Zeneith
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE
Sphere
The
Rps.-180
October,2018
THE SOUND OF SCIENCE
Music and the mysteries of the universe
PICTURE PERFECT
Newly discovered Elgar works recorded
The art of photographing musicians
see page 06
EXPORT BAN
KEEPER OF THE FLAME
Instruments and endangered species
Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing turns up the Romantic heat in Norway
17
all about music Latest Music focus | Different Lane of World’s Musician
The latest crush of the readers
MOST EXCITING BOOKS COMING THIS YEAR (2019). Available on: official website- www.xyyz.com and also on-
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Iggy Azalea's 'Bad Girls Tour' Canceled On page 21
Travis Scott Performs 'Astrothunder' on 'SNL' With John Mayer and Kevin Parker SEE ON PG.04
Kanye West Deletes His Twit ter and Instagram Accounts see on 29 pg.
CONTENTS
05. SAMANTHA HANKEY
07. ELGAR WORKS 22. ARETHA FRANKLIN (RECORDED)
09.PAUL Mc CARTANEY 11. LANY
26.JEREMY JUCKER
13. JACK AND JACK 18.BOB GELDOF
20. ROSE MAC GOWAN
04
Travis Scott
Travis Scott Performs 'Astrothunder' on 'SNL' With John Mayer and Kevin Parker
NEWS
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ravis Scott performs on Bacardi Sound of Rum Stage during the 2018 Life Is Beautiful Festival on Sept. 22, 2018 in Las Vegas. He also brought 'Sicko Mode' to Studio 8H on Oct. 7. Travis Scott made his Saturday Night Live debut one to remember thanks to some unconventional stage props, gravity-defying stunts and an impromptu supergroup on Oct. 7. With John Mayer on guitar, Kevin Parker of Tame Impala on bass, producer Mike Dean and a mysterious blonde hanging out on a lone merry-go-round horse bobbing in the background, the rapper offered up a woozy mash-up of "Skeletons," which features Mayer, and "Astrothunder," a collaboration with Tame Impala, off his chart-topping Astroworld. For his second song in Studio 8H, Scott ditched the carnival lounge vibe for a surreal, dark and "sicko" detour. With eerie silhouettes and bright lights playing off the smoke flooding the stage, Drake's intro from "Sicko Mode" piped in before the Houston rapper rolled through the track while strapped into a spinning contraption before he eventually made his way to the floor.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Samantha Hankey
05
NEWS
Samantha Hankey wins inaugural Glynde bourne Opera Cup
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merican mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey has been named winner of theinaugural Glyndebourne Opera Cup.The competition was conceived tosupport new talent, and showcases highlytrained opera singers. Glyndebourne’s executive chairmanGus Christie said, ‘Glyndebourne takespride in supporting new talent and the Glyndebourne Opera Cup is a great new way for us to showcase the stars of tomorrow. ‘I’ve been incredibly impressed with the standard of the competitors throughout the competition’. Each instalment of the competitionwill have a different composer focus. This year, singers were required to sing Mozart,supported by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The ten finalists competed on 24 March.Samantha Hankey’s win of the top prize includes the guarantee of a role within five years at one of the top international opera houses represented on the competition’s jury – and £15,000. The Audience Prize went to 27-year-old Kosovan soprano Elbenita Kajtazi, who received a third of all votes cast by audience members. As a young girl, Ms Kajtazi was forced to flee her home in war-torn Kosovo, living with her family as a refugeein Albania.‘Every time there would be a dangerous situation – the soldiers would come into our house or something like that – I would find a corner and sing to myself,’ she said. ‘Singing was my way to be able to feel safe’.Commenting on her win she said: ‘The audience prize means that the audience loved me – what more could I ask for? It means the world to
me.’ Ms Kajtazi also took third place. Second place went to American soprano Jacquelyn Stucker, 28, currently a Jette Parker Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, where she recently performed the role of Frasquita in Barrie Kosky’s production of Carmen. The Ginette Theano prize for most promising talent was awarded to American soprano Emily Pogorelc, 21. Ms Pogorelc was the youngest competitor to reach the final and is currently entering her final year at the Curtis Institute of Music. The international jury for this year’s Glyndebourne Opera Cup included BarrieKosky, artistic director of Komische Oper Berlin; Sophie de Lint, artistic director of Zurich Opera and director designate of Dutch National Opera; David B DevanThe biennial competition will focus on a different single composer or strand of the repertoire each time it is held, in order to cater for the various specialisms within operatic training.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Queen 06 NEWS Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room reopen
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outhbank Centre’s Queen ElizabethHall (QEH) and Purcell Roomhave reopened, following two years of refurbishment. Southbank Centre Associate Orchestra Chineke! Orchestra performed at the reopening concert in the QEH (9 April). The performance featured the world premiere of Daniel Kidane’s Dream Song, which sets the words of Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech to music, marking the 50th anniversary year of Dr King’s assassination. The Southbank Centre venues have been given a much-needed makeover by architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Max Fordham, Arup and BAM Construction. ‘We’re excited to see the buildings emerge in all their Brutalist glory,’ Gillian Moore, Southbank Centre’s director of music told CM. ‘I feel like I have all of my limbs back now. We’ve had great support from St John’s Smith Square [the venue accommodated some events
during the renovation period] but it’s lovely to be back in our own home.’ Among the changes are improvements to the production infrastructure, including the replacement of the QEH’s two fixed lighting bridges – added in the 1980s – with a new flown bridge that can be retracted to disappear into the ceiling when not required. A new timber lining to the QEH stage will improve the acoustics for performers on stage. The previously dark QEH foyer will be much lighter, with an expanded space for performances and milling about. ‘It will be much quicker to get drinks in the interval,’ says Moore, ‘and there will be a space for performances in the foyer – we’ll be able to use the space more creatively. There will still be the same mix of worldclass classical music, but with greater versatility. It’s a great place to hear a piano recital, string quartet and a chamber orchestra.’
