As part of the Pro Helvetia program "Coincidencia - Cultural Exchange Switzerland - South America", around 250 projects such as exhibitions, tours, reading trips, residencies and research trips have taken place in South America. They have led to collaborations between artists and cultural institutions in Switzerland and ten South American countries.

The Swiss Arts Council has now decided to establish a permanent branch office from 2021 following the four-year program. This will continue the partnerships in the artistic disciplines supported by Pro Helvetia. In addition to the performing, visual and interdisciplinary arts, these include music, literature, design and interactive media. The branch office will also develop collaborations as part of the new "Culture, Science and Technology" priority area and organize residencies and research trips.

To mark the opening of the branch office in South America, event partners in Argentina, Brazil and Chile are organizing free webinars on current cultural policy and social issues.

More info: https://coincidencia.net/en/initiative/opening-activities/

The Swiss Music Council (SMR) writes in its press release of October 30:
"On October 28, the Federal Council decided that public events throughout Switzerland will only be permitted with a maximum of 50 people until further notice. Discotheques and dance halls will have to close. Rehearsals by cultural associations in the amateur sector are only possible with a maximum of 15 people. Amateur choirs are no longer allowed to rehearse. There are also considerable restrictions in the education sector. In the short term, the promised support measures need to be implemented quickly; in the medium to longer term, the music sector needs prospects along the entire value chain. The umbrella organizations must be better integrated by the government decision-makers, and above all at an early stage. Only together can we succeed in preserving cultural diversity.

Stakeholders in the music sector understand that tough measures are needed to curb the rising number of infections and prevent the healthcare system from being overburdened. Everyone must play their part. This is why professional musicians, companies in the music sector (especially event organizers), associations in the field of amateur culture, educational institutions and music teachers have supported the federal and cantonal measures from the outset, invested heavily in protection concepts and implemented them consistently and responsibly. Nevertheless, the measures to contain the epidemic have had a drastic impact on the entire music sector.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to plan events at all because it is uncertain when, whether and under what conditions they will be able to take place. This has a particular impact on financing options and the search for sponsors, which are made even more difficult as a result. Even for events with only 50 people or less, it is also uncertain whether the public will come at all, as the authorities are understandably urging people to reduce social contacts. Many events can no longer be held profitably due to the limited number of visitors.

The organizational effort triggered by the official measures is enormous every time for all players in the music sector. Some tours have had to be postponed for the third time.

The cultural associations - in particular the umbrella organizations - must be better involved by government decision-makers, especially at an early stage, so that they can contribute their practical experience, clarify issues at an early stage, prepare well for upcoming measures and also understand and comprehend them (e.g. the ban on rehearsals for amateur choirs). Only together can we succeed in preserving cultural diversity and enabling creative artists and cultural enterprises to return to their work and thus earn their own living.
 

The promised support measures must be implemented quickly and the associated issues must be clarified with the involvement of cultural associations. The employment models in the cultural sector are complex and the expertise of the umbrella organizations is needed to ensure that the measures are effective. This applies in particular to culture-specific measures such as compensation for loss of earnings or contributions to transformation projects, but also to macroeconomic measures such as short-time working, compensation for the self-employed and persons similar to employers. The same applies to the hardship scheme for companies in the event industry value chain.

Another problem is already emerging. If hardly any events are organized due to the prevailing planning uncertainty, the cancellation compensation for cultural enterprises will no longer apply because nothing can be cancelled. Associations in amateur culture are also confronted with the same problem. They too will only receive financial aid for canceling, postponing or restricting events. As they are only allowed to rehearse to a very limited extent or not at all until further notice, hardly any more concerts are being announced.
 

At the moment, it is extremely uncertain how things will continue. But one thing is clear: cultural diversity must be preserved at all costs.

Switzerland's diverse music culture includes amateur culture, professional musicians of all genres, as well as the music industry (such as clubs, festivals, labels and agencies). The prerequisite for this diversity is music education at elementary school, music schools, music colleges, teacher training colleges or also provided by freelance music teachers and amateur associations.

It is essential to prevent the public stigmatization of singing and playing wind instruments. It would be disastrous if amateur culture, and with it the locally rooted associations that contribute so much to social and cultural life in Switzerland (largely through voluntary work), were to disappear due to long-term restrictions or even bans on association activities.

