END OF AN ERA IN US EARLY MUSIC

Joel Cohen writes from Boston:

With deep sorrow we share the news: Ingeborg von Huene, a fine musician, deeply compassionate human being, and last surviving member of the original Camerata of the Museum of Fine Arts, has died at the age of 93.

Ingeborg and Friedrich von Huene. Photo courtesy The Boston Globe

Joel Cohen, who first met Inge when, still a student, he joined Camerata in 1963, offers these thoughts:

“With Ingeborg von Huene’s passing, a beautiful chapter in the history of the early music revival comes to a close. Inge so loved and encouraged music in all its manifestations. She and her husband Friedrich were core members of the original Camerata, and I loved hearing them play their parts, he on all kind of winds, she on recorders and gambas, when the small, pioneering ensemble performed Renaissance music by Isaac, Senfl, Susato, and others. 

Their enthusiasm for such little-known but precious repertoires inspired me to pursue and persevere in the arena of pre-Baroque performance. She knew that someday many people would come to love early music, and she was absolutely right.

“Inge was also the essential co-head of the world-famous von Huene Workshop, directing business and sales, moving it forward into the international early-instruments market, as Friedrich and his staff turned out their world-class, impeccably crafted recorders and flutes.

“She was also a close observer of the early music movement and people who participated, and was, in my recollection, one of the most generous and encouraging souls in the entire field. She took great interest in the doings of her cohorts and colleagues, and was always ready with words of encouragement to aspiring young performers. She was like a benevolent gardener, helping the new shoots come out of the ground, into fruition.

“May it be remembered that she, along with Friedrich, founded the Boston Early Music Festival. I remember the joy in her voice as she first announced it to the Camerata board during a meeting.

“But most of all, beyond all her vital achievement in the music world, I remember her smile, recalling Ruben’s portrait of Isabella Brandt, her delightful accent, her warmth, her love of family-based singing and playing, her words and gestures of welcome and support. What a magnificent person she was, and how we shall miss her.”

Boston Globe Photo: Inge and Friedrich von Huene in front of the Early Music Shop of New England.

First published at Slippedisc, June 22, 2023

STEINWAY & SONS MARKS A HISTORIC MILESTONE: THE COMPANY’S 600,000TH PIANO - The Fibonacci - price $2.4 million

 

Steinway "Fibonacci" model D concert grand. Price US$2.4 million

Renowned Designer Frank Pollaro Creates "The Fibonacci," A Masterpiece That Celebrates The Art of Handcraftsmanship.

STEINWAY & SONS, manufacturer of the world’s finest pianos, today unveiled the company’s 600,000th piano, stunningly designed by master artisan, Frank Pollaro. Handcrafted using natural Macassar ebony, the end result is a feat of artistry, engineering and precision that celebrates this milestone for STEINWAY & SONS and demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to uncompromising craftsmanship.

Named "The Fibonacci," the piano’s veneer features the iconic Fibonacci spiral made entirely from six individual logs of Macassar Ebony, creating a fluid design that represents the geometric harmony found in nature. The lines of The Fibonacci spiral on the top of the piano’s lid are projected down to its unique curved base. Synthetic ivory inlay adds a breathtaking effect to the design, which also features unique patinated bronze details. In the end, over 6,000 hours of work over a four-year period were devoted to the creation of The Fibonacci, from design to finish. The superior craftsmanship of the piano’s exterior is matched only by the unparalleled craftsmanship that is at the very core of all STEINWAY & SONS pianos.

The "Fibonacci" spiral lid

According to Frank Pollaro, "Designing STEINWAY & SONS’ 600,000th piano was an honour and a challenge. To me, knowing that this piano would become part of history meant that it had to be more than just a beautiful design, but also needed to visually convey a deeper message." Pollaro added, "As I considered the number 600,000, the Fibonacci spiral came to mind. The way in which it continues to grow but stay true to its form is very much like STEINWAY & SONS over these many years. Combining the universal languages of music and mathematics suddenly made perfect sense."

