LONDON (Reuters) – Classical music fans know that American violinist Hilary Hahn plays a wicked concerto, knocking out the fiendishly fast final bars of Samuel Barber‘s Violin Concerto, for example, faster and with more sheer energy than pretty much anyone else alive.

“It’s a finger twister but it’s so fun. You just feel that bit coming and you’re like, ‘Here it is, here it is’ and yahoo, you just dive in,” she told Reuters in an interview on her way to the airport after another stop on her seemingly perpetual world tour that has her living in so many hotel rooms she keeps a running tally of them on her website (www.hilaryhahn.com).

Now the petite 32-year-old, who looks slighter in person than she does when she is upstaging an orchestra, is going after new audiences, in the classical world, where she made her major orchestra debut in Baltimore in 1991, and signed a recording contract with an international label at age 16, and in the club, rock and folk music scenes as well.

She was in London, and in Berlin the previous night, playing in clubs to launch the live tour for her upcoming CD “Silfra”, a collaboration with German avant garde composer and pianist Hauschka (aka Volker Bertelmann) that blends his percussive, specially prepared-piano sound with free-spirited violin riffs by Hahn (CD on Deutsche Grammophon, for UK release June 26).

Recorded during a 10-day intensive studio session in Iceland, where Hahn recalls having gotten to the swimming pool only once, their music is hard to categorize but eminently listenable, which is probably just what Hahn, who is famous for unusual pairings on her classical CDs, intended.

One of her two Grammy-winning recordings twins the challenging Schoenberg Violin Concerto with the crowd-pleasing Sibelius, which is typical of Hahn’s penchant for looking for ways to get audiences to view music, some familiar, some less well known, in a new light, and stay fresh and lively herself.

“Other people really get the most out of focusing on a certain time period and staying there and that’s where they get their stimulus from,” she said in the limousine to the airport, moving her century-old Vuillaume violin, which is a copy of a Paganini Guarnerius, from time to time to keep it out of sunshine that has been a rare commodity in London this year.

“I like coming at things from a direction that’s different from the composer’s direction at that time….It also forces me to think afresh and not go back to old habits of playing something in a certain way. I like to think of things in a very large context.”

In recent years, that context has included letting her hair down for a violin solo with the Texas indie band Trail of Dead, fiddling a soulful accompaniment to folkie Josh Ritter’s “Girl in the War” and working with singer-songwriter Tom Brosseau.

Hahn rejects the notion this is anything new for a conservatory-trained soloist of her international stature, citing the example of the famous 20th-century Austrian violinist and improviser Fritz Kreisler, who wrote pieces in the style of other composers and only later admitted they were his own.

“I think soloists have always done a lot of different things. If you go way back, soloists used to improvise all the time, they would write their own material for recitals, Kreisler, even….So I don’t know that it really is a new thing, I think the forms that we have available to us are a little different,” she said.

ENCORES, PLEASE

Nor is Hahn turning her back on the traditional concerto, which she says she loves, or chamber music, which once was one of her career options. She is doing her bit to rejuvenate the violin repertoire, commissioning the “Hilary Hahn Encores”, a daunting effort on her part to get 26 contemporary composers, plus one wild card slot for anyone who sends in a winning entry to a website, to write pieces under five minutes long.

She’s begun mixing the freshly minted encores into her recitals and while she is pleased with the results, she acknowledges that learning the music of literally dozens of composers whose music she’s never played before is a challenge.

“It didn’t occur to me that since I hadn’t played a lot of these composers’ music before there would be this whole process of figuring out how I relate to that particular piece. It’s this musical language, so it’s like learning a new language,” she said.

“But I’m really excited how the project has come together. It could have been any kind of thing and it’s turned into a really solid, very interesting project for me personally and people have reacted well to it, so I know it’s not just in my head.”

As a social-media savvy product of the age, Hahn does all the usual tweeting (under the guise of her snitch-prone violin case, which tells followers what she is cooking, what she is listening to and that Hilary has just gone out on a shopping binge) and provides interactive links on her website, offering a window for the general public, she says, onto what it’s like inside the music world.

