Musikblätter 2 - the new UE newsletter

News and information from Universal Edition

Dear music lovers,

We were very happy about the positive reaction to the first edition of Musikblätter (read it here); we saw it as a sign that there is a great need for thorough and more substantial information, and in the future we will be following this newfound path by providing you with material to help you plan the events you wish to attend. As usual, the service section contains comprehensive summaries of our publishing activities: new editions, scheduled première performances, discoveries, new additions to our catalogue, CDs and DVDs, as well as a selection of important concerts.

The editorial section includes interviews in which no fewer than four of our composers speak their minds:

Arvo Pärt candidly recounts the difficulties and harassment he had to put up with in his homeland Estonia at the outset of his career before he became a success in the West. He also explains why he developed the Tintinnabuli style and the artistic crises he had to overcome: “The truth is that I matured very late.”

Wolfgang Rihm (who turns 60 on 13 March) provides information on the conditions affecting the composing process: “Art is a radically individual affair which always harbours human freedom as its starting point and its objective.” Celebrated Rihm interpreters have supplied us with very personal birthday wishes.

As for the countries topic, Spain is the focus in this issue. Cristóbal Halffter, doyen of Spanish composers, recalls the times when he suffered under the Franco dictatorship in his homeland and muses on the regime’s effects on the artistic scene. He also speaks about his newest opera project Schachnovelle, based on the novel by Stefan Zweig.

Mauricio Sotelo, who celebrated his 50th birthday on 2 October, allows us a look into his workshop. It is utterly fascinating to learn how he discovered a new aesthetic through his friendship with great flamenco performers. His latest opera project is devoted to the novel El público by Federico García Lorca.

We also include a closer look at Zemlinsky, featuring contributions from James Conlon and Antony Beaumont, who regard Zemlinsky as a confidante they never knew. A work analysis is devoted to Luciano Berio’s Sequenze; we present the new critical edition of Kurt Weill’s cantata Der neue Orpheus, while Eberhard Kloke reports on his reduced version of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, and with David Fennessy we present the newest UE arrival from Ireland.

Enjoy this issue of Musikblätter!

The UE Promotion Team

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