The biggest heist of all in Inside Job
Here's the biggest story of our time, lucidly told. Inside Job, nominated for best documentary feature at the Oscars, explains how the financial crash of 2008 happened, who was responsible and how little they have been held to account. standard
How bankers caused the financial crisis
The film Inside Job brilliantly exposes the corruption in US banking that led to the 2008 crash. guardian
Berlinale Opens with Strong Political Message
The 2011 Berlin International Film Festival opened on Thursday evening with a strong message of support for the Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who is facing six years in prison in his native country. Jury head Isabella Rossellini read out an open letter from the filmmaker in which he is openly critical of the Tehran regime. spiegel
Showing posts with label Berlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Berlin. Show all posts
2010/09/18
Deutschland schafft sich ab
Rarely has a man influenced the German public discourse as much as Sarrazin has done with his book "Deutschland schafft sich ab" ("Germany Does Itself In"). In just two weeks, Germany has been hit by three waves of debate stemming from the tome.
Criticism bordering on revulsion dominated the first wave of the reaction. Politicians and opinion leaders condemned Sarrazin almost unanimously.
But then it slowly became apparent that many citizens agreed with Sarrazin. The publisher announced that, due to high demand, it was going to increase the book's initial printing to 250,000 copies. Furthermore, Internet forums and political events made it clear that Sarrazin -- a member of the center-left Social Democrats, which has initiated proceedings to throw him out of the party -- had broad public support. Many are saying he is right; or, even if he does make a mistake here and there, he isn't being treated fairly.
The following e-mail, for example, was received at Social Democratic Party (SPD) headquarters: "Sometimes I'm frustrated and even furious about the fact that, in today's Germany, it's no longer possible to speak your mind and call a spade a spade! This is the sort of thing I'm used to seeing in totalitarian countries." Spiegel
Rarely has a man influenced the German public discourse as much as Sarrazin has done with his book "Deutschland schafft sich ab" ("Germany Does Itself In"). In just two weeks, Germany has been hit by three waves of debate stemming from the tome.
Criticism bordering on revulsion dominated the first wave of the reaction. Politicians and opinion leaders condemned Sarrazin almost unanimously.
But then it slowly became apparent that many citizens agreed with Sarrazin. The publisher announced that, due to high demand, it was going to increase the book's initial printing to 250,000 copies. Furthermore, Internet forums and political events made it clear that Sarrazin -- a member of the center-left Social Democrats, which has initiated proceedings to throw him out of the party -- had broad public support. Many are saying he is right; or, even if he does make a mistake here and there, he isn't being treated fairly.
The following e-mail, for example, was received at Social Democratic Party (SPD) headquarters: "Sometimes I'm frustrated and even furious about the fact that, in today's Germany, it's no longer possible to speak your mind and call a spade a spade! This is the sort of thing I'm used to seeing in totalitarian countries." Spiegel
2010/08/26
Opening concert Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs and Sinfonia
Just one week from now, the concert season will be launched by musikfest berlin 10, Berlin ’s international orchestra festival. Presented from September 2nd to 21st by the Berliner Festspiele in collaboration with the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker will be 24 concerts featuring more than 60 works by around 25 different composers, among them the German premieres of Quatre dédicaces and Stanze, a pair of orchestral compositions by Luciano Berio. At the centre of this year’s festival program alongside works by Luciano Berio is the creative achievement of Pierre Boulez. Appearing as conductor for two concerts with the Berliner Philharmoniker will be Boulez himself. The program of musikfest berlin 10 illuminates in particular the orchestral output of these two major composers. The first part of the festival will concentrate on the music of Berio, with the focus shifting increasingly to Boulez, culminating in a grandiose homage to his music at the festival's conclusion.
musikfest berlin 10 commences with two evenings, each consisting of an orchestral portrait concert devoted to one of our featured composers. Following a concert showcasing Bach’s Art of the Fugue on the eve of the festival opening, musikfest berlin will commence on September 3rd with a performance of Berio’s celebrated Folk Songs and Sinfonia by the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Harding. On September 4th, Boulez’s Le Soleil des eaux and Le Visage nuptial will receive a performance by the SWR Sinfonieorchester, the RIAS Kammerchor, and the radio choirs of the SWR and the NDR under the direction of Susanna Mälkki. Appearing as soloists will be singers Laura Aikin and Lani Poulson, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and violinist Thomas Zehetmair. Featured at 10 of the 24 festival concerts will be additional works by Boulez, including his extraordinary cycle Pli selon pli for voice and orchestra, interpreted by the Bamberger Symphoniker with Jonathan Nott and soprano Yeree Suh on September 19th at the Philharmonie.
Altogether eleven works by Luciano Berio are found on the programmes of seven musikfest berlin 10 concerts. The German premiere of Berio’s Quatre dédicaces will be performed on September 5th by the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest of Amsterdam with Mariss Jansons. Receiving its German premiere on the following day is Berio's vocal composition Stanze in a performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Jurowski. Berio’s Coro will be presented at musikfest berlin 10 by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle with the Rundfunkchor Berlin and soloists Stella Doufexis, Burkhard Ulrich, and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo. Additional highlights in this series of Berio performances will be a concert performed by musikFabrik with Peter Eötvös as conductor, and an appearance by Kent Nagano with the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, guests in Berlin once again after a protracted absence.
Presented in exceptional abundance at musikfest berlin 10 are the flagships of European ensemble culture: the Ensemble intercontemporain with two Boulez programs, the Ensemble Modern with Beat Furrer, and the musikFabrik with Peter Eötvös as conductor. Arriving from Belgium will be the ensemble graindelavoix, which performs late-14th century music, and the Duke Quartet from England , which performs string quartets by Kevin Volans. Also on the program are works by Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Sergei Prokofiev, Witold Lutosławski, Richard Strauss, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Hector Berlioz, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Henri Pousseur, Peter Eötvös, Beat Furrer, and others.
musikfest berlin 10 comes to a close with two very special concert evenings on September 20th and 21st: the Boulez programme presented by the Staatskapelle Berlin will be accompanied by commentary delivered in person by Daniel Barenboim.
Information and tickets are available at www.berlinerfestspiele.de
Lack of skilled workers threatens recovery
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Workers with specialized skills like electricians, carpenters and welders are in critically short supply in many large economies, a shortfall that marks another obstacle to the global economic recovery, a research paper by Manpower Inc (NYSE:MAN - News) concludes.
Note: even the working people want to be a doctor (to many "doctors"...)
Russian police detain opposition leaders
MOSCOW (AP) -- Police prevented about 100 opposition activists from marching through Moscow on Sunday with a giant Russian flag and detained three of their leaders, including prominent politician Boris Nemtsov.
The opposition activists were celebrating Flag Day, a holiday honoring the tricolor flag adopted by a newly democratic Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed.
Nemtsov said the decision to stop a march honoring the Russian flag showed the mentality of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's government.
"The flag is a symbol of freedom and democracy, only not for Putin," Nemtsov said, speaking to The Associated Press from a city police precinct.
Afghan couple stoned to death
A 25-year-old man and 19-year-old woman who eloped together have been stoned to death in a shocking display of Taliban power.
The Afghan couple were brutally killed when their own families requested that the Taliban arrest the pair after the couple, who were engaged to other people, ran away together.
Note: "their own families requested that the Taliban arrest the pair" (how horrible and disgusting people!)