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
ELGAR WORKS RECORDED
Newly discovered Elgar works recorded
07
Latest updates
Two lost works by Elgar – plus two forgotten arrangements – have been recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, under the baton of David Lloyd-Jones, who discovered the pieces while editing the Elgar Complete Edition’s volume of Elgar’s Short Orchestral Works. Air de Ballet and Introduction to the Gavotte were reconstructed from parts discovered in the Elgar Birthplace archive. The arrangements – Pleading for solo violin and orchestra, originally a song for solo voice with piano, and the ‘Canto Popolare’ from In the South, for chamber orchestra – were published during Elgar’s lifetime, but remain virtually unknown. ‘Only two of the four novelties are strictly “discoveries”, the others being works that we knew about without realising quite what they were,’ Lloyd-Jones told CM. ‘The main one is Elgar’s first known orchestral composition, Air de Ballet. This I put together from a rather amateurish set of parts (a few by Elgar himself), which had been lurking at the birthplace. ‘There was no [complete] full score so I had to make one. ‘The Introduction to the Gavotte is also to be found at the birthplace and is one of the earliest works by Elgar that was publicly performed. He discarded it when he was asked by his publisher to make a suite of dances.’ Mr Lloyd-Jones believes the version of ‘Canto Popolare’ may have been mistaken for the middle section of In the South, when in fact it is ‘a considerably expanded and enriched composition in its own right. For some reason, this most attractive short piece has been very much neglected.’ The disc also includes a number of other rarely heard works and concludes with the version of Elgar’s last orchestral work, Mina, which has never been recorded in the version
that Elgar heard, and seemingly approved, shortly before he died. ‘The version that is usually performed was made by Haydn Wood after Elgar’s death,’ said Mr Lloyd-Jones. Since 2007, 15 lost works by Elgar have been unearthed in the editing of the Elgar Complete Edition volumes. Mr Lloyd-Jones said there is ‘absolutely no doubt’ about the authenticity of these works. ‘Elgar’s handwriting is unmistakable and several of the autograph scores are signed by him.’ The two newly discovered works provide useful insight into Elgar’s early compositional career. Air de Ballet reveals the kernel of Elgar’s original compositional voice (compared to the perhaps imitative works for wind quintet and the Powick Asylum band he had composed over the preceding years), while the short Introduction shows a significant step forward in his compositional ambition over the following six years. Elgar’s Short Orchestra Works by the BBC Concert Orchestra and David Lloyd-Jones (Dutton Epoch 7354) has now been released
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Twenty One Pilots
08
NEWS
Twenty One Pilots' 'Trench': Decoding the New Album's Hidden Meanings
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he latest era of Twenty One Pilots started with a trilogy of videos letting us into their interior world, laying out what it’s like to live in the minds of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. With the arrival of their fifth album Trench, much of their fervent fan base -- aka, the Skelton Clique -- expected the story to continue unfolding with the introduction of more characters and events. However, the album isn’t as straightforward as this. The narrative has unraveled somewhat; it’s more like a series of fables explaining what life is like inside the band's alternate universe.Strewn throughout the album are clues for those who care to dedicate far too much time to picking everything apart. So after already deconstructing “Jumpsuit,” “Nico and The Niners” and “Levitate,” let’s jump into Trench.While the entire album doesn’t tell one conceptual story from beginning to end, we still learn more about the world surrounding DEMA and Trench. Early in the album, one of the key discoveries comes with "Morph," at track three. Here, we learn the identity of Nico, the titular character of “Nico and The Niners” and one of Joseph's key adversaries in this narrative. His full name is Nicolas Bourbaki, which is the collective pseudonym for the scientists who invented the notation for zero or “empty set” -- the Ø used in much of the band’s branding over the yearsNico is but one of the nine bishops, and fans have theorized that each bishop represents a song from Blurryface, and