Up-and-coming bands can use the city's rehearsal rooms free of charge for two years at a time. It is possible to extend the period of use. A good dozen bands with a total of around one hundred members have benefited from the offer so far. Where possible, they are given space in their home district of the city.

Now the city's youth welfare office is enabling them to present themselves to the public as part of a festival called Locazik, which is organized by the young people themselves.

On March 6 and 7, seven groups will present themselves on the Traverse stage in the Pâquis district center. The stylistic spectrum ranges from rock, ska and punk to blues and métal, hip-hop and chanson.

According to the Federal Council, over 2000 cultural workers have received an eight-month permit in each of the last three years. In addition, around 130 work permits for skilled workers in the cultural sector have been issued each year at the expense of the third-country quota, including for actors, musicians in symphony orchestras and teaching staff at conservatories.

According to the Federal Council, it is not yet possible to assess the consequences of reducing the quota-based permits. The allocation of quotas is primarily the responsibility of the cantons. The Federal Council intends to compensate for the reduction by making better use of domestic potential. There would still be opportunities for the admission of highly qualified specialists who are urgently needed in Switzerland and cannot be found either here or in the EU.

In the view of the Federal Council, there is currently no fundamental regulatory gap. Musicians can be assumed to have a high academic interest if they are employed at a university with a sufficiently large workload. However, this is not usually the case if a musician wishes to become self-employed in Switzerland after graduating from university.

So-called "student managers" spend eight months exploring the working areas of a cultural institution such as the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich. They are responsible for the financing, marketing and implementation of TOZdiscover. In line with the motto "young to young", they organize an event that is tailored to the target audience of the same age. But the young audience should also go on a journey of discovery - the broad musical program is intended to invite them to do so.

In the first, classical part of the concert realized in this way, Lionel Bringuier conducts the pieces Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune by Claude Debussy and Mozart's Sinfonia concertante E flat major. Afterwards, the young British electronic duo Bondax will lead through the night. For the first time, different musical genres can be discovered in three other rooms of the Tonhalle.

Info:
The TOZdiscover concert will take place on March 27 at the Tonhalle Zurich
www.tonhalle-orchester.ch

The familiar depiction of jazz as a sturdy tree with a rather slender trunk and a dense, shaggy crown has become ingrained in our minds. From the 1960s at the latest, a branching out of trends and developments set in that defies any linear representation. All too often, therefore, treatises on jazz history end shortly after the middle of the century or lose their conciseness and substance from then on.

Peter Erskine, long-time drummer of the legendary quartet Weather Report, is aware of the complexity of the undertaking of reappraising his time during his lifetime - i.e. from the middle of the branches - to the extent that he does not venture out onto the branches from the outset in terms of stylistic or musical descriptions. His approach is almost purely autobiographical and very drum-specific. For example, several chapters are dedicated to his drum manufacturers. As a reader, he imagines himself as a loyal fan who devours anecdotes from his companions and from his own rich artistic life with great pleasure. The result is an almost novelistic narrative style. The fact that Erskine simultaneously packages this account as a chronicle of the most famous, if not necessarily most personally formative, formation is forgiven as a marketing move. As a non-drummer, the writer would hardly have stuck to the name Peter Erskine alone, although it turns out that several of the 600 albums he helped to create also adorn his record collection. This wealth and variety of styles alone deserve attention.

Erskine guides us through his life's work with great respect and admiration for the co-creators of his time, including countless legends who also deserve to be chronicled, and with commendable modesty and self-irony. He dedicates very personal mini-biographies to all his companions in the appendix. There are also short anecdotes and background information on his fifty most important albums. Unfortunately, he often remains too much on the surface musically. With all the "genius" titles he bestows, it would be interesting to find out what exactly constitutes genius in a musical personality. In his case, we find out: he can tell a great story and, of course, "drum fabulously". He has managed to jam with most of the jazz greats of our era and thus made a considerable contribution to the undergrowth of the jazz tree.

Incidentally, the fame of his recordings means that practically everything is documented on YouTube. The inglorious thing about the German edition of this book is the careless editing with regard to the that/that rules.

Peter Erskine, No Beethoven, Autobiography & Chronicle of Weather Report, German Edition, 352 p., € 16.95, Fuzzymusic/Alfred Music, Cologne 2014, ISBN 978-3-943638-91-2

This publication offers an aesthetic surprise, as anthologies of scholarly essays rarely have an attractive print and layout. The large format (290 x 195 mm) allows for easy-to-read musical examples and illustrations that are sensibly integrated into the text. In addition, the many black-and-white and color images are well selected and carefully printed.

