With an economic weight of 535.9 billion euros and 7.1 million jobs, the NPP is one of the most important employers in the EU and employs almost as many people as the hospitality industry, writes EY. At the same time, it employs two and a half times more people than the automotive industry and five times as many as the telecommunications sector.

Eleven submarkets were analyzed for the study: Books, newspapers and magazines, music, performing arts, TV, film, radio, video games, visual arts, architecture and advertising. It was commissioned by the GESAC (European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers).

The study can be downloaded at www.creatingeurope.eu can be downloaded.

With the petition No music desert in Basel! the undersigned request "the Government Council of the Canton of Basel Stadt,

• to find a legal transitional solution so that all musicians from third countries affected by the change in practice, including those who completed their studies in 2014, receive a short-term residence permit until at least December 31, 2015 and
• to make representations to the federal government as a long-term measure and to work towards amending the ordinance to the federal law so that it is still possible for freelance non-EU musicians to work here in Switzerland."

The petition can be here can be viewed and signed.

During question time in the National Council on December 8, Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga commented on the Permits for musicians from third countries in Switzerland expressed.
 

The JTI Trier Jazz Award is being presented to her because she is "an outstanding musician over and above her extensive commitment, for example with the SOFIA (Support of Female Improvising Artists) program", writes a spokesperson for the musician. Thanks to a grant from the City of Zurich's Popkredit program, she will be able to work in New York for six months in 2016 as part of a studio residency.

Johänntgen studied saxophone and composition in jazz/popular music in Mannheim and has lived as a freelance musician in Zurich since 2005. She teaches at the music schools in Urdorf and Oetwil an der Limmat in the canton of Zurich. She also runs workshops for amateur musicians and travels from country to country as a SOFIA ambassador, playing concerts in Switzerland and abroad and giving lectures on self-management.

National Councillor Lehmann wanted to know why "excellent, specialized, self-employed foreign musicians" who do not come from EU/EFTA countries should not live and work in Switzerland and what measures the Federal Council, together with the cantons, is prepared to examine and apply generously so that the many classical orchestras can continue to employ and employ highly qualified musicians.

According to Federal Councillor Sommaruga, the Foreign Nationals Act allows qualified workers from non-EU/EFTA states, i.e. from third countries, "to pursue self-employment, provided this is in the interests of the economy as a whole, they have the necessary financial and operational requirements and the maximum numbers, i.e. the quotas, are adhered to".

A macroeconomic interest is deemed to exist if the self-employed activity results in a sustainable benefit for the Swiss labor market, for example through the creation of jobs. Outside of the quota-based admission, the cantons could issue a permit within the framework of temporary short-stay permits - up to 8 months within 12 months - without taking up residence in Switzerland. In addition to professional qualifications, a secure income, i.e. a livelihood, is a basic requirement.

According to the Federal Councillor, qualified musicians from third countries can already be admitted to the labor market within the framework of these legal bases. If the cantons have special requests for more generous regulations, these will be examined by the federal government - but always within the legal framework.

The question was triggered by a Messagewhich threatens half a hundred professional musicians from non-EU countries, some of whom have been working and teaching in Basel for years, with deportation.

According to a press release, the declared aim of the Salle Modulable Foundation and Butterfield Trust is to construct a building with a modular, flexibly adaptable performance space in the center of Lucerne. The new theater is intended to provide an internationally recognized platform for productions and creative experimentation in the fields of opera, musical theater, dance and drama. The project is to be realized as part of the New Theatre Infrastructure (NTI).

In the past, Butterfield Trust has already paid CHF 5.75 million for the preparatory work for the project planning of the Salle Modulable. The remaining financial obligations of Butterfield Trust will therefore amount to CHF 114.25 million if the Salle Modulable is realized. After deducting further costs for project planning, legal, accounting and administration, current estimates suggest that around CHF 80 million will ultimately be available for the construction of the new modular theater in Lucerne.

In an initial phase, which is to be completed within the next twelve months, the consulting firm Arup USA Inc. will examine the technical feasibility of the project. Arup will also estimate the costs for the construction and operation of the Salle Modulable and identify the legal and political conditions that must be met for its realization. According to the agreement, a further three years will then be available to fulfill all financial and political conditions for the project.
 

