The hot young composer takes big risks, both in music and with his titles. So how did his new piece go down? Here‘s a first review.
Dallas Opera is planning a free simulcast of Magic Flute at the city’s famous football stadium. It’s on April 28. More here.
Any guesses?
Germany is trying to put together the biggest ever virtual chorus for Beethoven’s ninth on July 29 (eat your heart out, Gustav Mahler, that Symphony of 1,000 will sound like a chamber piece in comparison).
Barenboim’s conducting on the Waldbuehne and he wants to hear from YOU. Here’s his how-to on video:
More details here (auf deutsch, but google will help)
We have received this fond remembrance from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, where Paavo Berglund served as chief conductor in the 1970s:
“Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is sad to hear of the loss of its Conductor Emeritus Paavo Berglund, its Principal Conductor from 1972-1979. Berglund’s performances and recordings of Sibelius with the BSO are legendary and his death was announced as the Orchestra played Sibelius Symphony No.5 with Kirill Karabits, who himself worked with Paavo in Budapest. The music parts used by the Orchestra are the ones used by Paavo himself, and the Orchestra dedicated its concert last night in Cheltenham, and its concert tonight at Portsmouth Guildhall (27 January 2012), to his memory.
Roger Preston, Co Principal Cello, who worked with Paavo on many occasions, said ‘Anyone who played with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in Kerimäki Church, Finland, as part of the BSO’s 1981 tour will tell that it was a truly unforgettable experience. On this tour we played all the Sibelius Symphonies, with Paavo on spectacular form. Many of Paavo’s comments, criticisms and demands are as fresh in my mind as though it were only yesterday. He remains, for me, one of the best, if not the best conductor that I have ever played for, and I am so grateful to have caught the latter days of Paavo’s extraordinarily fruitful relationship with the BSO.’”
Constantin Trinks, 36, got his marching orders after a falling out with intendant John Dew. They don’t mess about in Darmstadt: one word out of order and you’re out.
It’s coming up next week in L.A. and the stage hands are doing musical dry-runs. Watch this:
We have just received this tribute from Sakari Oramo, chief condcutor of Helsinki Radio and the Stockholm Philharmonic:
A Giant Conductor, a demanding but warm-hearted man. To me, especially revelatory was the transparent style of his last decade of conducting, devoid of anything external, for example in Brahms symphonies.
A man with a marvelous sense for black humor. I feel very honored to be following in Paavo´s footsteps as the Music Director of both the Finnish Radio Symphony and the Stockholm Philharmonic. Paavo set unprecedented standards of quality for Nordic orchestras during the 60´s, 70´s and 80´s, standards that are still today valid. On the first of February I will conduct the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic in Vienna Musikverein. The orchestra´s last appearance in that venue was with Paavo at the helm in 1987. Tonight we observed a moment of reminiscence in Paavo´s honor at the start of our concert in Stockholm.
Vesa Siren on the Helsingin Sanomat has been collecting memories of Paavo Berglund, the doyen Finnish conductor, who died today aged 82. He interviewed Kurt Masur from Leipzig, Esa-Pekka Salonen from London, Jukka-Pekka Saraste from Oslo, Sakari Oramo from Stockholm and John Storgårds from Helsinki Music Centre for his obituary (in Finnish, here).
And here are the maestro comments.
Vesa adds: I interviewed Paavo several times, including long interviews in 2009 when he turned 80. It took time, but he did open up and talked about everything. In the middle of our last interview, he said: let’s listen. And listen we did. That was the broadcast of his last concert June 1st 2007 at Salle Pleyel with French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Brahms violin concerto with Christian Tetzlaff, and the the most beautiful Sibelius 4th he ever did, including the famous recordings.
“This is amazing. How everything is crystal-clear and pure”, he exclaimed while we listened to it. For once he who always searched for perfection was perfectly satisfied.
