When asked about US President Donald Trump at the Taormina Film Festival, Michael Douglas apologized on behalf of the US and said, “I was born at the end of World War II, but in my lifetime, this is the worst time that I can ever remember”

🚨NEW: Federal Judge Charles Breyer has ordered Donald Trump to return control of the National Guard back to California Governor Gavin Newsom. RETWEET to thank Judge Breyer for standing up for the Constitution!

Governor Gavin Newsom: “Donald Trump will be relieved of his command at noon tomorrow.” RETWEET if you stand with Gavin Newsom against Donald Trump!

60.000 israéliens refusent de rejoindre l'armée israélienne,1200 pilotes de l'armée de l'air ont déposé leurs uniformes ainsi que des centaines de parachutistes et plus de 250 agents du Mossad. Ehud Barak, ancien 1 er ministre israélien en appel à faire tomber #Netanyahou

One of my all time favorite recordings - Karajan’s 1960 version of Bartok’s MSP&C ! The sound on my German Electrola LP is absolutely spectacular. One of the great Karajan recordings & one of the great discs featuring 20th century music. Stunning!👇

Daniel Cohn-Bendit " Comment est-ce possible de ne pas avoir vu ce qui se préparait pour le 7 octobre ? . Avec de telles capacités, comment est-ce possible ?

RIP Alfred Brendel. 😢 Thank you for the most memorable Diabelli Variations that I have ever heard (in concert in Montreal in 2005). And thank you for all of these amazing recordings that I love.👇

🇷🇺Russia is a terrorist state! Yes or No?

Wilhelm Kempff's Liszt from 1945 (German radio recordings) & 1951 (Decca) are absolute miracles of poetry. These were Alfred Brendel's favourite piano recordings and he often cited them as examples of great interpretations of Liszt's music, particularly the 2 Légendes.👇

Another pianist whom Alfred Brendel idolized was the great Edwin Fischer. After WW2 he took several masterclasses with him. Few artists played Schubert's Impromptus & Moments musicaux or Mozart's piano concertos as beautifully as Fischer. 1/ Cont.

Ok, here we go - my top 10 favorite Alfred Brendel recordings excluding Lieder & Chamber Music accompaniments: 1) LvB: Diabelli Vtns + Bagatelles (Vox) 2) LvB: Diabelli Vtns (Philips, 1988) 3) Haydn anthology (4-CD set) 4) Brahms: PC 1, 1973 rec. 1/ Cont.

This CD of the miraculous pianist Annie Fischer contains IMO unsurpassed interpretations of both of these masterpieces: - Mozart PC 22 w/ Otto Klemperer & the Concertgebouw (live, 1956) - Beethoven PC 3 w/ Ferenc Fricsay & RSO Berlin (live, 1957)👇

These are among the greatest recordings of Bach's Sonatas & Partitas for solo violin: Nathan Milstein (DG) Arthur Grumiaux (Philips) Jaap Schroder (Smithsonian & Naxos) Christian Tetzlaff (Ondine) Monumental interpretations!👇

Paimboeuf. Une usine stratégique. Mais à la production en chute et aux ouvriers qui disparaissent... Après les avoir canonnés 4 ans dans les tranchées, le directeur n'est pas prêt à laisser les Allemands maîtres chez lui. Pris le 23 fév. 1944 il mourra à Mauthausen. Pierre Chevry

The great French cellist Pierre Fournier was born #OTD in 1906. His landmark DG recordings of the Bach Cello Suites, Beethoven Sonatas (w/ Gulda), Dvorak Concerto (w/ Szell), and R. Strauss Don Quixote (w/ Karajan) remain to this day unsurpassed.👇

One of my favorite RVW works is The Wasps: Overture & Aristophanic Suite. I find it deliciously irresistible. And this happens to be one of my favorite LPs of English music in general! Sparkling & absolutely ideal version of this work + a couple of wonderful pieces by Holst👇

🔴 Quand Sébastien Chenu cible directement les parlementaires en expliquant les pires horreurs… Rappel au règlement immédiat de notre député Pierre Cazeneuve. « Vous parlez des mauvais choix de l’Histoire ? Votre parti a été fondé par d’anciens SS et soutient Poutine ! » ⬇️

🇫🇷 Gisèle Pelicot vient de donner 20 000 euros à l'association Isofaculté, basée à Mazan, qui accompagne des femmes victimes de violences conjugales. Une somme qu'elle avait obtenu en guise d'indemnisation de photos prises à son insu et qui va permettre de doubler les aides

Herbert Von Karajan's 2nd DG recording (1975) of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is widely considered to be his best version of this work. I don't agree with this assessment; for me, his 1955 Philharmonia recording on EMI is a more satisfying interpretation.👇

And since it's Claudio Abbado's birthday today, I thought I should mention that his Chicago SO recording of Symphonie Fantastique on DG is also one of my favourite versions of this work!👇