Thursday, June 20, 2019

Andre Rieu replaces instruments ...

... stolen from disabled musicians:

‘My heart broke’

André Rieu donates 20,000 euros of musical instruments — Picture: Getty

By Maddy Shaw Roberts, ClassicFM London

The Dutch violinist has vowed to reimburse an orchestra for the mentally disabled, whose trailer full of instruments was stolen in the early hours of Thursday morning.

André Rieu has pledged to replace 20,000 euros of musical instruments, which were stolen from an orchestra of musicians with mental disabilities.

The instruments, which belonged to the Haarlem brass band ‘Happy with Music’, were stolen in the early hours of Thursday 13 June, along with the band’s trailer.

The chairman of the band, Juria van der Lubbe, told Dutch newspaper the Telegraaf: “Seventeen years of work is in it. Sponsor promotions, the VriendenLoterij, the local Vomar. All these years they have contributed bit by bit to all instruments. That is gone in one fell swoop.”

After reading about their story, Dutch violinist and maestro André Rieu decided to step in.

He said: “My heart broke when I read on the Telegraaf website that this group of musicians had been robbed of all their instruments. I want them to be able to perform again very soon.

Van der Lubbe described the news as “fantastic” and “almost unbelievable”.

She told RTL Nieuws: “What a lovely man that he is going to do this for our brass band. I am completely confused.”

Last year, Rieu pledged 700 tons of steel towards the restoration of Notre-Dame, following the fire which devastated the 850-year-old cathedral in April.

Friday, June 14, 2019

A lock of Beethoven's hair ...

... has just been sold at auction – and it went for a whopping £35,000

Ludwig van Beethoven composer's hair auctioned at Sotheby's

Ludwig van Beethoven. Picture: Getty / Sotheby's

By Rosie Pentreath, ClassicFM London

Sotheby’s in London sold ‘a substantial lock of the composer’s grey and dark brown hair’ for more than double the expected amount.

A lock of Beethoven’s hair has been sold at Sotheby’s in London, fetching a massive £35,000.

When a “substantial lock of the composer’s grey and dark brown hair” was announced for auction in Sotheby’s Important Manuscripts, Continental Books and Music sale, it was expected to fetch somewhere in the region of £12,000 to £15,000.

In the sale, which took place yesterday on Tuesday 11 June, the preserved lock reached over double that estimate when the hammer slammed down on a £35,000 final bid.

The hair in question was by all accounts snipped from the great composer’s magnificent mane in 1826 at the request of 19th-century pianist Anton Halm, who wanted to present the keepsake to his wife, Maria.

L. van Beethoven. A lock of the composer's grey hair given by him to Anton Halm in 1826, in a C19 frame — A lock of Beethoven's hair from 1826. Picture: Sotheby's

BUT, like all good stories, this one has a twist.

Before he got a certifiable Beethoven hair in his hot little hands, Halm was duped by violinist Karl Holz. He had enlisted Holz’s help in securing the strands, but by all accounts Holz tried to pull the wool (or, more accurately, hair) over his eyes: he initially presented Halm with a lock of goat’s hair.

According to accounts, Beethoven quickly learned of the treachery and helped Halm secure his desired trophy.

“You have been deceived about this lock of hair! See what terrible creatures I am surrounded by, whom respectable people should be ashamed to be with,” Beethoven is recorded as saying. “You’ve been given the hairs of a goat.”

“He gave me a sheet of paper containing a considerable quantity of his hair, which he had cut off himself,” Halm himself recalled.

All's well that ends well. Beethoven’s lock of hair was presented to Maria and it stayed in her and Halm’s family for years, before being handed down to one of Halm’s pupils.

Beethoven’s wild hair is an iconic part of his appearance so it’s little wonder it sparked wide interest and garnered so high a sum yesterday at Sotheby’s.

And it’s not the first lock of hair in history to do so. A few of Horatio Lord Nelson’s hairssold for £13,750 at Sotheby’s in 2017. And stars from Bieber and Bowie, to Marilyn Monroe have had various hairs auctioned for thousands a piece over the years.

Beethoven’s Fur Elise on the harp

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Lang Lang married fellow pianist Gina Alice Redlinger

– and the wedding photos are ridiculously glamorous

Lang Lang and Gina Alice Redlinger. Picture: Social Media

By Kyle Macdonald, ClassicFM London

The two love-birds tied the knot in Paris, and the photos were just beautiful.

Twitter was overflowing with good wishes over the weekend, as keyboard superstar Lang Lang announced his marriage to fellow pianist Gina Alice Redlinger. And the photos of their nuptials were a virtuoso display all on their own.

Chinese media reported that the couple's ceremony took place at a hotel in Paris, followed by a banquet for guests at the Palace of Versailles. And the snaps they shared were just as romantic and Parisian as you would hope.

Who is Lang Lang's wife?

24-year-old Gina Alice Redlinger has been performing as a concert pianist since the age of 8, initially learning with German pianist Irina Edelstein. She went on to study music in Hamburg and now has performed around the world. Gina Alice is also a composer.

Gina Alice and Lang Lang met in Berlin. Here she is with the spectacular Busoni transcription of Bach's Chaconne:

Our congratulations to the happy couple. We wish them many, many years of happy duets together.

绿绿笑鸟@lvlvxiaoniao

はああああ〜〜〜〜〜〜ランランと結婚して、ヴェルサイユ宮殿で結婚式なんて最高すぎる本当に絵になる２人いつまでも見ていたい。ランラン、アリスさん、心からおめでとうございます
Marriage with Lang Lang, Palace of Versailles weddingwhat a ultimate dream #郎朗结婚 #LangLang

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