We now need clear information and a perspective with an exit strategy. Certain effects will only be felt after a considerable delay. For example, royalties from copyrights and performers' rights are an important part of the income of many music creators. The collapse of the live sector in the current year will lead to a significant drop in income for rights holders (composers, producers, publishers, performers) in 2021."

Shopping lists have been around for hundreds of years. However, they belong to a type of text that loses its purpose after a very short time. The piece of paper is then crumpled up, torn or simply carelessly thrown away. In earlier times it was used as tinder at best, but today it has long been the object of cultural-historical research. Beethoven also used such lists. In 2011, one such rare piece of paper went under the hammer for 74,000 euros. The requirements noted on it for the housekeeper were certainly many times cheaper. It is about a "MiceFall"a "ZündMaschine", "WashSoap" and three "BalbierMeßer"and there is also the note "Bejm Met watchmaker / her / metronome".

Beethoven would have been astonished at this price. It is possible that he would have invested in it himself. Unlike many other composers and musicians, he knew how to handle money, or at least how to "collect" it properly. As early as 1809, an annuity contract was concluded in his favor; he never sold his own works for less than they were worth; dedications to high-ranking aristocratic personalities were usually financially rewarded. However, it seems that Beethoven never really had an overview of his actual fortune. In any case, he was modern, willing to take risks and had been well advised by his friend Franz Oliva when, on July 13, 1819, he purchased shares worth almost 10,000 gulden Viennese currency - the equivalent of around 86,000 francs - from the newly created "privilegierte oesterreichische National-Bank" after the draining years of war. By the standards of the time, especially for a composer, this was a considerable fortune that would later provide for his nephew Karl and his children. The fact that Beethoven "reckoned" in the truest sense of the word with the dividend, which was paid out twice a year, is proven by the postscript of a letter dated February 8, 1823 to the chief accountant Franz Salzmann: "I ask you, as far as the dearest dividend is concerned, to make sure that I can receive it today or tomorrow, because our one always needs money, and all the notes I make don't get me out of trouble!"

It is reassuring that the title of one of the best-known piano pieces, namely The rage over the lost penny, unleashed in a capricepresumably by Anton Schindler. It can already be found in an explanatory footnote of the first edition, published posthumously in 1828 - while Beethoven merely describes the characteristic Rondo, composed around 1794/95, as Alla ingharese quasi un Capriccio had titled it. Either way, it is above all the musical wit of the movement that counts. When Robert Schumann got his hands on the composition in 1835, he noted with delight in the New Journal for Music: "It's hard to find anything funnier than this string, I had to laugh in one go when I played it for the first time the other day."

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Link to the project homepage "52 x Beethoven"

The most important results include the insight that the total number of critical contacts lasting several minutes at the event is not very high and can be significantly reduced by hygiene concepts. Many contacts take place during admission and breaks in particular. Therefore, the focus of the planning must be on this. Poor ventilation can also significantly increase the number of people exposed to the risk of infection.

Around 90 percent of the study participants did not find wearing a mask a problem and were prepared to continue doing so in order to be able to experience events again. (Survey after the concert experiment). If hygiene concepts are adhered to, the additional impact on the pandemic is low to very low overall.

Original article: https://www.restart19.de/
 

The Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich and its management "very much regret this and sincerely hope that the situation will improve and that we will be able to hold events again in December". According to Ilona Schmiel, Artistic Director of the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich AG, all efforts have been made in recent months to maintain operations.

The refund of tickets for canceled concerts is the responsibility of the respective organizer. Tickets for canceled Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich concerts are automatically credited to the customer's account.

The Tonhalle Maag is a temporary concert hall. It is primarily a venue for the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich during the years 2017-2021, when the Tonhalle and Kongresshaus Zurich are being renovated, but is also available to other event organizers. The majority of classical music concerts in Zurich now take place in the Tonhalle Maag.

The regulations stipulate that cultural workers and associations from the cultural sector based in Aarau who are in need due to COVID-19 restrictions can apply for financial assistance from the city of Aarau. This applies retroactively from March 13 and until December 31, 2020, with a total of CHF 40,000 available for bridging assistance. In addition to the subsidiary payment of compensation for loss of earnings, the basic fees for the cultural use of public spaces and places will also be reimbursed under certain conditions.

In addition to the written justification of the emergency situation, applications for loss of earnings compensation also require proof that the application has been submitted to the relevant cantonal and national authorities and their decisions. In addition, income and expenditure, the asset situation and current liquidity must be disclosed.