As founder of the big band Loose Tubes in the 1980s, Django Bates was one of the initiators of the European jazz renaissance. In 1997, he was awarded the Danish Jazzpar Prize, which is considered the Nobel Prize of jazz. In 2005, RMC Copenhagen appointed him its first Professor of Rhythmic Music. He teaches piano, composition and ensemble at the Bern University of Music and Performing Arts.

The British Composer Awards recognize compositions in contemporary music, jazz and electro-acoustic music. They were established in 2003 by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
 

Patricia Pagny, piano professor at the Bern University of the Arts, is the initiator of the "Tasti'Era" project, which aims to breathe new life into the classical music scene through interdisciplinarity. Her declared aim is to make musical performances attractive, versatile and appealing to audiences by combining them with other arts. So far, however, only two CDs have emerged as a tangible result and calling card, which, despite their respectable quality, can hardly be described as ground-breaking. Pagny's piano class performs two well-rounded programs, but they do not stand out from the usual themed CDs.

Based on the strong influence of Japanese painting on French artists at the end of the 19th century, the class on the CD Entre la France et le Japon in search of something comparable in music. In fact, a convincing juxtaposition is achieved through an apt choice of pieces. Toshio Akaishi and Toru Takemitsu provide an insight into Japanese compositional culture, and through more or less well-known French representatives from Maurice Ravel to Jean-Jacques Werner, differences, but also far-reaching similarities, soon become clear. The mostly atmospheric, floating works are primarily distinguished from one another by their different sound structures, which can be traced back to the different cultures. The Prelude La Puerta del Vino by Claude Debussy, with its strong Spanish influences, stands out due to its very beautiful but thematically inappropriate sound world. Three first recordings, Jean-Jacques Werner's Madigan SquareToshio Akaishi's A Heavy Cloud Drips in the North Winter's Sky and The blue moon is rising from beyond a mountain ridgeThe compositional finesse and individuality of Akaishi's works can be found in some expressive and colorful impressionistic elements. The interpreters are convincing and do justice to the works; in addition to Patricia Pagny herself, who stands out qualitatively as a mentor, Mrika Sefa deserves special mention, who plays Poulenc's Improvisation XIII and Takemitsus Song of love offers.

Entre la France et le Japon, un sentiment de parfaite harmonie, works by Messiaen, Akaishi, Ravel, Takemitsu and others.

Video examples:

Tanja Biderman plays Toru Takemitsu: Litany II in Memory of Michael Vyner
Aimi Sugo plays Toshio Akaishi: A Heavy Cloud Drips in the North Winter's Sky
Zarja Vatovec plays Jean-Jacques Werner: Madigan Square

In the second CD Bern-Thun-Interlaken, véritable source d'inspiration the game of associations continues, albeit quite loosely. Although the four closely connected composers (the Schumann couple, Brahms and Mendelssohn) all knew and appreciated the area in question, only one of the recorded works was actually written here: Three fantasy pieces op. 111 by Schumann. Tanja Biderman opens the recording with the very intelligently chosen Toccata op. 7 by Robert Schumann, a piece that is so difficult that few pianists can or want to include it in their repertoire. It is mastered surprisingly confidently and with relievingly little emphasis on technique, which is also evident in Mendelssohn's Variations sérieuses and Brahms' Intermezzo op. 118 No. 6 does not change. The fact that immediately afterwards the Intermezzi op. 117 by Brahms, played by Tomomi Hori, shows exactly the differences between the two pianists. While Biderman performs Brahms expansively, with a lot of rubato and pathos, Hori does not allow herself many liberties, playing almost woodenly at times. Such divergent interpretations become more apparent in the course of the CD. Nevertheless, the overall quality remains very high, with particular praise for the conception of a rounded sound and the noticeable focus on the internal logic of the compositions, which, despite all the differences, never slips into the arbitrary.

As in every stylistic area, there are better and worse things here too. The pieces by Mårten Jansson clearly belong to the first category. Bärenreiter-Verlag has published three of them in an attractive presentation.

Fear thou not for five-part female choir impresses with its delicate, always transparent movement with the simplest of motifs, which continues to unfold after an ostinato-like beginning. The entire sound space accessible to female voices is cleverly exploited. The piece is not really easy, especially in the melodically leading soprano part there are occasionally large leaps (which are always harmonically cushioned, however), and a high C"' is imperative. Jansson also reckons with extremely low alto voices on the other side of the spectrum, but is clever enough to offer ossia solutions here. The piece, which is based on the Isaiah text "Fear not, I am with you", remains harmonically within a slightly extended C minor framework, including a transfiguration to C major at the end of the piece.

