BACKThis is what Bristol’s Colston Hall is called now
Bristol’s flagship concert venue no longer shares its name with a slave trader, in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. Bristol’s Colston Hall, previously named after a 17th-century slave trader, has changed its name to Bristol Beacon. The landmark name change comes after Black Lives Matter protests in the city, which saw Edward Colston’s statue toppled and thrown into the harbour.
Bristol Music Trust, which runs the venue, said it hoped this would mark “a fresh start for the organisation and its place in the city”.
The venue, which has hosted classical artists from Philip Glass to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, is currently closed for multimillion-pound refurbishment.
Bundesverdienstkreuz für Bürger, Europäer und Pianist Igor Levit
Der Pianist Igor Levit wird am 1. Oktober mit dem Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ausgezeichnet. Levit habe mit seinen täglichen „Corona-Hauskonzerten” zu Beginn der Pandemie „aus der Isolation heraus ein Miteinander über Grenzen hinweg entstehen lassen,” heißt es in der Würdigung des Bundespräsidenten. Insgesamt ehrt Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier an diesem Tag 15 Bürger*innen.
„Die sieben Frauen und acht Männer haben sich durch außerordentliche Leistungen verdient gemacht: Sie helfen, die Corona-Pandemie zu bewältigen, fördern das Zusammenwachsen von Ost und West und tragen dazu bei, Vorurteile in unserer Gesellschaft abzubauen”, teilte das Bundespräsidialamt am Dienstag, 22. September, mit.
Federal Cross of Merit for Citizen, European and Pianist Igor Levit
Pianist Igor Levit is awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on 1 October. With his daily “Corona House Concerts” at the beginning of the pandemic, Levit “brought about a sense of togetherness across borders out of isolation,” according to the President’s tribute. On this day, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honoured 15 citizens total.
“The seven women and eight men have rendered outstanding services: they are helping to overcome the corona pandemic, promoting the growing together of East and West and helping to reduce prejudices in our society,” the Office of the Federal President announced on Tuesday, 22 September.
Le festival Musica de Strasbourg poursuit sa mue
Le virage amorcé l’année dernière par Stéphane Roth, nouveau capitaine du festival Musica, se confirme.
Nouveaux partenariats, nouveaux lieux, mais surtout, induite par une volonté de renouveler le public, porosité accrue entre les musiques – écrites, improvisées, électriques… -, entre la musique et les autres arts. Davantage de théâtre donc, davantage de « performances », un peu plus de concept aussi, de relectures et de déconstruction. Les grandes figures de l’avant-garde historique passent à l’arrière-plan.
Même si le week-end d’ouverture du festival Musica laisse une part majoritaire à la musique écrite, la dimension performative est clairement mise en avant. Deux personnalités sont à l’honneur : tandis que Ryoji Ikeda, l’ex-DJ devenu compositeur autodidacte, incarne la liberté face aux artistes issus des formations académiques, Simon Steen-Andersen a pour sa part fréquenté les académies musicales avant d’y enseigner lui-même. Pourtant, il dynamite dans sa musique tout ce qui pourrait y paraître un tant soit peu convenu, affichant une inventivité débridée.
The Musica de Strasbourg festival continues its transformation
The turnaround initiated last year by Stéphane Roth, the new captain of the Musica festival, is confirmed.
New partnerships, new venues, but above all, induced by a will to renew the audience, increased porosity between music – written, improvised, electric…-between music and the other arts. So more theatre, more “performances”, a little more concept too, more re-reading and deconstruction. The great figures of the historical avant-garde are moving into the background.
Even if the opening weekend of the Musica festival leaves a majority share to written music, the performative dimension is clearly highlighted. Two personalities are in the limelight: while Ryoji Ikeda, the former DJ turned self-taught composer, embodies the freedom from artists from academic backgrounds, Simon Steen-Andersen for his part attended music academies before teaching there himself. However, he dynamites in his music everything that might seem a bit conventional, displaying an unbridled inventiveness.