The Classical Commentator
An independent look at contemporary development in Classical music
Friday, April 17, 2015
The Classical Commentator has moved
We've move, to bigger and better, outside of blogspot. All new posts will only be posted on my new domain, theclassicalcommentator.com. Please feel free to visit to keep up to date.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
After the hype: a candid look at Sir Simon Rattle
After you've climbed the summit and received immense critical accolades, what's next? It's Sir Simon Rattle's dilemma, one that certainly haunts him even as the British press is infatuated with him during his London residency. His career has been on a strong upward note, as he has gone from the charming Liverpool kid to the most powerful position in the musical world as director of the Berlin Philharmonic. It hasn't all been smooth sailing. Rattle's decision to leave Berlin in 2018 could be taken as a sign of defeat. During his tenure, critics have complained about deficits in his conducting, pointing to fussiness and over-refinement as his besetting faults. Maybe Rattle is exhausted, tired of the mindless adulation of the British press while being equally irked by the overly analytical critiques that detractors have waiting for him behind every corner.
Claudio Abbado seemed to escape much of the lambasting that super-star conductors usually endure. When he left the Berlin Philharmonic for health reasons in 2002, he was a musical hero. When we lost him last year, the sense of loss was tangible, as critics rushed to acknowledge his induction into the pantheon of greats. Maybe Abbado's modesty and frail health saved him from critical attack? But Herbert von Karajan was subjected to the most piercing scrutiny, and when he left the Berliners in 1989, there were suppressed cheers in various musical circles. Musical power brings with it expectation.
Monday, February 9, 2015
★★★★★ Jansons continues his sudden rise to greatness, this time in Strauss
Strauss: Don Juan & Ein Heldenleben |
After such a laudatory prelude, how is his Strauss? We hear a good sampling in the Don Juan that starts out the program. Jansons' approach is refined and inward-looking, not out for display but almost indifferent to it, actually. For some it will be too low key, since this is far from a lurid, go-for-broke type of interpretation. But the inner meaning is gripping, and the virtuosity is natural and beyond words. I appreciate Karajan for lyric intensity, Tennstedt for fervent romanticism, Haitink for youthful infectiousness, and Abbado for exuberant virtuosity, but there's something here that screams for attention. If I enjoyed Dudamel's recent reading with the Berlin Phil, Jansons is a step higher.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Alan Gilbert's tenure with the New York Philharmonic will end in 2017
Add caption |
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Rattle and the LSO?
Is Sir Simon Rattle about to head to London? British newspapers are obsessed with the idea, and it's no wonder. Rattle will only be 63 when he leaves the Berlin Philharmonic in 2018, so his career likely has many years still coming. And no British conductor has nearly the international reputation that Rattle has garnered. Why not welcome him home to Britain with an appointment to the LSO? His London residency with the Berlin Philharmonic is only heightening the talk and hype.
On the other hand, is Daniel Harding in line to take the LSO? He too is British and a rising young star who is surely due for a promotion. For now, we'll just have to sit back and watch this game of musical chairs unfold. The speculation is irresistible though, admittedly.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Yannick Nézet-Séguin extends contract with the Philadelphia Orchestra
The Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin has extended his contract with the Philadelphia Orchestra until 2022. This move most likely means he is ruling out the possibility of an appointment to the Berlin Philharmonic in 2018, where many considered him a candidate.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
New Italian programming director for the Chicago Symphony
Italian Riccardo Muti is the music director of the Chicago Symphony and now another Italian is joining the orchestra as programming director. Cristina Rocca will fill a slot as Vice President of Artistic Planning, succeeding Martha Gilmer. Read more here.
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