The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music news: Winner at Cannes Film Festival uses lots of classical music. Cellist Bernard Greenhouse of the Beaux Arts Trio dies. Lost Verdi manuscript to be auctioned off. An American conductor goes to Ulster. Sony Classical Records continues its signing frenzy. Beethoven and baseball share something — what is it?

By Jacob Stockinger

The main concert season is over and the summer concert season, replete with festivals like the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society (June 10-26), the Madison Early Music Festival (July 9-16), Madison Opera‘s Opera in the Park (July 16) and the Token Creek Chamber Music Festival (Aug. 24-Sept. 4 ).

But the news and commentaries just keep on happening.

Here is this holiday weekend’s round-up:

ITEM: Classical music figured big in this year’s winner at the Cannes Film Festival, Terrence Malick‘s “Tree of Life.” Here’s a play list that may help a popular art form give a boost to an endangered one:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/music_list_all_37_songs_features_in_terrence_malicks_the_tree_of_life/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed#

ITEM: Fragment of a Verdi manuscript score (below) to be auctioned off:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/verdi-fragment-to-be-auctioned

ITEM: Famed cellist Bernard Greenhouse (below), of the Beaux Arts Trio, dies at 95. Here are some obituaries and appreciations:

http://www.cello.org/Newsletter/Articles/greenhouse.htm

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/obituary-bernard-greenhouse-founder-cellist-of-the-beaux-arts-trio

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/16/136368728/cellist-bernard-greenhouse-dies

ITEM: If the people won’t come to the music, can you take the music to the people? The Detroit Symphony, rescued from the brink of bankruptcy, thinks so and has started a suburb series:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110519/ENT01/105190301/1033/DSO-launches-new-metro-concerts

ITEM: Sony Classical Records continues its signing frenzy. Recently, Sony signed the Emerson String Quartet and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. Now comes pianist-conductor David Greilsammer (below). Looks like Sony is taking advantage of the other labels cutting back and retrenching – and I, for one, welcome that move and think it is smart and forward-looking:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/sony-signs-pianist-and-conductor-david-greilsammer

ITEM: American conductor JoAnn Falletta (below) heads to Ulster, North Ireland and scores some firsts. Falletta, who is the music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra will be the first woman and the first American to head the Ulster Orchestra, starting with the 2011-12 season:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/joann-falletta-to-head-ulster-orchestra

ITEM: Is innovative programming pushing the New York City Opera to the brink of disaster? One labor union thinks so and wants a return to more traditional repertoire like Puccini’s “La Boheme” (below):

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/arts/music/nyc-opera-budgeters-seek-to-save-next-season.html?_r=2

ITEM: What do Beethoven and baseball have in common?

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/a-pitch-for-new-music/?ref=music