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By Dominique le Gendre

The 7th volume of the Urtext Primo series with easy-to-master pieces features female composers of three centuries, including Elisabetta Gambarini and Marianna von Martines (representing the 18th century), Louise Farrenc, Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann, Francisca Gonzaga, and Marie Jaëll (19th cent.) as well as Mélanie Bonis and Lili Boulanger (20th cent.). In addition to the already published edition in German and English, this volume is now also available in French and Spanish, including practising and playing tips, short biographies of the composers and tabular information on the level of difficulty.

This volume is part of the revised and corrected new edition of all 15 symphonies by Dmitri Shostakovich published by Boosey & Hawkes and Sikorski as large format study scores for optimal legibility.

Fake news lead to mass panic: Ludger Vollmer's new opera Zusammenstoß (“Collision”) is based on a true event from 1910. It can be seen for the first time on 20 April 2024. Heidelberg Theatre is presenting the world premiere in a production by Christian Brey, with Dietger Holm and Kens Lui as musical directors.

A sound experience on a whole new level: on 12 April 2024, the new piece Poetica by Chaya Czernowin can be experienced for the first time at the Festspielhaus Hellerau in Dresden. Percussionist Stephen Schick and the Percussions de Strasbourg will perform the world premiere together with the catinblack ensemble. 

The horn is rarely heard alone in the orchestra and usually in the background: It sits in pairs or in the quartet at the back left. But in a solo concerto such as the new Horn Concerto by Huw Watkins, it makes its grand entrance. At the world premiere on 7 April 2024 in Saffron Walden, England, Ben Goldscheider will be the soloist in front of the orchestra. He will be accompanied by the Britten Sinfonia under the direction of Michael Papadopoulos.

There are operas that are inextricably linked to special days of the year. For example, Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck and La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini belong to Christmas. On Good Friday, on the other hand, Richard Wagner's Parsifal is regularly on the programme. This is because the Holy Grail, which according to legend was used to catch the blood of Christ on the cross, takes centre stage. On 28 March 2024, the Orchestre National de Lyon will present the French premiere of the Parsifal Suite under the direction of Markus Stenz.

The composer and conductor Peter Eötvös has died in Budapest on 24 March 2024 at the age of 80. This was announced by his family on Sunday. With his death, the music world has lost one of the most frequently performed opera composers of our time. 

The most beautiful classical sonatinas by Muzio Clementi, Thomas Attwood, Ludwig van Beethoven, Daniel Gottlob Türk, Christian Louis Heinrich Köhler, Domenico Cimarosa, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Featuring numerous popular musicians and jampacked with a range of musical styles, you're sure to find something to play in Pianotainment Pop History!