each song represents a different personality trait of the character of Blurryface. There are no more direct mentions of the Nine throughout the album, so it feels more open-ended to project your own insecurities or negative traits onto the rest of the bishops.In “Pet Cheetah,” Joseph mentions that his house is the one with the vultures on the roof. Based on what we’ve learned already, this would suggest that his house is DEMA, where the vultures perch on the roof to pick apart their prey.Other callbacks on the album go back to specific lyrics from 2015's Blurryface and 2013's Vessel. In “My Blood,” Joseph sings, “If you find yourself in a lion’s den, I’ll jump right in and pull my pin.” This harkens back to the old fan favorite “Migraine,” in which he sings about being on a violent island full of suicidal, crazed lions trying to eat him while he collects weapons to fight back. It feels like there are no coincidences in the Twenty One Pilots universe; everything is intentional. If Joseph is so willing to jump in the lion’s den to save a friend, it could be because he previously learned how to fight against the “lions” and now knows how to defeat them. The track “Chlorine” begins with a deep voice asking where he’s been, which seems likely to be Blurryface, based on other uses of pitch-shifted voices.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Paul McCartney
09
NEWS
Paul McCartney, The National and Rock Acts Reign During Day 1 of Austin City Limits Festival 2018
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ock and roll lives at the 17th annual Austin City Limits Festival, and statistical proof existed even before its first weekend kicked off Friday (Oct. 5) at Austin’s Zilker Park with a slew of guitarsdrums-and-bass-dominant bands, crowned by an historic headlining set by Paul McCartney.
While it was common in its infancy, ACL Fest hasn’t hosted a proper rock legacy headliner since Neil Young’s 2012 performance with Crazy Horse. And although prominent electronic, pop and hip-hop acts like Odesza, Justice, Travis Scott and Camila Cabello also occupy prime spots this year, Metallica anchoring dual Saturdays for their ACL debut -- plus top-tier showings from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Deftones, St. Vincent, David Byrne, the National and Greta Van Fleet -- predestined a population dominated by diehard rockers who might normally pay ACL’s entry price for one of those acts alone. Macca, who until now has never booked consecutive weekends at a long-running U.S. festival, unquestionably deserves credit for the bulk of that turnout on Day 1. Friday night’s nearly 2-hour set undeniably delivered the goods with 31 career-spanning tunes, 19 of those classic Beatles tracks (including customary encore finale “Golden Slumbers” > “Carry That Weight” > “The End”), and one relatively recent addition to his standard fare from the Fab Four precursors the Quarrymen, the simple yet lovely acoustic ballad “In Spite of All the Danger.” Only two tracks from McCartney’s latest studio album Egypt Station (released Sept. 7) made the cut: piano-pounding stomp-and-shouter “Come On to Me” arrived early on (sandwiched by Wings’ “Letting Go” and “Let Me Roll It”) and “Fuh You” -- one of three new songs produced by OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder -- landed later (between “Lady Madonna” and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”) accompanied by an impressively vast contingent of fans already belting out every word. Almost certainly no other artist in ACL history, save for Willie Nelson in 2016, has ever drawn so many people to the sublimely skyline-backdropped main stage, and it was evident that many more among Friday’s acts benefited from such a predominantly rock-loving throng.
Main stage runner-up The National -- whose 5:45 p.m. performance marked a rare chance to catch the Cincinnati-bred band in daylight -- amassed an audience that stretched nearly as far as McCartney’s. Frontman Matt Berninger seized the moment, flailing and gesticulating wildly while basically barking out certain lines on walloping, wall-of-sound songs like “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” and “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” which was prefaced by an endorsement for Democratic U.S. House candidate Aftab Pureval (not coincidentally, Texas Democratic congressional candidate Julie Oliver introduced the band, urging non-registered eligible voters to get with the program by Texas’ Oct. 9 deadline regardless of party leanings).
