Revisionist history

* Norman Lebrecht marks the Herbert von Karajan centennial. Read with protective glasses; acid may splash:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/norman-lebrecht-the-clappedout-legacy-of-karajan-that-impoverished-classical-music-805141.html

* Luciano Pavarotti lip-synced his final performance, The Guardian reports:

http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/story/0,,2271470,00.html

* Justin Davidson concisely but comprehensively disses the Franco Zeffirelli legacy at the Metropolitan Opera:

http://www.therestisnoise.com/

* Jeremy Denk discusses Stravinsky's, uh, self-esteem:

http://jeremydenk.net/blog/

Review: Beaux Arts Trio

April 5, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond

The Beaux Arts Trio is calling it quits after 53 years – Tanglewood recitals on Aug. 20 and 21 will be the group’s last; and if the trio’s performance at Virginia Commonwealth University was representative, this last season is very much a victory lap for Menahem Pressler.

The 84-year-old pianist, the sole remaining founding member of the ensemble, was visibly and audibly the guiding musical spirit of this concert. Violinist Daniel Hope and cellist Antonio Meneses deferred to Pressler, not just on larger issues such as tempo and dynamics but on even the subtlest gestures. And most gestures were quite subtle.

According to James Oestreich's April 5 profile of the Beaux Arts in The New York Times – http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/arts/music/05pres.html?ref=music – Hope's burgeoning solo career led him to quit the trio after six years; in doing so, he prompted Pressler and Meneses to shut down the group. In this concert, the violinist was an especially reticent presence in an uncommonly measured and muted reading of Beethoven’s "Archduke" Trio (in B flat major, Op. 97).

From the start, Pressler set a slow pace and established a tone of quiet, often profoundly quiet, interaction among complementary but quite distinct instrumental voices. The musicians’ intonation was spot-on, their playing highly refined but expressively understated. Only in the scherzo was there more than a hint of volatility.

The group’s performance of Schubert’s Piano Trio in E flat major (not the B flat Trio listed in the program) was somewhat more brisk and gave off some sparks, notably in the opening movement. Still, the prevailing tone was one of intimate, unhurried conversation, with Pressler’s crystalline piano the aural and musical focal point.

Hope and Meneses made finely spun work of the string harmonizations in the third movement, and the cellist’s treatment of the finale’s lyrical theme was straightforwardly eloquent.

Between the Beethoven and Schubert, the group played and repeated the brief "Work for Piano Trio" written for the Beaux Arts by the Hungarian composer György Kurtág. The music is very much in character for this late vintage of the Beaux Arts: piano-centric, with rarified string voicings, and a role for resonant silence that effectively constitutes a fourth instrument.

Virginia Symphony 2008-09

The Hampton Roads-based Virginia Symphony will stage 17 classical programs next season, with performances of the Verdi Requiem, Holst’s "The Planets," Beethoven’s "Eroica" Symphony, Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique," Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra and "The Ring without Words," Lorin Maazel’s orchestral arrangement of themes from Wagner’s "Ring" cycle of music dramas.

Soloists for the season include Awadagin Pratt in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Elmar Oliveira in Brahms’ Violin Concerto, Jennifer Koh in Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet in Rodrigo’s "Concierto andaluz," Michael Ludwig in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Susan Starr in Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Franck's Symphonic Variations and Vahn Armstrong, the Virginia Symphony's concertmaster, in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1.

JoAnn Falletta, the orchestra’s music director, will conduct 10 of the programs and share performances of Handel's "Messiah" with Robert Shoup, director of the Virginia Symphony Chorus. Guest conductors include Robert Moody, music director of the Winston-Salem (NC) Symphony; Larry Rachleff, music director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Symphony II in Chicago and the orchestral program at Rice University in Houston; and David Amado, music director of the Delaware Symphony.

Falletta will conduct two pieces she has recorded in recent years, Paul Schoenfield's "Four Parables," with pianist Andrew Russo, and Kenneth Fuchs' "Canticle to the Sun," with French horn player David Wick. Other contemporary works on next season's schedule are "Rusty Air in Carolina" by the Richmond-bred composer and electronica artist Mason Bates, "Musica Celestis" by Aaron Jay Kernis and "Commedia" by William Bolcom.

