Category: music

Baltimore Sun music critic has been fired for plagiarism. – (AP) Baltimore Sun

As Royal Opera moves into its new home, Covent Garden is discovering the headache side of  what it’s like to be an opera house again. – Financial Times

Yevgeny Kissin is at the top of the piano world. In person he looks even more frail than he does on stage. “At this point, I have to perform only in places that are important from the career point of view,” he says. – Toronto Globe and Mail

Frank McNamara has rewritten Handel’s “Messiah.” New version stars Gladys Knight (without the Pips), Chaka Khan and Roger Daltry. “I just thought it would be great to do a pop version,” says McNamara. “There are great tunes in it. At the end of the day, music is entertainment. I don’t think it should be challenging.” – Irish Times

– new contract with its musicians after three years of acrimonious negotiations. – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

– begins with a closure. Ligeti opera canceled. – BBC

Bournemouth Sinfonietta goes out of business due to money problems. Did anyone notice? – London Telegraph

Mahler performance with Boston orchestra is good, but… a review. – Boston Globe

• Previously: WALTER MITTY NEVER HAD IT GO GOOD: Millionaire businessman Gilbert Kaplan has a thing for Mahler’s Second Symphony – though not a conductor, he decided he must conduct it, hired an orchestra and performed it, performed it again with major orchestras around the world, made a recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, created a foundation for Mahler scholarship and performance, and amassed a collection of every Mahler photograph, which he published in his book, ”The Mahler Album.” – Boston Globe 11/19/99

– says it will offer free MP3 downloads of its entire music catalogue online. – Wired

• And: Online music sales expected to reach $5.2 billion by 2005. – Variety 11/24/99

Orchestra, facing budget deficit and dwindling audiences, has cut employees to save money. – Orange County Register