The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music news clips: Dudamel extends contract with LA Phil. Why Chopin hallucinated. Composer Milton Babbitt dies. Vintage record companies face big changes. New World Symphony premieres in Frank Gehry HQ in Miami. And Holocaust violins get saved.

By Jacob Stockinger

Here are some usual and unusual items for The Ear’s weekly news round-up:

ITEM: Young superstar maestro Gustavo Dudamel (below) has extended his contract with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Gee, are you as surprised as The Ear is?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/02/gustavo-dudamel-extends-contract-with-la-philharmonic-through-2018-19-season.html

ITEM: Chopin (below) suffered from epilepsy as well as tuberculosis and that could explain his hallucinations:

http://news.discovery.com/history/frederic-chopin-epilepsy-110124.html

ITEM: Composer Milton Babbitt (below), the first classical composer to use a synthesizer, dies at 94:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/arts/music/30babbitt.html

ITEM: Decca is relaunched as Decca Classics:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/decca-label-relaunches-as-decca-classics

ITEM: EMI taken over by bank:

http://www.classicalmusic.org.uk/2011/02/emi-changes-hands.html

ITEM: New World Symphony score a triumph in new Frank Gehry building (below):

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/arts/music/28new.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/arts/design/24gehry.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/arts/music/28new.html?ref=anthonytommasin

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/arts/music/31park.html?_r=1&ref=anthonytommasini

ITEM: Israeli saves Holocaust violins:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/01/27/israel.holocaust.violins/index.html