"STEINWAY & SONS has a long tradition of world-class craftsmanship, so as we began planning the 600,000th piano, it quickly became apparent that Frank Pollaro was the artist we needed for creative design and perfect execution. His ability to create unforgettable images through woodwork demonstrates artistry at the highest level, something that spoke to the very core of what this company is all about," stated Darren Marshall, Chief Marketing Officer of STEINWAY & SONS. Adding, "The Fibonacci spiral is a representation of perfect proportions and natural beauty. Without a doubt, Frank captured those qualities in this piano, creating a work of art for the eyes and the ears."

The Fibonacci is destined to become an important piece of cultural history, taking its place of honour amongst previous milestone models that the company has created. The 100,000th was originally given to the United States White House and is now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., while the 300,000 piano currently resides in the East Room of the White House.

At a ceremony on December 10, 1938, this grand piano was presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the White House by Mr. Theodore Steinway, on behalf of the Steinway family. The 300,000th Steinway piano in the East Room, it was built to replace another Steinway at the White House - #100,000, a gilded and painted grand piano which had been given in 1903 (now on exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution).

In April (2015) The Fibonacci was previewed during a special VIP reception at STEINWAY & SONS’ new showroom in Beverly Hills, where the internationally celebrated STEINWAY ARTIST, Lang Lang, had the honour of being the first artist to perform on the piano. This June The Fibonacci will travel to the United Kingdom, where it will be showcased at the 2015 Masterpiece London art fair.

Front view

The Fibonacci is a STEINWAY & SONS Model D piano, nine foot concert grand, priced at $2.4 million. In addition to the original 600,000th version, STEINWAY & SONS will create up to six exclusive, limited edition Model B pianos (6’10.5") inspired by the same design.

For more information about The Fibonacci, please contact Laura Seele at +1 (646)356–3960

About Frank Pollaro

As a young man, Frank Pollaro became interested in the master works of furniture designer Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann. He fell in love with the way Ruhlmann used ivory as an embellishment against rich, dark wood backgrounds. Fascinated by the natural colours and textures of exotic woods, he began to collect solid wood and veneer from all corners of the world, a passion that he has continued for more than 30 years. His collection currently contains over 80 species and the largest collection of rare woods in private hands.

Designer Frank Pollaro with Steinway model D "Fibonacci"

Twenty-seven years after founding Pollaro Custom Furniture, Frank’s work continues to win critical acclaim from leading collectors, designers and architects, who consider a Pollaro piece to be the crown jewel of their interiors. Additionally, his furniture has won numerous awards for both design and craftsmanship. Today, Frank and his team are considered the finest furniture makers in the world. Capable of replicating skills of a century ago, they are also masters of cutting edge materials and techniques.

The Pollaro signature on fallboard

In addition to the pursuit of challenging commissions, Frank also actively preserves his craft through teaching at leading furniture making programs throughout the country. For more information, visit www.pollaro.com.

About STEINWAY & SONS

Since its founding in New York in 1853, STEINWAY & SONS has been considered the world's premier piano manufacturer. Known for their exceptional craftsmanship, STEINWAY & SONS pianos are built in one of two company-owned and operated factories: Astoria, New York and Hamburg, Germany. STEINWAY & SONS pianos are still constructed primarily by hand, using many of the techniques developed over 160 years ago. Today, STEINWAY & SONS also offers the Boston and Essex piano lines, Listen, a magazine for music and culture lovers, and the STEINWAY & SONS record label. For more information, visit www.steinway.com.

Press Contact:
Anthony Gilroy
Director, Marketing & Communications
STEINWAY & SONS
+1 (718) 204-3116
agilroy@steinway.com

Text, 2015, courtesy Steinway and Sons

Photos courtesy Classic FM, United Kingdom

XVII (2023) TCHAIKOVSKY INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION FINALY NAMES JURIES – INCLUDING PUTIN’S BANKER

by Norman Lebrecht

Moments before the official start, the Tchaikovsky Competition has named juries for the major disciplines.

At first sight, they look feeble in comparison with the recent calibre of Tchaikovsky juries.

The piano jury has some familiar names – the Kremlin pianist Denis Matsuev, the 1988 Leeds winner Vladimir Ovchinnikov, the infinitely biddable German Justus Frantz, a Belgian called Maxim Mogilevsky and a supporting cast of Russians and Chinese.

