BACKClassical News
In today’s news James Levine, music director at New York’s Metropolitan Opera retires for health reasons, David Bowie’s Blackstar is the best-selling vinyl of the past year, Alan Loveday has died at age of 88 and John Wilson explains how the BBC Proms audience is different to any other.
BBC
Met Opera director James Levine to retire after 40 years
James Levine, the music director at New York’s Metropolitan Opera for 40 years, is to retire for health reasons. Levine, 72, will step down in May at the end of the current 2015-16 season.
BBC
David Bowie’s Blackstar is the best-selling vinyl of the past 12 months
The star’s swansong even outsold Adele’s 25 – despite the fact it was only released on 8 January.
The Strad
Long-time Academy of St Martin in the Fields violinist Alan Loveday has died aged 88
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields has announced the death of violinist Alan Loveday on 12 April at the age of 88.
Classical Music Magazine
637,056 LP albums were purchased between January and March 2016, representing an increase of 61.8% on the corresponding three-month period in 2015.
The Telegraph
John Wilson: ‘The Proms audience is unlike any other’
The John Wilson Orchestra made their debut at the Proms in 2009 with a unique selling point. They are a symphonic orchestra with a big jazz band, which means they can combine classical music with lighter fare, such as Hollywood musicals from the Fifties.
BR KLASSIK
Generalmusikdirektor James Levine tritt zurück
40 Jahre lang war James Levine Chef des Metropolitan Opera Orchesters in New York. Heute gab die Met bekannt: Der Generalmusikdirektor gibt zum Ende der laufenden Saison 2015/16 sein Amt aus gesundheitlichen Gründen auf.
KulturPort.de
Die Sopranistin und Mitglied des Internationalen Opernstudios der Hamburgischen Staatsoper Christina Gansch und der Tänzer des Hamburg Ballett Marc Jubete Bascomptesind die diesjährigen Träger des Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer-Preises. Der Eduard Söring-Preis geht in diesem Jahr an den Solo-Trompeter Andre Schoch.
klassik.com
Rundfunkbeitrag: Mal ‘runter, mal ‘rauf
Für die Jahre 2017 bis 2020 fordern ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio einen Betrag von 38,5 Milliarden Euro, rund 10 Prozent mehr als in der laufenden Gebührenperiode. Die Kommission zur Ermittlung des Finanzbedarfs der Rundfunkanstalten (KEF) hat dagegen vorgeschlagen, den Rundfunkbeitrag in den nächsten vier Jahren um einen Cent pro Tag zu senken.
The Vinyl Factory @TheVinylFactory Vinyl sales expected to smash 3 million mark in the UK this year: http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/david-bowie-%E2%98%85-blackstar-biggest-selling-vinyl-last-12-months/ …
Black Dress Code @black_dresscode Condolences to all #Beliebers & #Directioners but HUGE congrats to @realaled and the success of his #classical album
Classic FM @ClassicFM Wishing Sir Neville Marriner a very happy 92nd birthday! @johnsuchet1 has one of his finest recordings coming up.
Photograph: Steve Schapiro, published by the Powerhouse Books