On An Overgrown Path

Update June 4 2007, court verdict via this link. The renowned conductor Robert King (right), who has worked on Hollywood blockbusters as well as winning international acclaim for his work on authentic instrument performances of early and baroque music, was charged yesterday with indecently assaulting three males, one aged under 16, more than 20 years ago. Scotland Yard said Mr King was charged with five counts of indecent assault on three men, identified only as A, allegedly assaulted once in 1985, B allegedly assaulted twice between April and September 1985, and C, allegedly assaulted once between 1982 and 1984, who was under 16 at the time. Mr King, who lives in west London, is due to appear before Ealing magistrates court on July 19. Mr King founded The King's Consort period instrument orchestra and choir, in 1980, aged 20, while still a student and chorister at St John's College Cambridge. He has won many awards during a varied career as musician, author, and broadcaster...

At first sight it's really great news. The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden has announced the launch of their own Heritage Series label with plans to build a catalogue of 20 operas over a four year period. The first two releases are even better, the Otello which was Rafael Kubelik's first production at Covent Garden (left) as Music Director in 1955, and a 1959 Lucia from Joan Sutherland's first run of performances in the role with which she is most associated. But it is worth looking behind the scenes of the Royal Opera's Heritage Series label. It is billed as ' an important collaboration between The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, IMG Artists Audio Visual Division and BBC Radio 3'. But IMG Artists are very much in the driving seat of the project, and they describe themselves as 'the global leader in the arts management business'. They represent a raft of performers from John Adams and Thomas Adès to Jiri Belohlavek - who is Chief Conductor of...

'If I were a dictator I should make it compulsory for every member of the population between the ages of four and eighty to listen to Mozart for at least one-quarter of an hour daily in the coming years' - Sir Thomas Beecham Any copyrighted material on these pages is included in "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and other errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk If you enjoyed this post take An Overgrown Path to An equal status with the Twelve-Tone boys ...

Much trumpeting in the just published 2005/6 BBC Annual Report and Accounts about the success of the BBC Beethoven MP3 file downloads. But sadly the BBC has the wrong orchestra doing the trumpeting as the following extract shows: 'Remit - BBC Radio 3 is centred on classical music, and also aims to provide a broad spectrum of jazz, world music, drama and arts programmes. It focuses on presenting live and specially recorded music from across the UK and beyond, including contributions from the BBC performing groups. Radio 3’s audience is broadly stable: average 15-minute weekly reach to adults aged 15+ was 2 million people or 4.1% in 2005/2006 (2 million/4.2% in 2004/2005). Editorially, Radio 3 has had a year full of innovation, ambition and achievement.Two of the highlights of its year – indeed two of the highlights of the BBC’s year – were The Beethoven Experience (all the music over seven days) and the Bach Christmas (all the surviving music over ten days). The Beethoven Experienc...

Whoa, I found a blog that's both about stuff I've learned in class AND is interesting. Thanks to Music since 1960s class, I know pretty much every composer this guy's referring to here. Like Messiaen ! and that picture with Henri Dutilleux and Witold Lutoslawski ? I've learned about both of them! Ha! In any case, this is a very well-written blog and seems to be just the stepping stone I need after taking that class - reblogged from Melike Photo credit - EMQC. Any copyrighted material on these pages is used in "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and other errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk If you enjoyed this post take An Overgrown Path to Blogging is doing it for our time ...

Why is the new cycle of Prokofiev symphonies with Valery Gergiev (left) conducting the LSO live at the Barbican Hall released not on LSO Live but on Philips? Was the budget priced LSO Live label seen as inappropriate for the ambitious Gergiev? Are rumours of a tussle between LSO Live and Philips over release rights correct? Why do Colin Davis (current London Symphony Orchestra principal conductor) and Bernard Haitink (LSO guest conductor) record for LSO Live but not Valery Gergiev? What happened to LSO Live's plans to release the alternative finale of the Classical Symphony as a ringtone? Why were the Prokofiev recordings made in May 2004 by the Classic Sound team of engineer Jonathan Stokes and producer James Mallinson who normally produce LSO Live discs, and then released on Philips? Why does the Classic Sound website describe the recordings as 'LSO Live Gergiev Prokofiev Symphonies' ? Why, despite a starry orchestra, conductor, venue and production team, is the soun...

Today is both World Tibet Day and the birthday of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama , and concerned bloggers worldwide are supporting the cause of Tibetan freedom. 'World Tibet Day has opened many hearts to fundamental rights of the Tibetan people to preserve our culture and to practice our religion freely. The event had greatly raised public awareness to the present threat to the very existence of the Tibetan people' - His Holiness the Dalai Lama Now follow these links and listen to the culture of Tibet in the form of superb streamed Tibetan music from Tibetan Avenue and Phayul Radio while you read the following: 'As you know, Tibet has, for forty years, been under foreign occupation. Today, more than a quarter of a million Chinese troops are stationed in Tibet. Some sources estimate the occupation army to be twice this strength. During this time, Tibetans have been deprived of their most basic human rights, including the right to life, movement, speech, worship, only to me...