The ten essays, seven in German and three in English - "Results of a study conducted as part of the research project Singer and actor The first part of the workshop report, "The Gestures of the Opera in the 19th Century", deals specifically with the gestural area of operatic practice in the 19th century, again mainly in Paris and Vienna; they report on the sign language of the time on the basis of performance reports and gesture textbooks, supported by instructive historical images, and they prove that the training of actors and singers was mostly identical. Theory and practice are presented, even if the second in the workshop report Gestures on the test bench and in the interview with a dance teacher and choreographer takes up relatively little space. The two main contributions, like the interview, are written in English and concentrate on the scene in Paris at the time: Singers as Actors examines the gestures at the Grand Opéra, Staging and Acting at the Théâtre Royal Italy.

Both pantomime and dance are included in an extensive essay. The Grand Opéra of a Meyerbeer, for example, came up with exclusivities from which contemporaries, including Wagner, profited, copied or attempted to surpass. Surprisingly, folkloric and national dances (also from Eastern Europe) were "transported" from the countryside to the city and integrated into opera interludes and ballet music, and also that the "dansomania" in Paris mainly broke out in 2/4 or 6/8 time, while in Vienna and Berlin ballroom fever broke out in 3/4 time and "unhinged" society.

Singers as actors. Zur Opernpraxis des 19. Jahrhunderts in Text, Bild und Musik, Musikforschung der Hochschule der Künste Bern, Vol. 5, ed. by Anette Schaffer, Edith Keller, Laura Moeckli, Florian Reichert and Stefan Saborowski, 196 p., € 32.00, Edition Argus, Schliengen 2014, ISBN 978-3-931264-85-7

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) shaped French music in the second half of the 20th century like almost no other composer and teacher. And yet the critical examination of his work, independent of his (extensive) self-testimonies, has only become the subject of musicological work in recent years. Messiaen placed himself only marginally in the context of a tradition conveyed by his teachers, in the musical aesthetics and the great intellectual currents of his time, but rather emphasized his role as a loner.

The present volume, which is based on contributions (some of them considerably expanded) from a symposium held at the Institut français in Munich in 2008, revises this picture. Five of the authors examine Messiaen's position within the French organ and music tradition, his relationship to the philosophy of the time and his influence on the literature of the Renouveau catholique; six further contributions describe Messiaen's interaction with Debussy, Satie, Jolivet, the Groupe des Six, but also with lesser-known figures such as Maurice Emmanuel and Charles Tournemire. In the latter case in particular, co-editor Stefan Keym (Leipzig) shows in a fascinating way Tournemire's great influence on Messiaen - in all the aesthetic and compositional similarities between the two composers, but also where Messiaen seems to clearly distinguish himself. The German, English and French contributions to this highly readable book provide crucial information for a differentiated view of Messiaen and at the same time open up a wide field for further research, which can be expected in the coming years.

Olivier Messiaen and the "French tradition", edited by Stefan Keym and Peter Jost, 246 p., € 29.80, Verlag Dohr, Cologne 2013, ISBN 978-3-86846-112-1

The Schwyzerörgeli is only a little over a hundred years old and has already become an immovable cliché: Apart from country music, nothing seems to work. Hardly any protagonist of the "Örgeler scene" wants to break this cliché or is able to set new musical accents. To this day, many parts of the folk music scene are still somewhat prudish. Thomas Aeschbacher and his father Werner Aeschbacher from Oberaargau are among the few who nevertheless seek out new musical languages on their instruments. Of course, they do this without negating the roots of folk music. Why should they? Thomas Aeschbacher, like his father a well-deserved great in the new Swiss folk music scene, demonstrates this emphatically on his first solo album "feat.".

The almost 50-year-old, who has always been on the lookout for new tones, sounds and chehrli in traditional folk music since his early years, brought 25 outstanding companions from the most diverse sectors of the Swiss music scene into the studio for his album. The result is "feat.", one of those rare Schwyzerörgeli albums that doesn't start to bore from the third track onwards. It is not primarily his fellow musicians who are responsible for this, but Thomas Aeschbacher's own academically trained musicality, which can move just as naturally in folk music as in jazz, classical and world music and also has something credible to say. Curious, at times quite mischievously clownish (such as Balthasar Streiff in Anthem) are joined by jazz musicians, wind players, plucked string instrumentalists and even a church organist. Together they grow beyond the boundaries of traditional Swiss folk music, in surprising combinations of instruments, in grooves that sometimes seem improvisational, sometimes hypnotic, sometimes melancholy, but always full of energy, listening and sensitivity. In principle, they don't invent anything new, but they add far more than just nuances to the traditional aspects of our folk music, without "the seasoned folk and world musicians denying their roots", as Thomas Aeschbacher explains. The result is "feat.", one of the most interesting and inspiring Schwyzerörgeli albums of recent years. Pioneering, of course.

