Who will get the Berliner Philharmoniker gig?

[jlaurson]

Fresh from Forbes:



MAY 9, 2015 @ 7:30 PM
The Berlin Philharmonic's Next
Conductor: The Odds And Ends

It's a slightly smaller community that cares, but for them it's like electing the pope:
The Berlin Philharmonic is getting together to choose their chief conductor and only
the plume of smoke will missing when they announce the result on Monday. Here's
some rampant speculation as to what that result will be...

JUN 22, 2015 @ 10:23 AM
Kirill Petrenko New Chief Conductor Of The Berlin Philharmonic

Radio Berlin-Brandenburg reports that the Berlin Philharmonic has elected Kirill Petrenko
as their new music director and successor to Simon Rattle. An inquiry by that station was
neither confirmed nor denied, but there will be a press conference later today. (The press
conference will be transmitted live via Digital Concert Hall at 1PM CET / 12PM GMT / 7AM
EST.) The news is suggestive of Petrenko not renewing his contract in Munich, where he
is currently music director of the Bavarian State Opera, worshiped by the orchestra and
adored by the audience which he managed to galvanize like few conductors in the past....

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2015/06/22/kirill-petrenko-new-chief-conductor-of-the-berliner-philharmonic/

Has the potential to be interesting...
Also, it looks like you linked the old article from May...

So I had, because I'm soft in the cabeza, sometimes. Thanks for catching it.

[mc ukrneal]

JUN 22, 2015 @ 10:23 AM
Kirill Petrenko New Chief Conductor Of The Berlin Philharmonic

Radio Berlin-Brandenburg reports that the Berlin Philharmonic has elected Kirill Petrenko
as their new music director and successor to Simon Rattle. An inquiry by that station was
neither confirmed nor denied, but there will be a press conference later today. (The press
conference will be transmitted live via Digital Concert Hall at 1PM CET / 12PM GMT / 7AM
EST.) The news is suggestive of Petrenko not renewing his contract in Munich, where he
is currently music director of the Bavarian State Opera, worshiped by the orchestra and
adored by the audience which he managed to galvanize like few conductors in the past....

Has the potential to be interesting...
Also, it looks like you linked the old article from May...

[Brian]

CONFIRMED

http://twitter.com/berlinphil

Congratulations to Kirill Petrenko! The musicians of @BerlinPhil have chosen their next chief conductor. More at http://bit.ly/1ItKTBU

Herzlichen Glückwunsch, Kirill Petrenko! Die @BerlinPhil-Musiker haben ihren nächsten Chefdirigenten gewählt. Mehr @ http://bit.ly/1I9eOnf

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

[Brian]

Those who, like me, have not heard Kirill Petrenko conduct and live far away from Germany will find only a small handful of recordings to his credit, including a Josef Suk orchestral series on CPO and an opera recording, Pfitzner's Palestrina. He also accompanied Dejan Lazic in Rachmaninov's Second Concerto, on Channel Classics.

[jlaurson]

Those who, like me, have not heard Kirill Petrenko conduct and live far away from Germany will find only a small handful of recordings to his credit, including a Josef Suk orchestral series on CPO and an opera recording, Pfitzner's Palestrina. He also accompanied Dejan Lazic in Rachmaninov's Second Concerto, on Channel Classics.

The Palestrina shows him off well! http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/12/best-recordings-of-2012-7.html

The Suk is good but not better than, say, Ashkenazy.

[ritter]

I think this is a great choice.... I've experienced Kirill Petrenko live at Bayreuth in the Ring last summer, and it was memorable...a wonderful performance, of the highest calibre...

True that he is not well represented on CD, regretfully. I suppose the BPO gig will change that...

[Jo498]

I have heard him a couple of times at the Komische Oper in Berlin and liked it but this was 10-12 years ago. I have not heard any of his recordings. I seem to recall that the Suk on cpo was well received.

[ritter]

A post in a German  forum makes a rather clever point: since K. Petrenko has recorded virtually nothing, they will have the chance to record virtually everything with their new chief conductor for their glossy orchestra label. I already imagine a Beethoven symphony cycle appearing  .

For the record, AFAIK this is all that is available from Petrenko on CD:





Cheers,

[Brian]

for their glossy orchestra label.

Which is insanely expensive!

Ritter, the only CD I know about aside from those is another Suk album (Asrael).

[MishaK]

There are two concerts with him in the Digital Concert Hall, one with Scriabin one with Elgar, IIRC.

