Avi Avital Picture Gallery

  Wednesday August 22nd 2012 is the sesquicentenary of the birth of Claude Debussy. Whilst the music world plans for the anniversaries next year for Britten, Verdi and Wagner, the acknowledgement of Debussy’s 150th birth anniversary has been distinctly underwhelming. Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times investigates: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/arts/music/debussys-150th-birthday-gets-little-notice.html?_r=1&ref=music

The pigeons of Trafalgar Square rightly had their feather ruffled when they had to make way for the musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra. The musicians, who were looking very cool gave their first open air concert in Trafalgar Square, with their conductor Valery Gergiev. Here’s the link to the gallery: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2012/may/15/lso-trafalgar-square-concert#/?picture=390137981&index=2

Antonio Pappano, the present Music Director of the Royal Opera at Covent Garden worked closely with Dame Joan Sutherland during his early career as a prompt. Though born in Britain, his Italian parentage gave him a special advantage with singers: Peter Wilson writes from Europe for The Australian: Click here to read.

    Click on the link below for your free download of the final movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 from Decca’s Beethoven for All collection, performed by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim, with soprano Anna Samul, mezzo-soprano Waltraud Meier, tenor Peter Sieffert and bass Wolfgang Koch and the Vokalensemble Kolber Dom. http://www.universalmusic.net.au/freedownloads/beethovenforall…