Venues for the orchestra’s concerts are Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, the Ferguson Arts Center at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg and Regent University Theatre and the Sandler Arts Center, both in Virginia Beach.

Subscription and single ticket information: (757) 892-6366.

The Virginia Symphony’s 2008-09 classical programs:

* Sept. 13 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), Sept. 14 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center), Sept. 19 (8 p.m., Ferguson Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Copland: "El Salón Mexico;" Dohnanyi: Suite in F sharp minor; Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Ian Parker, piano).

* Sept. 18 (8 p.m., St. Bede Catholic Church), Sept. 20 (8 p.m., Regent University Theatre) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Rossini: "The Barber of Seville" Overture; Kenneth Fuchs: "Canticle to the Sun" (David Wick, French horn); Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 ("Italian").

* Sept. 27 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), Sept. 28 (2:30 p.m., Ferguson Center) – Robert Moody conducting. Mason Bates: "Rusty Air in Carolina" (Mason Bates, electronica); Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3 (Jennifer Koh, violin); Berlioz: "Symphonie fantastique."

* Oct. 25 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Morton Gould: "Spirituals for Orchestra;" Paul Schoenfield: "Four Parables" (Andrew Russo, piano); Brahms: Symphony No. 2.

* Nov. 1 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), Nov. 2 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – Larry Rachleff conducting. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 (Awadagin Pratt, piano); Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica").

* Nov. 13 (8 p.m., St. Bede Catholic Church), Nov. 15 (8 p.m., Sandler Center) – Matthew Kraemer conducting. Schumann: Symphony No. 2; works by Mozart and Beethoven.

* Nov. 22 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall) – David Amado conducting. Mendelssohn: "Hebrides" Overture; Debussy: Nocturnes (women of Virginia Symphony Chorus); Holst: "The Planets" (women of Virginia Symphony Chorus).

* Dec. 7 (2:30 p.m., Ferguson Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Handel: "Messiah" (soloists TBA, Virginia Symphony Chorus).

* Dec. 10 (8 p.m., St. Bede Catholic Church), Dec. 16 (8 p.m., Regent University Theatre) – Robert Shoup conducting. Handel: "Messiah" (soloists TBA, Virginia Symphony Chorus).

* Dec. 18 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), Dec. 19 (8 p.m., Ferguson Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Holiday program, featuring Todd Rosenlieb Dance.

* Jan. 9 (8 p.m., Ferguson Center), Jan. 10 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), Jan. 11 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. "The Ring without Words," Lorin Maazel’s orchestral arrangement of themes from Wagner’s "Ring" cycle.

* Feb. 27 (8 p.m., Ferguson Center), Feb. 28 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), March 1 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Verdi: Requiem (Jonita Lattimore, soprano; Charlotte Paulsen, mezzo-soprano; Fernando del Valle, tenor; Kevin Deas, bass; Virginia Symphony Chorus).

* March 7 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), March 8 (2:30 p.m., Ferguson Center) – Matthew Kraemer conducting. Ravel: "Rapsodie espagnole;" Rodrigo: "Concierto andaluz" (Los Angeles Guitar Quartet); Falla: "The Three-Cornered Hat."

* March 19 (8 p.m., St. Bede Catholic Church), March 20 (8 p.m., Regent University Theatre) – Wes Kenney conducting. Mozart: "The Magic Flute" Overture; Haydn: Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise"); William Bolcom: "Commedia for 18th Century Orchestra;" Beethoven: Symphony No. 2.

* March 27 (8 p.m., Ferguson Center), March 28 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Kodály: "Morosszek Dances;" Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Brahms: Violin Concerto (Elmar Oliveira, violin).

* April 3 (8 p.m., Sandler Center), April 4 (8 p.m., Chrysler Hall), April 5 (2:30 p.m., Ferguson Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Berlioz: "Roman Carnival" Overture; Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Susan Starr, piano); Franck: Symphonic Variations (Susan Starr, piano); Puccini: "Preludio Sinfonico;" Respighi: "Feste Romane."

