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Anne Sebba ON Shanghai LitFest in Daily Mail

By Community, Media

Anne Sebba, author of Les Parisiennes, and speaker at the 2017 Shanghai International Literary Festival discussed her time in Shanghai in March and what she thought of the city, the people and the food.

“Living in Shanghai makes New York seem provincial, says a transplanted U.S. professor, now running the Chinese offshoot of New York University. ‘It feels open to the world.’

Professor Joanna Waley-Cohen, Provost of NYU Shanghai, thinks it has something to do with the sheer size of the place (population 25 million) and partly the infrastructure – ‘subway system, ubiquitous wifi, even on the subway, well before New York got it’.”

To read the full article, please click here.

 

Bob’s Music Blog: Haydn & Mendelssohn in June Crystal Chamber Music

By Uncategorized
Ticket Type Event Details Price
Adults June 25, 2017 at 4:00 PM ¥ 85.00 CNY
Students/Kids June 25, 2017 at 4:00 PM ¥ 40.00 CNY

Next month the Crystal Room Quarterly Chamber Music series bring back the intriguing combination of Haydn and Mendelssohn: Haydn of poor village roots who lived to great old age as the most famous composer of his day; and Mendelssohn born to German intellectual and financial elite, also attaining great fame, but whose life was cut short a the age of 38. Both saw pinnacle of their success in London where Haydn in this sixties was mobbed like a rock star and Mendelssohn gave music lessons to none other than Queen Victoria.

We might think of Haydn, the creator of the string quartet, as the most classical of classical composers. Similarly Mendelssohn is viewed as the most classical of the early Romantic composers with his more conservative attraction to earlier form and balance.

In our programme in June, one area where Mendelssohn demonstrates his Romantic instead of Classical sensitivities is in how a tragic biographical event directly influenced his music and his choice of writing in a minor key. (We have come to think of minor keys expressing sadder or more troubled music.) Now certainly Haydn and Mozart wrote a lot in minor keys, but it would be wrong to think that they chose a minor key simply because they were personally sad. Since in our time we view Classical era music through a lens coloured by Romanticism, we often do try to attribute the mood in music of Haydn and Mozart to some event in their lives, but I think that it is an exaggeration to do so. Theirs was a highly professional, objective as well as sublimely artistic craft. They could write something sad or happy on command. Indeed Mozart wrote his G minor and C major symphonies as well as his G minor and C major string quintets at virtually the same time. Yes Mozart was sick and under-appreciated when he wrote his minor key Requiem, but he wrote the uplifting Magic Flute and Clarinet concerto at the same time. Haydn preferred major keys for his string quartets, but almost every set of six quartets has one in a minor key for balance. However we should not infer that he was only sad one-sixth of the time!

The event that led Mendelssohn to write his Opus 80 Quartet was the sudden death of his older sister Fanny. Mendelssohn was inconsolable and fell ill himself. At the urging of friends he took a break by going to Lucerne where he composed his quartet. It is one of the most moving and agitated expressions of bereavement and angst in the quartet literature. It was the last major piece of music that he would write. He died less than six months later on November 4, 1847 of a stroke just like his sister.

We will talk more about classicism and romanticism on June 25. We will also look at some watercolours that Mendelssohn painted in Lucerne while writing his Opus 80 Quartet. Can we detect a troubled spirit in those paintings as well? Well, come on June 25th at 4pm and join our discussion and enjoy this magnificent music. We welcome back the award-winning, young Song Quartet. You will not want to miss this treat!

As always, a little listening preparation, while not absolutely necessary, will help us to enjoy the music more at the concert. Here are a couple of suggestions for your pre-listening:

Haydn Opus 74 number 3 “The Rider” (VPN required): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8rdK0XpJoA

Mendelssohn Opus 80 (no VPN required): http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTYxNzk3MTUyNA==.html?from=s1.8-1-1.2&spm=a2h0k.8191407.0.0

See you on June 25th!

Bob Martin

Shanghai Chamber Music Lovers & Shanghai Conservatorys Atelier of Chamber Music 

Ensemble Les Amis

Sunday June 25, 2017 4:00pm

The Programme 

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Haydn: String Quartet in G MinorOp.74 No.3

G四重奏作品743

I. Allegro快板
II. Largo 广板
III. Menuet 小步舞曲
IV. Finale 终曲

Felix Mendelsshohn (1809-1847)

Mendelssohn: String Quartet in f minor Op.80

门德尔松四重奏作品80

I. Allegro vivace assai活泼的快板
II. Allegro assai很快的快板
III. Adagio 柔板
IV. Finale (Allegro molto) 终曲(很快的快板)

The Perfomers

松四重奏  Sōng Quartet
小提琴:陈家怡、李秉璋  Violins: Chen Jiayi, Li Bingzhang
中提琴:曹亦博  Viola: Cao Yibo
大提琴:朱天添  Cello: Zhu Tiantian

Glam on Shanghai Wow’s “All The Best Food We Ate This Month”

By Media

Glam received a special shout-out on Shanghai Wow’s latest edition of “All the Best Food We Ate This Month”. Come try our glam new dinner and drinks menu–perfect for sharing over a glass of wine or expertly mixed cocktail.

“Hello fellow foodies!  We’re here again with the top picks of dishes we tried this month. On our list today: Tribe, Glam bar, Palmetto, Truck Stop Grill and Xixi Bistro! We had a blast at all of these places, so let us tell you all about it. On your marks, get set – eat!” For the full article, please click here.

