Conductors

[king ubu]

Sad news: George Prêtre passed away.  He was much admired worldwide.
It seems that since the beginning of 2016, death has been taking a special interest in musicians.

Just read it elsewhere. Sad to hear, haven't started exploring his Icon box, but love some of his opera recordings.

[knight66]

I have ordered his recording of Traviata with Caballe to celebrate his life. It has cost me less than £2.00! I have a fair few of his recordings with Callas including a very fine disc of French arias. The earliest recording I noticed was 1962, a recital with the mezzo Rita Gorr, another very worthwhile disc as long as you can accept Delilah in full-on, knock down, drag-out mood, rather than being seductive. She suits the other roles rather better.

Mike

[Ken B]

Bump

I have been thinking recently of conductors who I like most now vs decades ago.

Then:
Cantelli
Klemperer
Szell
Karajan


Now
Cantelli
Abbado
Silvestri
Chailly
Karajan

I have no Szell now, but I think he'd hold his own. The big newcomer is Abbado, who is my conductor of choice the last couple of years.

[Ken B]

And whatever happened to James Loughran, who made a top notch Brahms cycle with a second tier orchestra?

[Sergeant Rock]

Bump

I have been thinking recently of conductors who I like most now vs decades ago.

Then:
Cantelli
Klemperer
Szell
Karajan


Now
Cantelli
Abbado
Silvestri
Chailly
Karajan

I'm absolutely devastated to see Szell and Klemp demoted...for the likes of Abbado. What were you thinking, Ken? 



Seriously, though, I can't think of a single Abbado recording I'd rank first before any other (Mrs. Rock is a great admirer of his MacBeth but I prefer Sinopoli). He disappoints on so many levels, especially Mahler. Okay, maybe his collaborations with Pogorelich (Chopin, Tchaikovsky) are pretty good, but I think Pogo dominates those performances.

Sarge

[Ken B]

I'm absolutely devastated to see Szell and Klemp demoted...for the likes of Abaddo. What were you thinking, Ken? 



Seriously, though, I can't think of a single Abbado recording I'd rank first before any other (Mrs. Rock is a great admirer of his MacBeth but I prefer Sinopoli). He disappoints on so many levels, especially Mahler. Okay, maybe his collaborations with Pogorelich (Chopin, Tchaikovsky) are pretty good, but I think Pogo dominates those performances.

Sarge

I never thought much of him when younger, but his DG symphony box just blew me away, as did his Mozart recordings with Orchestra Mozart. I'd call the approach HIPI -- HIP Informed  but modern instruments.

Maybe it helps I've never seen a recording by him of that sea thing by Debussy.

I forgot Bohm! He was one of my main guys, I definitely preferred him to Karajan. He has slipped for sure.
(I think Szell would hold his own still.)

[Mahlerian]

[Ken B]

My eyes! My eyes!

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Latest on Forbes.com


Valery Gergiev Stays In Munich, Extends Contract To 2025

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/02/21/valery-gergiev-stays-in-munich-extends-contract-to-2025/

Literally every click counts to support continued arts coverage on Forbes.com

[André]

Yannick Nézet-Séguin to start his Met tenure 2 years ahead of schedule (i.e.: this year instead of 2020). Will add Pelléas et Mélisande and Dialogues des Carmélites on top of the already scheduled Traviata.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/nezet-seguin-met-early-1.4536852

[SurprisedByBeauty]

The Vienna Symphony Names Its New Chief Conductor

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/03/29/the-vienna-symphony-names-its-new-chief-conductor/#2c76f8bf2cdf

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra has announced today that the successor to Philippe Jordan will be Columbian-born Andrés Orozco-Estrada. He will officially start his tenure with the 2021/22 season while working closely with the orchestra in the 2020/21 season as the 'Chief Conductor Designate'. Philippe Jordan had recently been appointed the next music director of the Vienna State Opera (which had been struggling to fill that position) and just crosses the street to continue his steep career-path.

Andrés Orozco-Estrada has been living in Vienna for the last 20 years, making the connections necessary to work your way up in that unique city. In 2009 he had become the principal conductor of the Lower Austrian Tonkünstler Orchestra, ...

(Every click helps -- and every comment, correction, or criticisism is welcome)

[Karl Henning]

Interesting, as ever.