It was not a spare case:
"... arrest of relatives on suspicion of killing a teenager for having friendships with boys. More than 200 such killings take place each year, said the piece, "accounting for around half of all murders in Turkey". According to Eurostat, Turkey's yearly murder rate averaged 6.1 per 100,000 population between 2005 and 2007 (the latest figures), meaning that the 200 are actually set against an annual total of about 4,400."
"Mahmod Mahmod murdered daughter Banaz
The victim of an "honour killing" had been dismissed by police as a fantasist
Mr Sulemani (Banaz's boyfriend) was deemed unsuitable because he did not come from the villages in Iraqi Kurdistan where the Mahmods originated." And thousands others that we didn't know.
Somalia: the taliban way
"Men are forced to grow beards. Women can't leave home without a male relative. Music, movies and watching sports on TV are banned.
... executions by stoning have become a public spectacle." from AP in The Kathmandu Post, August 23, 2010, page 5
Just one week from now, the concert season will be launched by musikfest berlin 10, Berlin ’s international orchestra festival. Presented from September 2nd to 21st by the Berliner Festspiele in collaboration with the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker will be 24 concerts featuring more than 60 works by around 25 different composers, among them the German premieres of Quatre dédicaces and Stanze, a pair of orchestral compositions by Luciano Berio. At the centre of this year’s festival program alongside works by Luciano Berio is the creative achievement of Pierre Boulez. Appearing as conductor for two concerts with the Berliner Philharmoniker will be Boulez himself. The program of musikfest berlin 10 illuminates in particular the orchestral output of these two major composers. The first part of the festival will concentrate on the music of Berio, with the focus shifting increasingly to Boulez, culminating in a grandiose homage to his music at the festival's conclusion.
musikfest berlin 10 commences with two evenings, each consisting of an orchestral portrait concert devoted to one of our featured composers. Following a concert showcasing Bach’s Art of the Fugue on the eve of the festival opening, musikfest berlin will commence on September 3rd with a performance of Berio’s celebrated Folk Songs and Sinfonia by the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Harding. On September 4th, Boulez’s Le Soleil des eaux and Le Visage nuptial will receive a performance by the SWR Sinfonieorchester, the RIAS Kammerchor, and the radio choirs of the SWR and the NDR under the direction of Susanna Mälkki. Appearing as soloists will be singers Laura Aikin and Lani Poulson, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and violinist Thomas Zehetmair. Featured at 10 of the 24 festival concerts will be additional works by Boulez, including his extraordinary cycle Pli selon pli for voice and orchestra, interpreted by the Bamberger Symphoniker with Jonathan Nott and soprano Yeree Suh on September 19th at the Philharmonie.
Altogether eleven works by Luciano Berio are found on the programmes of seven musikfest berlin 10 concerts. The German premiere of Berio’s Quatre dédicaces will be performed on September 5th by the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest of Amsterdam with Mariss Jansons. Receiving its German premiere on the following day is Berio's vocal composition Stanze in a performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Jurowski. Berio’s Coro will be presented at musikfest berlin 10 by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle with the Rundfunkchor Berlin and soloists Stella Doufexis, Burkhard Ulrich, and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo. Additional highlights in this series of Berio performances will be a concert performed by musikFabrik with Peter Eötvös as conductor, and an appearance by Kent Nagano with the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, guests in Berlin once again after a protracted absence.
Presented in exceptional abundance at musikfest berlin 10 are the flagships of European ensemble culture: the Ensemble intercontemporain with two Boulez programs, the Ensemble Modern with Beat Furrer, and the musikFabrik with Peter Eötvös as conductor. Arriving from Belgium will be the ensemble graindelavoix, which performs late-14th century music, and the Duke Quartet from England , which performs string quartets by Kevin Volans. Also on the program are works by Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Sergei Prokofiev, Witold Lutosławski, Richard Strauss, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Hector Berlioz, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Henri Pousseur, Peter Eötvös, Beat Furrer, and others.
musikfest berlin 10 comes to a close with two very special concert evenings on September 20th and 21st: the Boulez programme presented by the Staatskapelle Berlin will be accompanied by commentary delivered in person by Daniel Barenboim.
Information and tickets are available at www.berlinerfestspiele.de
Lack of skilled workers threatens recovery
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Workers with specialized skills like electricians, carpenters and welders are in critically short supply in many large economies, a shortfall that marks another obstacle to the global economic recovery, a research paper by Manpower Inc (NYSE:MAN - News) concludes.
Note: even the working people want to be a doctor (to many "doctors"...)
Russian police detain opposition leaders
MOSCOW (AP) -- Police prevented about 100 opposition activists from marching through Moscow on Sunday with a giant Russian flag and detained three of their leaders, including prominent politician Boris Nemtsov.
The opposition activists were celebrating Flag Day, a holiday honoring the tricolor flag adopted by a newly democratic Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed.
Nemtsov said the decision to stop a march honoring the Russian flag showed the mentality of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's government.
"The flag is a symbol of freedom and democracy, only not for Putin," Nemtsov said, speaking to The Associated Press from a city police precinct.
Afghan couple stoned to death
A 25-year-old man and 19-year-old woman who eloped together have been stoned to death in a shocking display of Taliban power.
The Afghan couple were brutally killed when their own families requested that the Taliban arrest the pair after the couple, who were engaged to other people, ran away together.
Note: "their own families requested that the Taliban arrest the pair" (how horrible and disgusting people!)
It was not a spare case:
"... arrest of relatives on suspicion of killing a teenager for having friendships with boys. More than 200 such killings take place each year, said the piece, "accounting for around half of all murders in Turkey". According to Eurostat, Turkey's yearly murder rate averaged 6.1 per 100,000 population between 2005 and 2007 (the latest figures), meaning that the 200 are actually set against an annual total of about 4,400."
"Mahmod Mahmod murdered daughter Banaz
The victim of an "honour killing" had been dismissed by police as a fantasist
Mr Sulemani (Banaz's boyfriend) was deemed unsuitable because he did not come from the villages in Iraqi Kurdistan where the Mahmods originated." And thousands others that we didn't know.
Somalia: the taliban way
"Men are forced to grow beards. Women can't leave home without a male relative. Music, movies and watching sports on TV are banned.
... executions by stoning have become a public spectacle." from AP in The Kathmandu Post, August 23, 2010, page 5
2009/09/15
Passage
Alright, dear friends. Our team is proud to present a new sub-division of Fragment. It's a flowing ambient platform based on already known Fragment engine, delicately re-designed and freshly squeezed. This instance is called Passage. You can find the detailed information and related stuff by surfing across our web-site. Stay tuned for new absolutely stunning releases and events. Welcome to Passage!
Netaudio Festival Berlin
Netaudio Festival Berlin 2009 / “East meets West”. De 8 a 11 de Outubro de 2009, o festival reune em Berlim a comunidade sonora que vive na net num evento de quatro dias de música e conferências.
Alright, dear friends. Our team is proud to present a new sub-division of Fragment. It's a flowing ambient platform based on already known Fragment engine, delicately re-designed and freshly squeezed. This instance is called Passage. You can find the detailed information and related stuff by surfing across our web-site. Stay tuned for new absolutely stunning releases and events. Welcome to Passage!
Netaudio Festival Berlin
Netaudio Festival Berlin 2009 / “East meets West”. De 8 a 11 de Outubro de 2009, o festival reune em Berlim a comunidade sonora que vive na net num evento de quatro dias de música e conferências.
2009/08/27
Festival Opening with Shostakovich and Xenakis
Opening in just one week will be musikfest berlin 09, Berlin’s international orchestral festival, organized by the Berliner Festspiele in collaboration with the Berliner Philharmoniker, which acts as an upbeat to Berlin’s concert season. Featured in 24 events at the Berlin Philharmonic and at the Konzerthaus will be more than 50 works by 26 different composers – each piece resonating with the pulse of 20th century history, often referred to as the “age of extremes” (Eric Hobsbawm).
The centre point of this year’s program is the musical oeuvre of Dmitri Shostakovich, nearly all of whose symphonies will be performed, in conjunction with works by Iannis Xenakis, Joseph Haydn, Alban Berg, Paul Dessau, Béla Bartók, Sofia Gubaidulina, and many others. Participating this year are altogether 21 high-ranking orchestras, ensembles, and choirs hailing from the US and Europe, including the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the five great orchestras of Great Britain: the BBC Symphony Orchestra joined by its first guest conductor, David Robertson; the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Kurt Masur; the Philharmonia Orchestra London with Vladimir Ashkenazy; the London Symphony Orchestra with principal conductor Valery Gergiev; and in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with its new music director, Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra opens the festival on September 4th with works by Iannis Xenakis, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and the 9th Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich. This spectacular special programme will be offered beforehand in the context of this year’s Proms Concerts on September 2nd at London’s Royal Albert Hall. It will be repeated two days later at the Berlin Philharmonic to open musikfest berlin 09. The conductor will be David Robertson, and the evening’s soloists will be percussionist Colin Currie and baritone Leigh Melrose.
Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony will be performed on Saturday, September 5th by the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam under the direction of Mariss Jansons, widely regarded as among today’s outstanding Shostakovich interpreters. Additional highpoints of our Shostakovich focus at musikfest berlin 09 include a concert on September 11th by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with Bernard Haitink conducting the 15th Symphony of Shostakovich in conjunction with Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, four musikfest berlin 09 events will be devoted to the theme of “Deutschland-Lieder” (Songs of Germany): Helmut Lachenmann’s singular and seldom performed Tanzsuite mit Deutschlandlied (Dance Suite with the German Anthem) will be given together with Mozart’s Gran Partita on September 9th by the SWR Sinfonieorchester and the Arditti Quartet at Konzerthaus Berlin. Performed on September 3rd, on the eve of the opening concert, will be Karlheinz Stockhausen’s epochal electronic poem Hymnen (Hymns), a collage of more than 40 national anthems, and Haydn’s Kaiserquartett (Emperor Quartet) – the original source for the melody of Germany's national anthem – will be played by the Pellegrini Quartett on September 19th. On September 16th, finally, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the direction of Ingo Metzmacher will perform Hanns Eisler’s magnum opus, the Deutsche Sinfonie (German Symphony), a musical and political statement that deals with a half-century of recent German history. Press release, August 27, 2009
Opening in just one week will be musikfest berlin 09, Berlin’s international orchestral festival, organized by the Berliner Festspiele in collaboration with the Berliner Philharmoniker, which acts as an upbeat to Berlin’s concert season. Featured in 24 events at the Berlin Philharmonic and at the Konzerthaus will be more than 50 works by 26 different composers – each piece resonating with the pulse of 20th century history, often referred to as the “age of extremes” (Eric Hobsbawm).
The centre point of this year’s program is the musical oeuvre of Dmitri Shostakovich, nearly all of whose symphonies will be performed, in conjunction with works by Iannis Xenakis, Joseph Haydn, Alban Berg, Paul Dessau, Béla Bartók, Sofia Gubaidulina, and many others. Participating this year are altogether 21 high-ranking orchestras, ensembles, and choirs hailing from the US and Europe, including the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the five great orchestras of Great Britain: the BBC Symphony Orchestra joined by its first guest conductor, David Robertson; the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Kurt Masur; the Philharmonia Orchestra London with Vladimir Ashkenazy; the London Symphony Orchestra with principal conductor Valery Gergiev; and in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with its new music director, Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra opens the festival on September 4th with works by Iannis Xenakis, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and the 9th Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich. This spectacular special programme will be offered beforehand in the context of this year’s Proms Concerts on September 2nd at London’s Royal Albert Hall. It will be repeated two days later at the Berlin Philharmonic to open musikfest berlin 09. The conductor will be David Robertson, and the evening’s soloists will be percussionist Colin Currie and baritone Leigh Melrose.
Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony will be performed on Saturday, September 5th by the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam under the direction of Mariss Jansons, widely regarded as among today’s outstanding Shostakovich interpreters. Additional highpoints of our Shostakovich focus at musikfest berlin 09 include a concert on September 11th by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with Bernard Haitink conducting the 15th Symphony of Shostakovich in conjunction with Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, four musikfest berlin 09 events will be devoted to the theme of “Deutschland-Lieder” (Songs of Germany): Helmut Lachenmann’s singular and seldom performed Tanzsuite mit Deutschlandlied (Dance Suite with the German Anthem) will be given together with Mozart’s Gran Partita on September 9th by the SWR Sinfonieorchester and the Arditti Quartet at Konzerthaus Berlin. Performed on September 3rd, on the eve of the opening concert, will be Karlheinz Stockhausen’s epochal electronic poem Hymnen (Hymns), a collage of more than 40 national anthems, and Haydn’s Kaiserquartett (Emperor Quartet) – the original source for the melody of Germany's national anthem – will be played by the Pellegrini Quartett on September 19th. On September 16th, finally, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the direction of Ingo Metzmacher will perform Hanns Eisler’s magnum opus, the Deutsche Sinfonie (German Symphony), a musical and political statement that deals with a half-century of recent German history. Press release, August 27, 2009
2009/04/02
Sanctions against tax havens
At the conclusion of the first economic summit meeting to rivet world attention in decades, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain announced that the leaders had committed to $1.1 trillion in additional loans and guarantees to finance trade and bail out troubled countries.
...
Among the steps Mr. Brown detailed are strict new regulations on hedge funds and rating agencies, as well as a crackdown on tax havens, which will be publicly named and subject to sanctions if they do not agree to share tax information with the authorities of other countries.
...
The announcements came after negotiators from the United States and Europe worked frantically to hash out an agreement on new regulations, a day after France and Germany signaled a rift over the level of scrutiny that regulators should have over hedge funds and other global financial institutions.
...
France other Europeans countries also pressed China to accept action against tax havens, a step it has resisted because of the possible consequences for its coastal banking centers, Hong Kong and Macao.
“I think we’re going to see an agreement,” said Stephen Timms, the financial secretary to the Treasury. “I am expecting sanctions against tax havens. We want that pressure to be maintained.”
Britain began talks on Wednesday on a tax information exchange agreement with Liechtenstein, an Alpine principality used by wealthy Europeans and others as a place to stash money.
Helsinki Festival
This August, Helsinki Festival 2009 will be bringing a line up of international stars to Finland’s capital city. The festival, which last year celebrated its 40th anniversary, now casts an eye into the future with a programme of new music, never-before-seen guests, unique ensembles and a host of premieres.