SCMP: Michelle Garnaut’s Search for the Perfect Hong Kong Venue

By Michelle

Michelle Garnaut’s first restaurant, M at the Fringe in Hong Kong, was a beloved institution right up until she was forced to close in 2009. Here’s a recent piece in the South China Morning Post chronicling her search for the perfect venue (and if that even exists) to re-open in Hong Kong.

“When M at the Fringe closed in December 2009, after 20 years as one of Hong Kong’s most loved restaurants, many regulars felt a loss. It was the city’s first fine-dining restaurant that wasn’t in a hotel and the place had soul – a testament to the warmth and hospitality that Australian restaurateur and former chef Michelle Garnaut had injected into it.” To read the rest of the piece, please click here. (VPN required)

 

2017 Shanghai International Literary Festival Recap

By Events, News

We made it! After a whirlwind two weeks, we have just wrapped up our 15th annual Shanghai Litfest and with over 3,000 ticket sales, we could not have been happier with the turnout!

We’re already busily planning the next Litfest…dates are March 8-21, 2018…so stay tuned for any updates!

A big thank you to all of our sponsors who made it all possible, to all of our authors who made us think, ask and discuss, to all of our fantastically enthusiastic audience members and, of course, to everyone at M on the Bund & Glam who worked tirelessly to bring a literary and cultural feast to Shanghai.

Here’s a short clip from weekend one…               And a quick review of weekend two!

The brilliant and gorgeous Amy Tan discussed her life as a writer as well as her new memoir, Where the Past Begins, which is still COMPLETELY UNDER WRAPS…what a lucky audience we were!

The quietly powerful Claire Keegan showed us what it means to be a true master of your craft with a reading of her short story, Foster, followed by a Q&A.

The Great FT Debate was truly great…a fun, passionate and fast-paced debate (following strict guidelines, of course) divided the audience on whether western democracy has been discredited.

Anne Sebba illustrated the undercover lives of the many women living in Paris under the Nazi occupation. The famous women who fought against them…and those who collaborated…will surprise you!

Witi Ihimaera, Lee Tamahori and Anne O’Brien brought a piece of New Zealand to Shanghai and shared with us Maori culture, their journeys to fame and their experiences of bringing their visions to the big screen.

Thank you again and we’ll see you all next year! 

Valentine’s Dinner at M

By Uncategorized

The most romantic of the year is soon upon us~

We’ve put together lovely dinner menus in both Shanghai and Beijing to create the perfect romantic evening for two.

We look forward to welcoming you, but please reserve soon…spots are filling quickly~

Please click HERE for the M on the Bund Valentine’s Menu
or
Please click HERE for the Glam, Shanghai Valentine’s Menu
or
Please click HERE for the Capital M Valentine’s Menu.

Dec 1996: M’s First Foray into China

By Michelle, News

Ever wonder what the Bund was like before it became the tourist destination it is today? Michelle Garnaut, Founder & CEO of the M Restaurant Group, was the first to open an international restaurant on the Bund…back in 1999! But before she opened M on the Bund, Michelle and her team (who had already opened a M at the Fringe in Hong Kong) dipped their toes into the Chinese culinary scene by doing a two week stint at the Peace Hotel from December 5th through 15th, 1996. Shanghai Daily just did a piece on Michelle’s experiences at the Peace in honour of M’s 20th anniversary in China!

“TODAY’S Shanghai enjoys a very diverse dining scene, especially when it comes to Western cuisine. Local diners can find everything from Hawaiian street food to new age molecular cuisine, and special dining events happen regularly throughout the year.” For the full article, please click here.

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A view of the Bund in 1996…how things have changed! WechatIMG57

An original flyer for M at the Peace in 1996.

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M at the Fringe’s Influence on Hong Kong

By Media, Michelle, News

Michelle Garnaut’s–Founder & CEO of the M Restaurant Group–first foray into the restaurant industry was M at the Fringe in Hong Kong. Her restaurant, which was considered the first fine-dining restaurant outside of a hotel chain soon became an institution and was synonymous with delicious food, beautiful decor and a hub for all things cultural. The South China Morning Post‘s article, How Hong Kong Has Absorbed and Adapted Foreign Cuisines, chronicles the different influences on the Hong Kong restaurant scene. Of the many restaurants, few made as large of an impact as Michelle’s M at the Fringe.

“The opening of Michelle’s Restaurant at The Fringe in 1989 (later renamed M at The Fringe), was considered the first fine-dining restaurant not situated in a hotel. Michelle Garnaut’s place was described as warm, ‘like those 18th century salons which can still be found in Macau’, with tastefully mismatched cutlery, and serving delights including Greek goat cheese baked with sun-dried tomatoes into a filo tart, pumpkin tortelli, and poppy seed galette for dessert.” Please click here to read the full article.

“You Need a Little Bit of Arrogance, Actually” Michelle Garnaut on Entrepreneurship in China

By Media, Michelle, News

Michelle Garnaut–Founder & CEO of the M Restaurant Group–in interview with Forbes’ Russell Flannery on what it takes to start a successful business in China…and how to continually grow it, in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment.

“Few expat entrepreneurs in China have been as successful or respected as Melbourne-born Michelle Garnaut, founder of the M on the Bund restaurant in Shanghai. Having previously worked as a dishwasher, waitress and chef, Garnaut opened M at the Fringe in Hong Kong in 1989.  After starting M on the Bund, a European-style eatery, in 1999 and the nearby Glamour Bar in 2001, Garnaut expanded to Beijing with the opening of Capital M in 2009.  A colorful speaker, she is involved in numerous charities and was a judge for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards for five years.” Please click here to read the full article.