Sicklist: Perahia cancels Israel Phil

Sicklist: Perahia cancels Israel Phil

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norman lebrecht

December 31, 2017

The pianist has flu.

He is replaced by Pinchas Zukerman.

 

Comments

  • will says:

    Brilliant… I know that ‘Pinky’ was a conductor as well as a violinist/ violist, but is he now a pianist?

  • Anton Bruckner says:

    The Perahia program was Beethoven No. 4 piano concerto and a Schuman symphony. Not the most innovative programming but quite decent though. Zuckerman normally plays the most mainstream of the mainstream repertoire even in the IPO standards which as we all know are not very innovative. Expect some pure boredom in these concerts.in those

    • V.Lind says:

      Zukerman once played the Berg Violin Concerto in my hearing. It had been my “put up with it” piece on the programme, whatever it was that had drawn me to that particular concert. But despite the fact that I still probably would not go out for the Berg, it was one of the most transporting pieces of music I have ever heard. An artist at the very top of his game showed me the way into some music I had previously resisted, and gave me an enriching, unforgettable half hour in the process.

      So Zukerman playing “mainstream” rep — that is, music that has lasted through the ages — which I have heard him do many times is nothing to sneer at.

      • Alex Davies says:

        It’s funny how people’s tastes can be so divergent. The Berg has been my favourite violin concerto since childhood!

        • Sue says:

          I love his piano sonata which is really accessible and quite wonderful. I don’t really know the Violin Concerto but will check it out on UTube.

    • will says:

      Who on earth is ‘Zuckerman’ (sic)?
      I don’t recognise the name.
      Is he/she in some way related to Pinchas Zukerman?

  • Anton Bruckner says:

    Indeed, a Mozart violin concerto and Dvorak symphony no. 7. Not worth the hassle of getting to a concert. If the IPO continue with such programming they will lose whatever relevance they still have.

    • Bruce says:

      Mozart and Dvorak? Who would ever want to hear such awful, boring music? Ugh.

      • Mr. Schwa says:

        So true!! We need a steady diet of Elliot Carter, for starters. Also some Druckman. This rep will help build the audiences of the future. I also recommend a marathon of Boulez, as well as a retrospective of Henze’s oeuvre.

      • Anton Bruckner says:

        The main piece in this concert is Dvoark. This piece has been played scores of times by the IPO with no particular enthusiam or interest. Even the players seem bored. If that’s the IPO repertoire, the most banal mainstream, they will remain with their exceedingly old and dwindling audience and younger audiences will not show up. No problem with Czech music but do some Janacek or Martinu or try a Dvorak violin or piano concerto. How many times can one hear Dvorak 7 by bored musicians?

        • Sue says:

          You raise interesting issues. Some ‘classical’ radio networks promulgate the notion of ‘easy listening’ and we shouldn’t be surprised that audiences don’t become familiar with much that doesn’t fit that description. I think there are those who actively dumb down expectations in order to attract younger audiences. Thank heaven for CDs!!! Not that I dislike Dvorak: I don’t, but something more demanding on the program alongside his #7 would be ideal.

  • Kvetcher says:

    Only one Mozart violin concerto? Let him play all five!

  • The View from America says:

    PZ must have time on his hands; evidently, he’s the “go-to guy” right now when it comes to filling in for other musicians. It’s just been announced that he’s replacing Charles Dutoit on at least a portion of the NYPO’s upcoming tour.

    • The Voice from America says:

      Correction — The eastern states portion of the Royal Philharmonic’s U.S.tour, not the NYPO.

  • Jaime Herrera says:

    The problem with NEW music is NOT that it’s new, it’s that it is quite terrible. It pushes all the wrong buttons in a person. New music has been given over to and taken over by engineers and mathematicians. The ultimate test of any classical piece is how much the audience wants to hear it again. As Oscar Wilde said, “If a book is not worth reading twice, it’s not worth reading once.” Contemporary works (with very, very few exceptions) are heard once and quickly forgotten. Verdi operas? Mozart operas? Brahms symphonies? Beethoven concertos? Chopin mazurkas? The crowd demands those pieces be repeated thousands and thousands of times. It is very telling that the best composer alive at this moment is probably John Williams.

    • Mr. Schwa says:

      Brilliantly stated!!!!! I feel sorry for today’s composers. They seem not to know where to turn. If they try to write ‘retro’ , so as to create something beautiful, they are accused of being old-fashioned. If they write post-modern, it is usually forgettable material. Williams is looking pretty good at this point. But I think film composers are fortunate to not be held to the Classical elitist standard, which nowadays has composers showing their rhythmic and harmonic dexterity and their technique, often to mask their paucity of ideas. It is always amusing and interesting to teach/coach singers in their roles for world premiere operas: for the most part, they can’t stand the stuff, considering it non-vocal, ugly, even harmful to their voices. Of course they praise it publicly, because, after all, everybody wants to be hired and rehired.

      • Sue says:

        I often wonder what would have happened to Beethoven’s music if he’d composed using a computer program/software!! I always think of these technological achievements as rather like the acoustic guitar; democratizing music-making and everybody can do it (more or less). There are, however, serious composers like Brett Deans who use computer software and I’m sure there are many others. But there would also be many sub-standard ‘composers’ who churn out rubbish according to some computer algorithm or some such.

        • Saida says:

          I have the honor and privilege to be a member of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for the last 30 years.
          I am very sorry Maestro Perahia could not come and wish him the best of Health.
          It is pure joy to play music with Maestro Zuckerman.
          His violin playing in the Mozart concerto nr 5 is just so beautiful!
          Whoever has the chance to come to listen is lucky!!!

          • Anton Bruckner says:

            Mozart 5 with Zuckerman is fine. But to combine with Dvorak 7? Your audience deserves more innovative programming. And so do you!

  • will says:

    Can nobody spell this violinist’s name correctly?
    OK, I know he has a sweet – almost ‘sugary’ – tone (!) but please could some of these current posters get it into their thick heads that there is no ‘c’ in the first syllable of Mr Zukerman’s surname?

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