The festival kicks off with a visit by classical music legend Pierre Boulez, who arrives in Helsinki with his French Ensemble Intercontemporain, led by Music Director Susanna Mälkki. Hailing from London, the Philharmonia Orchestra returns to Finland, now directed by newly appointed Principal Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Osmo Vänskä makes a long-awaited appearance at the helm of a Helsinki Orchestra, as he takes up the baton for a concert with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
A Helsinki Festival and Korjaamo Theatre joint venture, the Stage Helsinki Theatre Festival has established itself as a major European theatre event. Now in its third year, the festival will be showcasing ten international ensembles, two Finnish premieres and a review of Finnish theatre. Programme highlights include the latest from Alvis Hermanis from Latvia, Dmitri Krymov from Russia and the Swiss Stefan Kaegi, as well as the Finnish premiere of circus artist Jani Nuutinen’s much-awaited new production.
The Helsinki Festival dance programme, created by Artistic Advisor Kenneth Kvarnström is headlined by the Shaolin combat acrobatics-inspired Sutra and fea-tures Kvarnström’s Destruction Song choreographed for his own ensemble. Circus rolls into town in the shape of a Russian clown troupe. Semianyki delivers laughter therapy for the whole family with a joyously anarchic twist.
A total of 17 international and Finnish acts will be taking to the stage at the festival’s legendary Huvila venue. The Huvila programme treats audiences to a stellar line up of world music’s leading stars from the Malian Oumou Sangare to the L’Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio from Italy. Top Finnish performers include Maija Vilkkumaa, celebrating her 20-year career and the ever-popular Scandinavian Music Group. Adding American flavour to the proceedings will be jazz musicians Joshua Redman and Paquito d’Rivera together with Wilco, here making their Finnish debut appearance. The Huvila season will be brought to a close with a joint performance by Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.
The Amos Anderson Art Museum is to play host to a joint exhibition by Susanne Gottberg and Markus Kåhre. Titled A Dialogue, the duo’s unique spatial exercise was many years in the making. The cinema programme culminates in a retrospective of the work of the Japanese film director Nagisa Oshima, while the free outdoor cinema screenings at the Kinopiha celebrate the fall of the Berlin wall.
The Children’s Festival programme features four Finnish premieres. Junior audiences will love Compañía Kaari Martin’s fresh and flamenco-inspired take on the iconic Pippi Longstocking and Glims & Gloms Dance Company’s new interpretation of the classic Finnish fairytale Pessi and Illusia. At the Suvilahti big top, kids and adults alike will be whisked away on a whirlwind tour of Vietnam in the company of a water puppetry troupe.
The Night of the Arts takes over Helsinki on Friday 21 August - programme to be announced in early August. Flow Festival returns to Suvilahti from 14 to 16 August and the Poetry Moon shines on the city from 26 to 27 August. The Viapori Jazz Festival grooves Suomenlinna Island from 26 to 29 August, while the Art goes Kapakka festival makes its presence felt in Helsinki restaurants from 13 to 22 August.
The 2009 Helsinki Festival programme was created by Risto Nieminen, who has led the festival with great success for the past 12 years. He will depart at the end of April 2009. New Festival Director Erik Söderblom is set to assume his role from May 2009. Press Release
musikfest berlin 09 - Shostakovich, Xenakis, Haydn
14 orchestras perform 50 works at 24 concerts on 19 different days
Opening the concert season and running from September 3rd to 21st will be the musikfest berlin 09, Berlin's preeminent international orchestra festival. Organized by the Berliner Festspiele in collaboration with the Foundation of the Berliner Philharmoniker, musikfest berlin cordially invites you to take part in a festival program that includes 50 works by 26 composers performed at 24 concerts.
Performing in addition to the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the city's four prominent orchestras with their artistic directors will be Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Bernard Haitink, the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam with Mariss Jansons, the four orchestras of the musical metropolis of London (the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra London, and the London Symphony Orchestra), and ensembles from Birmingham, Bamberg, Freiburg, and Vienna. Also making guest appearances in Berlin will be Latvian Radio Choir radio and the "Latvija", the State Choir of the Republic of Latvia, singers Angela Denoke, Christiane Oelze, Matthias Goerne, Dietrich Henschel, and Thomas Quasthoff. Other invited soloists include Colin Currie, Håkan Hardenberger, Marco Blaauw, Steven Osborne, and Lars Vogt.
The center of musikfest berlin 09 will be the symphonic achievement of Dmitri Shostakovich. Interpreters include prominent Shostakovich experts such as conductors Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Forming provocative counterpoints to Shostakovich's symphonies will be works by Iannis Xenakis and Joseph Haydn, as well as compositions by Bartók, Janáček, Poulenc, Rachmaninov, Schnittke, Tishchenko, Gubaidulina, Britten, Turnage, Yun, Nono, Mozart, Schubert, Zemlinsky, Reger, Berg, B. A. Zimmermann, Eisler, Dessau, Enno Poppe, Helmut Lachenmann, and Hans Zender. Presented on the September 3 on the evening preceding the opening concert of musikfest berlin 09 will be Karlheinz Stockhausen's electronic composition Hymnen.
The main concert venue is the Berlin Philharmonic. An additional venue is the Konzerthaus at Gendarmenmarkt, which marks its 25 Year Jubilee. To take place in the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic will be two prestigious benefit concerts marking 25 years of the IPPNW Concerts and featuring top-flight performers. Press Office
At the conclusion of the first economic summit meeting to rivet world attention in decades, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain announced that the leaders had committed to $1.1 trillion in additional loans and guarantees to finance trade and bail out troubled countries.
...
Among the steps Mr. Brown detailed are strict new regulations on hedge funds and rating agencies, as well as a crackdown on tax havens, which will be publicly named and subject to sanctions if they do not agree to share tax information with the authorities of other countries.
...
The announcements came after negotiators from the United States and Europe worked frantically to hash out an agreement on new regulations, a day after France and Germany signaled a rift over the level of scrutiny that regulators should have over hedge funds and other global financial institutions.
...
France other Europeans countries also pressed China to accept action against tax havens, a step it has resisted because of the possible consequences for its coastal banking centers, Hong Kong and Macao.
“I think we’re going to see an agreement,” said Stephen Timms, the financial secretary to the Treasury. “I am expecting sanctions against tax havens. We want that pressure to be maintained.”
Britain began talks on Wednesday on a tax information exchange agreement with Liechtenstein, an Alpine principality used by wealthy Europeans and others as a place to stash money.
Helsinki Festival
This August, Helsinki Festival 2009 will be bringing a line up of international stars to Finland’s capital city. The festival, which last year celebrated its 40th anniversary, now casts an eye into the future with a programme of new music, never-before-seen guests, unique ensembles and a host of premieres.
The festival kicks off with a visit by classical music legend Pierre Boulez, who arrives in Helsinki with his French Ensemble Intercontemporain, led by Music Director Susanna Mälkki. Hailing from London, the Philharmonia Orchestra returns to Finland, now directed by newly appointed Principal Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Osmo Vänskä makes a long-awaited appearance at the helm of a Helsinki Orchestra, as he takes up the baton for a concert with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
A Helsinki Festival and Korjaamo Theatre joint venture, the Stage Helsinki Theatre Festival has established itself as a major European theatre event. Now in its third year, the festival will be showcasing ten international ensembles, two Finnish premieres and a review of Finnish theatre. Programme highlights include the latest from Alvis Hermanis from Latvia, Dmitri Krymov from Russia and the Swiss Stefan Kaegi, as well as the Finnish premiere of circus artist Jani Nuutinen’s much-awaited new production.