The violin panel is led by Yuri Bashmet and Vadim Repin, both Putin loyalists, along with Gergiev’s former Munich concertmaster Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici.

Violinist, jurist and former Munich concertmaster Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici.

The cello jury is mostly Russian, with Vladimir Putin's money smuggler Sergey Roldugin the standout participant.

Full Jury listed here (click this link).

An orchestral friend comments:

"Cello jurist Suren Bagratuni is Professor of Cello & Chair of Strings at Michigan State University. Piano jurist Vladimir Viardo is faculty at North Texas College of Music. These artists & several others on the juries aspire to international careers in both the US & Russia.

And who the heck is the Spanish guy on the brass jury – Maximiliano Santos Ferrer? What is he even doing there? He’s a low level horn player from Valencia, who doesn’t have significant playing or teaching experience even within Spain, let alone internationally".

First published at Slippedisc, June 19, 2023

Key Findings | Diversity in the Orchestra Field 2023

 

Musicians

• Black or African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaska Native representation is significantly lower among orchestra musicians than in the U.S. population overall.
• Continuing a longstanding trend, Black or African American musician representation improved at a slower rate than that of any other racial/ethnic group, increasing only very slightly during the ten-year period.
• The proportion of Asian or Asian American people working as orchestra musicians remains higher than in the overall U.S. population and is higher than that of all other BIPOC groups combined.
• The proportion of Asian or Asian American musicians remains highest in larger budget orchestras, while the representation of Black or African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Multiracial musicians remains highest in smaller-to-medium budget orchestras.
• Near parity in men’s and women’s representation was maintained throughout the ten-year period, but women musicians were more likely to be working in smaller-to-medium budget orchestras than in larger budget orchestras.

First published at American League of Orchestras, 2023

US ORCHESTRAS MAINTAIN BLOCK ON BLACK PLAYERS

by Norman Lebrecht

A survey by the League of American Orchestras shows that ethnic minorities now account for 21 percent of their musicians.

However, just 2.4 percent are African-American. The needle has barely shifted in a decade. It was 1.8 percent in 2013.

Read the survey at American League of Orchestras (click link).

Example: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra (click link).

• Jaap van Zweden – Music Director
• Leonard Bernstein – Laureate Conductor, 1943–1990
• Kurt Masur – Music Director Emeritus, 1991–2015

Think about the consequences.

First published at Slippedisc, June 19, 2023

Photo and logo courtesy The New York Philharmonic Orchestra (click link)

Maurizio Pollini – Twilight of a God – Rome pays homage to a monument

by Christopher Axworthy

February 8, 2022

A monument speaks in Rome today ………….to almost three thousand people in the Sala Santa Cecilia that has not been seen by so many people for a long time.

It was a sign of the love and esteem he commands even now in his eightieth year.

He has given us 60 or more years of performances of integrity, simplicity and honesty as he has put his phenomenal technical gifts at the service of the composer.

It was Rubinstein on the jury of the Chopin competition who declared that this eighteen year old boy played better than any of us.

He is the monumental figure that we music students would refer to in order to hear the printed page come to life with an intellectual rigour that excluded any demonstrative personal distortions.

He together with Brendel were the icons that shone brightly over the more individual stylists whose personal interpretations whilst adding a different more personal point of view took us into an outward rather than inward approach to the greatest works of the piano literature.

Monuments cast shadows and the greater the monument the greater the shadow.

It was the shadow that we celebrated tonight ……but what a shadow!

Having changed his programme from the Schumann Fantasie and the Hammerklavier sonata for intellectual or physical reasons was of absolutely no importance for us mortals.

We that sat at his feet today in awe of a pianist who could command our total attention for an hour long first half with Beethoven’s most problematic sonata Op 101 followed by one of the pinnacles of the romantic piano repertoire, the Fantasie in C op 17 by Schumann. Proceeding the Beethoven with a Bagatelle, one of his last works for piano Op 126 n.3 in which so little could say so much and prepare us for the mellifluous outpouring of the Sonata that followed.

This was monumental playing of great masculinity and warmth with a symphonic sound that any minor blemishes were of no importance as the great architectural shape was unravelled before us.

But even more importantly the revolutionary character of Beethoven was revealed with warts and all.