John Dowland (1563-1626) is probably the most important English composer of the Elizabethan era. Nevertheless, he did not succeed in obtaining the coveted post of court lutenist during Queen Elizabeth's lifetime. His life was characterized by restless years of travel. In 1598, Dowland finally received a position at the court of Christian IV of Denmark, which enabled him to be highly productive as a composer. It was not until 1612, when he was a famous man, that he finally received the desired position at the royal court in England.

In 2013, friends of early music celebrated the 450th birthday of Dowland, whose music is characterized by a characteristic melancholy. His First Book of Songs and Ayres was published in 1597 and was so enthusiastically received that it went through five new editions. Two further volumes followed, as well as the consort collection in 1604 Lachrimae, or Seaven Tearsa comprehensive masterpiece of five-part instrumental music. It is dedicated to Queen Anne of Scotland, the sister of Christian IV.

This consort collection was the starting point for a composition commission that the recorder quintet B-Five gave to the Swiss composer Carl Rütti for Dowland's anniversary. The result is an inspired and sensitive Dowland Suite of 18 numbers, an interweaving of original movements from Lachrimae, or Seaven Tears, some the rhythmic and lively dances, and five new pieces by Carl Rütti, in which he reflects on Dowland's consort music and his restless life.

Carl Rütti is a great connoisseur of British vocal music, Dowland's First book of Songs has always been one of his favorite works. In this suite, he plays with motifs from Dowland's pieces, adapts the keys to them and develops them dramaturgically from the very dark opening piece to a playful Chanson avec deux oiseaux up to the virtuoso-dramatic final piece Sir John's Jig. A subtle weave of old and new unfolds in this suite, a stimulating play of colors that will not only delight recorder fans.

The B-Five recorder consort has made a name for itself primarily with works from the Renaissance. With its extensive selection of recorders, the international ensemble produces an astonishingly colorful sound. This is also the case in the five-part movements of this Dowland suite, which are very vividly shaped by the pure and clear sound of the recorder, even in the depths of the bass flute.

Since the solo piece Danse de la chèvre (1919) by Arthur Honegger and the Ballad for flute and piano (1939) by Frank Martin, flute music by Swiss composers receives almost as much attention as that from our western neighbor. How much interesting and valuable music there is from the period from 1921 (Werner Wehrli: Suite) to 1989 (René Gerber: Valse), which has long been overshadowed by the aforementioned Pièces de résistance, are presented by the flautist Franziska Badertscher and the pianist Anne de Dadelsen with great charm, wit and brilliance.

The 1937 painting is a special treasure. Grande Sonata op. 53 by Joseph Lauber. The Rheinberger pupil from Ruswil in Lucerne incorporated influences from Debussy and Ravel to create a colorful tonal language. The predominantly cantabile first movement (Patetico) and the lively Presto finale (Burlesco) are played with virtuosity by the dynamic performers.

The expressive Sonata op. 68a for alto flute and piano by Raffaele d'Alessandro confirms what his counterpoint teacher Nadia Boulanger said: "Vous portez en vous une œuvre authentique." Lyrical qualities predominate in Werner Wehrli's stylistically multi-layered Suite op. The light-footed march speaks of mischief, the expressive song movement is dreamy. Romanticism alternates several times with neoclassical elements.

With a high degree of transparency and finely contoured linearity, the Kaval and the Sonatina from Jean Binet, noblesse fulfills the simple Pavane and a waltz by the Neuchâtel Dukas pupil René Gerber. Julien-François Zbinden benefited from his many years of experience as a jazz pianist in the clear and concise Sonatina op. 5. The flutist's lightly played tone repetitions contribute just as much to the liveliness of this lively opusculum as the pianist's accentuated syncopations.

During the handover, the Music Council representatives expressed great concern about the future of the music landscape in German-speaking countries in connection with the negotiations on the international agreements TTIP (free trade agreement) and TiSA (trade in services agreement).

Should public services be privatized through TiSA, public cultural funding and thus the foundation of the entire cultural landscape in Germany, Austria and Switzerland would be at risk, write the music councils.

Huber assured the councils that Germany was not planning any new market opening obligations in the areas of culture and media. The Bavarian state government is fully behind this. It was also important to him that the free trade agreement negotiations should be much more transparent.

TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) is the planned free trade agreement between the USA and the European Union. It is intended to improve trade in goods and services between the USA and the European Union, remove existing trade barriers and reduce low tariffs. In the cultural sector, the cultural industry is particularly affected alongside public cultural funding.
 

