MOODS - science helps music

The Music Object-Oriented Distributed System (MOODS) is a new scientific tool for performing musicians. Conventional printed scores and music stands are replaced with new electronic lecterns. Developed by Paolo Nesi and colleagues at the University of Florence, enhancements to this system could allows composers and publishers to deliver customised versions of their scores electronically.

During rehearsals, individual musicians alter their parts if necessary and conductors can make changes to the full score. Any changes appear immediately in the appropriate parts, and several musicians can work on the score at once, all altering the same bar if required. The lectern screens scroll the music automatically, in time with the performance. Players are no longer distracted by awkward page turns, and the audience experiences a performance free of paper shuffling noises. Further information about MOODS.

Chuench'i

Gerard Schurmann's song-cycles, Chuench'i (translations of Chinese poems by Arthur Waley), and Six Songs of William Blake, together with Nine Slovak Folk Songs have been recorded for commercial CD by Alison Wells (soprano) and Martyn Hill (tenor), with Keith Swallow (piano).

José Serebrier

Composer and conductor José Serebrier is a protégé of Antal Dorati and Leopold Stokowski, and is known for his work with music of the Russian Romantic school. Two new CDs have been released - Serebrier Conducts Serebrier is devoted to his own prize-winning compositions, including Partita (Symphony No 2), Fantasia, Winterreise (for full orchestra) and violinist Gonzalo Acosta playing the youthful Sonata for violin solo. The second CD features Serebrier conducting Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, and the Russian Easter Festival Overture. Info: Reference Recordings.

Gillian Weir in Chinese

Henry Luo has translated Dame Gillian Weir's article Aspects of Vision into the Chinese language for the publication Philharmonic. Gillian's article was first published here at Music & Vision in January.

Fong plays Cage

Violinist Christina Fong (who has performed-premièred the works of composers such as Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and Michael Gordon) has a new CD which features world première recordings of John Cage's complete 'number pieces' for violin. The CD is the first in a series, to feature previously unrecorded works for violin/viola by well-known composers. Info (and ordering information) from Christina Fong.

Moulin Rouge

Rumon Gamba's first CD, 'The film music of Georges Auric', is available from Chandos, and was their September 'disc of the month'. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra plays specially reconstructed scores from the Ealing Studios years, including The Lavender Hill Mob, Passport to Pimlico, Moulin Rouge and Dead of night. The music should appeal to both classical and film music audiences.

and information previously published here (and there) ...

John Mansfield Thomson

The distinguished New Zealand musical and cultural historian John M Thomson died on September 11 in Wellington. John was founding Editor of the Early Music quarterly. Read Eric Van Tassel's appreciation of Thomson.

Arts Centre for Beijing

We hear of an ambitious Chinese scheme to build an Arts Centre in Beijing. A French design appears to have been selected which places a glass dome in a lake. At an estimated $314 million we assume it to be a large dome in a large lake. No official announcement has yet been made.

New releases from ASC

The following new releases are now available from ASC, a new record label specialising in British classical music:

To order any of these CDs at GBP 10.95 each (inclusive of postage), please send your name and address to Gareth Thatcher at paratactile.asc@btinternet.com or by fax to +44 (0)1625 435802. When you receive the CD(s), please send a cheque by return.

A privileged voice - Alfredo Kraus

One of opera's most famous lyric tenors, Alfredo Kraus, died of cancer on September 10 in Madrid, aged 71. Kraus was born on 24 September 1927 in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, the son of a Spanish-naturalised Austrian. Following his 1956 debut in Cairo as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, he sang and acted around the world's stages and screens for more than 40 years. Montserrat Caballé said that Kraus had a 'privileged voice', and that his death leaves a huge void in the opera world.

Elder at the Hallé

Mark Elder is to take over as the principal conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester.

Bernstein Center aquired by NARAS

Leonard Bernstein believed that the experiencing and creation of art could be a model for learning, and his belief was used as the basis for the founding of the Leonard Bernstein Center for Learning. Since its creation in 1992, the Center has produced a teacher-training course - 'the Bernstein Artful Learning Approach'. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) has recently announced its acquisition of the Bernstein Center, and NARAS president Michael Green considers that the Center's aims are in-line with those of NARAS.

Scriabin in the Himalayas

An unusual new CD from pianist John Bell Young offers recording premières of music by Scriabin, by his lecture-recital partner Hugh Downs, by Leo Tolstoy (!) and by concert pianist Michel Block. Young arranged for Scriabin's dying wish - that his uncompleted final work, the ceremonial Mysterium be performed in the Himalayas - to be satisfied. Alpine climber Carlos Buhler scaled Himalayan Mount Melungtse in August 1999, with a copy of Young's new CD, and played both Scriabin's 7th sonata and a recording of a 'completion' of Mysterium by Russian composer Alexander Nemtin from the summit. Further information from Americus Records or from John Bell Young.