Do you know who deserves a Diamond Jubilee Medal? This guy: 
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Justin Bieber is a Horrible Blight on Canadian History–and an Honored Credit to His Country
Canadians, music lovers, people with souls: this is a truly horrific story.
As stated on his Flickr photostream, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was “happy to present Justin Bieber with a Diamond Jubilee Medal today.”
What’s a Diamond Jubilee Medal, you ask? Allow the Governor General of Canada to explain:
“A new commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour (sic) Her Majesty for her service to this country. A the same time, it serves to honour (sic) significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.”
This makes it all clear now. There is really no better way to honor the queen, who has done, and continues to do, so much for Canada from 3,500 miles away. Queen, Justin: you deserve each other.
Joe Biden, Still Awesome
He saved the election for Obama, and, as everyone knows by now, he’s now a big TV star:
Joe Biden is simply awesome.
The Band Who Loved Me
I heard Radiohead’s cover of “Nobody Does it Better” on the radio this weekend:
Presumably, it was on because Skyfall opened and made a ton of money. I think I’ll stay away from classic rock stations, so I won’t have to hear this.
This is not how I want to remember Guns N’ Roses. Not at all.
Free Downloads of Webern; Stream Schoenberg All Day Long
On antonwebern.com, you can download free recordings of Webern’s music. I have no idea if it’s legal; according to the site, the tracks are from Boulez’s Sony complete-works set.
In other Second Viennese School listening news, you can also stream Schoenberg 24 hours a day, thanks to the Arnold Schoenberg Institute.
Who is Matthias Bamert, and Why Does He Have His Own Society?
There’s nothing funnier than Schoenberg:
This video has been kicking around on YouTube for years now, and Alex Ross fills us in on its origins. Apparently, it was the brainchild of WCLV radio host Robert Conrad, who conceived it as an April Fool’s joke in 1977 along with Cleveland Orchestra conductors Kenneth Jean and Matthias Bamert, who conducts music by Debussy this weekend with the Rochester Philharmonic:
The spot was concocted as an April Fool’s joke in 1977. Kenneth Jean, then assistant conductor for the Cleveland Orchestra, wrote the script; Conrad announced it in the style of the K-Tel ads that were everywhere at the time; and Matthias Bamert, then resident conductor in Cleveland, participated in the production.
You might not know it to look at him, but Bamert’s quit the cut up. In a recent Democrat and Chronicle article, Stuart Low tells us about a rather unusual, pugilistically themed music video for Gershwin’s Concerto in F that Bamert appeared in, and the conductor himself gives us his children’s stock response to the question of whether they’ve followed in their father’s professional footsteps: “No,” they reply, according to Bamert, “we’re normal.”
Eveyone Loves The Biden
After the first presidential debate–in which Obama apparently bit it–who can save the Democrats? Of course he can.
Joe Biden is Awesome, and So is Cheerleading
“Have you ever watched the cheerleading championships? I’m serious. Guess what? … The cheerleaders in college are the best athletes in college.”
That was Joe Biden, weighing in on the big issues of the day at a campaign stop in New Hampshire. Summing up: “Cheerleading, yeah! None of it works without you guys!”
Jill Biden warmed up the crowd with a little humor:
Other People Who Deserved Google Doodles Last Week
Clara Schumann got her own Google doodle on her 193rd birthday Thursday; here are a couple of deserving others:
Neil Peart (turned 60 on September 12):
Damn right he was the finale of Drum Week on Letterman.
Amy Beach (born on September 5 in 1867)
I know September 5 wasn’t last week, but close enough. (Thanks to Liane Curtis for the reminder.) Can’t let John Cage get all the 9/5 attention.
Be Careful What You Wish for, Orchestra Edition
The Baltimore Symphony announced last week that its music director, Marin Alsop, is funding a project to have students from Parsons The New School for Design to come up with new duds for the orchestra that will “erase any pre-conceived notions of what a concert should look like.”
Meanwhile, in Florida (or course), a well-meaning group of business owners in Delray Beach donated uniforms designed by Futuristic Woo (who?) to a local high-school football team, resulting in this:
Tread lightly, Baltimore.
Why Don’t Attacks on Biden Stick? Because He’s Awesome, That’s Why.
Sure, he’s our “crazy uncle“–unwittingly offensive to Greeks, hyperbolically insensitive toward African-Americans, seemingly drunk at every turn–but he’s also the guy who can stand up and do this: http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1
Days after posing for this:
Orchestra Watch: A Little Good News; Mostly Bad News
A round-up of posts about orchestras’ labor-and-management problems, from the bloggers who’ve been following the situation:
Adaptistration (Drew McManus):
Someone at the National Symphony has been bragging about its nice new contract; Indiana Symphony management has defended itself with a lengthy press statement, and the San Antonio musicians have filed a lawsuit claiming that their orchestra’s management refuses to talk.
Slipped Disc (Norman LeBrecht):
LeBrecht calls for new blood in orchestral leadership; lists the orchestras that we know won’t be starting their seasons on time.
One of the orchestras LeBrecht targets is Minnesota; Pioneer Press reports on both the proposed cuts to that band’s salaries and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s as well. Buffalo News’s Mary Kunz Goldman responds, is thankful for her hometown orchestra.
Deceptive Cadence (Tom Huizenga):
Huizenga highlights recordings he likes from the Atlanta Symphony, to hold us over while the musicians are locked out.
Mark Likes Music 
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