According to the announcement, the group of beneficiaries in Austria is to be extended to include those employed in art education and teaching. The lower income threshold that entitles people to join the insurance scheme is also to be lowered. "Improving the income situation for artists and cultural workers is a priority goal of this legislative period, alongside copyright reform," the "Standard" quotes the Minister of Culture as saying.

Germany and Austria are familiar with an artists' pension scheme for cultural professionals. Efforts to introduce such insurance in Switzerland also failed during parliamentary work on the Culture Promotion Act to implement the culture article in the new Federal Constitution.

However, Swiss federal politicians agreed that a certain percentage of federal funding for artists must flow into a pension fund. However, the model will only become substantial if the cantons and municipalities also introduce comparable provisions. 

Under Wieler's direction, the Stuttgart Opera has regularly received excellent ratings for its productions and singers in surveys of theater critics in recent years and has won numerous awards and prizes, writes the ministry.

Jossi Wieler's next directorial work for the Stuttgart Opera is currently in development: Mark Andre's first opera "wunderzaichen" will premiere on March 2. 

Jossi Wieler was born in Kreuzlingen/Switzerland in 1951. He studied directing at the Theater Department of Tel Aviv University. He has been artistic director of Oper Stuttgart since 2011/12 and recently co-directed the new Stuttgart productions of Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos" and Denisov's "Der Schaum der Tage" together with Sergio Morabito. In the current 2013/14 season, the world premiere of Mark Andre's first opera will be followed by a new production of "Tristan und Isolde". 
 

It will be opened m4music on Thursday, March 27, in Lausanne. For the first time, exclusive showcases by Blood Red Shoes (UK), Rootwords (CH/GE), Nadine Carina (CH/TI) and Wolfman (CH/ZH) will be broadcast live from Studio 15 of RTS on Couleur 3 and SRF Virus. The Best Swiss Video Clip award ceremony will take place in the afternoon. The industry will discuss music promotion in Switzerland with representatives of the newly emerging indie label association.

New stage with free concerts on the Schiffbauplatz

m4music moves its headquarters to Zurich's Schiffbau on March 28 and 29. Thanks to the new open-air stage on the Schiffbauplatz, around 50 bands will be performing in Zurich this year instead of the previous 40 or so acts. These include up-and-coming Swiss bands such as Milchmaa (CH/GR), Jeans for Jesus (CH/BE), Adieu Gary Cooper (CH/VD) and Ekat Bork (CH/TI). The free concerts will begin on Friday afternoon, March 28, from 2.15 pm. m4music festival director Philipp Schnyder von Wartensee is delighted about the new open-air stage: "We are thus offering another platform to strong up-and-coming Swiss bands. Conversely, the audience can listen to new bands in the afternoon - an ideal addition to the free conference and demo tape clinic program."

Diedrich Diederichsen and Daniel Miller discuss at the conference

This year's conference will cover the top topics of the music industry in workshops, panel discussions and keynotes. The thematic focus will be on Berlin: emigrated Swiss artists such as Tobias Jundt (Bonaparte) and Stefan Rusconi (Rusconi Trio) will discuss whether Berlin is the new Swiss music capital. Diedrich Diederichsen, former editor of "Spex", the magazine for pop culture, talks to publicist Max Dax about his book "Über Pop-Musik", which will be published at the beginning of March. Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records (Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and many more), is interviewed by presenter Markus Kavka.

Marc Sway and Steff la Cheffe rate the songs of tomorrow's artists

The Demotape Clinic is Switzerland's most important competition for up-and-coming musicians. In this edition, 825 demos were submitted, compared to 777 in 2013. The jury, consisting of industry professionals and musicians such as Steff la Cheffe, Marc Sway and José Moreno, music editor and critic for Radio Couleur 3, comments on a selection of them in public. In order to give the best Swiss talents the best possible start to their careers, the Fondation Suisa presents four awards in the categories pop, rock, urban and electronic with prize money totaling CHF 17,000.

Further information and detailed program: www.m4music.ch

The Light fair by Thomas Gabriel was commissioned for the major choir festival Pueri Cantores 2004 in Cologne, which brought together young singers from all over the world. This also explains the multilingual nature of this mass. It originally consisted of three movements: the introit, the alleluia and the final hymn. It is scored for two four-part mixed choirs and a large wind orchestra. Six languages are used in the introit: German, Italian, English, Spanish, French and Latin. The Hallelujah and the final chant also follow the principle of multilingualism.