She’s also “interviewed” a fish, a betta Siamese fighting fish, in this instance, in a video clip that can be seen on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xZl1_NXKls), starting with the obvious opening gambit, “So, what made you decide to become a fish?” The fish, of course, has very little to say on that, or any other subject.

Hahn denies it’s a spoof of the “fishing expeditions” uninformed journalists may have engaged in when interviewing her, though she allowed as how she once was interviewed by a reporter who had no idea what she did for a living. Somehow, the published interview was all right, she said, and besides, she seems game for anything as she travels the world from one club and one concert hall to another, to advance the cause of music.

“I like to introduce people to what the music world really is because I think it’s so multifaceted and full of such enthusiastic and interesting people doing things for such genuine reasons. I think that can sometimes get a little bit lost so it’s nice to just present that and people can make of it what they like.”

(This story was refiled to remove extraneous character in paragraph 9)

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/violinist-hahn-music-different-direction-112957497.html

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rock band Van Halen on Thursday postponed more than 30 concert dates of their U.S. summer tour, leading to speculation the “Runnin’ with the Devil” group was feuding again.

The band’s official website, van-halen.com, took down all its dates after June 26, listing only 15 more shows, ending in New Orleans. Closely-watched fan site, Van Halen News Desk, said 31 dates had been postponed, starting on July 7 in Uncasville, Connecticut and ending on September 25 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

A spokeswoman for the group had no official statement about the postponements and declined further comment. The band began the current tour in mid-February.

Rolling Stone said a source with knowledge of the tour told the magazine, “the band is arguing like mad. They are fighting.” But that could not be confirmed and throughout its current tour there have been no public reports of the band mates arguing.

But if they are, it would not be the first time.

Van Halen was among the biggest rock acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits like “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” “Jump,” “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher.”

When they were at the height of their fame, however, lead singer David Lee Roth had a falling out with the rest of the band members, and Sammy Hagar was brought in to join bothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony.

Over the years, the band’s makeup changed and this past January, they announced a new tour and album with Roth singing, marking Van Halen’s first full album with Roth since their “1984″ CD was released on December 31, 1983.

Anthony, the original bassist, has been replaced by Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son, for the current tour.

Roth has rejoined the band before, once for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996 and a second time to tour in 2007-2008. Interestingly, the posting on Van Halen News Desk – vnhd.com – noted the tour dates were “postponed, not canceled,” and that the 2007-2008 tour also had postponed dates that were ultimately rescheduled.

The abrupt postponements also raise questions about guitarist Eddie Van Halen‘s health. In 2000, he began treatment for cancer in his tongue, but after later surgery, he was declared cancer-free in May 2002.

(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte, Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/van-halen-postpone-more-30-concert-dates-011305676.html

NEW YORK (Reuters) – He brought the “American Idol” judges to their feet, but Joshua Ledet couldn’t win over fans and was sent home from the top-rated TV talent show on Thursday, leaving Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips to battle for the crown on next week’s finale.

The elimination of Ledet – through audience voting and not by the judges – sets up a final showdown between Sanchez and Phillips to determine who will be named the next “American Idol,” a distinction that has belonged to hitmakers such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, among others.

Sanchez has impressed the judges from the beginning of the current season with her technical mastery of music, despite being the youngest contestant at age 16. Singer-songwriter Phillips has won plaudits for bringing his own distinctive style of guitar playing music to other artists’ songs.

The finale will consist of a two-hour performance episode on Tuesday, May 22, followed by a results episode on Wednesday, May 23. The winner will receive a recording contract.

Ledet was gracious in defeat. He closed the singing contest Thursday with his rendition of “It’s a Man’s World,” replicating one of his most popular performances of the season.

Audience voting was based on Wednesday episode that included three performance rounds of contestants singing songs chosen by the judges, then picking their own songs and finally belting out a tune chosen by mentor Jimmy Iovine for the third round.

Judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson chose Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind” for Ledet‘s first performance.