I've followed his career from almost the beginning when he was a complete unknown and am of course delighted in this choice. His musicianship is unimpeachable and every musician I have talked to who has worked with him spoke of his infectious joy of musicmaking. He's an excellent choice. (And once again, the BPO goes for someone who is the polar opposite of his predecessor.)

[Pat B]

There are two concerts with him in the Digital Concert Hall, one with Scriabin one with Elgar, IIRC.

I've followed his career from almost the beginning when he was a complete unknown and am of course delighted in this choice. His musicianship is unimpeachable and every musician I have talked to who has worked with him spoke of his infectious joy of musicmaking. He's an excellent choice. (And once again, the BPO goes for someone who is the polar opposite of his predecessor.)

Good call!

Polar opposite in what sense(s)? I know next to nothing about Petrenko.

I would add, once again the BPO goes for someone other than most-discussed candidate.

[jlaurson]

Good call!

Polar opposite in what sense(s)? I know next to nothing about Petrenko.

I would add, once again the BPO goes for someone other than most-discussed candidate.

Polar opposite? Petrenko is EXTREMELY textual... certainly more so than Rattle... but Rattle wasn't exactly a free-wheeling romantic wingdinger, either.

[MishaK]

Polar opposite? Petrenko is EXTREMELY textual... certainly more so than Rattle... but Rattle wasn't exactly a free-wheeling romantic wingdinger, either.

I meant polar opposite in the personality sense, in that Rattle was a media darling whereas Petrenko is more of a shy recluse (though apparently in person in rehearsal he's quite gregarious).

[jlaurson]

A post in a German  forum makes a rather clever point: since K. Petrenko has recorded virtually nothing, they will have the chance to record virtually everything with their new chief conductor for their glossy orchestra label. I already imagine a Beethoven symphony cycle appearing  .

For the record, AFAIK this is all that is available from Petrenko on CD:





Cheers,

That... and the Asrael Symphony, to which I meant to allude earlier.



But there, the competition is very strong, not the least thanks to Ashkenazy and the sound ONDINE gave him: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/07/dip-your-ears-no-120-suks-asrael.html

I meant polar opposite in the personality sense, in that Rattle was a media darling whereas Petrenko is more of a shy recluse (though apparently in person in rehearsal he's quite gregarious).

Certainly that's true. Doesn't give interviews on principle. But he's perfectly ready to jump on a singers' arms (without warning), if he felt a performance went really well. :-)

[The new erato]

But he's perfectly ready to jump on a singers' arms (without warning), if he felt a performance went really well. :-)

Rattle jumped on rather more that that if I remember correctly.

[jlaurson]

Rattle jumped on rather more than that, if I remember correctly.

[Lisztianwagner]

I think this is a great choice.... I've experienced Kirill Petrenko live at Bayreuth in the Ring last summer, and it was memorable...a wonderful performance, of the highest calibre...

Petrenko certainly conducted Wagner's Ring wonderfully, the orchestral playing was one of the few positive aspects of the Bayreuth production. I'm pleased he was appointed chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

[jlaurson]

Petrenko certainly conducted Wagner's Ring wonderfully, the orchestral playing was one of the few positive aspects of the Bayreuth production. I'm pleased he was appointed chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

I heard the Rheingold, the first year he conducted (I wasn't all that impressed, actually, despite the intriguing hype) and will hear the entire Ring this year... plenty to discover, I hope. But I've heard many absolutely amazing performances with him and the BStOp. I know they are crying big tears over losing him in Bavaria.

[Moonfish]

So why are there so few recordings available?  Wouldn't an orchestra such as BP choose a conductor that is somewhat more established? Or is it more a matter of compromise and previous working relationships (orchestra vs conductor)?

[jlaurson]

So why are there so few recordings available?  Wouldn't an orchestra such as BP choose a conductor that is somewhat more established? Or is it more a matter of compromise and previous working relationships (orchestra vs conductor)?

He's not a big 'recording' kind of guy from what I hear... he's a perfectionist (which might have something to do with it) and he's not held positions with orchestras that were in high demand for recordings. This will -- presumably -- change.

The BPh is, like only very few orchestras in the world, such a brand that they don't need to give a lick of a thought to how famous the conductor is they opt for. They can go for the BEST. And I think that musically (and music-making-wise), Petrenko is probably the best there is. Certainly what I hear from players of the BStOp is basically: "Not since Carlos Kleiber have we made music like this."