In the years since the premiere, the three movements have been expanded to include the responsorial chant and the offertory and published together with the instrumental piece for the Communio. The large-scale wind composition presented here contrasts with an organ version, which will probably be easier and more frequently realized in practice.

Thomas Gabriel, Lichtmesse; wind version, for solo soprano, choir SATB/SATB, 2 ob, Eh, 2 Fg, Cor, 2 Tr, Trb, Tb, Org, score, CV 19.052, € 62.00; organ version, score, CV 19.052/50, € 24.50; Carus, Stuttgart 2013

tramway vienna-bratislava is the title of a new piece by the well-known Swiss composer Mathias Rüegg, who lives in Vienna. Anyone imagining this title to mean a tranquil trip to Bratislava in an old streetcar carriage will be disabused right from the first bars: extremely fast tempi, a pianist who uses his grand piano like a cajon, only the saving two fermata bars give the players and the listener a short breather in the initial phase. It quickly becomes clear that this is a piece composed by an expert for experts. Mathias Rüegg himself writes: "Difficulty level 11 out of 10".

Mathias Rüegg proves that this work is playable despite the immense technical demands (rhythm, height, rapid changes of mute, etc.) with a link to a recording with the dedicatee of this composition, the fantastic trumpeter Juraj Bartos, together with his equally talented piano partner Ladislav Fanzowitz. A challenge for every trumpeter and pianist. But it is worth accepting!

Mathias Rüegg: tramway vienna - bratislava, for trumpet and piano, D 05748, € 17.95, Doblinger, Vienna 2011

This year we are celebrating the 200th birthday of Adolphe Sax (1814-1894), the brilliant inventor of the saxophone. Since the first few original compositions in the middle of the 19th century (Singelée, Kastner, Savari, Génin, Demersseman etc.), numerous works have been written for this instrument. In recent decades in particular, a large number of compositions have been written in a wide variety of styles, as well as numerous teaching works and schools. In view of this pleasing wealth, it is often difficult for amateurs, students and music teachers to make a selection. The appearance of publications is usually the first thing that catches the eye and determines whether they are merely leafed through or examined in more detail. It would be desirable if publishers and authors attached more importance to visualization and layout, as this is helpful, inspiring and meaningful for the reception of literature at all levels.

Contemporary
In the new edition of the Sakura variations by Helmut Lachenmann for alto saxophone, percussion and piano is a good example of how a simple, beautifully printed and embossed score with plenty of space can arouse curiosity about foreign or familiar worlds of sound. The sight-reading introduction to the exotic Japanese folk song Sakura (first sung by the player) is immediately followed by the need to delve deeper into the functional-harmonic sound practice. It quickly becomes apparent that this occasional composition by Helmut Lachenmann is also easy to access due to its moderate level of difficulty. A wonderfully cheerful and serious piece of music that should not be withheld from advanced music students. Far too rarely are such gems of contemporary music performed in recitals!

Three further, recently published, serious compositions - published in a similarly simple appearance - should be mentioned here: Das Marian triptych by Martin Torp - a sonorous work for alto saxophone and organ that refers to New Testament scenes, Günter Raphael's wide-ranging variation, rhythmically approaching jazz Divertimento for alto saxophone and violoncello op.74 and the solo piece Jeux by Gilbert Amy, which he arranged for soprano saxophone at the suggestion of Claude Delangle. (The original version was for one to four oboes.) All three works realize a specific quality of the instrument and enrich every concert program with their own musical language. Especially Jeux places high technical demands.

The subtle pieces by Swiss composer Kevin Juillerat present themselves with a much more colorful cover Et l'horizon frissonne ("Und der Horizont erschauert" for alto or tenor saxophone solo) and Miroitements ("Spiegelungen" for alto or soprano saxophone and piano). These short pieces, which are committed to the titles, demand modern playing techniques such as multiphonics, subtones, quarter tones etc. They are well suited for first encounters with contemporary music, especially as the composer places particular emphasis on teaching the performance indications with introductory exercises and recommends suitable listening examples from other works. A somewhat more generous notation would have been useful here.

