Sokolov refuses award

[SimonNZ]

One might make the same "justification" for Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Moore . . . .

Ah no, that's a leap. I'm not trying to make any "justification" at all. And I'm very interested to hear how he's gone from being the Golden-Era nostalgic reactionary (and there's a lot of that about) of two decades ago to someone that might be compared to Rush Limbaugh. Possibly i only saw an unrepresentitive fraction of his writings at the time.

If you know (and it seems you do) then I really want to hear - or from anyone. I won't be playing council for the defence.

I'll read the link above first chance I get.

[jlaurson]

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2015/09/grigory-sokolov-refuses-cremona-music.html

One of the few cases where I think that I might have actually broken the story (after the letter was pointed out to me by a musician who also finds Lebrecht offensive and generally beyond the pale).

On the ionarts-site is also the official Cremona response and the laughable response of Lebrecht's.

[The new erato]

And this link should be read by any thinking person interested in (classical) music:

http://www.overgrownpath.com/2015/09/churnalism-is-destroying-classical-music.html

[SimonNZ]

Erm...I've read all the links here and a few others elsewhere and I still haven't had it explained to me specifically what the problem with Lebrecht is.

Overgrownpath (who I usually have a lot of respect for) talks briefly about "churnalism", but offers no examples from Lebrecht.

I'm actually starting to feel that the onus is on Sokolov to explain his position - at least to try and have others avoid future supposed Lebrecht-isms in their journalism - and that it was actually sloppy and undignified of him not to have offered better explanation to the Awards people. Until he does so I can't join the chorus praising him for his moral high ground.

Can someone please shine some light on this matter for me?

[amw]

Erm...I've read all the links here and a few others elsewhere and I still haven't had it explained to me specifically what the problem with Lebrecht is.

There are a few articles that go into more detail in this tag. Worth scrolling down as far as you feel like.

[Brian]

There are a few articles that go into more detail in this tag. Worth scrolling down as far as you feel like.

In addition, the Overgrown Path link to the NY Times captures a lot of Lebrecht's negative influence. It's about how one of his books was withdrawn and destroyed by the publisher over a chapter filled with misinformation and fiction about Naxos. (In it the Naxos CEO is quoted as saying that Lebrecht interviewed him, but did not take any notes.)

Here is one very choice paragraph:

"Heymann [CEO of Naxos] also said Mr. Lebrecht had falsely accused him of stealing ideas from labels Naxos distributed; incorrectly said he had recorded the conductor Dennis Russell Davies and produced works in Slovenia; invented the detail that a PolyGram executive, seeking to buy a stake in Naxos, flew to Hong Kong with suitcases of cash; and wrongly wrote that performers were listed in small print on the back of CDs. (They are also on the front.) He said Mr. Lebrecht had also confused downloading with streaming, and recording copyrights with music publishing copyrights."

[Todd]

I'm disappointed in Lebrecht's response.  I guess not every response is loved by everyone.

[Brahmsian]

I'm disappointed in Lebrecht's response.  I guess not every response is loved by everyone.

Todd, is there a link?  Please and thank you. 

[Todd]

Todd, is there a link?  Please and thank you. 

Check Jens' link in response #21.

[Brahmsian]

Check Jens' link in response #21.

Ok, thank you!

[Karl Henning]

Norman Lebrecht, Provider of Snackable Content

[North Star]

Norman Lebrecht, Provider of Snackable Content

Did you mean Snackable Contempt? 

[Karl Henning]

Snarkable Contempt!

[Ken B]

Why does Sokolov refuse to play in the UK?

I mean I know Elgar is played everywhere there, but still.

[North Star]

Why does Sokolov refuse to play in the UK?

I mean I know Elgar is played everywhere there, but still.

From the comments section of a Slipped Disc post:

Grigory Sokolov does not 'refuse to play in the UK'. Quite the opposite – he has appeared in many sell-out recitals on the South Bank and at other major concert venues. It was when the so-called 'UK Border Agency' insisted that Sokolov would not be allowed into Britain unless he flew to Moscow (where he is not domiciled) to have his fingerprints taken first, that Sokolov decided he would not be treated as a criminal, and thus refused to cooperate with these jackbooted goons. On a point of law, he is domiciled in Italy, and therefore entitled to present himself at the British Consulate there – with no need to fly to Moscow. In fact he had already lawfully obtained a British Visa from the Consulate in Italy prior to being forced to cancel his RFH concert. Mysteriously the British Consulate in Italy were deemed incompetent in their issue of his visa by the UK Border Authority. Sokolov is quite ready to play in Britain if he can be given a visa at the UK Consulate in Milan or Rome.

[Brian]

This is the same UKBA that once sent the cellist of a string quartet home (but not the other three players) because the quartet's plan to play a free, unpaid performance, for fun, at a private event, constituted "work" and the cellist did not have a work visa.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2010/nov/17/musicians-uk-border-agency-rules

EDIT: There's a gem buried at the bottom of the story, which is that UKBA chastised the event organizers for not first trying to find a British string quartet that was willing to play Taneyev for free.

[Karl Henning]

Bureaucracy, bureaucracy . . . .

[Ken B]

From the comments section of a Slipped Disc post:

Wow. Good for him.
Thanks.
Another misleading claim by Lebrecht.