In his feedback, Tyler predicted Ledet would win the show, but his later responses to Ledet‘s other songs was not as enthusiastic.

Though Lopez praised him for communicating the meaning of the lyrics in John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Iovine thought he went a bit too far, describing his performance as “slightly overblown and over-emotional.”

Iovine then took some responsibility for what he thought was Ledet‘s less-than-stellar performance of Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama,” saying that he should have chosen a song with more melody.

For her Wednesday routine, Sanchez sang Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing,” and Tyler, the rock band’s lead singer, told her “you just took a great song and made it greater.” And Iovine said it was worthy of singing at the Grammys.

Phillips’s songs included “We’ve Got Tonight,” with Iovine and Jackson agreed it was his best performance to date.

Thursday’s results show included performances from two artists with new albums out this week – Lisa Marie Presley and “Idol” season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert. Presley sang “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” off her album “Storm and Grace,” and Lambert did “Never Close Our Eyes” from sophomore album, “Trespassing.”

Now in its eleventh season, “Idol” continues to be the most-watched reality show in the United States. Audiences vote for their favorite performers by phone and text message each week as contestants are challenged by a variety of musical styles.

(Reporting By Andrea Burzynski; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/jessica-sanchez-phillip-phillips-idol-final-020228985.html

Herbert Breslin, the hard-driving manager who helped propel Luciano Pavarotti to international fame during the 36 years they worked together, has died, his wife said Thursday. He was 87.

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/adele-notches-two-ivor-novello-songwriting-awards-171442193.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – On the face of it, Universal Music Group‘s bid to buy a big chunk of EMI stands to make the world’s leading music company an even more formidable force, combining Universal‘s star lineup of Lady Gaga and Rihanna with the British company’s deep library of The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Katy Perry.

Certainly the fierce opposition from rival Warner Music Group, consumer groups and independent music companies makes it seem that way. They have all vowed to fight it tooth and nail, telling U.S. and European regulators that the merger would create a behemoth capable of controlling the future of digital media by withholding content from digital music startups.

But industry insiders say regulators also are looking at a counterargument – that the major recording companies already are weakened giants worn down by the forces of big retailers and piracy that put downward pressure on the price of CDs and digital downloads.

U.S.-based Universal, owned by Paris-based Vivendi, made the $1.9 billion deal in November.

Eight antitrust experts interviewed about the issue were divided about the chances for approval, largely because the music landscape has changed so much in recent years that it is not clear that a deal that would concentrate 40 percent of the recorded music industry in one company would harm competition.

“Ten years ago, the labels had power. Today they don’t have any power. If they (the U.S. Federal Trade Commission) block it, it’s just because they don’t understand the market,” said Daniel Sokol, who teaches antitrust issues at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Two antitrust experts who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect business relationships said that Universal faces a tough fight in winning U.S. approval – especially because Warner Music Group, owned by privately held Access Industries, has organized opposition to the deal.

“My sense is that the FTC could take a hard line depending on how good a job Warner does in generating complaints,” one expert said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if it didn’t go through.”

Universal is gearing up to begin discussions later this month with the FTC about potential asset sales that could make the transaction more palatable to regulators, said a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Universal also is considering making a request to the FTC in the next two weeks for the agency to decide on approval of the deal within a 30-day period, this source added.

Two industry insiders who have met with U.S. regulators say the FTC is asking about the pricing power of retailers like Apple and Amazon, who use cheap music as loss leaders to attract customers for more expensive goods, and about the pressure of illegal music downloads.

The FTC also is asking about allegations made by consumer groups and others that Universal has been reluctant to license its enormous catalog of must-have music to digital startups, or has licensed the music only on onerous terms, those insiders said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Universal spokesman Peter Lofrumento said the company is working closely with the FTC and is confident of approval. The FTC declined to comment on the matter.

As the U.S. regulatory review heats up, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee said last week it will hold a hearing on the matter. The panel has no official say over approval, but is able to help shape the debate over the deal.

‘AN ANTICOMPETITIVE MERGER’

While the FTC may accept the argument that major retailers push prices down, Bert Foer, president of the American Antitrust Institute advocacy group, dismissed piracy as a defense.