Jazz Club - Learn to play jazz - by Andy Mayer and Christian Wegschneider is aimed at classical saxophonists who want to get to know jazz music through playing and not through the sometimes daunting theory, scales and knowledge of harmony. The solos, chords and rhythms are written out in the first part, and it is only in the second part that you are given the opportunity to play independently and creatively with play-alongs. The criticism voiced at the beginning about the graphic design of certain publications could be reiterated here, as the restlessness of the title page continues throughout the chapters in the density of the writing and music text, which sometimes makes getting started, which should be made easier, rather more difficult. However, the groovy CD tracks with various instrumental groups make up for this introduction to the world of jazz.

Born in Männedorf in 1938, Boesch moved to Paris in 1966, where he studied composers such as Schaeffer, Bayle and Reibel and the Groupe de Recherches Musicales. In 1968, he won first prize in composition at the Paris Conservatoire for his work Désagrégationthe first electroacoustic work to be honored in this context.

After his return to Switzerland, Boesch performed in a duo with the singer Kathrin Graf and taught and directed various music institutions in French-speaking Switzerland, such as the Institut des Hautes Etudes Musicales (Crans/Montreux), the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze and the Centre Suisse de Musique Informatique. He also spent time at IRCAM (1976-85), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1988) and Stanford University (1992).

In 1996 he became professor of computer music at the Paris Conservatoire. His compositional work includes electro-acoustic music, computer music as well as vocal and instrumental music.

For the new production of Hector Berlioz' opera La damnation de Faust Theater Basel is looking for young extras for various roles. We are looking for ten boys aged 9-12 years.
The theater is also looking for a boy up to 15 years old to double the male lead Faust. As a double for the main female character Marguerite, the theater is looking for an adult female extra with a younger and girlish appearance. Both extras will appear and act very frequently during the course of the evening.

Stage experience is desirable, but not a requirement. Regular participation in the rehearsal process from April 7 to the premiere on May 25, 2014 as well as participation in all performances (dates in the period from April to the end of June 2014) are a basic requirement.

Interested parties can introduce themselves during the casting on February 21. The meeting point is shortly before 6 p.m. at the gate of the Theater Basel, Elisabethenstrasse 16.

For further information, please contact Lotti Bürgler, head of the staging department, on 079/766 14 64.
 

The Department of Culture of the Canton of Valais offers the following grants:

a) 3 three-year grants for musicians or groups in the amount of CHF 15,000 per year for musicians and CHF 30,000 per year for groups.
b) 2 grants for compositions in the amount of CHF 10,000.
c) 3 to 5 contributions to the establishment of studios for contemporary music in the amount of up to
25,000 francs per project.
d) 3 contributions for collaborations between professional and amateur musicians in the amount of up to CHF 20,000 per project.
e) 3 tutorship projects for emerging artists in the amount of 2,000 to 5,000
Francs.

Only application dossiers submitted by April 15 will be considered.
2014 via the online platform www.vs-myculture.ch be submitted.
Audio or video material can be sent by post to the following address:
Office for Culture, Cultural Promotion, P.O. Box 182, 1951 Sion.

Grand opera choirs are in vogue and have become an integral part of concert life. Carus Verlag has published choral books with great opera choruses by both Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the two composers. The Verdi book contains twelve choruses, set for choir and piano and selected by Johannes Knecht. From the absolute hit Va pensiero from Nabucco about the triumphal choir from Aida to choral passages from little-known operas such as Giovanna d'Arco or La battaglia di Legnano. The original Italian text is accompanied by a singable second text in German.

Wagner's Pilgrims' Chorus and the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin are part of the repertoire of many choirs. From the operas The fairies and Rienzi the repertoire is supplemented by further arrangements. Johannes Knecht and Clytus Gottwald are responsible for a total of eight arrangements. Pure choral scores have also been published for these volumes.

Carus-Verlag has also reissued Verdi's best-known sacred choral works, such as the Quattro pezzi sacri. Stabat mater and Te Deum have also been published in an arrangement for voice and organ by the organist Zsigmond Szathmáry. Even the most famous work, the Messa da Requiem has been republished. The so-called reduced version for small ensemble should be particularly interesting for practitioners: Based on the piano score, choirmaster and music teacher Michael Betzner-Brandt has added horn, double bass, marimba, gran cassa and timpani. This makes a performance possible even for smaller budgets. The piano and marimba are required to play viruos, while the horn, gran cassa and timpani provide a full sound. Performance material for the instrumentalists and insert sheets for two additional humming choirs are available separately.

