Barenboim News

[JBS]

From Twitter
https://twitter.com/DBarenboim/status/1577358192711008256

It is with a combination of pride and sadness that I announce today that I am taking a step back from some of my performing activities, especially conducting engagements, for the coming months[/img]

With this elaboration (below) attached as an image

[Harry]

That is indeed sad news, very sad news. I hope things will turn out well.

[Lisztianwagner]

Agreed, it is very sad news; when he conducted the New Year's Concert in Vienna last January, he didn't look very well; I hope he can be better.

[Brian]

The incredible thing about Barenboim's career is how many stages he has gone through and how many diverse achievements he has had. From young firebrand pianist to opera conductor to concerto accompanist to educator and orchestra builder. He's even patron of a new construction style for pianos. He has recorded JC Bach and Elgar, Scarlatti and Hindemith, Pergolesi and Kabalevsky...

If this is retirement, it is well earned after an amazingly diverse career. (Surprising to say that someone who recorded the Beethoven sonatas four or five times is "diverse" but it's true.) I hope the best for treatment of his condition and his future comfort and joy of life.

Is DB one of the last remaining performers who recorded in mono?

[Todd]

Sad news, but he is now 79, and he has earned a good retirement.  I wish him the best, as full of a recovery as possible, and hope he can produce surprise recordings in the face of current health.

Is DB one of the last remaining performers who recorded in mono

He has to be.  He recorded as a child prodigy, so non-prodigies would have to be in their 90s or so to have recorded in mono.  Maybe Blomstedt recorded in mono?  I don't know his discography.  There cannot be too many mono era recording artists left now.

[Brian]

Okay, I found a few more mono era recording artists still alive:
Ruth Slenczynska - retired but for one recent Decca album
Alfred Brendel - retired
John Williams - still active! Age 90, plans to retire after Indiana Jones 5...from film music, to spend his time full-time writing concert hall classical music.

John Williams was a Hollywood session pianist starting in the mid/late 50s and even recorded a mono jazz piano album. I don't remember which soundtracks were recorded in which format but The Apartment (1960) is a stone cold classic he played on.

Looks like Blomstedt only recorded one album in his early days and was a late bloomer. He might not qualify.

EDIT: Expanding the search to non-classical performers yields several more names, including Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Benny Golson, and jazz drummer Louis Hayes. Willie Nelson recorded a couple failed demo tapes in mono. Apologies to those who are not interested in this but I think it's an incredible, vanishing bit of history.

[Spotted Horses]

Pop music was mostly mono into the 60's. You can add Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan to the list of living artists who recorded in mono.

[relm1]

That's so sad!  I had the privilege of hanging out with him and Zubin Mehta (himself struggling) in a rehearsal.  Mehta struggled to go down a few steps.  I was backstage next to Barenboim before he walked on stage.  I gave him well wishes and he smiled before walking on stage.  I recorded some of that rehearsal and will look for it later. 

[JBS]

Sad news, but he is now 79, and he has earned a good retirement.  I wish him the best, as full of a recovery as possible, and hope he can produce surprise recordings in the face of current health.


He has to be.  He recorded as a child prodigy, so non-prodigies would have to be in their 90s or so to have recorded in mono.  Maybe Blomstedt recorded in mono?  I don't know his discography.  There cannot be too many mono era recording artists left now.

There are apparently some in-concert recordings floating around of Martha Argerich performing as a child prodigy in Argentina during 1949-1955, and some from European concerts in the late 50s, as well as a few things recorded at RIAS studios in Berlin. Most of that would presumably be in mono.

[Maestro267]

Barenboim was announced last night as the Gramophone Lifetime Achievement Award laureate for 2022.

[staxomega]

He has recorded JC Bach and Elgar, Scarlatti and Hindemith, Pergolesi and Kabalevsky...

I was surprised to see this when it came out a several years ago, Barenboim's repertoire was indeed deep. 

[Mookalafalas]

Is DB one of the last remaining performers who recorded in mono?

I know Menahem Pressler recorded some solo stuff in the very early 50s, so probably mono. He'd be 99 now. I think his last album was in 2018, a couple that year, actually.

  Mono Ashkenazy
 
  He retired, but still seems to have "new" stuff coming out (but probably recorded before...

[Todd]

An article penned by Barenboim for Prospect magazine:

Daniel Barenboim: My early life—from concertos to cigars

[caters]

That's sad, but you know, he's had a good life. He's my absolute favorite pianist for the Mozart and Beethoven piano sonatas.