For the waiver of basic fees for the cultural use of public spaces or buildings in the city, an application must be submitted with the corresponding invoices and a description of the planned or already held event.

Applications must be submitted by December 31, 2020 at the latest to the Kulturstelle, Abteilung Kultur Aarau, at kulturstelle@aarau.ch or by post to Rathausgasse 1, 5000 Aarau. The Cultural Office will continue to support creative artists and cultural associations in an advisory capacity.

The regulations on bridging assistance in the cultural sector can be found under the following link: https://aarau.tlex.ch/frontend/versions/302

Hansheinz Schneeberger in the fifties.

Photo: zVg

Bartók was one of his fateful composers. Schneeberger played the 2nd Rhapsody with Ansermet in 1946. From then on, he was regarded as the best violinist in Switzerland. Soon afterwards, he was able to give the Swiss premiere of Bartók's 2nd Violin Concerto. This in turn led to the premiere of the 1st Violin Concerto, which was only published posthumously. In 1952, Schneeberger took over the premiere of Frank Martin's Violin Concerto.

Schneeberger was a singular phenomenon as an artist, teacher and person. He always reacted directly. He was always on the lookout for better solutions. The pianist Jean-Jacques Dünki, one of his long-standing chamber music colleagues, recounts that even in old age, Schneeberger was still enthusiastic about a new fingering and immediately played it for him. The violinist worked on a breathing, light bowing technique: "He spent decades of his life tinkering with an extension of the bow stroke," says Egidius Streiff, who was a junior student with him at the Basel Music Academy. He was able to "spin" phrases on a bow almost endlessly and thus created his very own style.

Heinz Holliger, with whom he had a decades-long friendship, recalls: "His bowing was based on breathing ... He was interested in making the essence of the piece resound. To achieve this, he was prepared to question everything he had ever learned. He was the greatest role model a musician can be: never satisfied with himself and always discovering something new."

As a tall and heavy man, he worked on the ease of playing. He trained this lightness through his great hobby, ice skating, which taught him a completely new philosophy of violin playing: "You must not disturb the flow of movement. The one must emerge harmoniously from the other. If you mess up the movement at the beginning, the whole figure is broken," he said in an interview broadcast by SRF on the occasion of his death.

As a teacher, he was a primal force and left no doubt as to how he wanted things to be: "I'll do it this way," his students often heard when they were looking for musical solutions. After a concert, he could show his complete enthusiasm, but also his total dislike. Egidius Streiff reports: "I found him to be a very open-minded person. He was extremely broadly interested and wanted to know about everything that interested the pupil".

In the Great Hall of the Basel Music Academy, where Schneeberger had taught for 30 years, composers who had been among his favorites were performed on October 21, as well as pieces with an inner connection between the honoree and the performers.

Heinz Holliger began with an exemplary demonstration of what breathing music-making can mean in the Adagio from Mozart's oboe quartet. Intarsimile for solo violin from 2010 was originally composed by Klaus Huber for Schneeberger, but in the end his student Egidius Streiff took over the premiere; he was also on the podium this time. Heinz Holliger's enthusiasm for Schumann began when he heard Schneeberger play Schumann as a young student: "He had the key to this music," Holliger is convinced. Listening to Daniel Sepec and Tobias Schabenberger play Schumann's Sonata No. 1 in A minor was pure pleasure. Streiff had shown his teacher the Reger Sonata in E minor. Schneeberger was so enthusiastic about it that he promptly recorded it together with Jean-Jacques Dünki. Dünki and Streiff performed the work that evening.

Heinz Holliger, Robert Koller, Mariana Doughty and Tobias Moster

Photo: Niklaus Rüegg

French music was particularly close to Schneeberger's heart: "French music must taste good", he used to say. This olfactory character could be felt in the Allegro from Fauré's piano quartet with Gérard Wyss, Helena Winkelman, Mariana Doughty and Tobias Moster. The young Dmitry Smirnov, accompanied by Jean-Jacques Dünki, artfully spun the musical threads in Debussy's Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor. He was able to benefit from Schneeberger's advice in the last months of his life. His last gift to his friend Heinz Holliger was the complete edition of the Ravel letters. In the Allegro of the Ravel Sonata for violin and cello, Ilya Gringolts and Anita Leuzinger skillfully played the awkward intervals to each other. Heinz Holliger had prepared the solo sonata Ri-Tratto (2011) and was inspired by the fugue from Bartók's solo violin sonata, which Schneeberger had often played. Ilya Gringolts performed it with a determined touch. He then offered a breathtaking version of the fugue.