* April 24 (8 p.m., Ferguson Center), April 26 (2:30 p.m., Sandler Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Schumann: “Manfred” Overture; Dvořák: Romance for violin and orchestra (Michael Ludwig, violin); Dvořák: “Czech Suite;” Beethoven: Violin Concerto (Michael Ludwig, violin).

* May 14 (8 p.m., St. Bede Catholic Church), May 15 (8 p.m., Regent University Theatre), May 17 (7:30 p.m., Ferguson Center) – JoAnn Falletta conducting. Mozart: Symphony No. 31 ("Paris"); Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 (Vahn Armstrong, violin); Aaron Jay Kernis: "Musica Celestis;" Poulenc: Gloria (Virginia Symphony Chorus).

Tuesday Evening Concerts 2008-09

Radu Lupu, the Romanian-born pianist who next year marks the 40th anniversary of the Leeds Piano Competition victory that launched his international career, will perform on Jan. 20 in the Tuesday Evening Concert Series in Charlottesville.

The 2008-09 series also will feature the Leipzig String Quartet, the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, cellist Daniel Mueller-Schott, violinist Arabella Steinbacher, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and the trio of violinist Renaud Capuçon, cellist Gautier Capuçon and pianist Nicholas Angelich.

All concerts are at 8 p.m. in Old Cabell Hall at the University of Virginia.

Season subscriptions are $65-$175. Single tickets, if available, will be $10-$25.

Information: (434) 244-9505; www.tecs.org

The 2008-09 Tuesday Evening Concerts schedule:

* Oct. 21 – Daniel Mueller-Schott, cello. Schubert: "Arpeggione" Sonata; works by Brahms and Shostakovich.

* Oct. 28 – Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano. Program TBA.

* Nov. 18 – Capuçon-Angelich Trio. Works by Haydn, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn.

* Jan. 20 – Radu Lupu, piano. Works by Beethoven and Schumann.

* Feb. 3 – Arabella Steinbacher, violin. Works by Beethoven, Brahms, Prokofiev and Ravel.

* March 10 – Leipzig String Quartet. Works by Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Isaac.

* March 31 – Salzburg Chamber Soloists. Mozart: Sinfonia concertante for violin and viola, K. 364; Villa-Lobos: "Bachianas Brasileira" No. 9; Astor Piazzolla: "Five Tangos."

Legal news

Matthew Fisher, onetime organist of the rock band Procol Harum, will not get a share of the royalties as co-composer, with singer Gary Brooker, of the band’s 1967 chart-topper "A Whiter Shade of Pale," a British appeals court has ruled.

"Despite Mr. Brooker’s counter-arguments that the song was written before Mr. Fisher joined the band and that anyway the organ line was cribbed from Bach’s ‘Air on a G String,’ Mr. Fisher won his point at trial in 2006, when a court ruled that he was indeed a co-composer of the hit song’s music," Patrick J. Lyons reports in The New York Times.

"Matthew Fisher is guilty of excessive and inexcusable delay in his claim to assert joint title to a joint interest in the work. He silently stood by and acquiesced in the defendant’s commercial exploitation of the work for 38 years," Judge John Mummery said.

Bach, who has been in the hereafter for 258 years, could not be reached for comment.

'Leave my violin to rest'

Maxim Vengerov, the 33-year-old Russian rated among the world's leading violinists, has decided to lay aside his instrument indefinitely following a string of canceled performances due to a shoulder injury. Vengerov will concentrate on conducting, The Times of London reports:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3666430.ece

Opera bugs

The Metropolitan Opera's constantly revolving casts for "Tristan und Isolde" aren't the only, or even the weirdest, casualties of this flu-infected opera season.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Andrew Druckenbrod reports on a Pittsburgh Opera production of "Aida," in which Radames loses his voice and the conductor sings the part from the pit while the tenor stays onstage and lip-syncs:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08093/869798-388.stm