Has the Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll ever sounded so profound and involved or the Lehaft second movement suddenly becoming so similar to Schumann’s Mäßig second movement of the Fantasie?

Whereas Kempff and Lupu got more introspective as they searched for the perfect legato in their Indian summer, Pollini has taken the opposite approach as he completely takes on Beethoven's rough exterior.

But of course there is a soulful interior to Beethoven too that we begin to become aware of from Op 90 to Op 111.

Op.101 is on the tip of the balance and it is enough to think that the next sonata is the mighty Hammerklavier Op 106 where Beethoven takes the sonata to the limit of one human’s capacity on the piano.

There will be those tonight who will comment that it was massively over pedalled and there were many smudged details but I would suggest that tonight we were in the presence of Beethoven himself who was far from a perfectionist in his lifelong struggle with himself and his physical ailments.

The Chopin Mazurka op 56 n.3 was a whole world in Pollini’s hands from ravishing beauty to intense introspection and stamping of feet.

Ending with two mere gasps of astonishment, three thousand people were holding their breath.

The Barcarolle – surely Chopin’s most perfect work was played together with the Fourth Ballade and the First Scherzo and were given very masculine no nonsense performances of great power and intellectual prowess.

That an eighty year old man after almost two hours onstage could thank his audience by playing the First Ballade of Chopin was nothing short of a miracle.

It was this conjuror of miracles that the Roman public having bade farewell to COVID worries, came in their droves to pay homage to a living legend.

Maurizio Pollini with the Fabbrini Model D Steinway on stage in Rome

It was nice to see the magnificent Fabbrini Steinway on stage and to know that Angelo Fabbrini was with us in the audience having given his priceless contribution to the recital by preparing an instrument fit for a King.

First published at Christopher Axworthy Music Commentary, February 8, 2022

NB: Numerous grammatical errors from the original text were corrected by this site's administrator, Tony Magee

Pollini is back

Maurizio Pollini at Vienna’s Musikverein, 2023. Photo: Musikverein Wien/©Julia Wesely

by Norman Lebrecht

The venerable Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini has given his first public recital since collapsing with heart disease at the Salzburg Festival last summer.

Pollini, 81, appeared at Vienna’s Musikverein on Thursday night. He played Schoenberg’s uncompromising six pieces opus 19, Schumann’s C-major Fantasie and a second half of works by Chopin.

First published at Slippedisc, June 18, 2023

ON EVE OF ITS OPENING, THE 17th INTERNATIONAL TCHAIKOVSKY PIANO COMPETITION HAS NO JURY

by Norman Lebrecht

The 17th International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition will be opened in a formal ceremony in Moscow tomorrow, at the conservatoire that bears the composer’s name.

Vladimir Putin at the opening of the XV Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition (2018)

Latest press release:

At 19:00 in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory a grandiose concert-opening of the XVII International Competition named after P.I. Tchaikovsky. The concert will feature a stellar line-up of artists — a Chinese pianist and composer, laureate of the 2nd prize at the 1st International Tchaikovsky Competition. P.I. Tchaikovsky Liu Shi Kun (piano), Russian pianist, winner of the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition. P.I. Tchaikovsky Denis Matsuev, Russian opera singer, winner of the Grand Prix of the X International Tchaikovsky Competition. P.I. Tchaikovsky Khibla Gerzmava (soprano), Mongolian opera singer, winner of the Grand Prix of the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition P.I. Tchaikovsky Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar (baritone), Russian cellist, laureate of the II prize at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition P.I. Tchaikovsky Alexander Ramm and Russian violinist, laureate of the III Prize of the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition P.I.

Conducting the Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre is Co-Chairman of the Organising Committee of the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition. P.I. Tchaikovsky Valery Gergiev.

However, no juries have yet been finalised for the competition. A hoax message was circulated yesterday by Russian sources, claiming several western names as jury chairs. It has since proved false.