Bourrée - a composition by nine-year-old Hansheinz

The fact that Schneeberger had also composed, albeit largely in secret, became clear in the next part of the program. He had already started at the age of nine. Even then, his pieces were perfectly composed and displayed an original, personal language. Isabelle Schnöller joined those already mentioned for his two Haikus for flute and string trio (2011). In the first piece, flagolettes and bird calls could be heard; in the sound clusters of the second, one believed to recognize images of nature. Eingelegte Ruder (2015, picture at the bottom) for baritone, cor anglais, viola and violoncello is reminiscent of Franz Liszt's late work La lugubre gondola. Robert Koller has created C. F. Meyer's meaningful text over a sombre mood.

The program concluded with a light-hearted violinstafette with practice duets by Béla Bartók, which Schneeberger knew inside and out, as they were on the desk of his violin teacher Walter Kägi. He had been in constant contact with Bartók, who sent him the pieces to try out.

Violin relay from left: Helena Winkelman, Dominik Stark, Daniel Sepec (front), Egidius Streiff (back), Ilya Gringolts (front) and Dmitry Smirnov

Photo: Niklaus Rüegg

Schneeberger composition from 2015

Scans: zVg

Matthias von Orelli - Noémie L. Robidas, the director of the HEMU - Haute École de Musique et Conservatoire de Lausanne, is the new president of CHEMS. Together with the new Vice-President Valentin Gloor, Director of the Department of Music at the Haute École de Lucerne, she will give an overview of the ideas for CHEMS.

Noémie L. Robidas (NR), on 31 October 2020, you took over the presidency of CHEMS. What does this task mean for you?

A key word for me with regard to this new task is "federate": federate the colleagues between them on the CHEMS project and federate CHEMS with the Swiss musical community. Together with Vice-President Valentin Gloor, we will also be discussing new issues that represent today's challenges for our schools. Certain.es would like to imagine that the Swiss music schools are in competition with each other (which I have not personally considered until now), but for me, given the current social issues, it is very important to move beyond this position and to show solidarity in order to be able to tackle the challenges that await us. It is important to present the Swiss music high schools as mutually complementary and to emphasize strongly the specificity of the missions that our schools have, which are sometimes diluted in the maze of Swiss specialty high schools.

Valentin Gloor (VG), you will be Vice President, what do you see as the challenge for the next few years?

The legislative processes of recent years have meant that the specialist conferences - including the UAS - have had to redefine their role. In what Noémie beautifully describes as the "magma" of universities of applied sciences, it is no longer really clear what voice a conference like the KMHS has, when it is heard and what it can comment on. From our point of view, it is clear that the KMHS must be heard as the voice of this important sector. Only in this way can the concerns of tertiary music education be brought forward and made fruitful. And only in this way can the arts, in the larger context, gain the necessary weight in the UAS landscape and contribute to the further development of UAS education and the corresponding professional fields.

Mrs. Robidas, do you have a common vision for your mandate as President and Vice-President?

I can't say too much about our "vision" at this stage, because it will take some time before it becomes a reality. In all cases, it is a vision co-ported with Valentin Gloor and shared with colleagues from CHEMS. In fact, cooperation must prevail in our organization and the issues must be well distributed according to the forces present. If certain issues relating to the reform of Bologna have been the subject of major battles from 2005 to 2015, there are now other challenges awaiting us. CHEMS, like our universities, must reorient itself and be perceived as a creative, proactive and incontournable force, especially in the eyes of the funding authorities.

VG : In fact, we need to give this vision even more room for internal discussion so that it is a shared vision of the entire KMHS. Cooperation among the members of the KMHS as well as cooperation between the KMHS and its members with other players in the higher education and cultural policy environment will be key success factors for our work in the coming years. The development of a common vision for the KMHS is a key step in this direction.

You studied in Canada and France, and you worked in France for a long time. How do these countries differ from Switzerland in terms of the training of musicians?

NR : It is rather difficult to compare these three countries in this way, especially as there is still an ocean between Canada and Europe... In Canada, the music schools are generally integrated into one university - all musical studies take place in the same faculty.

