This Sunday, Grzegorz Jarzyna’s new production of Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) opens at the State Opera in Munich, in a double bill alongside Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges.

Kent Nagano conducts John Daszak in the lead role.

The première will be broadcast live on BR-Klassik Radio at 7pm on Sunday 27th February (Munich time).

Visit the State Opera website for a podcast on the production (in German); see their blog for photos and news; and find them on Facebook for more updates.

Update 28.02.2011

Video introduction to the Munich production (in German):

See more photos from Munich.

It’s not so often that we have a Mahler world première to announce, so we’re particularly happy about the new arrangements of Alma Mahler’s 3 Frühe Lieder, which Clytus Gottwald has arranged for a cappella choir.

The SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart gives the world première tomorrow, conducted by Marcus Creed.

See more Clytus Gottwald arrangements.

One of the most interesting new editions in our spring collection is Mike Cornick’s Play the Piano!, a “complete step-by-step guide for beginners”.

The book is specifically targeted at adult beginners and those we call “returning beginners”.

Play the Piano comes with a CD with play-along tracks and audio exercises. Check out the example pages, audio samples and a range of free downloads on our website.

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra present a combination of two profound works this week: Mozart’s Requiem and Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel.

Read a programme note on the SFS website, and listen to an audio excerpt online.

Performances are from Wednesday 23rd to Saturday 26th February at the Davies Symphony Hall.

Update 25.02.2011

The first reviews of this concert have appeared:

“The piece is a virtuoso display of minimalist lyricism, and the few performers onstage gave it a mesmerizing performance.” (A Superb Rothko Chapel, Joshua Kosman in the San Francisco Chronicle)

“[Michael Tilson Thomas] recreated the unique sound world that set the composer apart from his colleagues.” (Alan Ulrich, Financial Times)

From Twitter:

@alexrossmusic Alex Ross
“In all of 20-century music there is nothing more hauntingly beautiful than Rothko Chapel. #pronouncement”

In the New York Times, Vivien Schweitzer looks forward to the next performance of Georg Friedrich Haas’ in vain, performed by the Argento Chamber Ensemble.

Vivien Schweitzer’s 2009 review of their first New York performance is here: Growls and Harps, in the Dark

This Thursday, Friedrich Cerha turns 85. Among the celebrations is a concert dedicated to his honour at the Vienna Konzerthaus.

Various articles have already been spotted in the Austrian press, such as Die Presse, Der Standard and also at the ORF.

Stefan Herheim's production of Lulu, first seen in Copenhagen last autumn, now comes to the Norwegian Opera in Oslo.

The production includes the new realisation of the third act by Eberhard Kloke.

Opening night is 16 February.

Video excerpts from the Copenhagen production:

The German première of the new third act will be given in Erfurt this June.

Georg Friedrich Haas’ 3rd String Quartet, In iij. Noct., receives its British première this Saturday at Leeds University’s 2011 Contemporary Music Festival (link opens a PDF file).

The performance is given by the Kairos Quartett, long time champions of Haas’ string quartets and veterans of this unique work – performed as it is in absolute darkness.

Wolfgang Rihm’s one-act opera Das Gehege returns to the Hamburg State Opera this Thursday (10th February) for a further three performances.

Das Gehege is presented in an evening-length programme called Trilogie der Frauen* [Trilogy of Women], which includes Schönberg’s Erwartung and Oscar Strasnoy’s Le Bal.

Watch a video presentation of the production

* not to be confused with Rihm’s own trilogy Drei Frauen, which consists of Aria/Ariadne, Das Gehege and the Penthesliea Monolog.

Alex Ross reports that the New York Philharmonic will be performing Stockhausen's Gruppen in June 2012 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. The concert also includes Boulez' Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna.

The concert is not on the NYPhil website yet, but we'll keep our eyes peeled.

My colleagues have just made this poster to be displayed at the Mayrische Musikalienhandlung in Salzburg this spring, where Friedrich Cerha will be awarded the Music Prize of the State of Salzburg.

The latest addition to the illustrious list of conductors in our Mahler interview series is Sir Simon Rattle.

Sir Simon talks to UE about his own very personal relationship with Mahler’s music and the challenges for a conductor when performing his music.

Georg Friedrich Haas’ new work for six microtonally-tuned pianos, limited approximations, can be heard on SWR2 Radio tonight (02.02.2011, 23:03 CET). The work was given its world première at the Donaueschingen Festival last autumn, where the SWR Symphony Orchestra awarded it the Composition Prize 2010. 

See more radio broadcasts here.

Today's Performance on 3 from BBC Radio 3 includes last week's concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. Melanie Diener and Thomas Hampson are the soloists in Alexander Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony. Listen online for another 7 days.