First published at Slippedisc, June 18, 2023

Even though it may not be accurate, or there maybe no Jury at all, here is the XVII Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition website, which includes claimed Jury members: Click here

RUSSIAN LIES: ‘CARNEGIE HALL BOSS TO CHAIR TCHAIKOVSKY COMPETITION JURY’

by Norman Lebrecht

In an English memo to western journalists, Moscow has announced the following jury chairs in the 65th anniversary Tchaikovsky Competition (XVII Competition, 2023), starting this week:

Piano – Denis Matsuev
Violin – Martin Engstroem
Cello – Clive Gillinson
Voice – Sarah Billinghurst Solomon
Woodwinds – Denis Bouriakov
Brass – Ian Bousefield

Gillinson is president of Carnegie Hall. Engstroem runs the Verbier Festival. Both are friends of Valery Gergiev, the competition’s co-chair.

Sir Clive Gillinson, Cellist and Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall

UPDATE: Gillinson strongly denies ever having agreed to serve, as does Sarah Billinghurst Solomon. 

The list which was issued yesterday (see link), seems identical to that of four years ago.

We apologise for having been misled by official-looking Russian propaganda.

LATEST: Tchaikovsky Competition, on eve of opening, has no Jury.

First published at Slippedisc, June 17, 2023

Even though it may not be accurate, or there maybe no Jury at all, here is the XVII Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition website which includes claimed Jury members: Click here

Ennio had whatever it’s called – genius, the gift

Composer Ennio Morricone… died in Rome at the age of 91 in 2020.

 by Antonio de Dio

“I’ve never met a star of any kind who didn’t feel that the most important thing in their life was what we all share – love, family, respect of self and others,” writes ANTONIO DI DIO in his continuing Brief History of Kindness series.

ENNIO Morricone was a bit of a bugger. 

He wrote that unbelievable music for such films as “The Mission”, “Cinema Paradiso” and a slew of the Greatest Cowboy Movies of All Time (growing up in Sicily in the ’70s, my family and I all knew that Clint Eastwood was as Italian as “The Good The Bad and The Ugly”, right? Right!) 

He didn’t work any harder at his lessons with the Salesian Brothers and priests than kids like me. 

He didn’t get better grades in his music tests (the week before any such tests us boys would get a fearful motivational session from Don Gregorio about what happened if we failed. Pretty sure that Satyrs were involved and other minor cast members of Dante’s inferno. Over the years I’ve sometimes wished he’d come over and do his motivational schtick with the Brumbies). 

Morricone didn’t even get the 10,000 hours, I’ve heard. He just had whatever you want to call it – genius, the gift. A few other things, too – charm, intellect, supportive family, opportunity, a thriving Italian film industry (God and Hollywood both knew that the punters couldn’t wait for a little escapism). And when the opportunity came, he grasped it. And more – when he got to the top, unlike so many others, he had the work ethic and genuine spark of brilliance to stay at the top for over five decades. 

This came up yesterday, when I was entranced, bizarrely, by an unremarkable Foxtel ad for a boxing bout. Why? The music! Ennio’s stunning “The Ecstasy of Gold” from one of the spaghetti westerns’ symphonic climaxes almost drowned out the narration and turned the boofhead advertisement into art.

How do some people get brilliant? Why are gifts so unevenly distributed? And for those with talent, why are so many denied the opportunity to turn those gifts into a rewarding career, or at least a lovely hobby? Why do so few get recognised, and so many get to catch the 8am bus to Civic with a sandwich in their briefcase? 

Well, first of all, I’ve come across many artists and sportspeople and celebrities over the years, and what so many of them most desire is a steady job with a briefcase in Civic – no problem there.

But what of those who are just close enough to almost taste it? Some departed because they were almost good enough, some because they were but not judged correctly. Paul Gallen and Cam Smith captained opposing State of Origin and Grand Final teams in 2016, later that year playing for Australia together. Many years before, both had been sacked by their respective teams at age 20 and advised that they would never make it in sport. 

Others just lack chances, born the wrong colour, gender, shape or in the wrong decade or country. I know I could have opened the batting for Australia with just 400 years of intense training and a spectacularly corruptible selection system. 

This is what I know to be true, and it’s important in case you are wasting a second of your time thinking the slightest negative thought about getting stuck at the lights when the car of your life (mine’s a 1974, dung-brown Datsun 200B from Macksville Motors) reached the crucial crossroad of Talent Street and Opportunity Avenue. Don’t worry about it.