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Taylor Swift and Maren Morris
10
NEWS
Taylor Swift and Maren Morris Team Up to Belt Through 'The Middle' in Texas: Watch
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aren Morris and Taylor Swift perform onstage during the reputation Stadium Tour at AT&T Stadium on October 5, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. The American leg of Taylor Swift's Reputation stadium tour is rolling through its final hours on Saturday (Oct. 6) in Arlington, Texas, but she's going out with a bang by singing through one of the year's biggest hits with one of the state's strongest songbirds. Maren Morris -- an Arlington native -- redefined the potential for pop-country crossover success with the January drop of "The Middle," her chartdominating collaboration with Zedd. Swift loves sharing the stage with close friends and favorite performers, so Morris was a perfect choice for the first of her two nights in Arlington, especially considering how "The Middle" has been stuck in the heads of listeners on a loop since the single first hit the airwaves. Both Swift and Morris hit social media with loving messages and video of their joyful duet after the performance, with Swift gushing about how she was so delighted she was "really just bopping like an 8 year old alone in my room." Morris responded by praising Swift and highlighting her role model status.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
LANY
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BULLETIN
LANY Talks New Album 'Malibu Nights,' Taking Chances and Staying True to Their Identity
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ith L.A.-based alt-pop trio LANY, there's no such thing as a sophomore slump. Instead of taking a break after their massive world tour in 2017, the band decided to immediately hop back into the studio to work on recording their highly-anticipated second studio album, Malibu Nights, out today (Oct. 5). Written in a whopping 45 days, Malibu Nights arrives just a year and a half after their self-titled debut LANY, and is their most vulnerable work to date.Malibu Nights sees members Paul Jason Klein (lead vocals/keyboard), Jake Goss (drums/sampling pad) and Les Priest (synthesizers/backing vocals/guitar) working in harmony to deliver a tight set of nine lush pop songs (after a 17-track debut LP) brimming with lyrics about love, longing and loss in the wake of heartbreak. Known best for their dreamy synth-pop melodies and layered vocals, LANY incorporate more guitar, piano and drums into their instrumentals on Malibu Nights -- new elements that shine brightest on songs like "Let Me Know," "Taking Me Back," and the intimate, piano-driven title track that closes the album. Because of their extreme dedication to their craft, LANY is now stronger than ever, and have successfully managed to stay true to what fans have come to love about them since their formation four years ago. "I think it's important no matter how big we get to stay true to how we've done it in the past," says Klein. "I always want to stay the same as 2014 even though I want to progress, evolve and get better. I want us to stay true to who we really are."Ahead of the release of Malibu Nights, LANY touched base with Billboard to discuss how this album differs from their self-titled debut, why this project is their bravest work yet and what their hopes and expectations are for the album. What prompted such a quick turnaround for Malibu Nights? It comes less than two years after your debut album, LANY.Paul Klein: It wasn't really on purpose. We played 135 shows last year, so the schedule was to chill, relax, try a few things if we wanted to and then go into the studio late July or August and work on album two. I just didn't really feel like chilling and I needed to go into the studio everyday. I was writing every single day and at the end of every day, I would send them what I would call skeletons of songs. It was a piano, vocal or a GarageBand demo of a song. Some were good and some weren't as good, then we realized this is an album.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Jack & Jack
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NEW ONE’S
Jack & Jack Unveil Breezy New Track 'No One Compares To You' On the heels of a smash hit collaboration with Jonas Blue, Jack & Jack are back with a new single, "No One Compares To You."
The upbeat tune with a dance-worthy drop details the struggle of not being able to truly replace someone you loved. "Every time I think I found somebody, I just wish that somebody was you/There’s no way that someone else could make me ever feel the same way that you do," the chorus muses. Michael Matosic (Lauv), Jake Torrey (Kiiara) and TMS (Dua Lipa) lent their writing talents to the incredibly catchy track
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Al Roker
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NEW ONE’S
Al Roker Talks Making His Broadway Debut in 'Waitress,' Dream 'Hamilton' Role
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rading cold fronts for costumes and seven-day outlooks for two hour performances, NBC’s Today Show staple Al Roker is stepping away from the green screen and onto the Broadway stage for his debut in the hit show Waitress, appearing in every show through Nov. 11 (with the exception of weekend matinees) as Old Joe, a frequent customer of the diner where lead character Jenna serves up her famed pies. Singing and dancing onstage for the first time is just the latest entry in the beloved morning TV personality's eclectic resume: a 13-time Emmy winner, he's written books, appeared on shows ranging from Seinfeld to 30 Rock, and launched a successful production company.No, no, no. I suppose, maybe in your deepest fantasies if somebody were to wave a wand...in the past, there were only two different plays where I thought, “Oh, if I could do that.” I remember my mother taking me to see Zero Mostel in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and The Producers. Those two roles — but I would have never, ever, ever attempted something like that. So when this came up it was like, "Well, what the heck?" It’s a small role and it doesn’t make or break the show. Thank God.[The Waitress team] reached out to my agent and said they thought I’d make a great Old Joe. After I got off the initial chagrin of somebody thinking I’d be perfect for a character named Old Joe, I was kind of flattered. My daughter, who went to LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, is the one who really wanted me to take the role --“Dad, you can do this! It’d be great! You can talk in pitch, it’d be fine!” Of course, she’s away at school now so she won’t be able to see her father get humiliated every night. But that’s okay.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Azoff Music