Higher music education in France is different from other European countries. In addition to the two CNSMDs in Paris and Lyon, which offer excellent conditions for completing higher education diplomas, there are a dozen higher education colleges that complete the offer, all affiliated with universities so that their diplomas (Bachelor's, Master's) can be recognized. The study conditions are highly variable and one thing is certain, the infrastructures and budgets allocated are far from sufficient. This is explained by the fact that historically, it was initial teaching in conservatoires that provided the resources and these were not reoriented when the higher education colleges were created. Thus, in France, initial teaching offers better conditions for teachers and students than those offered by higher education. On the other hand (because nothing is negative far from it!), the promotion of music in France is part of the country's cultural policy, a policy that aims to support and promote artistic creation at all levels and to make the works of this creative activity, especially those that are of particular artistic importance (especially contemporary creation), accessible to the greatest number. As far as Switzerland is concerned, intercantonal diversity is undoubtedly the richness but also the most important challenge to be taken into account! The presence of half a hundred HEMs on Swiss territory is a strong sign of the authorities' encouragement of culture and music in particular. I can only rejoice and work, especially in the context of my new functions as President of CHEMS, to highlight the richness of these schools for the country. We attract millions of talented young people from all over the world, which is a great source of pride for Switzerland. We must continue to focus on promoting and supporting young Swiss talent as much as possible, developing artistic research and fostering links with the professional world; these are just some of the issues that must be included on our national agenda.

It is unthinkable to talk about the COVID crisis, which continues to have a major impact on our daily lives. According to you, how did the Swiss music schools prepare for such a situation and how did they react?

NR : Let me sum it up in a few words: fundamentally, the music schools were not really well prepared, with a few exceptions perhaps. On the other hand, I was surprised and touched by the speed with which all these measures were implemented and the schools adapted to the new circumstances. It is now important to learn the lessons of the period and to better coordinate and harmonize our actions at all levels. CHEMS can certainly offer a common space for reflection in this regard.

VG : This space for reflection is of great importance in order to make the knowledge gained fruitful for the further development of our conservatoires. There are probably at least three different fields of work: The continued fulfillment of our mission in and despite the difficult initial situation has given rise to new forms of teaching, collaboration, performance, production and research into music. These new forms give us an exciting basis for the next steps and future projects. However, overcoming the crisis has also put our conservatoires - as well as all institutions in our society - to the test structurally. Under the magnifying glass, it became clear how our organizations function, where processes, responsibilities and tasks can be clarified and better distributed. We should also reflect on this area together. And last but not least, it became clear how resilient our relationships with our environment are - be it our respective universities of applied sciences or our exchange with political and official decision-makers. This also needs to be analyzed - targeted strengthening in this area can provide crucial support for the work of the conservatoires.

For the cultural sector in particular, these events have been and still are catastrophic - what are the lessons you are currently learning?

NR : Unfortunately, this crisis is not over. I have to say that I am more worried at the moment than during the lockdown. The uncertainty is great, because we want to organize the concerts and events again, and at the same time the protection of all the people concerned must be guaranteed. We must also understand what this normality to which we want to return means. In my opinion, there is no need to be nostalgic - we must accept the situation and adapt to it as much as possible by being proactive and inventing new formats.

VG : Of course I completely agree with my colleague! And this seems to me to be an essential role of the conservatoire: not only to act as a mediator of the known and the tried and tested, but also as a laboratory for that which is still developing - open to unexpected results.

However, it also seems to me that an important task of the KMHS is to clearly support all efforts by our cultural, educational and cultural policy partners to maintain and strengthen the cultural sector, especially in this precarious situation.

You said that you want to make CHEMS more visible at the political level as well. Where do you want to start?

NR : For me, the political system in Switzerland is sometimes a little mysterious, but I think it's important that political work is present and visible. At the end of the day, everything is a question of lobbying. As I said a little higher up, I think we have to act with pedagogy. In order for politicians to understand that the Hautes Écoles de Musique are different from other HES/Universités de Sciences appliquées. That is why I consider it so important to operate in a coordinated manner. It must be explained that music cannot be measured in purely economic terms by the sale of tickets or the first performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, or quantitatively by the number of publications by our teachers and researchers. The Hautes Écoles de Musique are also laboratories and experimental installations that need to be supported and protected because they offer something else: a musical, artistic and sensitive vision.

