too many. Item two: new coffee supplier, discuss. Item three: must we still print out every email, incoming and outgoing, in duplicate for archival storage? Item four: need I continue...? Few will be surprised to discover that music and musicians figure very low on the agenda of an antediluvian industry obsessed with its own comforts and routines. … [Read more...]
New talent on the fast track
September 15, 2010 By
The BBC has added seven more artists to its New Generation scheme, one of the surest routes to classical success - far more assured than most international competitions. The latest batch are violinists Alexandra Soumm from France and Veronika Eberle from Germany; cellist Nicolas Altstaedt; the innovative Escher String Quartet; and two young British musicians - tenor Ben Johnson and 18-year-old pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. There is also a jazz saxophonist, Shabaka Hutchings, 26. Past members of … [Read more...]
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