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NEW ONE’S
Azoff Music Management to Acquire MSG's 50 Percent Interest in Azoff MSG Entertainment
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zoff Music Management and the Madison Square Garden Company today (Oct. 8) announced an agreement for Azoff Music Management to acquire MSG’s 50 percent interest in Azoff MSG Entertainment for $125 million. Once the transaction is complete, subject to certain closing conditions including financing, the company will be called The Azoff Company. The news comes as The Madison Square Garden Company prepares to separate its sports and entertainment units during the first half of 2019 by way of a tax-free spin-of to all MSG shareholders, creating two publicly traded businesses.As part of the Azoff agreement, the Azoff Company and MSG have also entered into multi-year consultancy agreements, under which The Azoff Company will continue to advise MSG facilities like the Forum in Inglewood and the MSG Sphere initiative to build state-of-the-art venues in Las Vegas and London.Originally established in 2013, Azoff MSG Entertainment is a joint venture between MSG and Azoff Music Management with a buy-sell option that kicked in 2018 when the venture hit the five-year mark. The Azoff Company's assets includes Fullstop Management, performance rights organization Global Music Rights, the Oak View Group and LaneOne, a premium experience company.In 2014, Azoff MSG Entertainment opened the Forum in Los Angeles, creating an arena-sized venue specifically dedicated to music and concerts."I am extremely proud that my partner, Jim Dolan, and I built an innovative company which always put the artists’ and songwriters’ interests first," said Irving Azoff, who will serve as chairman and chief executive officer forThe Azoff Company. "The Azoff Company will build on this foundation of positive disruption and artist advocacy: we will continue to challenge antiquated parts of the entertainment business on behalf of artists and fans. The Azoff Company is proud to renew our commitment to the Forum and MSG’s transformative vision for the best possible, live entertainment experience.""Irving has been a valued business partner and we know that he will continue to enjoy incredible success in his company and in his continued role with us. This evolution of our relationship comes at a time when we are working to align all areas of our business to support our goal -- the creation of nextgeneration venues that will transform the live experience," said Jim Dolan, executive chairman and chief executive officer for The Madison Square Garden Company. “We will continue to rely on Irving’s relationships and expertise to help bring that vision to reality.”In February 2018, MSG announced its plans for MSG Sphere, state-of-the-art venues that are being built to pioneer the next generation of immersive experiences. The first MSG Sphere venue in Las Vegas, MSG Sphere at The Venetian, is expected to open during fiscal 2021, followed by a second MSG Sphere venue, to open approximately one year later in London.J.P. Morgan served as financial advisor to MSG and Centerview Partners served as financial advisor to Azoff Music Management.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
KEEPER OF 17 NEW ONE’S THE FLAME A chance discovery of a violin concerto by Norwegian composer Hjalmar Borgström was a turning point for soloist Eldbjørg Hemsing. She talks to Phillip Sommerich
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ith the release by the Swedishlabel BIS of a recording ofHjalmar Borgström’s violinconcerto, the international scene is beingoffered two Norwegian revelations at once. The album brings out of obscurity a richly romantic work written over a century ago, in the process transporting to the world stage the soloist, Eldbjørg Hemsing.The 28-year-old violinist says theopportunity for her debut recording came bychance when Terje Boye Hansen, a conductor and family friend, delivered to her home a large bundle of scores.‘He was a huge Borgström enthusiast andwas the one who had transcribed his originalmanuscripts into readable material,’ Hemsingexplains. ‘I took it back home and it collectedsome dust before I started looking at it. Then Isaw this violin concerto lying there and started playing it. I thought this is really beautiful and so complex – it was a fun discovery to make.’ Further research showed that the concerto had been played only twice in Norway, the performances 50 years apart, and the sole recording of it – on Norway’s Simax label – attracted little attention since its release in 2010. Bergstrom decided to end that neglect. As the work has gained notice, so has its youthful champion, particularly since the decision to record the concerto, paired with Shostakovich’s first concerto, performed with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Olari Elts. ‘It has been a rewarding journey to see how people discover Borgström,’ Hemsing says. That journey began with the Vienna players being confronted with a work that was entirely unknown to them, though its idioms proved familiar. ‘We had spent two days in the studio recording the Shostakovich and then they were confronted with this score and thought, “What is this?” There was a look
of surprise on their faces and then they said, “This is so beautiful” and they found a little bit of Sibelius in it, a bit of Brahms and even a bit of Beethoven.’ As she has toured the work around Scandinavia, she has seen other orchestras experience that revelation. But it is the eclectic mix of styles players detected in its sweeping melodic progress that may well have been fatal to the work’s success first time round. Hemsing suggests that the diversity of styles displayed by the concerto evoked disdain and rejection from music circles in Norway and elsewhere. ‘You have to look at what was happening elsewhere when he wrote the violin “The diversity of styles evoked disdain and rejection from music circles in Norway”
concerto in 1914,’ she says. Bergstrom’s enthusiasm for late-romantic style was seen as hopelessly passé in an era when Debussy and Stravinsky were seen as charting the way forward. That feeling was particularly intense in a country that had freed itself from centuries of being ruled by its neighbours Denmark and Sweden only in 1905. ‘Norway had only been free for few years and there was search to define what is Norwegianness, what does it sound like. Grieg was travelling around the country collecting traditional folk tunes, but Bergström was not into that, he was more interested in the ideals of German romanticism because he was in Leipzig and Berlin for many years studying and composing, and he was unlucky with his timing.’Bergström succumbing to Nordic harmonies,