The CHEMS also symbolizes the cooperation between the music schools. How is this currently working and what potential do you see for your work as president? Does it also apply to coordination with the foreign partner universities?

NR : Historically, there have always been close ties with the music academies in Germany. In addition, all the regions of Switzerland naturally have their own partnerships with foreign countries, which I find fascinating. These ties are not only to be strengthened, but also to be nourished and, if necessary, conventionized. Europe is so vast, it seems to me that we need to find high-quality partnerships based on private relationships rather than trying to multiply them without a concrete objective; this is certainly an issue that Valentin Gloor and I are addressing with CHEMS.

Canceled concerts, closed stores and cinemas, reduced advertising on TV and radio - all of these consequences of the measures imposed to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic have had and continue to have a direct impact on income from the exploitation of copyrights: If music is not used, copyright compensation is also lost.

SUISA offers its members support in order to financially bridge the loss of copyright remuneration:

Withdrawal of advances

First and foremost, SUISA members have always had the option of receiving an advance payment. It is possible for both authors and publishers to receive an advance payment. The amount of the advance is calculated on the basis of the member's average income over the last few years. Advances are only paid out if the member has received an average of more than CHF 500 in copyright remuneration in recent years. Advances can be applied for by e-mail. Applications will be reviewed within seven days. You will be informed of the decision in writing by e-mail. If the application meets the necessary requirements, the advance will be paid immediately by bank transfer.

Normally, an advance is offset against the next statement that the member receives. This means that the amount received is deducted from the amount to be distributed. As an immediate measure against the exceptional situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the SUISA Board has decided to suspend the offsetting of advances at least until June 2021. The Board of Directors and management are closely monitoring the further course of the crisis situation in order to postpone the settlement date even further if necessary in line with economic developments. Either way, advances received will therefore have to be repaid next year from June 2021 at the earliest.

Support payments to members

If an advance payment is not sufficient and a SUISA member finds himself in an existential financial emergency due to the loss of copyright remuneration, he can apply for support payments from SUISA. For authors, funds from SUISA's welfare foundation are available for emergencies. In addition, the Board of Directors decided in spring to set up an additional relief fund as a further emergency measure, from which support payments can be made to both authors and publishers. The relief fund was approved by a large majority at the Annual General Meeting in June, which was held this year by postal vote.

As an exploiter of copyrights, SUISA provides support for the loss of copyright royalties. It is to be understood as a supplement to other federal or cantonal support measures. SUISA's funds for support payments are limited and only SUISA members can apply for support from SUISA.

The applicant must provide proof of financial need. Applications for support payments can be submitted via the "My account" member portal. The documents submitted will be reviewed within seven days. You will be informed of the decision in writing by e-mail. Payment is made by bank transfer immediately after the application has been approved. The support payments do not have to be repaid.

This article was first published on June 9, 2020 on SUISAblog.ch as well as in the News for SUISA members, SUISAinfo 2.20, June 2020.

> www.suisablog.ch

Switzerland's music schools and amateur organizations such as youth music associations, brass bands, choirs and amateur orchestras are the main providers of musical education for children and young people as well as adults. They promote music-making and singing and make a significant contribution to anchoring music in the population.

Public music schools in Switzerland fulfill important educational tasks in our society as part of the education system, as cultural institutions and as preparatory training facilities for studying at a music university. As educational platforms, youth music associations are committed to promoting young musical talent and, together with brass bands, contribute to national cohesion. Choirs and amateur orchestras promote ensemble music-making and make music accessible to a wide audience at concerts. Music schools and amateur organizations enable people of all ages to receive musical education and thus make a decisive contribution to the population's participation in cultural heritage, its cultivation and further development.

Even after the resumption of face-to-face operations at music schools and rehearsals and orchestral activities at amateur organizations, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in the field of music education will be felt for a long time to come - conditions are currently worsening rapidly again and the brief fragile "new normality" is already being called into question again.

The 400 or so music schools that are members of the Swiss Music Schools Association (VMS) are currently unable to hold regular instrumental demonstrations, meaning that children and young people cannot be encouraged to take part in music education to the usual extent. Ensemble and orchestra rehearsals as well as concerts by music schools, amateur music associations and choirs can only take place under difficult conditions due to the protective measures. Many concerts and competitions have had to be canceled and will probably not be possible to the usual extent for some time to come.
 

