Who will get the Berliner Philharmoniker gig?

[Brian]

...that's not QUITE how it happened, though...

Anyway: 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...

It's interesting to see where our tastes diverge. In contrast to you, I'd say Ivan Fischer is VERY idiosyncratic - he just happens to be idiosyncratic in a tasteful, musical, carefully thought-out way, rather than being impulsive, afflicted by mannerism, or a weirdo. (Ditto for the incredible Manfred Honeck.) And can you really believe Nézet-Séguin is "a superb conductor"?!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

And can you really believe Nézet-Séguin is "a superb conductor"?!

I have a couple of Nézet-Séguin discs (Saint-Saëns 3rd and Tchaikovsky 6th). I quite like them. Whether that translates into "Berlin PO material" I can't say. But so far...well, I don't hate him anyway...

[San Antone]

I watched the BPO concert with Nézet-Séguin conducting Daphnis et Chloé (complete ballet music) and thought it was very good. 

But that's the only thing I've seen/heard him do.

[Brian]

I've seen Nézet-Séguin live twice, both times with the London Philharmonic. Franck D minor Symphony, Fauré Requiem, Berlioz Symphonie fantastique. A fairly dull, "feminine" Berlioz performance (to match the ultra-dull BIS CD) and the novel Franck/Fauré pairing was fine but not memorable. Symphony a little lacking in energy. The new Daphnis BIS CD is good and well-played but it's not top-tier by any means.

I will definitely listen to the two performances DD recommends, but my impression is that YNS is merely competent and his successes are attributable to the fact that he mostly conducts really good orchestras which would sound great under any quality conductor.

[trung224]

I've seen Nézet-Séguin live twice, both times with the London Philharmonic. Franck D minor Symphony, Fauré Requiem, Berlioz Symphonie fantastique. A fairly dull, "feminine" Berlioz performance (to match the ultra-dull BIS CD) and the novel Franck/Fauré pairing was fine but not memorable. Symphony a little lacking in energy. The new Daphnis BIS CD is good and well-played but it's not top-tier by any means.

I will definitely listen to the two performances DD recommends, but my impression is that YNS is merely competent and his successes are attributable to the fact that he mostly conducts really good orchestras which would sound great under any quality conductor.

I don't have a change to listen to Nezet-Seguin in person, but base on his recordings (Tchaikovsky,Bruckner on CDs and Ravel on BPO digital concert hall), I feel him the same way as Brian. Nezet-Seguin is kind of "fermine" conductors, such as Blomstedt, the old Haitink, ... Good or bad he is, he is a strange candidate for BPO, who always chooses flamboyant conductors as Music Directors.

[EigenUser]

I watched the BPO concert with Nézet-Séguin conducting Daphnis et Chloé (complete ballet music) and thought it was very good. 

But that's the only thing I've seen/heard him do.

I've seen this, too. It definitely was very good.

[jlaurson]

I've seen Nézet-Séguin live twice, both times with the London Philharmonic

Well, there he have it...

[and] my impression is that YNS is merely competent and his successes are attributable to the fact that he mostly conducts really good orchestras which would sound great under any quality conductor.

...then he must be crap and just have everybody else fooled.


I've heard a good many conductors more than twice in my live, with perhaps equally disappointing performances, and learned not to be so definitive in my judgement. I'll agree, though, that on record he doesn't necessarily bowl one over; at least I haven't heard on CD that which makes him one of the most coveted conductors around or what makes him so exciting, live.

[Brian]

...then he must be crap and just have everybody else fooled.

Ha. My working theory is that he's a great guy, does a great job honing the orchestra's sound, is a great leader in rehearsals etc., but just doesn't have original interpretative ideas. But, as you rightly point out, this is only a partially-educated guess.

[San Antone]

What's with the use of "feminine" as a pejorative term?

Yuk.

[Brian]

What's with the use of "feminine" as a pejorative term?

Yuk.

Yeah, that's why I put it in scare quotes, but to me it has uses in the dictionary of musical-description-words (similar to in poetry), and can be a good or bad thing. The only pejorative aspect is whether that particular adjective is suited to the music in question.   

Sorry 'bout that.

[Pat B]

Good or bad he is, he is a strange candidate for BPO, who always chooses flamboyant conductors as Music Directors.

I'm not sure how much you can infer from their previous selections, especially since there have only been 2 in the past 60 years. I expect they will choose whoever they like working with the best in recent years, which most of us can only guess at.

But I don't think it will be YNS, just based on his Philadelphia extension that he signed after Rattle's departure was announced.

[trung224]

I'm not sure how much you can infer from their previous selections, especially since there have only been 2 in the past 60 years. I expect they will choose whoever they like working with the best in recent years, which most of us can only guess at.

But I don't think it will be YNS, just based on his Philadelphia extension that he signed after Rattle's departure was announced.

In the past, BPO chose Abbado over Maazel/Barenboim and Rattle over Barenboim. And if they love to play with the old Music Directors (as they did with Abbado and Rattle), it is likely that they will want to continue to work with conductors, who have the same personalities and music making as the old one.

[king ubu]

... guess even Abbado was cheap compared to Maazel 

[Bruckner is God]

We'll soon find out who the new music director for the Berliners are. I only hope it is not Thielemann.  I would like it to be Bychkov, but I don't think that is very likely.

[Bruckner is God]

Andris Nelsons. Not  a big surprise.  Great choice in my opinion!

[Brian]

BPO official Twitter account 6 minutes ago:

"No news on the election of the chief conductor yet - disregard rumours! We will keep you posted."

[Brian]

Michael Cooper of the New York Times says he's hearing that an announcement may be made at 6:30 p.m. Berlin time (an hour from now).

[MishaK]

  In the past, BPO chose Abbado over Maazel/Barenboim and Rattle over Barenboim. And if they love to play with the old Music Directors (as they did with Abbado and Rattle), it is likely that they will want to continue to work with conductors, who have the same personalities and music making as the old one.

But each of those past choices was a diametrical opposite personality-wise to the previous guy, so the "if they love to play with the old MD" logic doesn't really hold. In any case, we'll know soon enough.

...that's not QUITE how it happened, though...

Yes, sorry. Got things mixed up there. He left Munich before getting the Dresden appointment. Nice piece.

[Bruckner is God]

So the confusion still lives.. lol. I still think Nelsons is the most likely candidate.

[Brian]

From Twitter

Die Journalisten müssen weiter auf die Entscheidung der #BerlinerPhilharmoniker warten: PK wurde auf 18:30 verschoben