Newsletter Vol 11 No 2 May 2007

Editorial

I was arrested by the RSNO programme headline Neeme Järvi Conducts the Ring! In fact it is The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure (arr. De Vlieger) and comes to us in the RSNO's late February schedule. Let's hope this "fiery musical spectacle... an overwhelming experience" will introduce some more young people to Wagner. Otherwise not much of the Master on our immediate doorstep beyond the wonderful Wagner-voice of Christine Brewer, and Lieder from Silvana Dussmann, at the Queen's Hall this Edinburgh August, but we fly the flag with an exciting range of artists, events and speakers forthcoming. Read on!

Forthcoming Events

Sunday 27th May at 7.30pm: An Evening of Wagner Rarities on Film

A compilation of a number of fascinating extracts of filmed Wagner performances, most of which have never been released commercially nor seen on British television. We guarantee there will be some wonderful showings this evening that you never expected to see!
Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road:
Admission £5 members; £6 guests

Friday 22nd – Tuesday 26th June: Study Weekend on Rienzi

Our midsummer study days are now fully subscribed: for possible places at Carberry Tower, near Edinburgh, contact John Holcombe (address below).

Sunday 8th July at 7.30pm: A Silent Auction & a Book Signing

A silent auction is a fund-raising event, in this case for our Bayreuth Scholarship. We have a considerable stock of Wagner books, scores, CDs, DVDs, and we will invite you to bid for the items by putting your offer on a 'bid sheet'. If you wish to donate Wagner books, scores, CDs, DVDs [Wagner-related items only please] we would be delighted to accept them.* This evening will not be altogether silent! Linda Esther Gray will be present to sign copies of her new book, and we will feature some suitably midsummery music from Die Meistersinger, which is by way of prelude to this year's new production at Bayreuth. During the course of the evening, between chatting to Linda, listening to the music, or enjoying a drink and a nibble, you check to see if you've been outbid and you may bid higher!
Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. Admission free (a donation will be invited to cover room costs). *Anyone bringing items to the auction is asked to do so no later than 7.15pm; doors will open at 7pm; the 'close of sale' will be at 9pm. Donations for the auction can also be brought to our May & June events.

Sunday 23rd September at 7.30pm: Annual General Meeting and Bayreuth Report

Notice is given of the eleventh Annual General Meeting of the Society. Any member wishing to serve on the committee should advise the secretary in advance, with the names of a proposer and seconder. After the official business and refreshments, all those who attended Bayreuth this year will be invited to share their impressions with members.
Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. Admission free to members only (a donation will be invited to cover room costs).

Our programme for autumn and the early part of 2008 brings a rich crop of artists, scholars and singers. So far committed to visit us are the sculptor Alexander Stoddart, the music historian Christopher Walton (whose new book on Wagner's Zurich years is due in September), Keith Warner, director of the current Covent Garden Ring and the recent Bayreuth Lohengrin, Christopher Underwood, head of vocal studies at the Alexander Gibson Opera School in Glasgow, who will introduce his work with a group of talented young singers, and Ian Robertson talking about a new perspective on the Siegfried of Götterdämmerung. All this and more, as well as - of course - our Christmas Party featuring live music! Dates will be in the next Newsletter which should reach you in early July.

Book Offer

A Life Behind Curtains by Linda Esther Gray
Hardback, 343pp, illustrated with photographs and music examples.

Our honorary member, Greenock-born Linda Esther Gray had a distinguished career both as a Wagner soprano and in roles from a wide range of other operas. At a time when her fame and future promise were unrivalled and she was about to make her Met debut, the tragedy of illness struck. That was well over 20 years ago and now Linda has a flourishing teaching practice at her home in Surrey. The story of her highly idiosyncratic book, which was published last month, spans her childhood and early life, through her singing career into disaster, how she struggled to survive without her voice and then returned to singing again.
RRP £22.50. Our price to members: £18.00. [Postage extra = £2.50]

If you would like a copy, please order through Derek Watson (address below) enclosing a cheque made payable to Linton Books, for £18.00 if you want to collect the book at a future meeting, or for £20.50 if you wish it posted to you.

We are sad to record the passing of three of our longstanding members. Miss Winifred Busfield MBE, a distinguished contralto and teacher of singing, died in Glasgow towards the end of last year at the age of 95. Dr Patrick Brooks and Mrs Muriel Hogarth died quite suddenly in Edinburgh in recent months. We extend sympathy to all family, friends, partners and pupils and remember the loyalty and support given to our Society by these three people over the years.

News in Brief

  • Congratulations to Patrick Carnegy, whose book Wagner and the Art of the Theatre has just been awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society's award for 'creative communication'.
  • The Leipzig Opera will present a new production of Rienzi: November 16, 18, 21, 24, December 7, 9. For tickets and details: www.oper-leipzig.de or tel. 00 49 341 12 610.
  • The Tiroler Festspiele at Erl in Austria takes place from 5-28 July, and as usual Wagner takes pride of place, with his works being presented in a new perspective. This year the Ring will be divided into two parts, with the division after Siegfried Act II, in order to present Wagner's development through Tristan and Die Meistersinger. The festival allows three opportunities to experience the full programme, which includes Parsifal as well as a number of orchestral concerts featuring Bruckner, Brahms, contemporary music, plus talks and other events. See www.tiroler-festspiele.at or tel. 00 43 512 57 88 88 13
  • The Bayreuth Festival has announced the production team for the new Parsifal in 2008. Daniele Gatti conducts, Stefan Herheim is the director, with stage designs by Heike Scheele and costumes by Gesine Völlm.
  • Nuremberg Opera present Der Ring des Nibelungen in two cycles this summer: 23 June/1, 8, 15 July or 17, 20, 25, 29 July. www.Staatstheater.Nuernberg.de or tel. 00 49 180 134 42 76
  • The first issue of the Wagner Journal edited by Barry Millington and Stewart Spencer appeared in March. One item on the Master's ordering of interesting items of female clothing even brought headlines in the Daily Mail! On a more musical note this splendid new periodical has an excellent contribution to Ring studies by Arnold Whittall, and a substantial number of reviews of books, performances and recordings that sets a standard rarely found anywhere else these days. Have you subscribed yet? www.thewagnerjournal.co.uk
  • Our members will receive our own biennial Wagner Society of Scotland Journal this autumn. Among its contents will be articles concerning Bruckner and Wagner, and Rimsky-Korsakov on Wagner.

In our next newsletter...

...a report on this month's Congress of the International Richard Wagner Society in Weimar; some items for our AGM agenda; a special CD offer; and full details of our programme from October to January.

Chairman and Newsletter editor: Derek Watson, Deanfoot House, West Linton, Peeblesshire EH46 7EA Tel 01968 660339 Fax 01968 661701; e-mail derek@lintonbooks.plus.com

Secretary: W S Scott, 83 East Claremont Street, Edinburgh EH7 4HU; Tel 0131-556 2617; Fax 0870 0568159; e-mail will@elgar1.plus.com

Treasurer: John Holcombe, 4 Galleon Court, Lamer Street, Dunbar, East Lothian, EH42 1GX; e-mail john@holc.wanadoo.co.uk

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