It's this week in classicla music, an update on what's happening in the classical music world, I'm Randy Kinkel.

The Red Steinway Grand Piano used by Chinese Soloist Lang Lang in last week's New York Philharmonic Concert in Central park will go on the auction block soon. The Instrument is to be auctioned off to raise money for the Red Cross China Earthquake relief fund, Lang Lang announced the auction for the first time to the 63,000 people in the crowd for the concert in Central Park; bidding will start at the $165,000 dollar retail price. The Steinway Model D concert Grand was completed earlier this year and is one of only two in the world. The pianist recommends the instrument; It has a fantastic sound," Lang Lang told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I enjoyed playing it last night. It's a really powerful piano. That's what I like-a piano with lots of power." Lang Lang said he has helped raise $3.5 million for relief from the devastating May 12 quake, which killed nearly 70,000 people, including many children whose schools collapsed. The 26-year-old Chinese pianist is from Shenyang, outside the Sichuan area, which was hit hardest by the quake.
It's been a rough month for musicians in Cincinnatti; first a bassist in the Symphony Orchestra was arrested for hitting his wife, now a featured Bass singer with the Cincinnatti Opera has been charged for allegedly hitting a bar owner. Miroslaw Witkowski, 29, is accused of attacking the owner of a Vine Street bar about 2:30 a.m. July 4th The police report states that Witkowski punched Daniel Dell, 44, owner of Buddakhan Classic Rock Caf‚, , in the face, cutting his chin. He also allegedly kicked him in the head. The bass vocalist, who is from Poland, made his Cincinnati Opera debut in 2007 as Wagner in Faust, according to the opera's web site.
He returned to the opera this year as the Imperial Commissioner in Madame Butterfly and Giuseppe in La Traviata.This is the second time this month a musician with a Cincinnati arts group has been charged with a crime. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra bassist Boris Astafiev, 37, was charged July 6 with domestic violence after his wife told police he punched her on the head and pulled her hair.

Playing Certain types of music can enhance the way wine tastes, according to the results of a recent study. The Heriot Watt University study found people rated the change in taste by up to 60% depending on the music heard while they were tasting it. The Study involved 250 students who were offered a free glass of wine for their views. Researchers said Cabernet savignon was most affected by "powerful and heavy" music , and Chardonnay by "Zingy and Refreshing" sounds. The white wine was rated 40% more zingy and refreshing when that music was played, but only 26% more mellow and soft when music in that category was heard; The red was altered 25% by mellow and fresh music, yet 60% by powerful and heavy music. The results were put down to "cognitive priming theory", where the music sets up the brain to respond to the wine in a certain way. "Wine manufacturers could recommend that while drinking a certain wine, you should listen to a certain sort of music," Prof Adrian North said.
The research was carried out for Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes, who plays monastic chants to his maturing wines. Mr Montes said: "It was therefore a natural extension to link with Heriot Watt and to scientifically determine the impact that music has on how wine tastes."
For example: the study recommends Puccini's Nessun Dorma or Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D with a nice syrah; Jimi Hendricks' "all Along the Watchtower" with a cabernet savignon, and Blondie's "Atomic" with a chardonnay.

For more on these and other items and events, go to the website, kbaq.org. be listening each week at this time for another update, and join me every weekday for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries. I'm Randy Kinkel for This week in Classical Music, on listener-suopported 89-five KBAQ, a service of rio salado college and arizona state University.

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This Week in Classical Music - July 20, 2008 by Randy Kinkel courtesy of KBAQ.

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Title: This Week in Classical Music - July 20, 2008
Author: Randy Kinkel
Publisher: KBAQ 89.5 FM
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