. . . it's in quotes, so the quarrel is not with you but with the source  :

In "remarkable energy, electrifying conducting, and sheer ability to radiate the joy of music-making," that is poor placement (Puffery Alert) of the adjective sheer.  Ability to radiate the sheer joy of music-making would repair that.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Latest on Forbes.com


Valery Gergiev Stays In Munich, Extends Contract To 2025

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/02/21/valery-gergiev-stays-in-munich-extends-contract-to-2025/

Literally every click counts to support continued arts coverage on Forbes.com

You know, I had a dream not too long ago that Valery Gergiev died, and in a passing thought I was actually feeling a little bit hopeful for Müncher Philharmoniker. I am sure he does wonderful work, but he is really not shining very brightly there compared to the other brilliant orchestra/conductor pairings in Munich with Jansons and Petrenko. I would be extremely sorry if Gergiev really does die any time soon, because I admire much of work elsewhere.

Curiously, I wonder who my favourite conductors are.........

I love Boulez.........
Pintscher
Mälkki
Knussen
Simone Young
Knappertsbusch
Keilberth
Carlos Kleiber
Jansons

And probably a few others.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

You know, I had a dream not too long ago that Valery Gergiev died, and in a passing thought I was actually feeling a little bit hopeful for Müncher Philharmoniker. I am sure he does wonderful work, but he is really not shining very brightly there compared to the other brilliant orchestra/conductor pairings in Munich with Jansons and Petrenko. I would be extremely sorry if Gergiev really does die any time soon, because I admire much of work elsewhere.

Curiously, I wonder who my favourite conductors are.........



And probably a few others.

Petrenko is unique; the BRSO is unique; the MPhil is trying too hard.
If I'm allowed to dream, the town would get Honeck.

[Brian]

The Vienna Symphony Names Its New Chief Conductor

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/03/29/the-vienna-symphony-names-its-new-chief-conductor/#2c76f8bf2cdf

(Every click helps -- and every comment, correction, or criticisism is welcome)

You may add another notoriously cranky critic, me, to the impression you have, based on what I heard of Orozco-Estrada's Berlioz Fantastique CD with the Tonkünstler:

"Ugh. This CD is impossible to review. It's not bad, so I can't tell you why I disliked it. It's not very good, either, so I can't tell you why I liked it. It's not even dull. It just sort of is. It exists, without any distinguishing characteristics you could use to discern this Symphonie fantastique from any other. ...even when I sat down with the express purpose of listening carefully for this review, my attention wandered and I read a book and sent an e-mail and didn't notice much."

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Aug13/Berlioz_symphonie_OC869.htm

[Baron Scarpia]

I'm absolutely devastated to see Szell and Klemp demoted...for the likes of Abbado. What were you thinking, Ken? 



Seriously, though, I can't think of a single Abbado recording I'd rank first before any other (Mrs. Rock is a great admirer of his MacBeth but I prefer Sinopoli). He disappoints on so many levels, especially Mahler. Okay, maybe his collaborations with Pogorelich (Chopin, Tchaikovsky) are pretty good, but I think Pogo dominates those performances.

Sarge

Wow, finally someone shares my view of Abbado! I concede he made a few good recordings very early in his career, before he learned how to ruin things, like the first recording of the Ravel Concerto with Argerich.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

You may add another notoriously cranky critic, me, to the impression you have, based on what I heard of Orozco-Estrada's Berlioz Fantastique CD with the Tonkünstler:

"Ugh. This CD is impossible to review. It's not bad, so I can't tell you why I disliked it. It's not very good, either, so I can't tell you why I liked it. It's not even dull. It just sort of is. It exists, without any distinguishing characteristics you could use to discern this Symphonie fantastique from any other. ...even when I sat down with the express purpose of listening carefully for this review, my attention wandered and I read a book and sent an e-mail and didn't notice much."

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Aug13/Berlioz_symphonie_OC869.htm

Ha! I THOUGHT you had had written something along those lines about him... but then what I found were rather more positive takes on his Dvorak!

[André]

My favourites are all old and furthermore, dead:

Böhm
Keilberth
Boult
Barbirolli
Munch
Monteux
Karajan
Szell
Haitink - not dead yet, but getting there...
Ormandy
Kelberth
Silvestri

Maybe Jochum and Klemperer, Kondrashin, Giulini...

All of them made recordings that are unsurpassed. None among the 30-50ish crowd comes close to them in stature.

[Baron Scarpia]

Those that come to mind (some based on a great body, some based on limited exposure)

Ansermet
Barbirolli
van Beinem
Boulez
Chailly
Dorati
Haitink
Harnoncourt
Karajan
Maazel

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Petrenko is unique; the BRSO is unique; the MPhil is trying too hard.
If I'm allowed to dream, the town would get Honeck.

Yes, to the first line. I'm afraid I am not at all familiar with Honeck.