I’ve never met a star of any kind who didn’t feel that the most important thing in their life was what we all share – love, family, respect of self and others. And the things in life that matter seem to descend upon all of us in similar quantities anyway – and, fairly obviously, in greater quantities when we all treat each other better. 

I love Morricone’s music, the gifts he left the world. But I don’t want his life, not for a minute. 

What could make me happier than the family I have, this lovely, ugly, brilliant, dumb, melting pot Canberra. This life. Even the soaring majesty of Gabriel’s oboe will never move me as much as hugging my family and mates when somebody blows into that massive Viking horn as the Raiders run on to a cold Saturday pitch. 

I’m not calling for an acceptance of mediocrity, quite the opposite – I just mean that there is brilliance and wonder in every person I’ve ever met. The tragedy is never when a celebrity star falls, but when a single ordinary person fails to recognise how special they are themselves. 

Antonio Di Dio is a local GP, medical leader, and nerd. There is more of his “Kindness” on citynews.com.au

First published at Canberra City News, June 15, 2023

Christopher Marlowe credited as Shakespeare's co-writer by Oxford University Press

Marlowe (left) and Shakespeare will appear jointly on the title pages of the Henry VI plays

Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe is to be credited by Oxford University Press as Shakespeare's co-writer on three of the Bard's plays.

Marlowe has long been suspected in some quarters of having a hand in some of Shakespeare's works.

The two dramatists will now jointly appear on the title pages for the Henry VI plays in New Oxford Shakespeare.

Researchers have verified Marlowe's contribution "strongly and clearly enough", editor Gary Taylor said.

Marlowe, who is known for writing plays including Doctor Faustus, was first suspected of contributing to Henry VI Parts I, II and III - along with other Shakespeare plays - as far back as the 18th Century.

But this marks the first time he has received an official credit.

'Rivals sometimes collaborate'

Scholars working on New Oxford Shakespeare, a collection of all of Shakespeare's known works, said his collaboration with other playwrights was more extensive than has previously been known.

The research, by 23 international scholars, has identified 17 of 44 Shakespeare plays as being co-written with other authors.

The new research involved both traditional textual analysis and the use of computerised tools to examine the scripts.

Gary Taylor, one of the New Oxford Shakespeare's general editors, told The Guardian: “We have been able to verify Marlowe's presence in those three plays strongly and clearly enough.

"We can now be confident that they didn't just influence each other, but they worked with each other. Rivals sometimes collaborate."

Carol Rutter, professor of Shakespeare and performance studies at the University of Warwick, told BBC News: "It will still be open for people to make up their own minds. I don't think [Oxford University Press] putting their brand mark on an attribution settles the issue for most people."

But it is clear Shakespeare did work with several other figures in theatre at the time, she added.

"I believe Shakespeare collaborated with all kinds of people... but I would be very surprised if Marlowe was one of them," she said.

"The reason for that is that while these were being written, Marlowe was the poster boy of theatre writing. Why would he agree to collaborate with a non-entity of an actor?"

Asked who else might have influenced Shakespeare's work, Prof Rutter said: "I would suggest we should look not to another playwright but to the actors.

"Yes, Shakespeare collaborated. But it's much more likely that he started his career working for a company where he was already an actor, and collaborated not with another playwright but with the actors - who will have had Marlowe very much in their heads, on the stage, in their voices.

"They were the ones putting Marlowe's influence into the plays."

Prof Rutter added: "We have really stopped thinking about the richness of the writing experience in the early modern theatre, and by crediting Marlowe, people like Gary Taylor are making us attend to that."

The authorship of Shakespeare's works have been debated for centuries. Academics have suggested that four writers - including Marlowe - wrote some or all of his plays.

The film Anonymous, released in 2011, suggested Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was behind the playwright's works.

Actor Mark Rylance, who appeared in the film, also chairs the Shakespearian Authorship Trust, the society which has argued since 1922 that the writer was unlikely to be the true author of the plays credited to him.

Other playwrights put forward as being the real authors include Sir Francis Bacon and William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby.

High-profile figures who have voiced doubts about Shakespeare being the true author include Charlie Chaplin and Mark Twain, who said: "So far as anybody actually knows and can prove, Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon never wrote a play in his life."

First published at BBC News, October 24, 2016