The Helsinki Festival dance programme, created by Artistic Advisor Kenneth Kvarnström is headlined by the Shaolin combat acrobatics-inspired Sutra and fea-tures Kvarnström’s Destruction Song choreographed for his own ensemble. Circus rolls into town in the shape of a Russian clown troupe. Semianyki delivers laughter therapy for the whole family with a joyously anarchic twist.
A total of 17 international and Finnish acts will be taking to the stage at the festival’s legendary Huvila venue. The Huvila programme treats audiences to a stellar line up of world music’s leading stars from the Malian Oumou Sangare to the L’Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio from Italy. Top Finnish performers include Maija Vilkkumaa, celebrating her 20-year career and the ever-popular Scandinavian Music Group. Adding American flavour to the proceedings will be jazz musicians Joshua Redman and Paquito d’Rivera together with Wilco, here making their Finnish debut appearance. The Huvila season will be brought to a close with a joint performance by Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.
The Amos Anderson Art Museum is to play host to a joint exhibition by Susanne Gottberg and Markus Kåhre. Titled A Dialogue, the duo’s unique spatial exercise was many years in the making. The cinema programme culminates in a retrospective of the work of the Japanese film director Nagisa Oshima, while the free outdoor cinema screenings at the Kinopiha celebrate the fall of the Berlin wall.
The Children’s Festival programme features four Finnish premieres. Junior audiences will love Compañía Kaari Martin’s fresh and flamenco-inspired take on the iconic Pippi Longstocking and Glims & Gloms Dance Company’s new interpretation of the classic Finnish fairytale Pessi and Illusia. At the Suvilahti big top, kids and adults alike will be whisked away on a whirlwind tour of Vietnam in the company of a water puppetry troupe.
The Night of the Arts takes over Helsinki on Friday 21 August - programme to be announced in early August. Flow Festival returns to Suvilahti from 14 to 16 August and the Poetry Moon shines on the city from 26 to 27 August. The Viapori Jazz Festival grooves Suomenlinna Island from 26 to 29 August, while the Art goes Kapakka festival makes its presence felt in Helsinki restaurants from 13 to 22 August.
The 2009 Helsinki Festival programme was created by Risto Nieminen, who has led the festival with great success for the past 12 years. He will depart at the end of April 2009. New Festival Director Erik Söderblom is set to assume his role from May 2009. Press Release
musikfest berlin 09 - Shostakovich, Xenakis, Haydn
14 orchestras perform 50 works at 24 concerts on 19 different days
Opening the concert season and running from September 3rd to 21st will be the musikfest berlin 09, Berlin's preeminent international orchestra festival. Organized by the Berliner Festspiele in collaboration with the Foundation of the Berliner Philharmoniker, musikfest berlin cordially invites you to take part in a festival program that includes 50 works by 26 composers performed at 24 concerts.
Performing in addition to the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the city's four prominent orchestras with their artistic directors will be Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Bernard Haitink, the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam with Mariss Jansons, the four orchestras of the musical metropolis of London (the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra London, and the London Symphony Orchestra), and ensembles from Birmingham, Bamberg, Freiburg, and Vienna. Also making guest appearances in Berlin will be Latvian Radio Choir radio and the "Latvija", the State Choir of the Republic of Latvia, singers Angela Denoke, Christiane Oelze, Matthias Goerne, Dietrich Henschel, and Thomas Quasthoff. Other invited soloists include Colin Currie, Håkan Hardenberger, Marco Blaauw, Steven Osborne, and Lars Vogt.
The center of musikfest berlin 09 will be the symphonic achievement of Dmitri Shostakovich. Interpreters include prominent Shostakovich experts such as conductors Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Forming provocative counterpoints to Shostakovich's symphonies will be works by Iannis Xenakis and Joseph Haydn, as well as compositions by Bartók, Janáček, Poulenc, Rachmaninov, Schnittke, Tishchenko, Gubaidulina, Britten, Turnage, Yun, Nono, Mozart, Schubert, Zemlinsky, Reger, Berg, B. A. Zimmermann, Eisler, Dessau, Enno Poppe, Helmut Lachenmann, and Hans Zender. Presented on the September 3 on the evening preceding the opening concert of musikfest berlin 09 will be Karlheinz Stockhausen's electronic composition Hymnen.
The main concert venue is the Berlin Philharmonic. An additional venue is the Konzerthaus at Gendarmenmarkt, which marks its 25 Year Jubilee. To take place in the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic will be two prestigious benefit concerts marking 25 years of the IPPNW Concerts and featuring top-flight performers. Press Office
2009/03/06
MaerzMusik Festival
As the international music Festival of the Berliner Festspiele, MaerzMusik not only familiarizes guests with the latest developments in contemporary music, but is also a consistent place of encounter, a much favored rendezvous point for composers, performers, and the public. Presented at the festival between March 20th and 29th will be 10 world premieres and 23 German premieres, with many composers in attendance. Delivering the welcoming address on March 20th at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will be composer Dieter Schnebel.
The thematic focus on the “American Avant-garde” has succeeded in luring several of the most important representatives of “Minimal und Conceptual music” to Berlin. Composer Ben Johnston – rediscovered to great acclaim in 2008 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage – will attend the German premiere of his String Quartet on March 22nd beneath the glass-roofed courtyard of the Jewish Museum. Steve Reich will be in Berlin to attend a performance of his Drumming (1971) in the Chamber Music Hall of the Philharmonie on March 25th. His most recent composition Double Sextet will be performed on March 27th at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele – a German first performance and a German debut of the Chicago ensemble eighth blackbird. To conclude this concert, the Curtis Ensemble, among others, will perform a work commissioned by MaerzMusik, a trio for clarinet, tuba and cello by Alvin Lucier. This sound artist – famous for his experimental work in the realm lying between art and science – will be present in Berlin for nearly the duration of the festival, and will participate together with Michael Nyman and Steve Reich in a podium discussion on the topic of The American Avantgarde Revisited on March 25th. Also commissioned to compose a piece for MaerzMusik is Christian Wolff. The son of publisher Kurt Wolff, who emigrated to the US in 1941, Wolff is a central figure in the contemporary music scene in the United States and will be present on March 28th for the world premiere of his For 2 Violinists, Violist and Cellist. Performing at the festival conclusion on Sunday, March 29th at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will be vocal composer Robert Ashley together with the MAE Ensemble Amsterdam.
An Englishman who has been consistently interested in musical events in the USA is composer Michael Nyman – well-known for his film scores, among them the one for The Piano. On March 26th at the Sonic Arts Lounge, he will present his first collaborative work with Carsten Nicolai (alva noto), pretty talk for george brecht.
Composers from Russia will in attendance present at a concert performance on March 22nd beneath the glass-roofed courtyard of the Jewish Museum: Valentin Silvestrov, Vadim Karassikov, Sergej Newski, Boris Filanovski, and Dmitri Kourliandski. Kourliandski, currently residing in Berlin as a DAAD Fellow, will present altogether five works during the festival, including two world premieres.
