Kurt Masur - RIP

[Gurn Blanston]

I just saw the news that Kurt Masur has passed, he was 88 years old. Yet another of that great generation of conductors.

[springrite]

Lovely man, great musician. He will be dearly missed.

Rest in Peace, maestro.

[Florestan]

Sad news. RIP.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

"There's nothing good about growing old," Woody Allen sez.  But the absolute worst about it is having to say goodbye to the ones you love. 

[Gurn Blanston]

"There's nothing good about growing old," Woody Allen sez.  But the absolute worst about it is having to say goodbye to the ones you love.

Amen to that! 

[Lisztianwagner]

Sad news indeed, I'm sorry to hear that. I only listened to his Liszt recordings, but they were excellent. RIP.

[Angelos_05]

Rest in peace maestro.

I first came to know maestro Masur through his recording of the Mussorgsky-Gorchakov Pictures at an Exhibition. The Sergei Gorchakov orchestration was one that he championed (for some reasons) and he preferred that one over to Ravel's effort.
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Feb13/Mussorgsky_Pictures_2564659389.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2009/Jul-Dec09/rpo2511.htm

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Rest in peace Kurt Masur! I loved the videos on YouTube of his conducting with Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, especially of Mendelssohn. Wonderful music maker!

[jochanaan]

I still remember his recording of Shostakovich 13 with poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko reading his poem "Babi Yar" before the symphony began.  Walk in beauty, Maestro.

[Wanderer]

May he rest in peace. He did a number of excellent recordings. I particularly cherish his Mahler 9.

[Que]

I like Masur's Mendelssohn in particular. Another conductor of his generation passes away...
I imagine more will follow in the years to come, Harnoncourt and Haitink come to mind.

And now I know I'm getting older as well.  Why?
The younger generation of symphonic conductors - I hardly know their names....let alone that I know what they sound like....

Q

[Jo498]

He also conducted the first (and I think there has been only one (Harnoncourt) since then) recording of Schumann's only opera "Genoveva". I have heard few of his recordings, except his Mendelssohn which is quite good. Also Shostakovich 13th but I only had this from the library almost 20 years ago, so I do not remember much. His Beethoven was somewhat too staid and old-fashioned for my taste.

r.i.p.

[(poco) Sforzando]

His Beethoven was somewhat too staid and old-fashioned for my taste.

r.i.p.

Agreed, his was a solid but relatively restrained musical personality, always reliable but rarely inspired or inspiring. I'm just being honest here. Saw him quite a few times while he was leading the NY Philharmonic.

[Scion7]

" Masur died at the age of 88 in Greenwich, Connecticut, from complications of Parkinson's disease. "