BEETHOVEN under paid?

LUBECK, Germany, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A handwritten letter by Ludwig van Beethoven reveals the German composer was displeased about his "low salary." The letter, written in July 1823 and addressed to Franz Stockhausen, concerned Beethoven's search for wealthy people to sponsor his latest composition, "Missa solemnis," Beethoven wrote he needed more money, in part, because of his worsening deafness.

"My low salary and my illness demand efforts to make a better fortune," he wrote at the age of 53, four years before his death.

The letter, which has been valued at $188,500, was found recently among items bequeathed to Germany's Brahms Institute of the Lubeck School of Music by Stockhausen's great-granddaughter, Renate Wirth. Wirth died last year.

"The bequest is of extraordinary historic value; this was a huge piece of luck for us," institute Director Wolfgang Sandberger said.



Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2012/01/11/Beethoven-complained-of-low-salary/UPI-46051326321492/#ixzz1jEYFhTRU

Lang Lang's hero... Liszt

SHOP Lang Lang

In celebration of his piano hero s bicentenary, Lang Lang has selected some of the most famous, virtuosic and poetic solo pieces, concluding with a stunning new recording of the Piano Concerto No. 1 - accompanied by the Vienna Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev. Lang Lang has had a special relationship with the composer following his very first encounter with his music at age two when he watched a Tom and Jerry cartoon featuring Liszt s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Anne Sophie Mutter 35 years performing

To celebrate Anne-Sophie Mutter's 35 magnificent years on stage and her brilliant recording career, this extravagant limited edition box set is filled with her complete discography on Deutsche Grammophon plus 2 additional discs of previously unreleased material.



Also included is a 288-page hardcover book featuring essays by those who inspired Anne-Sophie, an exclusive interview with the icon, and over 150 photos chronicling her life in pictures – all housed in a beautifully designed case as colorful as her music.

Shirmer new publications and performances

Schirmer is pleased to represent a plentitude of pieces that will receive their premieres this fall. You can check out the world premiere of Shostakovich's Orango Prelude (yes, the world premiere) on the West Coast. Kirke Mecham’s The Rivals entertains audiences in Milwaukee while we New Yorkers can hear the New York Philharmonic breathe life into One Sweet Morning, the most recent work from the pen of the venerable John Corigliano. Click below to see a full list of premieres this fall.

Schirmer Fall Premieres