“Eurasische Schwellen” (Euroasian Thresholds) is the title of the concert scheduled for March 23rd at Radialsystem V. The Nieuw Ensemble of Amsterdam and MaerzMusik have jointly commissioned four compositions, and will be hence presenting the most recent works by Jamilia Jazylbekova from Kazakhstan, Farangis Nurulla-Khoja from Tadzchikistan, Artjom Kim from Uzbekistan, Tigran Mansurian and Petros Ovsepyan from Armenia. All four will be present at their premieres. And of course, French composer Mark Andre, who lives in Berlin, will be in attendance at the world premiere of his orchestral trilogy …auf…, performed in the Large Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic by Sylvain Cambreling and the SWR Sinfonieorchester. (press release)
As the international music Festival of the Berliner Festspiele, MaerzMusik not only familiarizes guests with the latest developments in contemporary music, but is also a consistent place of encounter, a much favored rendezvous point for composers, performers, and the public. Presented at the festival between March 20th and 29th will be 10 world premieres and 23 German premieres, with many composers in attendance. Delivering the welcoming address on March 20th at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will be composer Dieter Schnebel.
The thematic focus on the “American Avant-garde” has succeeded in luring several of the most important representatives of “Minimal und Conceptual music” to Berlin. Composer Ben Johnston – rediscovered to great acclaim in 2008 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage – will attend the German premiere of his String Quartet on March 22nd beneath the glass-roofed courtyard of the Jewish Museum. Steve Reich will be in Berlin to attend a performance of his Drumming (1971) in the Chamber Music Hall of the Philharmonie on March 25th. His most recent composition Double Sextet will be performed on March 27th at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele – a German first performance and a German debut of the Chicago ensemble eighth blackbird. To conclude this concert, the Curtis Ensemble, among others, will perform a work commissioned by MaerzMusik, a trio for clarinet, tuba and cello by Alvin Lucier. This sound artist – famous for his experimental work in the realm lying between art and science – will be present in Berlin for nearly the duration of the festival, and will participate together with Michael Nyman and Steve Reich in a podium discussion on the topic of The American Avantgarde Revisited on March 25th. Also commissioned to compose a piece for MaerzMusik is Christian Wolff. The son of publisher Kurt Wolff, who emigrated to the US in 1941, Wolff is a central figure in the contemporary music scene in the United States and will be present on March 28th for the world premiere of his For 2 Violinists, Violist and Cellist. Performing at the festival conclusion on Sunday, March 29th at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will be vocal composer Robert Ashley together with the MAE Ensemble Amsterdam.
An Englishman who has been consistently interested in musical events in the USA is composer Michael Nyman – well-known for his film scores, among them the one for The Piano. On March 26th at the Sonic Arts Lounge, he will present his first collaborative work with Carsten Nicolai (alva noto), pretty talk for george brecht.
Composers from Russia will in attendance present at a concert performance on March 22nd beneath the glass-roofed courtyard of the Jewish Museum: Valentin Silvestrov, Vadim Karassikov, Sergej Newski, Boris Filanovski, and Dmitri Kourliandski. Kourliandski, currently residing in Berlin as a DAAD Fellow, will present altogether five works during the festival, including two world premieres.
“Eurasische Schwellen” (Euroasian Thresholds) is the title of the concert scheduled for March 23rd at Radialsystem V. The Nieuw Ensemble of Amsterdam and MaerzMusik have jointly commissioned four compositions, and will be hence presenting the most recent works by Jamilia Jazylbekova from Kazakhstan, Farangis Nurulla-Khoja from Tadzchikistan, Artjom Kim from Uzbekistan, Tigran Mansurian and Petros Ovsepyan from Armenia. All four will be present at their premieres. And of course, French composer Mark Andre, who lives in Berlin, will be in attendance at the world premiere of his orchestral trilogy …auf…, performed in the Large Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic by Sylvain Cambreling and the SWR Sinfonieorchester. (press release)
2008/12/25
Vespro della Beata Vergine
"Vespro della Beata Vergine", de Claudio Monteverdi, foi apresentada em 23 de Dezembro na Konzerthaus Berlin. Neste concerto organizado pela Berliner Singakademie, esta obra de Monteverdi foi interpretada pela Schola Gregoriana Berlin (partes em canto gregoriano), o Ensemble Sans Souci, o Bassano Ensemble, o Kinder und Jugendchor der Berliner Singakademie e a Berliner Singakademie. Como solistas estiveram Cecile Kempenaers (soprano), Olivia Stahn (soprano), Markus Brutscher (tenor), Thomas Volle (tenor), Tobias Berndt (baixo) e Stefan Q. Drexlmeier (baixo). Tudo dirigido por Achim Zimmermann.
Foi um concerto impressionante, onde a fidelidade aos costumes musicais do tempo do compositor esteve a par com uma grande musicalidade que fez felizes todos os que encheram totalmente a Konzerthaus. Para o excelente resultado contribuiu igualmente a forma inteligente como foi explorada a tridimensionalidade da sala. Isso exigiu um movimento constante dos solistas, dos coralistas, e de um ou outro instrumentista. Dada a disciplina e organização com que tudo foi feito a concentração musical foi salvaguardada.
(kind of...)
Harold Pinter
In 1958 Harold Pinter wrote the following:
"There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false."
I believe that these assertions still make sense and do still apply to the exploration of reality through art. So as a writer I stand by them but as a citizen I cannot. As a citizen I must ask: What is true? What is false?
"Vespro della Beata Vergine", de Claudio Monteverdi, foi apresentada em 23 de Dezembro na Konzerthaus Berlin. Neste concerto organizado pela Berliner Singakademie, esta obra de Monteverdi foi interpretada pela Schola Gregoriana Berlin (partes em canto gregoriano), o Ensemble Sans Souci, o Bassano Ensemble, o Kinder und Jugendchor der Berliner Singakademie e a Berliner Singakademie. Como solistas estiveram Cecile Kempenaers (soprano), Olivia Stahn (soprano), Markus Brutscher (tenor), Thomas Volle (tenor), Tobias Berndt (baixo) e Stefan Q. Drexlmeier (baixo). Tudo dirigido por Achim Zimmermann.
Foi um concerto impressionante, onde a fidelidade aos costumes musicais do tempo do compositor esteve a par com uma grande musicalidade que fez felizes todos os que encheram totalmente a Konzerthaus. Para o excelente resultado contribuiu igualmente a forma inteligente como foi explorada a tridimensionalidade da sala. Isso exigiu um movimento constante dos solistas, dos coralistas, e de um ou outro instrumentista. Dada a disciplina e organização com que tudo foi feito a concentração musical foi salvaguardada.
(kind of...)
Harold Pinter
In 1958 Harold Pinter wrote the following:
"There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false."
I believe that these assertions still make sense and do still apply to the exploration of reality through art. So as a writer I stand by them but as a citizen I cannot. As a citizen I must ask: What is true? What is false?
2008/12/24
Malher supremo pela Berliner Philharmoniker
A Berliner Philharmoniker, dirigida por Zubin Metha, apresentou a terceira sinfonia de Gustav Mahler, 22 de Novembro, na Philharmonie, o último de quatro concertos com a mesma obra.
Lioba Braun foi a contralto e os grupos corais foram os Tölzer Knabenchor (crianças) e Damen des Rundfunkchors Berlin (mulheres).
Não é fácil escrever sobre este concerto... Quando se está perante uma orquestra como a Berliner Philharmoniker num concerto especialmente inspirado, porque dirigido por um chefe que conduz a orquestra a fazer o que de melhor e mais genial consegue, tudo o que posteriormente se escreve é pouco menos que desnecessário.