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
BOB GELDOF
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Bob Geldof, Rita Ora & Ed Sheeran Issue Stark Warning Against Brexit 'Madness' NEW ONE’S
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ome of the U.K.’s biggest pop stars have joined forces to warn against the damage that a no-deal Brexit will have on the country’s music industry."We are about to make a very serious mistake regarding our giant industry and the vast pool of yet undiscovered genius that lives on this little island," reads an open letter addressed to British Prime Minister Theresa May drafted by Bob Geldof and published in the Observer newspaper.Its signatories include Ed Sheeran, Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Jarvis Cocker, Johnny Marr, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Rita Ora, The Clash’s Paul Simonon, Neil Tennant, Roger Taylor, Sting and classical composers Howard Goodall and Simon Rattle. Calling for an urgent rethink on Brexit, the letter claims that a no-deal Brexit -- whereby the Britain leaves the European Union with no formal agreement over trade relations -- impacts on "every aspect of the music industry. From touring, sales, copyright legislation, to royalty collation.""We dominate the market and our bands, singers, musicians, writers, producers and engineers work all over Europe and the world. In turn, Europe and the world come to us," states the letter. "But Brexit threatens, as it does so much else, this vast voice." It goes on to say that equipment and studio hire and touring costs have already increased as a result of a fall in the pound following the 2016 referendum, while "squeezed household incomes" mean less people have less money to spend on gigs and music.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Rose McGowan
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NEW ONE’S
Rose McGowan Slams #MeToo Move-
ment as 'Bulls---': 'They're Douchebags, Not Champions'
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ose McGowan has been at the forefront of the #MeToo movement since coming forward a year ago with allegations that Harvey Weinstein raped her. But now, she says that the movement is "bullshit," telling the U.K.'s Sunday Times Magazine that she feels unsupported by women's groups and others in the industry."I just think they're douchebags," she said. "They're not champions. I just think they're losers. I don't like them. How do I explain the fact that I got a GQ Man of the Year award and no women's magazines and no women's organizations have supported me?"McGowan also said that she has been excluded from what the story refers to as "#MeToo campaign lunches" and "survivors' brunches." "And I don't want to go, because it's all bullshit," she said. "It's a lie. It's a Band-Aid lie to make them feel better. I know these people, I know they're lily-livered, and as long as it looks good on the surface, to them, that's enough."McGowan also claims that it is "literally impossible" that Meryl Streep didn't know about Weinstein's alleged behavior before the claims became public, as Streep claimed; nor does she believe that Hillary Clinton, whom Weinstein supported and was friendly with, didn't know."I would take my years of support back [if I could]," McGowan said of Clinton. "Vociferous support. Even against Obama, I backed her." Asked jokingly if she'd ever run for office, McGowan replied seriously: "Yes. And I would run as a Republican. Just to fuck it up. Just to blow people's minds."McGowan also said she doesn't believe Weinstein's estranged wife, Georgina Chapman, didn't know about his alleged behavior, either, saying that Vogue should be "embarrassed" and "ashamed" for printing an interview with the fashion designer in which she claims to not have known.While she is no fan of President Donald Trump, McGowan said she does agree with him and his supporters on one thing: "They hate Hollywood for being faux liberals — and they're 100 percent right about that. It's a bunch of faux liberals. It's crap, and they know it is deep down, but they're living an empty life, and to me that's their punishment. They get to live the lives they live."McGowan, who says she doesn’t intend to act anymore, also said she chose not to have children so she could take on Weinstein: "I couldn't do that with a child. It would be too dangerous." McGowan also said she wants Weinstein to get "life in prison for all the lives he stole. And maybe then I'll have forgiveness, but not until then."
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Iggy Azalea
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NEW ONE’S
Iggy Azalea's 'Bad Girls Tour' Canceled
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he “Fancy” rapper confirmed on social media that the rest of her Bad Girls Tour has been canceled. Azalea took to Twitter to deliver the cancelation news. “Believe me i was really excited for this tour…and im genuinely disappointed it cant happen this year,” she wrote. “The choice was out of my hands and not call to make. I hope i will get to see you all in person one day. I love you,” she continued in her tweet.The Australian rapper was set to embark on a 21-city tour starting in Hollywood, Fl stops included Washington D.C., New York and Los Angeles and ending Dec. 4 in Houston. The tour was supposed to have featured rapper CupcakKe. Both Ticketmaster and Live Nation have the tour listed as canceled. Ticketmaster released a statement on their site: “This event has been canceled. Refunds at Point of Purchase only. Internet & Phone orders will automatically be canceled & refunded.” While Live Nation has all but four of the dates canceled Minneapolis, St. Louis, Salt Lake City and Hollywood, CA but the expectation is that those dates will not now go ahead.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Aretha Franklin
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Freeway of Love: Detroit Highway Could Be Renamed for Aretha Franklin
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fficials in Detroit are considering another way to remember legendary Motown singer Aretha Franklin. Detroit Democratic Rep. Fred Durhal III has proposed renaming a portion of M-10 for the Queen of Soul. The stretch would be from 8 Mile to Interstate 94. Franklin died in August at age 76 after battling pancreatic cancer. The road is now known by various names such as Lodge Freeway for a former Detroit mayor. Durhal says the section is near Franklin’s father’s church. The measure has 80 co-sponsors and could be heard before the legislature adjourns its two-year session late this year. The Detroit City Council acted last year to name a downtown street for Franklin and recently approved memorializing her in a city park .
