Geneva International Music Competition

Artists from all over the world were reunited this month for the 66^thedition of the Geneva International Music Competition. Founded in 1939 under the name of the International Music Competition, the Geneva event is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious music competitions. While last year's competitors were piano and oboe soloists, this year it was all about voice and string quartets. Out of the fourteen quartets registered, the three best competed in the first final - on November 20^th- with the 1^stPrize going to the Armida ex-aequo Quartet from Germany and to the Hermes Quartet from France.

The Girard Quartet from France took the 3^rdPrize, while a 2^ndPrize has not been awarded. On November 21^st, the last day of the competition, five of the best soloists competed for the grand awards in the voice section. Only the 3^rdPrize has been awarded here, going to ex-aequo mezzo-soprano Antoinette Dennefeld from France and to Polish soprano Ania Vegry, soloist of the Opera House in Hanover. Special prizes have also been awarded. Among them: the Audience Prize, going to the Armida Quartet and to mezzo-soprano Antoinette Dennefeld, the 'Dr. Glatt' special Prize to the Armida Quartet for the interpretation of the String Quartet Nr. 1 'Métamorphoses nocturnes' by György Ligeti, the 'Cercle Romand Richard Wagner' special Prize going to mezzo-soprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux and the 'Coup de Coeur Breguet' special Prize to the Hermes Quartet.

This year's edition of the Geneva International Music Competition has also offered the public other events, concerts and recitals. In the forefront, mezzo-soprano Teresa Bergantza - President of the Jury in the Voice section - held a masterclass between November 22^ndand 24^th. The intent of these classes was a remarkable one, since they coincided with the ending concert of the Geneva International Music Competition, concert that took place on Thursday, November 24^th. The programme consisted of arias, duets and trios interpreted by the participants in the masterclass.

Anne-Sophie Mutter celebrated by Deutsche Grammophon

'When Anne-Sophie Mutter plays, you listen', that is what 'The Times' has to say about one of the most critically acclaimed violinists of the last three decades. Anne-Sophie Mutter celebrated this autumn thirty-five years of musical career, on which occasion the Deutsche Grammphon record label has launched a limited edition of a CD-box comprising her entire discography of thirty-eight albums recorded in over thirty years of collaboration. The violinist's first on stage presence dates back in 1976, a successful debut within the Lucerne Festival, where the artist interpreted the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Majorby W.A. Mozart.

The collector's edition offered by Deutsche Grammophon also includes two bonus CDs and a book with photographs, articles and interviews of the artist. The two bonus CDs hold favourite recordings of the violinist, from Vivaldi and Bach to Lutoslawski and Bernstein. The first album recorded with Deutsche Grammophon has been released in 1978 and includes Concert no. 3 and Concert no. 5 by Mozart, performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted at the time by Herbet von Karajan. Next to her first album, the anniversary CD-box also includes: her debut concerts albums, the Brahms Sonatas, all of her Karajan recordings, her best-selling Carmen FantasyCD, her four Grammy-award winning recordings, including the complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas and other contemporary compositions.

Her newest album released by Deutsche Grammophon is separate from the deluxe edition and includes four pieces of contemporary music interpreted in world premiere. In the forefront are the compositions Litches Spielby Wolfgang Rihm and Times Machinesby Sebastian Currier, which also give the name of the album. In her newest recording, the violinist collaborates with young contrabassist Roman Patkoló and conductors Alan Gilbert and Michael Francis of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Anne-Sophie Mutter is closing her musical season of 2011 with three more concerts performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev. On November 27^thand 29^thshe is set to perform at Barbican - London and on November 30^that the Salle Pleyel in Paris.

Manuscripts of the Third Symphony by Elgar out for Auction

In 1997, Edward Elgar's Third Symphony has beencompleted by composer Anthony Payne and in 1998 it was interpreted for the first time at the Royal Festival Hall by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Thirteen years from its premiere, BBC announces that two manuscripts of the same symphony have been presented for auction on November 22^ndin London. The sketch-leaves are part of a rich collection of material that belonged to Vera Hockman, the woman with whom Elgar fell in love in November 1931.

The Third Symphony includes a theme dedicated to Mrs. Hockman and the two manuscripts sold this month bear the inscription - '1^stsketch of VH's own theme above/Edward Elgar' with the addition 'Will never be finished?' Could he have been referring to the ending of the musical piece or of the love between them? The mystery remains a personal note, even though, with his passing, Elgar left 130 sketches of this symphony, perhaps the sign of an intent to bring it to completion. Other articles of the same collection have also been auctioned: a music score of the 1932 work titled 'The Music Makers' and a photo album.