In a very similar way Mary (IV) for four-part mixed choir, although the soprano is divided over long stretches. The key of E flat minor is soon abandoned and brightened up to E minor via various stages, often by means of chromatic paths (and easily realized thanks to the elaborate voice leading). In this piece too, the soprano is the most melodically demanding voice, with the others sharing the task of providing the harmonic foundation. This music requires a well intoned and tonally balanced choir that is also trained in the use of extended harmonies. The piece is offered in two language versions, the original Swedish and in English. The text is a kind of modern Marian poem, so it is also accessible for Protestant choirs who have difficulty with the traditional Catholic Marian devotions.

The Choirmasters Burial sets a slightly different accent: after a monophonic, folk-music-like beginning by the tenor, a full-sounding male choir takes over, which is then complemented by the female choir. This piece calls for a choir that is evenly scored and not too small. Here, too, the outer ranges are exhausted (high soprano to b"; low bass to B, with ossia) and can even be extended further by two optional female choirs (soprano to d"'). What I also like about this piece is that the key of F major is not overused, but is livened up by other tonal regions. The English text by the Victorian writer Thomas Hardy tells the story of a choirmaster who is buried without any music, against his wishes and at the instigation of the vicar - whereupon a "Band of Angels" appears to this vicar the following night and plays music under the direction of the deceased choirmaster. Several verses from the liturgical requiem text are integrated into this piece.

Mårten Jansson, Fear thou not for choir SSMAA, choral score, BA 7411, € 3.95, Bärenreiter, Kassel 2014

id., Maria (IV), for choir SATB, BA 7412, € 3.95

id., The Choirmaster's Burial, for choir SSATBB, BA 7413, € 5.95

Schubert's Piano Sonata in C major D 840, the so-called "Reliquie" - the nickname gives it away - is a torso; the third and fourth movements remained unfinished. Various musicians have made additions over the course of time. The majority, such as Paul Badura-Skoda, tried to stick stylistically very close to the model. Others, such as Christoph Delz, deliberately added an alienated new version to the fragment.

Bernhard Billeter's latest version achieves something that has been missing until now. Billeter always remains committed to Schubert's model, but nevertheless dares to create a few formal and harmonic surprises, which really bring such a stylistic exercise to life. These include the "tonal timetable" in the minuet and the wonderful reminiscence of the first movement in the coda of the rondo. Billeter's comments on performance practice, which he also puts into practice on the accompanying CD, are also very revealing. A small detail in passing: in bars 489/490 at the very end of the rondo, the left hand apparently plays quavers and not crotchets according to the CD, undoubtedly the even more elegant variant.

One question remains: Why did Schubert leave this sonata unfinished? Did the thematic material of the third and fourth movements no longer appeal to him for further work? He was able to publish a sonata that was written almost simultaneously and is related in many ways, the one in A minor D 845, as the first, complete of course.

Ferenc Farkas (1905-2000) is one of the most important Hungarian composers of the 20th century. His rich catalog of works encompasses all musical genres. About the genesis of the 1932 composed Sonata per violoncello solo is little known. It was written shortly after Farkas' study visit to Rome and was not printed during his lifetime. The composer's son, conductor András Farkas, who lives in Pully near Lausanne, discovered the manuscript in the estate of the great Hungarian cellist Ede Banda (1917-2004). The charming three-movement work has now been published by Editio Musica Budapest.

Much more concise than the great solo sonata by Farkas' compatriot Zoltán Kodály, the piece is comparable in scope and difficulty to Caspar Cassadó's Suite for violoncello solo. The first movement (Allegro) is characterized by Eastern European rhythms with many changes of time signature. The fingered pizzicati to be played with the left hand are technically demanding. The second movement (Andante) begins with a delicate melody played on the D string in the high register, accompanied by the empty A string. The third movement (Allegro molto) is a lively tarantella which gives the performer the opportunity to demonstrate the brilliance of his bowing technique. A tribute to Farkas' teacher Ottorino Respighi?

The first edition was prepared by the Hungarian cellist Miklós Perényi, who also provided the edition with fingerings.

