tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post1916952427473005461..comments2024-03-26T07:58:59.761+00:00Comments on I'll think of something later: Musical gatherings and gloriesDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-83381917255534112502022-10-24T03:56:11.360+01:002022-10-24T03:56:11.360+01:00I listened to the Kirill Petrenko / BPO Mahler 7 P...I listened to the Kirill Petrenko / BPO Mahler 7 Prom twice, so I know what you mean. But back to Klaus M.: as you say, he has a good long road ahead of him (barring climate change and other worldwide catastrophes, but never mind), as long as he keeps a good head on his shoulders and fame doesn't completely swamp him.<br /><br />On Mahler 6: the Andante/Scherzo cabal is a nasty one indeed, spearheaded by Kubik from his post as head editor of the Critical Edition, aided and abetted by funding and PR from Gilbert Kaplan in the <i>NYT</i>, for example. I don't know if you've seen the Mahler 6 video with Chailly and the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, but in the supplemental interview video, Chailly has drunk the A/S Kool-Aid, almost in repudiation of his earlier Concertgebouw Orchestra recording (S/A, of course). Likewise, Kubik says about the citation of Alma Mahler's 1919 telegram to Mengelberg about S/A: "Well, that was a mistake", to guffaws from the audience. Kubik presents no musical arguments in favor of A/S, but instead goes completely with character assassination of Alma Mahler as a drunk, lying b*(&*&%^$, to discredit the original order in a guilt-by-association manner.<br /><br />In the Netherlands, Karina Canellakis is scheduled to conduct Mahler 6 with the RFO next February:<br /><br />https://www.radiofilharmonischorkest.nl/en/concerten/mahler-6-met-karina-canellakis/<br /><br />I dread to think which order she'll choose, although I suppose that I could initiate a Twitter discussion via her feed at some point.<br /><br />BTW, Dobrinka Tabakova was recently in STL for her new choral work. I chatted with her, and she mentioned Klaus M.. I then brought up Mahler 6. She's with us on S/A.Geo.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05688490063600488617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-79650107881010777232022-09-16T08:51:04.973+01:002022-09-16T08:51:04.973+01:00I agree that it can't really work - Belohlavek...I agree that it can't really work - Belohlavek came closest by taking the Scherzo really fast. I didn't realise there was a cabal. I always enjoy conversations with Klaus, when I can reach him - we also have ending of Sibelius 4 to talk about - so I'm sure he'd be open to further reasoning. He has many years of Mahler conducting ahead, after all. His Oslo Prom was a stunner, but I realise I'm permanently indifferent to the first two-thirds of Heldenleben...the absolute best was Berlin Phil/Petrenko in Mahler 7, one of the THREE greatest concerts (which means Mahler) I've ever heard (others VPO/Bernstein 5 at the Proms, Lucerne Festival Orch/Abbado 9 at that festival).Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-45636848963136130672022-09-14T06:50:14.836+01:002022-09-14T06:50:14.836+01:00I think that we can continue the Mahler 6 KCO/KM d...I think that we can continue the Mahler 6 KCO/KM discussion semi-safely here. I take it that you watched the KCO/KM video Berliner Festspiele video of Saariaho's "Orion" and Mahler 6. I caught it just before the deadline, so that I didn't get to watch it twice with the middle movements in different orders. <br /><br />Just from my own observations, the KCO sounded fabulous, of course, and KM did very well. But, IMHO, he didn't make Andante/Scherzo work. And, again IMHO, it's not him. It's Andante/Scherzo. I don't think that anyone, KM, or Kirill Petrenko, or anyone else, can really make A/S work as well as S/A. In fact, the way KM paced and sculpted the middle movements, S/A would have worked so much better, with how he interpreted the middle movements. Maybe he'll figure it out in 5 years' time, once he figures out the charlatanism of the viciously closed-minded Reinhold Kubik/Jerry Bruck (<i>Jerry Bruck</i>? Who he?) Andante/Scherzo cabal. Those intellectual thugs have warped perception of Mahler 6 for a generation, and it'll take time to undo their damage.<br /><br />Need to catch up with your <i>TAD</i> reviews, but then I'm over 3 weeks behind on Proms BBC Sounds listening, and have but a few weeks left to catch up with that as well.<br /><br />PS: I listened to OAH's Sibelius because it was a freebie. So it goes.Geo.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11463000577969739892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-19441529582753783982022-07-16T22:01:00.521+01:002022-07-16T22:01:00.521+01:00I did stay masked. I was in a tiny minority. Didn&...I did stay masked. I was in a tiny minority. Didn't see any being worn in the mosh pit. John Wilson with his Sinfonia of London gave a breathtakingly nuanced account of the Elgar 'Enigma' Variations at the end of tonight's concert. It was all good, but I don't think 'Tintagel' should have been there - four works in a different order would have been enough.<br /><br />Not sure why one would bother with RPO/OAH. And I still contest your definition of 'best' - it can only be a personal best for you. I shall be at that Prom, yes. You might also see on TAD that it was my No. 1 pick - well, it would be, wouldn't it?Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-46020861258113306872022-07-16T18:16:59.801+01:002022-07-16T18:16:59.801+01:00Well, the best showed up last, or almost last, fro...Well, the best showed up last, or almost last, from the new set, as KM's Decca reading of <i>Tapiola</i> was thoroughly engaging. The <i>Fragments</i> await, in due course. I also saw the video of Mahler 1 that's available on the Oslo Phil's website, which I need to catch when I have time before it gets taken down. I assume that you'll be at the Oslo Phil/KM Prom in a few weeks. The question (well, one of several), of course, is how long the Oslo Phil can hold on to him. I take your word for it that the Oslo Phil musicians love him, but again, the question: how long past 2027 can they retain him, if at all? Granted, the past few chief conductors there have only stayed 7 years, so 7 years would be no better or worse for KM's tenure.<br /><br />By way of comparison, I recently heard the RPO's recordings of Sibelius 2 and 4, with Owain Arwel Hughes. To be honest, neither of them did it for me as well. Separately, I just got hold of a 2nd-hand set of Sir Colin Davis' Boston SO recordings of 3, 6 and 7, which I'm definitely looking forward to hearing (again, when I have time).<br /><br />On KM and the KCO, one immediate question next month is, again of course: what will he do regarding the inner movements of Mahler 6? I hope that he goes with Scherzo-Andante, but his choice, to be sure. <br /><br />Further side note: saw your <i>TAD</i> review of the Verdi <i>Requiem</i> from The First Night last night. It did come off very well on the radio, IMHO. Wasn't pleased with the slightly premature applause myself, although it wasn't nearly as bad as the doofus who ruined Haitink's Mahler 3 a few years ago at the very end of that performance. I trust also that you stayed masked in the RAH. I certainly would if I were there, and continue to do so in concerts here and elsewhere. But a very strong start to this summer's Proms, and fingers crossed for a relatively trouble-free season there.Geo.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05688490063600488617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-46361514761660045932022-07-08T12:17:55.379+01:002022-07-08T12:17:55.379+01:00You seem to leave out of account the sheer electri...You seem to leave out of account the sheer electricity generated. Yesterday in the tenth and final Sibelius Zoom class I played the last five minutes of the Seventh and the opening fragment of the Eighth, and was reminded by how much intensity he generates. More important than Amsterdam is Oslo, where the players unananimously love him and burn for him - at times they play better than the Berlin Phil.<br /><br />We also watched film of Berglund conducting Tapiola - all over in fifteen minutes flat (KM takes 19), but he knows absolutely what he's doing - a joy to see him in action. Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-77861310754257853422022-07-07T06:32:52.915+01:002022-07-07T06:32:52.915+01:00Sorry that I wasn't the clearest in my earlier...Sorry that I wasn't the clearest in my earlier message about KM's new Sibelius cycle. At that time, I'd listened to Symphonies Nos. 1 through 6 (i.e. all of them up through No. 6). Since my earlier comment, I've listened to No. 7. Still the same general impression. It's OK, and has fine moments, but he also loses the pulse at times, as in places in the other symphonies, at least IMHO. <i>Tapiola</i> and the Fragments still await.<br /><br />For all my mixed feelings, KM is clearly a major talent, and obviously the KCO likes him tremendously. I certainly wish the partnership well (and that we're all still here in 2027 when things really get going between the KCO and KM, but never mind).Geo.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05688490063600488617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-68451783602011519652022-07-03T00:20:05.455+01:002022-07-03T00:20:05.455+01:00Well, if you've only heard Six so far, I reall...Well, if you've only heard Six so far, I really don't think you should judge. That's the one work that probably needs more maturity. If you'd started at the beginning with 1, I think you'd go 'wow'. The tension is electric. Ditto 2, most of 4, 5 and 7. So come back to me when you've heard more.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-48252036705282436922022-07-02T19:53:22.027+01:002022-07-02T19:53:22.027+01:00Nice to read that Bernard Haitink attended the Chr...Nice to read that Bernard Haitink attended the Christian Gerhaher recital at Wigmore Hall in October 2021. In the WH video stream the month before with Camerata RCO, Hannah French had mentioned that Haitink was in the audience for that concert as well. A comment by John Gilhooly on WH's Twitter feed also mentioned generally that Haitink was a regular attendee at WH in his final months.<br /><br />Speaking of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, after a fashion, sorry that I didn't think to comment on your Sibelius post, especially in light of the new Klaus Makela set of the Sibelius symphonies on Decca. But I wanted to wait until after sampling at least some of the recordings before rendering judgement. To be honest, I'm nowhere near as enthused as many others about these recordings, having heard through Symphony No. 6 so far. They're OK, but haven't really impressed me or made me go "wow". There are mitigating factors like the need for social distancing and such during the sessions, to my understanding. <br /><br />However, and getting back to Amsterdam, it was pretty obvious from the sheer number of sudden guest-conducting engagements that the RCO lined up with KM that KM was going to be their next chief conductor, sooner or later. With the announcement about 2027, it's clearly going to be on the "sooner" side. The RCO and KM clearly have strong personal chemistry, whatever my thoughts about the musical results so far, and there looks to be a solid basis for formally establishing their relationship long-term.Geo.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05688490063600488617noreply@blogger.com