Judging by the large, enthusiastic audience for the first of Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Splendour of Beethoven concerts, Beethoven's name remains synonymous with box-office gold.Conductor Wolfram Christ fervently took the cause of the music from the mighty call-to-arms on strings that opens the Egmont overture.An Allegro seemed to emerge organically from this introduction and an inevitable momentum ensued until the final Coda, unbridled in its bustling triumph, drew the work to a close.Beethoven's C minor Concerto featured Bernd Glemser, a German pianist known through his fine recordings of Prokofiev and Schumann.The tightly knit collegiality of soloist, conductor and orchestra was apparent early on, particularly in the development section of the first movement.Minutes later, Glemser was on his own, determined to equal the drama of the entire concerto in the few pages of Beethoven's cadenza.The Largo was heavenly. The opening piano statement, with its persuasive rubato, presented Beethoven in the vanguard of a new romantic generation rather than alongside those composers who had gone before.
This was even more evident when Glemser invested his passage work with a Chopinesque gleam.High spirits prevailed in the Rondo, making much of flitting shifts from minor to major, and delivering quite a sting in its breakneck closing pages.After interval, Christ wrought wonders with Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. The Introduction was appropriately spacious, with strings soaring effortlessly from the woodwind background while a transition into F major was seamless.The dance of the Vivace was perfectly gauged as was the detail and pacing of the Allegretto, a slow movement only in the context of the music surrounding it.The orchestra handled the to-and-fro of the Presto with a winning naturalness, even if string intonation was not always as reliable as it might have been.The Finale did not cheat those expecting a frenetic work-out, although violins had problems asserting their obsessive riff of a melody over metronomic orchestral beats.It's not over. Glemser returns with the Emperor Concerto on Thursday, and offers a recital of romantic fare at the Museum come Saturday - concerts not to be missed.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Chris Martin gives Radio 4 interviewer the cold shoulder
Chris Martin has long been known as a reluctant rock star, a man who prefers a quiet life of yoga practice and vegetarian dinners at home rather than a red carpet lifestyle.
Yesterday, the Coldplay frontman further consolidated his reputation as the quiet man of pop, by walking out of an interview for a Radio 4 arts programme, Front Row, saying he didn't like "having to talk about things".
The musician, 31, abandoned the interview to promote Coldplay's new album nine minutes into the recording, telling the programme's presenter, John Wilson, that he was "not really enjoying this".
The album, Viva la Vida (or Death to All his Friends), which was released on Thursday, is set to become one of the fastest – and biggest-selling records in chart history. After selling 125,000 copies in its first day, it could see Coldplay outsell their 2005 album X&Y, which sold 465,000 in its first week.
The new album is almost certain to take the top spot in the album chart on Sunday. The group are EMI's best-selling act and the latest album is said to be crucial for the record company, which is attempting to revive its fortunes with more people downloading music illegally.
A BBC report said Martin appeared uncomfortable from the start of the interview. Asked about a speech he made at a music awards ceremony in 2005 when he said the band would be away "for a very long time", Martin said: "I always say stupid things and I think Radio 4 is the place that will most remind me of that."
When Wilson asked whether the album's full title reflected the band's obsession with death, it was received with some hostility by Martin, who accused Wilson of being manipulative.
"I wouldn't agree with you there at all, no. I'd say you're intentionally twisting me into saying something I don't really mean," he said.
Martin then appeared to hesitate after Wilson asked him about the inspiration for lyrics of a song dealing with the subject of a deposed dictator.
When Wilson asked that Martin move closer to the microphone, the musician asked: "Can I have two minutes – is that all right?" before walking out.
Wilson asked him whether he was feeling under pressure, to which Martin said: "No, no ... yes, I just don't like to talk about things."
Wilson turned to Coldplay's drummer, Will Champion, asking: "Have I upset him?" Champion replied: "I don't think so."
Champion continued with the interview until Martin came back into the studio to answer a final question about whether he was attempting to find new musical territory with the album. Martin answered simply: "Um, yes, yes, yes ... exactly."
It is not the first time thatMartin has shown a strong aversion to media attention, having previously scuffled with photographers in London and New York.
Famous walkouts
* The former Conservative MP John Nott walked out of an interview with the late Robin Day at a Tory party conference in October 1982, after he was called a "here-today, gone tomorrow politician". Reflecting on it years later, Nott called it a "rather silly interview".
* The Bee Gees singer Barry Gibb walked off The Clive Anderson Show in 1996 after a verbal sparring match during which Gibb remarked: "We used to be called Les Tossers" and Anderson replied: "You'll always be Les Tossers to me."
*Nicolas Sarkozy abruptly unplugged his microphone during an interview with the American television network CBS in October 2007 saying he was "very busy, very busy". Recording the programme 60 Minutes, the French President said: "I don't have time. I have a big job to do." After being persuaded to return to the set, he cut short the conversation when he was asked about his estranged wife C�cilia.
*Tom Cruise walked out of an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet S�ndag, after the conversation turned to his ex-wife, Nicole Kidman. A reporter mentioned Kidman and the two children that she and Cruise adopted. "Now you've gone over the line," Cruise said, adding: "Now, unfortunately, I have to end this."
*S Club 7 walked out of a BBC 3 interview in 2003 after being asked about the discrepancy between what the group earned and what they were paid.
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Sunday, 15 June 2008
Amy Winehouse's Husband 'Offered 200,000 Pound Bribe'
A pub landlord who was attacked by Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, accepted a £200,000 bribe not to give evidence about the incident, a court has been told.
Fielder-Civil and another man, Michael Brown, have pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on James King outside the Macbeth in east London in June 2006.
However, prosecutor Sean Larkin told Snaresbrook Crown Court today (June 10th) that a deal had been struck between both parties that would "effectively throw the case”.
According to Mr Larkin, two other men, Anthony Kelly and James Kennedy, acted as middle men in the deal, which would involve Mr King leaving the country.
This would have meant that both Fielder-Civil and Brown would have been found not guilty of assault.
But the plot was exposed when Mr King, who has pleaded not guilty to attempting perverting the course of justice, and Kelly tried to sell details of the arrangement to a journalist working for the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Mr Larkin said that when the journalist, Stephen Moyes, asked whether Fielder-Civil's wife was involved in the financial aspects of the deal, Kelly told him: “'Who do you think is paying for it, of course she is'.”
Despite Kelly's claim, Winehouse was cleared in February of having any involvement in the case, reports the BBC.
Fielder-Civil faces a maximum of five years in jail over the assault charge.
You can view our pictures of Winehouse and Fielder-Civil below...
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Tuesday, 10 June 2008
More Controversial Cyrus Snaps Appear Online
Teen sensation Miley Cyrus has been caught up in yet another photo scandal after pictures of her posing with a man seven years her senior appeared online. The new snaps are the latest in a series of controversial photographs the 15-year-old Hannah Montana star has been involved in. Last month , the star was shown smiling at the camera wearing a black crop-top and pants as she stretched out across an unknown boy's lap on her MySpace page. However, Cyrus defended the photos, insisting they were harmless and she wasn't sorry for taking them, saying, "It's not a big deal." The raunchy snaps came only weeks after Cyrus was forced to defend her choice to pose with just a satin sheet covering her modesty for the May edition of Vanity Fair magazine. And now, in a third set of controversial pictures, the star is seen embracing her back-up dancer, known only as Marshall, who is reportedly 22-years-old - seven years older than Cyrus. But the series of online snaps have proved popular with at least person; Playboy boss Hugh Hefner has invited the 15-year-old to pose nude in the infamous magazine as soon as she turns 18.
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Farrell replacing Ledger in movie?
It has been reported that Colin Farrell is one of a trio of stars who will replace the late Heath Ledger in his final film 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'.
The film website Ain't It Cool News is reporting that Farrell, Johnny Depp and Jude Law will all play the character played by Ledger in scenes not yet shot for the Terry Gilliam-fantasy.
In the film Ledger's character falls through a mirror on four separate occasions and changes his appearance.
'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' tells the story of a travelling show which offers its audience the opportunity to choose between light and dark.
The film website Ain't It Cool News is reporting that Farrell, Johnny Depp and Jude Law will all play the character played by Ledger in scenes not yet shot for the Terry Gilliam-fantasy.
In the film Ledger's character falls through a mirror on four separate occasions and changes his appearance.
'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' tells the story of a travelling show which offers its audience the opportunity to choose between light and dark.
Rilo Kiley Man Goes Solo On New Album
Pierre de Reeder is best known as one fourth of Rilo Kiley, but during August we can expect to hear his very first album as a solo artist.
Although an offshoot project, band mates Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett and Jason Boesel do appear in parts of the eleven-track 'The Way That It Was', which took five years to record and was co-produced by Dave Trumfio (Wilco, Grandaddy).
'The Way That It Was' is released in the US on August 12th, with a UK issue date still to be decided.
The tracklisting is:
Shame On Love
I'll Be Around
Sophia's Song
That's The Way That It Was
Where I'm Coming From
This Foolish Heart
Young And Old
Never Thoughts
All These Words
The Long Conversation
Not How I Believe
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