“It’s a passing issue and it will eventually get dealt with. It should not be the justification for allowing an anticompetitive merger to take place,” Foer said.

The consumer groups Public Knowledge and Consumer Federation of America have written to two U.S. House of Representatives and Senate antitrust subcommittees to urge close scrutiny of the deal. The groups said Universal‘s 40 percent market share could make it a bully when innovative startups come up with new ways to sell and stream music online.

“If you control that much of the marquee content, they can determine the fate of new digital business models by withholding content,” Mark Cooper of Consumer Federation of America said.

Universal said those worries are unfounded.

“The future of music also depends on providing consumers with as many legal alternatives to piracy as possible,” Universal‘s Lofrumento said. “We have licensed more digital music services than any other music company and will continue to do so to the benefit of our artists, consumers and the overall industry.”

Another critic of the deal is IMPALA, a European organization of independent music companies. It points out that last year 90 percent of the Top 1000 for downloads and airplay were from the big four music companies.

“These results are very revealing, especially as they already factor in independent successes such as Adele. They send a serious warning about the dangers of concentration in music for diversity in Europe,” said Helen Smith, IMPALA executive chair.

British singer Adele is on the independent label XL Recordings.

European antitrust regulators in Brussels are asking many of the same questions that the FTC is asking, according to sources there, and are also asking whether artists would be able to switch record labels easily after the deal.

The European regulators, who are more public about their investigations than their U.S. counterparts, are due to decide by September 6 whether to clear the deal.

Officials in Brussels are concerned since the combination of Universal and EMI’s recorded music unit would create a player almost twice the size of the nearest European rival.

They also appear to be focusing on the companies’ market share in classical music and jazz, compilations and the extent to which Universal dominates hit charts.

In addition to Lady Gaga and Rihanna, Universal‘s roster of artists includes Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift and LL Cool J. In addition to Katy Perry, EMI’s list includes Norah Jones, Coldplay, Joss Stone and Lady Antebellum.

PLUMMETING REVENUES

Across U.S. music labels, revenues have plummeted 50 percent from 2000 to $7 billion in 2011, according to the Recording Industry Association of America trade group, which blames piracy for much of the losses.

Employment by record companies in the United States has fallen to less than 10,000 now from about 25,000 people in 1999, the association said.

The situation has not been much better in Europe. British company EMI, which was the first home to the Beatles when they were unknowns in 1962, was heavily indebted in 2007 when British private equity firm Terra Firma bought it with financing from Citigroup.

In February 2011, EMI, unable to pay the loans, was acquired by Citigroup. The bank cleared out the debt, broke the company in two and sold the parts last November.

Sony snapped up EMI Music Publishing, the portion of the company that handles copyrights to 1.3 million songs, for $2.2 billion, and received European approval in April.

The FTC has not weighed in on the Sony deal, but it is not expected to run into antitrust trouble in the United States.

Universal won the rights to EMI’s recorded music unit after Warner Music dropped out of bidding. Warner, the No. 3 U.S. music company, has now pursued its public campaign against Universal‘s deal.

Edgar Bronfman Jr., the former chairman of Warner, said at the Dive Into Media Conference in January in reference to the deal: “It’s dangerous, problematic and has to be stopped.”

Bronfman argued that Universal, with a 40 percent share, would determine not only the future of the recorded music industry but any kind of digital music industry.

Warner Music declined to comment for this story.

Typically that sort of market share would prompt regulators to challenge a deal – and they might despite Universal’s cries that they are powerless to raise prices when faced with retail giants and illegal downloads.

Evan Stewart, an antitrust expert with the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder, argued that the FTC could well approve the deal if Universal’s lawyers have compelling data to support arguments about Apple and Amazon’s pricing power, and the effect of piracy. “If they’re skillful at making that presentation, I think it will be approved,” Stewart said.

(Editing by Karey Wutkowski and Will Dunham)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-key-universal-emi-decision-music-business-lost-050701286--finance.html