Perényi has also published a short work for violoncello solo with the same publisher: Introduzione e ScherzoThe composer writes in a commentary: "The work was not written on the basis of pre-planned mathematical calculations, but its composition required a great deal of calculation." Perényi's cello playing is famous for its masterly perfection. It is therefore not surprising that he is not stingy with technical difficulties and effects in both movements and sets the cellist many tricky, interesting tasks, especially for the left hand.

Ferenc Farkas, Sonata per violoncello solo, Z. 14 879, € 7.45, Editio Musica Budapest (Edition Kunzelmann) 2013

Miklós Perényi, Introduzione e Scherzo per violoncello solo, Z. 14 881, € 7.45, 2013

Under the title The aria in the classroom Edition Schott presents a selection volume for young singers who are at the beginning of their training and whose vocal range is still limited, who are perhaps preparing for an aptitude test at a university and want to get a taste of opera.

The collection covers different eras and styles from the beginning of the opera genre to the 20th century. All arias are represented in the original language, and are sung in Italian, English, French and German. The selection contains a wealth of mostly "small" arias outside the usual anthologies. A soprano volume, a volume for mezzo and alto and a tenor volume have been published to date, each comprising around 30 arias.

According to the rule of thumb that singing Mozart means cultivating the voice, this is mainly represented in the soprano edition, but also in the other two. In addition to Cherubino, Susanna and Zerlina, there are also less frequently heard works such as the Servilia aria from La clemenza di Tito or the Serpetta from La finta giardiniera. In addition, there are the arias of Annio, Barbarina, Pedrillo and Monostatos, characters who, in the shadow of the great opera heroes, help to determine the events on stage.

Around this group is a colorful bouquet of little-known, previously heard and indispensable pieces: Handel and Monteverdi, Verdi and Thomas, but also Vicente Martin y Soler, a Spanish composer who was called "the Mozart from Valencia" during his lifetime, or Vincenzo Righini, also a contemporary of Mozart. With Hans Werner Henze, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Kurt Weill and Carl Orff, the 20th century is also represented with perfectly singable examples.

In her selection, the editor Claudia Eder strives for stylistic, linguistic and musical variety, which should support the talented beginner in his work on breathing, virtuosity, articulation and musical expression. While she generally sticks to simple, straightforward arias, some difficult ones are also included: the scene of Yniold from Pelléas et Mélisande by Débussy, the aria of Mignon from the opera of the same name by Thomas, which interestingly appears in the soprano volume (?), and Stride la vampa by Verdi present challenges that beginners may not yet be able to master.

Die Arie im Unterricht, 32 arias from 4 centuries for tenor and piano, edited by Claudia Eder, ED 21141, € 18.99, Schott, Mainz 2014

id., 28 arias from 4 centuries for mezzo-soprano/alto and piano, ED 20897, € 17.99, 2013

id., 27 arias from 4 centuries for soprano and piano, ED 20896, € 17.99, 2012

Since the turn of the millennium at the latest, Swiss folk music has been rediscovered and revitalized with new impulses. Regardless of this phenomenon, the subject has always lent itself to double bass lessons, as several teaching objectives can be ideally combined: keeping the meter regular, using the double bass in an important function as an accompanying instrument, knowing the basic tonal levels and playing by ear, etc. With these basic experiences and skills, it is easy to broaden the spectrum, whether it is in the newly developed variety of Swiss folk music (see the collections currently being published by the same publishing house), or in European and non-European folklore through to standard jazz.

However, a handy method and pedagogically oriented collection of materials for double bass players has been lacking until now. Now Peter Gisler has produced a manual that is both simple and systematic. The first 16 pages contain unpretentious instructions on playing the double bass for self-learners, illustrated with photos, drawings and basic exercises. It then leads step-by-step to the practice of accompaniment, from basic accompaniment to alternating bass to transitions and simple effects. The short music theory at the end can also be used for double bass lessons regardless of the subject. The clever choice of model songs and illustrative graphics cleverly lead to the basic accompaniment forms of a Schottisch, Ländler and waltz. A Monferreina and other examples reflect the fact that Swiss folk music cannot be reduced to the same old dances. The CD, which is as simple as it is beautifully recorded, on which the bass can be heard with a pithy, contemporary sound and is later faded out for your own playing, should contribute a great deal to the motivation to apply what you have learned. And it is an invitation to look for fellow players ...

Peter Gisler, The double bass in Swiss folk music. Instructions for the use of the double bass in Swiss folk music, order no. 1113, with CD, Fr. 38.00, Mülirad-Verlag, Altdorf 2013