Claro... trata-se de uma sinfonia de Mahler, o mais genial e inspirado sinfonista de todos os tempos. Esta terceira sinfonia é uma obra que no contexto mahleriano desvela um "espírito" positivo e luminoso.
No primeiro andamento foi interessante a maneira como Mehta equilibrou por um lado uma certa linearidade nos diálogos das cordas com um tempo pausado que por vezes parecia que não conseguir manter o fluxo discursivo e que foi embalado num crescendo de tensão até à reexposição. O desempenho do primeiro trombone nos solos foi simplesmente fabuloso. O mesmo para o concertino.
Lioba Braun ofereceu-nos um dos momentos mais emotivos da sinfonia com uma voz que se integra completamente no "pathos" mahleriano, o mesmo acontecendo com os grupos corais.
O último andamento foi da ordem transcendental. Não é possível ser analisado em outra linguagem. Mas posso dizer que o público continuou a aplaudir mesmo depois da orquestra se retirar, obrigando Mehta a vir ao palco sózinho.
A Berliner Philharmoniker, dirigida por Zubin Metha, apresentou a terceira sinfonia de Gustav Mahler, 22 de Novembro, na Philharmonie, o último de quatro concertos com a mesma obra.
Lioba Braun foi a contralto e os grupos corais foram os Tölzer Knabenchor (crianças) e Damen des Rundfunkchors Berlin (mulheres).
Não é fácil escrever sobre este concerto... Quando se está perante uma orquestra como a Berliner Philharmoniker num concerto especialmente inspirado, porque dirigido por um chefe que conduz a orquestra a fazer o que de melhor e mais genial consegue, tudo o que posteriormente se escreve é pouco menos que desnecessário.
Claro... trata-se de uma sinfonia de Mahler, o mais genial e inspirado sinfonista de todos os tempos. Esta terceira sinfonia é uma obra que no contexto mahleriano desvela um "espírito" positivo e luminoso.
No primeiro andamento foi interessante a maneira como Mehta equilibrou por um lado uma certa linearidade nos diálogos das cordas com um tempo pausado que por vezes parecia que não conseguir manter o fluxo discursivo e que foi embalado num crescendo de tensão até à reexposição. O desempenho do primeiro trombone nos solos foi simplesmente fabuloso. O mesmo para o concertino.
Lioba Braun ofereceu-nos um dos momentos mais emotivos da sinfonia com uma voz que se integra completamente no "pathos" mahleriano, o mesmo acontecendo com os grupos corais.
O último andamento foi da ordem transcendental. Não é possível ser analisado em outra linguagem. Mas posso dizer que o público continuou a aplaudir mesmo depois da orquestra se retirar, obrigando Mehta a vir ao palco sózinho.
2008/12/20
Konzerthausorchester Berlin interpreta Prokofiev e Falla
Com a "Suite aus der Oper Krieg und Frieden", op 91, deu-se início ao concerto dirigido por Vladimir Fedoseyev que conseguiu conduzir a orquestra a grandes e poderosas sonoridades. Mas não foi para isto que as pessoas encheram a sala...
Foi para o concerto para piano e orquestra nr. 3, op 26. Alexei Volodin, ao piano, convenceu-nos de ser um grande solista. Mas não só: a orquestra conseguiu balancear o ritmo de Prokofiev com o clima de sonho e mistério que ele cria neste concerto, assim como no nr. 1 para violino e orquestra. São obras especiais onde o ritmo percutivo tem de coexistir com um ambiente de pianíssimos e legatos.
Volodin neste aspecto foi mestre: um ritmo marcado, seguro e contrastante electrificou a plateia mas o solista possui igualmente uma notória capacidade poética, como ficou demonstrado no segundo andamento. Não vale a pena dizer-se que Volodin possui um técnica suprema, porque isso é básico e pressuposto. A orquestra esteve exímia, sem dúvida também devido a Fedoseyev. Houve pequenos desacertos rítmicos entre o piano e a orquestra, pontuais, prontamente corrigidos, e irrelevantes face ao que nos foi oferecido.
Já no "Chapéu de 3 bicos", de Manuel de Falla, ficamos com algumas dúvidas. O casal de espanhóis que passa temporadas em Berlim por causa dos concertos, e que estava ao nosso lado, estava encantado. Fomos simpáticos e quando nos pediram a opinião dissémos que gostamos muito. Mas na verdade foi um Falla interpretado ao estilo de Prokofiev. Não foi mal, mas Falla pede um conceito interpretativo mais ao estilo de Ravel que de Prokofiev. Livios Pereyra
Com a "Suite aus der Oper Krieg und Frieden", op 91, deu-se início ao concerto dirigido por Vladimir Fedoseyev que conseguiu conduzir a orquestra a grandes e poderosas sonoridades. Mas não foi para isto que as pessoas encheram a sala...
Foi para o concerto para piano e orquestra nr. 3, op 26. Alexei Volodin, ao piano, convenceu-nos de ser um grande solista. Mas não só: a orquestra conseguiu balancear o ritmo de Prokofiev com o clima de sonho e mistério que ele cria neste concerto, assim como no nr. 1 para violino e orquestra. São obras especiais onde o ritmo percutivo tem de coexistir com um ambiente de pianíssimos e legatos.
Volodin neste aspecto foi mestre: um ritmo marcado, seguro e contrastante electrificou a plateia mas o solista possui igualmente uma notória capacidade poética, como ficou demonstrado no segundo andamento. Não vale a pena dizer-se que Volodin possui um técnica suprema, porque isso é básico e pressuposto. A orquestra esteve exímia, sem dúvida também devido a Fedoseyev. Houve pequenos desacertos rítmicos entre o piano e a orquestra, pontuais, prontamente corrigidos, e irrelevantes face ao que nos foi oferecido.
Já no "Chapéu de 3 bicos", de Manuel de Falla, ficamos com algumas dúvidas. O casal de espanhóis que passa temporadas em Berlim por causa dos concertos, e que estava ao nosso lado, estava encantado. Fomos simpáticos e quando nos pediram a opinião dissémos que gostamos muito. Mas na verdade foi um Falla interpretado ao estilo de Prokofiev. Não foi mal, mas Falla pede um conceito interpretativo mais ao estilo de Ravel que de Prokofiev. Livios Pereyra
2008/09/25
The Grand Finale of musikfest berlin 08
musikfest berlin 08 came to a resounding close with a grand festival finale in Hangar 2 of Tempelhof Airport. On the program were Karlheinz Stockhausen's Gruppen für drei Orchester and Olivier Messiaen's Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum, performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker under the direction of Principal Conductor Sir Simon Rattle and co-conductors Daniel Harding and Michael Boder. Also receiving a performance in the 4200 m² and 18-meter-tall Hangar 2 by the Ensemble intercontemporain under the direction of Susanna Mälkki was Messiaen's two hour long work Des Canyons aux Étoiles.
Making guest appearances beginning on September 4 at musikfest berlin 08 at the invitation of the Berliner Festspiele and in cooperation with the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker besides the five great symphony orchestras of the German capital were numerous top-flight orchestras from the international musical scene. Among the guests were the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam with Mariss Jansons, the Göteborgs Symfoniker with Alexander Briger, the London Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Harding, the Orchestre de Paris with Christoph Eschenbach, the SWR-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg with Sylvain Cambreling, as well as the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées with Philippe Herreweghe. Also invited were renowned soloists such as Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Akiko Suwanai, Michelle de Young, Angela Denoke, and Measha Brueggergosman.