Michael Pelzel has now been in Berlin for six months on a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service. Reason enough for the Ultraschallfestival Berlin to dedicate a portrait concert to him. Under the direction of Johannes Kalitzke, Klangforum Wien presented three large ensemble works by Pelzel on January 23. A recording of the concert is also to be released as a portrait CD in the Edition Zeitgenössische Musik of the German Music Council. So things are going well in Berlin for the Swiss composer, who was awarded the Busoni Prize by the Academy of Arts in 2011. At the award ceremony at the time, laudator Enno Poppe praised Pelzel's ability to transform the most diverse influences into something personal. The concert at Berlin's Hebbeltheater am Ufer once again bore witness to this quality.
Not only strings and woodwinds were set up on the open black box stage, but also three percussionists with various instruments as well as a prepared piano and a celesta. The Klangforum presented the first piece with impressive dynamics, ... along 101 ...from 2008, in which Michael Pelzel dedicates himself musically to the famous American west coast road Highway 101. In this piece, the sounds of the ensemble pile up to form dense clouds, images and surfaces, as if on a varied journey. In fact, echoes of American folk music seem to penetrate - for a moment it may sound like country music, like a brass band, but you have already whizzed past this part of the road.

Also in ... sentiers tortueux ... from 2007, which translates as "winding paths", the listener imagines himself on an eventful journey. Once again, very dense soundscapes emerge that involve the entire ensemble, only to thin out again and emphasize the subtleties of the individual instrumental groups - the two pianos tuned at sixth-note intervals or the woodwinds that fade into nothingness.

Pelzel's wealth of variety and his ability to bring out the most diverse timbres from the ensemble without any electronic aids were also evident in the last piece. Sempiternal Lockin (2012-14) comes to the fore. In it, he processes another travel experience, namely that of a scholarship stay in South Africa. There he learned the special playing technique of lock in, a special way of playing percussion instruments with several people at the same time, so that further rhythms become audible in the overtones. Also in Sempiternal Lockin Michael Pelzel proved his ability to bring together such diverse influences as impressions from Africa with his love of 19th century music. Rich in variety, dense, two-dimensional and yet at times subtle, the image of a constantly changing landscape also emerged here. The piece culminated in an impressive, almost pompous finale that left the audience speechless and amazed at this very unique, versatile musical language. The audience applauded enthusiastically. Now all that remains to be seen is what imprint the scholarship stay in Berlin will leave on Pelzel's music, in this melting pot that is able to combine so many different things.
 

With One Hand Piano piano teacher Barbara Arens has succeeded in presenting 40 pieces that are more than just a makeshift solution for teaching injured pupils. They are certainly very welcome in this case too and help to bridge the time in a meaningful way. However, they also enable differentiated musical/technical work. Whether different articulation or dynamics in one hand, large hand shifts, double stops or polyphonic voice leading, there are imaginative pieces for many typical pianistic challenges, from easy to moderately difficult. Playing difficulties, which are usually tackled with dry special exercises, can thus be worked on in a musical context, which has a positive effect on practice motivation and learning success.

The stylistic palette ranges from classical to film music to folk and many pieces can be played well by either the left or the right hand. Why not perform a special kind of piece at a school concert - with the left hand, so to speak!

Barbara Arens, One Hand Piano, 40 pieces for left or right hand, EB 8646, € 16.00, Edition Breitkopf, Wiesbaden

The idea for this booklet of Swiss folk music was born in 2012 during the Federal Young Musicians' Meeting in Zug. This festival has existed since 1978 and takes place every four years. The Swiss Folk Music Association, founded in 1963, gave it as a gift to young musicians and itself for its 50th birthday. It is intended as a contribution to the preservation and dissemination of traditional Swiss folk music from the Alpine region.

The 15 compositions by Albert Betschart, Hans Moser, Peter Berchtold, René Armbruster and Sergej Simbirev are set for three or four voices, with a duo playing the melody and a violin plus a violoncello (bass, trombone, tuba etc.) or a guitar or piano playing the bass and the "counterbeat". Sometimes the melody also appears in bass clef, so that the "basses" can also play the melody. The parallel editions in C, Bb and Eb make it possible to play together in a wide variety of instrumentations. The information on simple accompaniment options with written chord indications and guitar fingerings is also helpful. A chapter on dance styles and their rhythmic patterns completes the explanatory section.

The booklet is aimed primarily at music teachers who want to get their pupils interested in Swiss folk music. The melodies and accompanying parts can be played from the second year of lessons.

Bärenstark, 15 old and new dances, order no. 1023-C/1023-Bb/1023-Eb, Fr. 25.00 each, Mülirad-Verlag, Altdorf