The coronavirus pandemic is likely to have an impact on the financial circumstances of many families due to the tense economic situation in many sectors. It is questionable whether all parents will be able to continue to send their children and young people to music lessons at the current parental contributions. Initial feedback from the music schools indicates that a decline in the number of pupils is to be expected. Music clubs and amateur orchestras as well as choirs are threatened by a decline in active members, as concert performances are hardly possible and rehearsals can only take place under severe restrictions. This will make access to music schools and amateur music associations more difficult in the long term and, as a result, ensure even less equal opportunities in the field of musical education.

Music schools and amateur organizations have responded quickly and with great commitment to the challenges of the current crisis. Alternative forms of teaching and rehearsals as well as online platforms for performances have been developed and widely implemented. This has at least partially cushioned the immediate consequences of the lockdown. More far-reaching measures are needed to deal with the lasting effects.

Music schools are now doing everything they can to counteract the decline in student numbers with innovative solutions such as flexible registration deadlines and entry options as well as special taster courses or, where necessary, remote offers. Amateur clubs and choirs need to find suitable venues for rehearsals and concerts and are required to develop new concepts for recruiting members and for performances.

To ensure that singing and making music remains one of the most popular leisure activities among the Swiss population and that comprehensive musical education is open to everyone without barriers, the creative commitment and will of all those involved is needed.
 

The Swiss Association of Music Schools and various amateur music associations are proclaiming the Day of Music Education CH on November 7, 2020. The offers of music schools, amateur music associations and choirs will be highlighted and the great importance of music education will be emphasized. Individual music schools and amateur music associations will draw attention to their offers with musical activities on the day of action. An overview of the planned events can be found on the Campaign website published.

various music associations

Signet Day of Music Education CH

This double CD with piano works by Gregorio Zanon (*1980) focuses on a Swiss composer who is still little known in German-speaking Switzerland. Unjustly so, I would say after this first encounter with his work. It is a pity that the record company spends two pages on the biography of the pianist Cédric Pescia, who enjoys an excellent reputation in this country, while only scant information about the composer can be found in the booklet. Wikipedia tells us that Zanon, who was born in Geneva, studied in his home town with Jean Balissat and Eric Gaudibert and in London with Dominic Muldowney. He has already achieved considerable success with works for strings in particular.

Zanon's piano works are stylistically diverse. He is not an iconoclast who wants to reinvent music, but neither is he an eternalist who still composes today as he did in Brahms' time. Instead, he builds his own musical cosmos from the elements of tonal music, which may at times be reminiscent of Scriabin, Shostakovich or Ravel, but as a whole represents a very personal achievement. Even after thinking about it for a while, it is hard to think of a musical category in which to categorize Zanon's work. In his booklet text, Antonin Scherrer aptly names meditative or nostalgic counterpoint, memories of birdcalls and hyper-romantic verve as elements of Zanon's style. Despite the sometimes sophisticated construction of his pieces, one often has the impression that they are improvised in the moment and that the course is not yet definitively defined. Some of the works on the CDs are the result of reworkings of pieces that the composer had partly composed during his studies or even before. The revisions have presumably stood them in good stead, as they now seem to have been cast from a single mold. A witty homage to Bach are the three Goldberg Etudeswhich give a very subtle hint of the Leipzig master. They would certainly be a great success in any piano recital.

Cédric Pescia and Gregorio Zanon share the recording of the nine works, which are quite demanding pianistically. Pescia pulls out all the stops of his ability and it is a pleasure to listen to him. It is obvious to the ear that he fully identifies with these pieces. The big surprise, however, is the composer himself, who is an ideal interpreter of his works, very sonorous in delicate passages, but also present where they require great technical skill. No wonder Pescia remembers being overwhelmed when he heard Zanon "play his music - live!" for the first time.

This is the sixth volume of arrangements for youth ensembles by British musician, composer and teacher James Rae. To date, he has published over 250 works, mostly of educational music, almost all of which have been published by Universal-Edition. These include instrumental editions, etudes and schools for wind instruments, transcriptions and duets. Together with his compatriot, jazz piano teacher Mike Cornick, he has written four musicals for schools.

The All together easy series is characterized by instrumental movements that are easy to play and listen to, "democratic" distribution of the melody to all four voices and a stylistically diverse selection of popular pieces from classical music, folk, jazz and original compositions.

