Ludwig's Links: What Would Beethoven Read This Week Dec. 31, 2010

A few issues worth bandying about, arguing over and toasting to:

• Symphonic Suffering: Clef Notes blogger Tim Smith has a few year-end thoughts on the state of the American orchestra, while the blog Adaptistration charts the continuing strike at the Detroit Symphony, and how American symphonies grew into full-time orchestras.

• Cleveland Orchestra's Complex Finances: For the symphonic administrator in you — a run-down of deficits, benchmarks and a crescendo of number-crunching.

• Fiddle Filchers Busted: London police nabbed the poachers of Min-Jin Kym's pricey (roughly $2 million) violin, but they have not yet recovered the instrument.

 

• Telegraph’s Top Ten Classical Moments: Although no author is bylined, this looks suspiciously like the excellent taste proffered by Ivan Hewitt.

• Uncle Norm’s 2010 Scoops: The occasionally controversial author Norman Lebrecht takes a victory lap.

• Busy Bee Brendel: Although the great Austrian pianist and octogenarian Alfred Brendel has officially retired, it doesn't mean he's slacking. He's lecturing, teaching, publishing more poetry and generally having a blast. "Even though I have stopped playing, my musicality is still developing," he says.

• Osmo Vanska, Man Of The Moment: While raising the Minnesota Orchestra to new artistic heights, the Finnish conductor has been named Artist of the Year by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

• Wanted Liszt: The brainy pianist (and witty blogger) Stephen Hough makes a case for the music of Franz Liszt as the composer's bicentenary year approaches.

• Adding To The Liszt: Jessica Duchen presents a pre-anniversary year profile.

• Winnie The Opera: The life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (former wife of Nelson Mandela), contains enough ups, downs and controversy to make a perfect opera. Reportedly the very first opera fully composed and orchestrated in South Africa, Winnie will premiere in Pretoria next April.

• Handel in Hanoi? The L.A. Times' Mark Swed tells a fascinating story of one tough pianist who helped cultivate classical music in Vietnam.

• Mester Moves Aside, Again: In May conductor Jorge Mester suddenly left the Pasadena Symphony under cloudy circumstances. Now, his contract runs dry with the Naples Philharmonic.

• Law And Order In Louisville: A bankruptcy court ruling allows Louisville Orchestra players to collect their paychecks.