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
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John Butler
John Butler Trio's 'Home' Arrives at No. 1 in Australia
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ohn Butler Trio’s Home (Jarrah/MGM) checks-in at No. 1 on Australia’s albums chart while George Ezra blasts away for a third week atop the singles survey with “Shotgun” (Columbia/Sony).Home is JBT’s seventh studio set and their fourth No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, following April Uprising (2010), Grand National (2007) and Sunrise Over Sea (2004).“I can’t express how grateful I am to the Australian community of fans that went out and made this album number one,” said band leader John Butler in a statement after his latest chart title. “With so many massive artists releasing at the moment I really didn’t think we had a chance. I’m just absolutely awe-struck by the love this album is getting and the ever-strengthening relationship I have with my audience after almost two decades."The ARIA Award-winning roots-rock outfit holds off fast-starting debuts from Cher (Dancing Queen via Warner) and The Living End (Wunderbar via BMG/Warner), which open at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively on the latest chart frame, while Eminem’s former leader Kamikaze (down 1-4, via Interscope/Universal) and The Best Of Cold Chisel: All For You (up 46-5 via Cold Chisel/Universal), complete the top 5. The doubleplatinum certified (140,000 units) Cold Chisel retrospective set enjoys a hot burst of activity following the commercial TV premiere of a documentary last week on its iconic frontman, Jimmy Barnes, whose own solo album, Working Class Boy - The Soundtracks (Bloodlines/Universal), returns to the top 20 after a five-week absence. Barnes’ Working Class Boy re-enters at No. 11.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Wu-Tang
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Wu-Tang Clan Sets Off a Weekend of Performances at Atlanta's A3C Conference
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n Wednesday (Oct. 3), Atlanta’s annual A3C Conference kicked off in the city’s center, steps away from Georgia State University. Each year, droves of aspiring MCs and their management teams storm the streets, networking and shaking hands -- always with their CD as the lead. Some come to the city with their most innovative ideas and others simply come for inspiration. In 2018, the halls of the Loudermilk building were flooded with artists hoping to hear a singular, potentially life-changing jewel from people like Tuma Basa (Director of Urban Music, YouTube), Cortez Bryant (Manager, Young Money) and so many others. Even the city’s mayor Keisha Bottoms had a speaking engagement. Those who were regular attendees of the conference from year to year somberly acknowledged that this would be the first A3C in some time where the voice of the late Reggie Osse of the Combat Jack Show wouldn’t be heard booming through the main room at Loudermilk as he conducted interviews with the best and brightest in the industry. Still, as he would say: “It never, ever stops.” It was a few years ago that the festival’s organizers decided to separate the shows from the conversations to make the conference and the festival two separate entities under the same umbrella. It was smartest thing they could’ve done. With the informational sessions being held throughout the week, the weekend was wide open for hours of live hip-hop.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
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Lil Wayne's
Lil Wayne's
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Set at A3C Festival EndsIn Chaotic Scenes
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brawl reportedly broke out during Lil Wayne’s concert Sunday night at A3C Festival, though confusion still reigns over how many were involved and whether, as some social media reports have claimed, firearms were involved. Footage from the scene appears to show the crowd quickly dispersing before the end of Wayne’s performance. Some say a fight erupted, causing fans to flee.Atlanta police say that they’ve been unable to locate any evidence to support claims that shots were fired. No serious injuries have been reported. A message from the festival organizers confirms an "altercation" ended Wayne's performance early. "This was a very unfortunate way to end what has been an otherwise amazing week of music, friendships and connections," a tweet reads. Investigations continue.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Jeremy Zucker
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Get to Know 'All the Kids Are Depressed' Singer Jeremy Zucker
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n this week’s “You Should Know,” Billboard is getting to know singer-songwriter-producer Jeremy Zucker, as he chats about his first job, his biggest accomplishment to date and his most significant musical inspirations. Zucker, who grew up in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, tells Billboard that his first ever job was working as a snowboard instructor at a ski mountain. He also reveals that if he had to eat one food for the rest of his life, he would choose baby carrots. “I love just munching on baby carrots,” he says. “But I don't think you can live like that.” When asked what his biggest accomplishment ever has been, the “All the Kids Are Depressed” singer shares that it has been graduating college. He notes that it was “really rough” trying to have a music career while also studying biology and pre-med.Zucker names Blink-182 as his biggest musical influence, revealing that he would never have even picked up a guitar and started writing songs in fifth grade if he hadn’t been “obsessed” with that band. In the video, Zucker also discusses his appreciation of Mac Miller’s music, calling Macadelic his favorite album right now. “That album, to me, really changed the way that I listened to music and thought about music,” he says. “Macadelic, to me, illuminated a lot of Mac's inner demons and stuff like that, and also the production was just really, really crazy. That album definitely changed my life.As for why he thinks people should listen to his music, Zucker states, “I think people should listen to my music if you wanna be honest with yourself about the way you're feeling.” “I make music because of the way that I feel and the way that I experience my everyday life,” he continues, “And it very much is a release for me to basically express the emotions that I feel everyday into music, whether it's happy, sad, or more complicated than that. If I'm doing my job well, when you listen to it, you'll feel those same things.”
