We have just published a new comprehensive catalogue of chamber operas, music theatre works and reduced versions of operas.

Download a PDF file of the catalogue (21MB)

The London Sinfonietta presents a portrait of Harrison Birtwistle at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London tonight. David Atherton conducts.

On the programme are Cortege, Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum, 5 Distances for 5 Instruments and the the UK première of In Broken Images.

In the first half of the concert, Tom Service talks to Harrison Birtwistle about his music.

Watch Birtwistle in conversation with the Southbank Centre’s Gillian Moore.

Watch on YouTube.

We’re looking for a music retailer for our shop in the centre of Vienna. Please distribute as widely as possible.

Unsere Musikalienhandlung in Wien, Musik Müller, sucht zum ehebaldigsten Eintritt eine(n) engagierte(n) Vollzeit-

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Ihr Profil:

• MusikalienhändlerIn, oder Berufserfahrung in einer eng verwandten Branche
• Gute musikalische Kenntnisse, aktives Interesse insb. an klassischer Musik und am Wiener Musikleben
• Englisch, weitere Fremdsprache vorteilhaft; EDV-Anwenderkenntnisse
• Initiative Persönlichkeit, Freude am kompetenten, freundlichen Umgang mit Kunden
• Sie sind leistungsorientiert, flexibel, und scheuen Herausforderungen nicht

Sie trauen sich zu:

• das Geschäft mit einem kleinen qualifizierten Verkaufsteam selbständig zu führen
• Einkauf, Sortimentspolitik und Ablauforganisation im Laden zu optimieren
• im aktiven Verkauf und in der Kundenberatung Akzente zu setzen
• wichtige Kunden wie Musikhochschulen, Musikschulen und Bibliotheken optimal zu betreuen
• bei Projekten (EDV, Web) aktiv mitzuarbeiten

Wir freuen uns auf Ihre aussagekräftige Bewerbung mit Foto per E-Mail an:

Mayrische Musikalienhandlung
Herr Mag. Hruschka
hruschka@mayrische.at

Wir bieten ein angenehmes unterstützendes Arbeitsumfeld im Konzern des renommierten Klassik-Musikverlages Universal Edition und eine leistungsgerechte Entlohnung je nach Ausbildung und Berufserfahrung.

Here’s the latest video from the Austrian initiative Kunst hat Recht (Art Has Rights).

“It has never been so easy to take someone’s art away”

More information (in German) at Kunst hat Recht.

Watch on YouTube.

Conductor Ilan Volkov introduces the New Century concerts by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Volkov and the BBC SSO perform Schönberg, Berg and Webern on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Watch the video on YouTube.

Pass the Spoon is a ‘sort of opera’ composed by David Fennessy in collaboration with visual artist David Shrigley and director Nicholas Bone.

Watch the full video now on the new thespace.org website.

Pierre Boulez receives the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the Venice Biennale.

The director of the music sector, Ivan Fedele, stated:

“This is a recognition of the absolute value of an artist who has lived through the history of contemporary music, offering the entire world compositions that, in the opinion of musicologists and artists from around the world, are true masterpieces of modernity.

The Maestro’s work has also expressed itself in the theoretical field with exemplary books that have served as a guide and model for generations of young composers. Furthermore, as a conductor, Boulez has offered interpretations of the classical and contemporary repertoire that are now considered milestones.”

Congratulations maestro!

Read more on the Biennale website

Glyndebourne Festival will open on May 20 and is running until August. It starts with a new production of Leos Janácek’s Cunning Little Vixen, directed by Melly Still. Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Read an interview with Lucy Crowe (Vixen) in the Daily Telegraph.
Read an interview with Melly Still in the Sunday Express.

Following a successful partnership with the Guardian last year, glyndebourne.com and guardian.co.uk will stream Janácek's opera live from the Festival.

Eberhard Kloke’s new arrangement of Lulu for chamber orchestra – including his new version of the third act – is given its world première in Giessen tomorrow night.

The smaller orchestration opens up Berg’s masterpiece to smaller theatres and stages that previously struggled with the size of the orchestra.

Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra give the world première of Colin Matthews’ new version of Mahler’s Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde tonight.

The work is part of a complete performance of Das Lied von der Erde at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

Matthews’ version has a slightly lighter orchestra than Mahler’s original, giving the tenor soloist (tonight Lars Cleveman) a greater prominence.

Happy Birthday Keith Jarrett!

Here is our special edition rerelease of the legendary ECM recording of Arvo Pärt's Fratres by Gidon Kremer and Keith Jarrett from 1984.

The Opera Group and the London Sinfonietta perform Harrison Birtwistle's Bow Down this May.

Watch rehearsals with the composer here:

Watch on YouTube

German speaking composers, librettists and authors should have a look at the Netzwerk Neues Musiktheater Rheinsberg.

The aim of the project is to establish a competence centre for 21st century music theatre at Schloss Rheinsberg.

The Netzwerk is coordinated by Cornelia Heger, who is also currently developing a new production of Vykintas Baltakas’ music theatre work Cantio.

Please share this information with your contacts.

David Fennessy's opera Pass the Spoon is on at the Southbank Centre in London this weekend.

Here's the trailer:

Watch on YouTube

Contemporary music for half a century. CD label Wergo is celebrating its 50th birthday with a special edition 5 CD set.

The CD set contains classic 20th century works by Cage, Nono, Schnebel, Stockhausen and Stravinsky.

The Stockhausen CD includes:

Kontra-Punkte, Refrain, Zeitmaße and the Schlagtrio.

Happy Birthday Wergo!

Happy Birthday Valery Gergiev!

Watch him here talking about the music of Gustav Mahler

Watch on YouTube