Volume 6 contains: Mack the Knife (Kurt Weill), Bridal choir from Lohengrin (Richard Wagner), The Sky Boat Song (trad. Scottish) and the groovy Rugged Rock (James Rae).

Ensemble teachers can find All together easy Suitable material for enjoyable music-making in any combination of instruments. The level of difficulty for all instruments is correctly described as "easy". More demanding and contrapuntally differentiated ensemble movements can still be made by yourself!

All together easy, Easy concert pieces for variable four-part instrumental ensemble, Volume 6, arr. by James Rae, score and parts (in C, Bb and Eb), optional piano part, UE 21 585, € 22.50, Universal Edition, Vienna

Adolf Busch (1891-1952) is considered by many to be one of the most important violinists of the 20th century. It is probably less well known that he was also an ambitious composer. Busch wrote numerous chamber music and organ works, songs, but also symphonic works. The fact that he also wrote a virtuoso piano concerto and a large-scale piano sonata may come as a surprise at first glance. He was probably inspired by his young piano partner Rudolf Serkin, who later became his son-in-law. It was also Serkin who premiered the Piano Sonata op. 25 in Berlin in 1922. The press initially reacted rather negatively. The work was said to be "illogical and uninteresting", for example. Others, however, were convinced of its quality and championed it, not least Serkin himself, of course.

The sonata consists of three movements: an Allegro moderato con passione, an expansive variation movement and a concluding fugue with introduction, which ultimately artfully combines the themes of the preceding movements. So there can be no question of it being "illogical". However, the constantly changing harmonies are certainly challenging for the listener. Similar to Max Reger, to whom this music is very close, there is also a vast number of modulations in a very confined space, which initially makes it difficult to understand the formal processes. The 2nd movement, whose variations are based on a simple theme in the manner of a string quartet, is probably the most accessible.
Speaking of Reger: some passages in Busch's piano sonata could almost be considered homages to the great model. Just compare the Adagio in the second movement with the ninth from Reger's monumental Bach Variations ...

Pianistisch ist Buschs Sonate zwar sehr anspruchsvoll, der Klaviersatz liegt aber meist ganz gut in den Fingern. Und wo dies nicht der Fall ist (wie bei den zahlreichen Trillern in der Fuge), hat Jakob Fichert, der die neue Ausgabe bei Breitkopf & Härtel betreut hat, praktikable Lösungen parat.

Fichert even recorded the work on CD in 2016 (Toccata Classics 0245) and therefore knows it from his own experience. He strives for the greatest possible clarity in his playing, which is perhaps somewhat at the expense of expressivity. But his profound knowledge of this music is impressive: the corrections to the first edition and the autograph are easy to follow and the fingerings are very helpful. The notation - as far as this music allows - is clear and concise. Anyone wishing to study Adolf Busch's Piano Sonata op. 25 in greater depth will be very well equipped with this new edition.

Adolf Busch: Sonate c-Moll für Klavier op. 25, hg. von Jakob Fichert, EB 8996, € 24.90, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden

Norient has the merit of having brought the journalistic treatment of what is referred to as world music out of the corner of the orchid subject of ethnomusicology. When it was founded around twenty years ago, the online magazine was a necessary statement against leaving the folklore of the world to propagandistic nationalist circles. The thematic grid provided with the new website shows that left-wing urban preferences are now even more prominent: The keyword catalog ranges from activism to colonialism, countercultures, ethics, gender roles, queer to technology and climate change.

According to the platform's own definition, the aim is "to support (sub)cultural diversity, broaden horizons and stimulate dialog between people, continents and disciplines". However, the platform falls into the trap of activist mixing of form and content: the type of presentation is not so value-tolerant that it would promote the hope of broadening horizons. The design of the site follows typical urban-ideological design trends. To outsiders, this may seem original, but it is confusing, even chaotic. The uninitiated feel excluded. It's a shame, as many of the contributions would also be inspiring for those who think differently.

The relaunch of the site can be seen as a symptom of a global shift in cultural boundaries: away from a categorization into first and third world or industrialized and underdeveloped countries, towards a widening gap between traditional and metropolitan lifeworlds. There is a danger that conformity will be created instead of the claimed diversity. The result is a trendy urban aesthetic and ethic that makes the cultural scenes of metropolitan areas all over the world interchangeable, while the democratic potential of the leisurely and highly participatory renewal processes of local popular cultures is increasingly seen as a stumbling block.

Norient - The Now in Sound