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
Peter Bjorn and John
Peter Bjorn and John Need to Talk About a 'Gut
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Feeling' in Moody Lyric Video
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wedish indie rockers Peter Bjorn and John have debuted a flickering lyric video for their honest track “Gut Feel ing,” premiering exclusively on Billboard today (Oct. 8). The song will appear on the band’s up coming album Darker Days. The new visual features ghostlike figures of the band, fading in and out of a black-andwhite shaded rehearsal space as they play the upbeat song. “Gut Feeling” was actually inspired by a reallife conflict within the band, as Bjorn tells Bill board, and the lines “I think we need to talk about it, if we don’t wanna live without it” came subconsciously as he was waiting back stage for soundcheck during one gig a few years back. “We had played together for almost
20 years and I felt we really needed to talk and straighten some things out, otherwise the band would maybe cease to exist,” he shares. “We actually did talk on that tour, and conflicts were resolved. It all became fun again.”Bjorn also points out the song’s drum-oriented pop sound, which he sees as a nice callback to early PBJ favorites like “Second Chance” and “Young Folks.” “We relied heavily on other people the last few years, but on this album we made everything ourselves again, and that felt really good,” he says. “We wanted to write simpler songs with distinct riffs that were more like our earlier albums, our indie roots.” Darker Days is due Oct. 19. Check out the “Gut Feeling” lyric video below, and see the band’s upcoming tour dates after the jump.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
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Ozzy Osbourne
NEW ONE’S
Ozzy Osbourne Undergoes Hand Surgery Due to Infection, Postpones California Concert Ozzy Osbourne at the Camden Roundhouse in London. Ozzy Osbourne has been hospitalized due to an infection and forced to cancel his Saturday night (Oct. 6) show in Mountain View, Calif. Treatment for the infection required surgery on the singer's hand earlier in the day, according to an announcement made on his website and on social media "Osbourne will spend a couple of days at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles where he'll remain under doctor's care as they monitor the infection," states the update, which features a picture of his bandaged hand."Feeling better after surgery. Ice cream helps," Osbourne chimed in on Twitter later in the day.The Oct. 6 concert has been rescheduled for Oct. 16, and tickets for the original date will be honored that night. Refunds are also available at point of purchase. Osbourne is expected to return to his tour Tuesday (Oct. 10), with concerts in Chula Vista, Los Angeles and Las Vegas that week.See Osbourne's photos from the hospital, as well as a link to the full briefing, below.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
KANYE WEST
new one’s
Kanye West Deletes His Twitter and Instagram Accounts
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anye West attends the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Event held at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park during New York Fashion Week on Sept. 7, 2018 in New York City. Kanye West's Twitter and Instagram accounts no longer exist. The rapper's social media presence has apparently vanished as of Saturday (Oct. 6).It isn't the first time West has deleted his social media accounts without warning. He stayed off of Twitter for nearly a year, making his return this past April, and recently went back to Instagram as well.West had come under fire as of late for his support of Donald Trump on SNL and on social media, where he also published a tweet suggesting "we abolish the 13th amendment" of the U.S. Constitution -- the amendment that brought an end to slavery when it was ratified in 1865. In since-deleted messages clarifying his words, he added "the 13th Amendment is slavery in disguise meaning it never ended" and "not abolish but. let’s amend the 13th amendment."Chris Evans slammed West for his comments last weekend, responding to his tweets with "There’s nothing more maddening than debating someone who doesn’t know history, doesn’t read books, and frames their myopia as virtue." Lana Del Rey also left a cutting message for West, who was sporting a "Make America Great Again" cap on Instagram, in his comments section. "Trump becoming our president was a loss for the country but your support of him is a loss for the culture," she said.West was expected to drop new album Yandhi last weekend, but it has not yet been released. He's since told TMZ that he plans to go to Africa to record more new music.
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
LIVE CONCERT OF KETTY PERRY
EVENT (CHAINED TO THE RYTHM) in LAS VEGAS @chainetorythm.com
visit the sites for more details
@chainedtorythm.com
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
FINNISH RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
LARKS L A C I CLASS
WESTERN, CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE | oct, 2018
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