At the center of the festival as a whole were the orchestral works of Olivier Messiaen - an homage to a great French composer, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. Performed together with orchestral music by Messiaen were works by Anton Bruckner and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Speaking at the festival's conclusion, Joachim Sartorius, general manager of the Berliner Festspiele, remarked that "Stockhausen once referred to a piano piece by Messiaen as 'fantastic music of the stars.' Over the past 18 days, these two composers, with Anton Bruckner at their side, have guided us through glittering, emotionally powerful, and ecstatic sound worlds, allowing us to experience transcendence."
On the program of musikfest berlin 08 were altogether 44 works by 18 composers, among others Richard Wagner, Alexander Zemlinsky, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Pierre Boulez, Arvo Pärt, Astor Piazolla, Francis Poulenc, Alexander Scriabin, Peter Eötvös, and Gérard Grisey. Wolfgang Rihm's Concerto "Séraphin" received its world premiere, performed at Radialsystem V by MusikFabrik under the direction of Emilio Pomárico. In honor of American composer Elliott Carter, who will turn 100 in December of this year, the Staatskapelle Berlin under the direction of Principal Conductor Daniel Barenboim performed a portrait concert featuring works from his most recent and highly productive decade.
musikfest berlin 09 took place between September 4 and 20. Detailed information on the upcoming season's program and on advanced sales will be announced in spring 2009. The press office, September 24.
musikfest berlin 08 came to a resounding close with a grand festival finale in Hangar 2 of Tempelhof Airport. On the program were Karlheinz Stockhausen's Gruppen für drei Orchester and Olivier Messiaen's Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum, performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker under the direction of Principal Conductor Sir Simon Rattle and co-conductors Daniel Harding and Michael Boder. Also receiving a performance in the 4200 m² and 18-meter-tall Hangar 2 by the Ensemble intercontemporain under the direction of Susanna Mälkki was Messiaen's two hour long work Des Canyons aux Étoiles.
Making guest appearances beginning on September 4 at musikfest berlin 08 at the invitation of the Berliner Festspiele and in cooperation with the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker besides the five great symphony orchestras of the German capital were numerous top-flight orchestras from the international musical scene. Among the guests were the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam with Mariss Jansons, the Göteborgs Symfoniker with Alexander Briger, the London Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Harding, the Orchestre de Paris with Christoph Eschenbach, the SWR-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg with Sylvain Cambreling, as well as the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées with Philippe Herreweghe. Also invited were renowned soloists such as Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Akiko Suwanai, Michelle de Young, Angela Denoke, and Measha Brueggergosman.
At the center of the festival as a whole were the orchestral works of Olivier Messiaen - an homage to a great French composer, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. Performed together with orchestral music by Messiaen were works by Anton Bruckner and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Speaking at the festival's conclusion, Joachim Sartorius, general manager of the Berliner Festspiele, remarked that "Stockhausen once referred to a piano piece by Messiaen as 'fantastic music of the stars.' Over the past 18 days, these two composers, with Anton Bruckner at their side, have guided us through glittering, emotionally powerful, and ecstatic sound worlds, allowing us to experience transcendence."
On the program of musikfest berlin 08 were altogether 44 works by 18 composers, among others Richard Wagner, Alexander Zemlinsky, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Pierre Boulez, Arvo Pärt, Astor Piazolla, Francis Poulenc, Alexander Scriabin, Peter Eötvös, and Gérard Grisey. Wolfgang Rihm's Concerto "Séraphin" received its world premiere, performed at Radialsystem V by MusikFabrik under the direction of Emilio Pomárico. In honor of American composer Elliott Carter, who will turn 100 in December of this year, the Staatskapelle Berlin under the direction of Principal Conductor Daniel Barenboim performed a portrait concert featuring works from his most recent and highly productive decade.
musikfest berlin 09 took place between September 4 and 20. Detailed information on the upcoming season's program and on advanced sales will be announced in spring 2009. The press office, September 24.
2008/09/11
Elliott Carter celebrates his 100th birthday
In his honor, Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin will perform a jubilee concert in the framework of musikfest berlin 08. Scheduled for September 15th in the Philharmonic, the program will include Soundings, Of Rewaking, Horn Concerto, and Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei. The two last-named works will be receiving their German first performances. This event serves as an upbeat to a series of concerts in Elliott Carter’s honor presented by the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Staatskapelle Berlin.
Daniel Barenboim has been an admirer of Carter's compositional artistry for many years, and has performed many of his works. For musikfest berlin 08, he has assembled an all Carter program, one designed (according to Barenboim) to be “as variegated as possible.” Barenboim is fascinated in particular by the complexity of this music. “I have always held Elliott Carter in the highest esteem as a composer. He is an endless source of knowledge about music. Moreover, there exists a personal tie between us: both of us studied with the same composition teacher – Nadia Boulanger.” Barenboim will be the soloist in the performance of Carter's piano concerto Soundings. “I'm simply delighted to perform an entire evening of his works in Berlin! A hundred years from now, people will refer to Elliott Carter as one of the most important figures in the musical scene during the second half of the 20th century.” (Daniel Barenboim)
Elliott Carter – who was born in New York City in 1908 – will be 100 years old in December. He cultivated friendships with Charles Ives and Gustav Holst, and studied languages, philosophy, piano, and oboe. Again and again, the phenomena of his times have spurred him on toward new compositional possibilities - one powerful influence was the literary modernity exemplified by such writers as Marcel Proust and James Joyce. Carter is one of the most important 20th century composers. musikfest berlin 08 celebrates his birthday at the Berlin Philharmonic. in musikfest berlin 08' s Press Release - 11 September
In his honor, Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin will perform a jubilee concert in the framework of musikfest berlin 08. Scheduled for September 15th in the Philharmonic, the program will include Soundings, Of Rewaking, Horn Concerto, and Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei. The two last-named works will be receiving their German first performances. This event serves as an upbeat to a series of concerts in Elliott Carter’s honor presented by the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Staatskapelle Berlin.
Daniel Barenboim has been an admirer of Carter's compositional artistry for many years, and has performed many of his works. For musikfest berlin 08, he has assembled an all Carter program, one designed (according to Barenboim) to be “as variegated as possible.” Barenboim is fascinated in particular by the complexity of this music. “I have always held Elliott Carter in the highest esteem as a composer. He is an endless source of knowledge about music. Moreover, there exists a personal tie between us: both of us studied with the same composition teacher – Nadia Boulanger.” Barenboim will be the soloist in the performance of Carter's piano concerto Soundings. “I'm simply delighted to perform an entire evening of his works in Berlin! A hundred years from now, people will refer to Elliott Carter as one of the most important figures in the musical scene during the second half of the 20th century.” (Daniel Barenboim)
Elliott Carter – who was born in New York City in 1908 – will be 100 years old in December. He cultivated friendships with Charles Ives and Gustav Holst, and studied languages, philosophy, piano, and oboe. Again and again, the phenomena of his times have spurred him on toward new compositional possibilities - one powerful influence was the literary modernity exemplified by such writers as Marcel Proust and James Joyce. Carter is one of the most important 20th century composers. musikfest berlin 08 celebrates his birthday at the Berlin Philharmonic. in musikfest berlin 08' s Press Release - 11 September
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