A blockbuster year for the Lucerne Festival, with 102,500 people for 67 concerts (94% attendance, 2% more than last year), 24 performances completely sold out, so mad props to our Swiss buddies.
And big huge elephant-sized get well soon wishes to Claudio Abbado (his decision to appear regularly there is the best thing that ever happened to Lucerne, Karajan years included) who had to cancel his US tour for health reasons.
Speaking of Lucerne, a Guardian blogger was baffled by Boulez there: