The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music news: UW cellist Parry Karp gets a rave in Elgar. Child molestation charges are dropped against Mikhail Pletnev. Chicago Symphony maestro Riccardo Muti says no to Rome Opera. Dutch composer Louis Andriessen wins a major award. Mozart improves bananas and sake.

By Jacob Stockinger

Today’s news clips are a mix of the local, the regional, the national and the international. Here’s hoping they engage you:

ITEM: UW-Madison and Pro Arte cellist Parry Karp (below top) — who will perform early Beethoven. mature Mozart and Glazunov with the Pro Arte String Quartet this Sunday on “Live From the Chazen” —  gets a rave review for his first-ever performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto (below bottom, in a historic performance featuring Jacqueline Du Pre and Daniel Barenboim) with UW alumnus and conductor Kenneth Woods (below middle) in Wales.

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/leisure/entertainments/8710477.Abergavenny_Symphony_Orchestra__Our_Lady_and

ITEM: Charges of child molestation against pianist-conductor Mikhail Pletnev (below) are dropped:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/dec/03/mikhail-pletnev-investigation-dropped

ITEM: Ailing conductor Riccardo Muti (below) says he is too busy in Chicago to sign a contract with the Rome Opera:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-live-1129-muti-20101127,0,5194523.column

ITEM: Dutch composer Louis Andriessen (below) wins major award:

http://www.nonesuch.com/journal/louis-andriessen-wins-2011-grawemeyer-award-2010-11-29

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-classical-beat/2010/11/andriessen_wins_grawemeyer.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2010/11/29/131665152/dutch-composer-louis-andriessen-wins-grawemeyer-award?ps=cprs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Andriessen

Hey, I didn’t give the award to him.

ITEM: The New York Philharmonic and its music director/conductor Alan Gilbert (below) will offer the 2010-11 season on iTunes with an iPass:

http://broadwayworld.com/article/Alan_Gilbert_and_NY_Philharmonic_201011_iTunes_Pass_To_Launch_1214_20101202

ITEM: An international artist management company launches a new record label that sounds promising with a roster famous names including conductor Kent Nagano (below):

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/artist-management-company-launches-new-label

ITEM: Japan uses Mozart (below) to ripen bananas and improve sake:

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/897657–japan-turns-to-mozart-to-improve-sake-taste

Can’t you just hear them saying: Hurry up and ripen!