August 12, 2007

It’s this week in classical music, an update on what’s happening in the classical music world, I’m Randy Kinkel.

The metropolitan opera plans to expand its live HD opera broadcasts into movie theaters around the world, tripling its audience for the broadcasts to about one million viewers.  For the 2007-2008 season the Met will present 8 productions (up form six last year) to over 700 locations worldwide, including 300 screens in the US and 100 screens in Canada.  The Met is also in negotiation with In Demand, the lead supplier of Pay per view to cable companies.  Met GM Peter Gelb said, “For the first time, alternative content can actually command an audience.”

It’s a major anniversary for the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.  They first came together as a trio to perform at the inauguration of President Carter in 1977.  They’ve been celebrating all year at their musical home at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.  September 30th, they will be performing all of Beethoven’s piano trios on the same day in a three concert marathon at the Y.  It will be the first time any ensemble has played all the Beethoven trios on the same day in New York City.   Says trio member Jaime Laredo: "To do this in the span of one day," he continues, "following the trios chronologically, is truly a unique experience… with enough time to savor every moment and every piece, yet allowing one to see the entire canvass as a whole, in one go!"

Luciano Pavarotti went into the hospital this week with a fever in his hometown of Modena in Italy.  The 71-year-old tenor’s condition was described as “satisfactory”, and his wife reports he’s doing better.  He’s expected to leave the hospital soon.  The opera superstar had surgery for pancreatic cancer last year.

For more information on these and other items and events, go to the KBAQ website at KBAQ-dot-org.… be listening every week at this time for another update, and join me at noon every weekday for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries, … I’m Randy Kinkel, for KBAQ’s  “This week in Classical Music”…  on 89-five KBAQ, K-B-A-Q Phoenix, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona State University.