The next German Ring conductor will be British
mainUwe Eric Laufenberg, who’s directing Parsifal at Bayreuth this summer, has a day job as Intendant at Wiebaden, where he has just announced a Ring cycle for next season.
Laufenberg will direct the four operas.
The conductor is Alexander Joel, 45, formerly music director at Braunschweig.
Alexander Joel is American of German heritage (and Billy Joel’s brother). Do you even bother to think before posting?
Temper, temper, Hanna.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Joel_(conductor)
Next you’ll be telling us there is no British school of conducting Wagner, like our “dear” friend Steve Holleraway.
To be fair he was born in London and he sounds fairly British…….
Do you bother to think before posting? Alexander Joel is British born and has adopted the German nationality.
The Germans have him down as being British. So does wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Joel_(conductor). Why the fff do you think you know better?
Norman, your source for your blog is wikipedia?
No. It’s the one I quote for time-wasters.
The next German Ring conductor will be German; his name is Ulf Schirmer and he’ll be leading the Gewandhausorchester at the Oper Leipzig in a Ring Cycle in 3 weeks from May 5th to May 8th.
http://www.oper-leipzig.de/de/wagner%20in%20leipzig
http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/persons/orchestra/1305/
It’s odd that there is a Wikipedia page for him and not for the more established French maestro Emmanuel Joël (Hornak), brother of stage director Nicolas Joël.
Hanna Wanna, the entertainer Billy Joel is half brother to Alexander Joel.
To add to your ridiculous claim: his own website says he is making his debute in the US this season. Rather weird, at 45, if he were American don’t you think? Having a career all over except in your home country?
Well, that hppens quite a lot to French conductors….
That is not at all uncommon for American conductors…
Alexander Joel was born in London but has lived in Vienna most of his life.
His half-brother, Billy Joel, is an American musician and songwriter.
What is this post exactly about? A professional conductor was born in Britain and has a British passport? What is the relevance of that?
Actually the next German Ring conductor is British – but it’s Justin Brown who launches the new Ring in Karlsruhe this July, four months before the Wiesbaden production opens!!
Actually the next German Ring conductor is German – it’s Ulf Schirmer who launches the new Ring in Leipzig three weeks from now, May 5th to May 8th.
Hi everybody, Just to clear everything up- I am a British and German citizen, having been born in London, with a British mother and a German father, and yes, I am making my debut in the US this month having never conducted there before. I am no direct relation to Emmanuel or Nicolas Joel, although somewhere along the line we are distant relatives as there is apparently only one Joel family. To confuse things even more, Nicolas Joel and I worked together doing a production of La Wally at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in 2005!
Thank you for clearing this up! N
Hi everyone, to clear things up In the rather confusing nationality issue: my father was German, my mother is British, I was born in London, and have a British and German passport, although I only got the German one when I was 18. I grew up mainly in London and Vienna (where I did my studies), meaning I also have a sort of Viennese side to me. Am no direct relation to Nicolas or Emmanuel Joel. And yes, I am giving my US debut this month in Boston, having never conductors in the US before. Hope to have cleared things up! Best regards, Alexander Joel
What passport did Wagner actually hold? Saxonian? Swiss? Bavarian? Walhalla? Nibelheim?
While there is some debate about his later years, most will agree on Wagner having held a passport of the Kingdom of Saxony and later the German Empire. It is said that some however, such as a prolific British cultural commentator, are convinced that Richard Wagner had dual citizenship, maintaining a passport of both, the 4th and the 5th Circle of Hell, while also having been granted a courtesy visa to Hades.
Sounds a lot like Maestro Joel! All the best for the Ring Cycle and your Amerucan debut!