Giuseppe Verdi, Grosse Opernchöre, 12 choruses from Verdi operas arr. for choir and piano, ed. by Johannes Knecht, CV 2.652, € 29.80, Carus, Stuttgart 2012

Giuseppe Verdi, Quattro pezzi sacri, piano reduction, CV 27.500/03, € 12.50, Carus, Stuttgart 2013

Giuseppe Verdi, Stabat Mater, arranged for choir and organ by Zsigmond Szathmáry , CV 27.294/45, € 16.80, Carus, Stuttgart 2013

Giuseppe Verdi, Te Deum, arranged for choir and organ by Zsigmond Szathmáry , CV 27.194/45, € 14.50 Carus, Stuttgart 3013

Giuseppe Verdi, Messa di Requiem, version for small ensemble by Michael Betzner-Brandt, score, CV 27.303/50, € 75.00, Carus, Stuttgart 2012

Richard Wagner, Grosse Opernchöre, 8 choruses from Wagner operas, arr. for choir and piano, ed. by Johannes Knecht, CV 2.651, € 24.80, Carus, Stuttgart 2012

Even the trip-hop of Ann Kathrin Lüthi's former band Swandive literally called for orchestral accompaniment in places. So it comes as no surprise that she will be performing the live premiere of her new solo album Stand Your Ground with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (ZKO). The music on her fourth studio album under the name Annakin is also ideally suited to this, although she has increasingly developed her own idea of melancholic electropop.

The 38-year-old musician has further refined her songs, which are as delicate as they are mysterious, and this is particularly evident in the refinement of her sound. Conventional and electronic instruments merge to create an enchanting sound that sounds more organic, brighter and lighter than before. As a result, the world of thoughts that Annakin leads us through with her ethereal, dreamy vocals no longer seems so heavy and threatening, although the darkness is still evoked.

The appeal of the songs wears off, however, because the structure, the arrangements and also the singing style are often very similar. This piece shows where the potential for further development lies In Between. Ann Kathrin Lüthi sings much more freely and elicits more nuances from her voice. The reason for this is obviously that she is not singing to the usual accompaniment, but solely to Manu Delago's subtle playing of the hang, an instrument with a sound reminiscent of gongs and steel drums, which was developed in Bern a good decade ago. Delago also accompanied Annakin at the aforementioned concert with the ZKO as a percussionist and otherwise works for greats such as Anoushka Shankar and Björk. The arrangements for the ZKO were specially written by the British violinist Fiona Brice, who was recently seen accompanying the rock band Placebo in the Hallenstadion.

Annakin: Stand Your Ground. Akin Records, Distribution: Phonag. www.annakin.net

"A compendium of exercises and short etudes or pieces for acquiring elementary technical playing skills", says the foreword by Watchful fingers, watchful earsa work by Bettina Schwedhelm published by Breitkopf Pädagogik in 2013. "Aren't there already enough compilations like this?", many piano teachers will ask themselves. There are certainly many thorough attempts to provide the true way of teaching technically sound piano playing. However, it seems to me that there are Watchful fingers, watchful ears could succeed in waking up the sometimes dormant giant of "playing technique" and introducing it to our lower and middle school pupils in an appealing and understandable way.

The work is divided into three parts: two student booklets and a teacher's commentary with a DVD showing the essential aspects of piano technique. I strongly recommend that you take a close look at the excellent teacher's commentary, because if you only look at the exercises and pieces, you will only see the tip of the iceberg. In the preface and in the explanations of the examples in the student booklets, the author repeatedly emphasizes the importance of working on a fundamental level and the associated training of perception. A universally applicable vocabulary of basic pianistic playing forms is to be developed in close connection with the conception of sound and the execution of movement, parallel to the piano school or other playing literature. Bettina Schwedhelm sees the presented practice material as raw material that should be individually adapted to the physical, mental and emotional abilities of the children. The mostly very short etudes, exercises and pieces are each limited to one essential aspect. A double sheet enclosed with each pupil's booklet shows further possibilities for rewarding work with variations, which is intended to avoid merely mechanical practising. There is a detailed methodological and didactic commentary and the helpful DVD for all the examples in the student booklets.

The careful selection of examples, the appealing graphic presentation, together with the extremely valuable comments and the enormous practical relevance, make this work an enrichment to the existing range.

Bettina Schwedhelm: Wache Finger, wache Ohren. Playing and practice material for elementary piano technique; booklet 1, EB 8821, € 16.00; booklet 2, EB 8822, € 16.00; teacher's commentary with DVD, BV 476, € 28.00; Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 2013