Kent Nagano’s future in Montreal?
mainWill be announced on Monday (see below). Word is, he’s been renewed again as music director.
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal invites the media to a news
conference where it will make an important announcement.
The event will take place on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, at 11:30 a.m. in the
Foyer Allegro of the Maison symphonique de Montréal; the entrance is
at 1600 Saint-Urbain Street.
DATEBOOK
WHAT: News conference – Important announcement by the OSM
WHO: • Lucien Bouchard, chair, board of directors
• Marie-José Nadeau, vice-chair, board of directors
• Maestro Kent Nagano, music director
WHEN: Monday, November 11, 11:30 a.m.
When will they bring back the charming and charismatic Charles Dutoit. Surely the greatest conductor the Montreal ever had
Hi,
Dutoit will not ever come back to Montreal. The orchestra and him parted embroiled in a bitter fight over a ‘coup’ led by some musicians, and Dutoit has sworn never to conduct the OSM again. A great loss for MOntreal, for sure. He did come to Lanaudière two years ago with the Philadelphia Orch, though.
As for Nagano, most of the Montreal public and critics would be delighted to have him stay for many more years. His Haydn symphony last Wednesday was astonishing in precision and nuance. The orchestra and chorus play this year better than they have in a very long time.
While Charles Dutoit is a formidable musician, and some of the soloists who work with him seem to be devoted to him, “charming” is not a word I have heard from anyone who has dealt with him in person.
Delighted?! Nobody ever liked playing under Nagano and they’re not shy to tell you so. As for listening to what he produces, the same effect can be produced by sweeping together a pile of dust bunnies and inspecting them.
It is very very rare that a musical director can work with the same orchestra for an indefinite period of time. In the last years of the Dutoit era, there was more and more tension, and it came to a head just before Dutoit resigned. Emil is right, Dutoit will never come back and the media is in love with Nagano. I have not heard any rumblings from the orchestra about him, but I have not been talking with any of my acquaintances who play there either. I find out sooner or later, but if things were really bad, the news would have spread.
Claude, if you don’t like Nagano’s interpretations, feel free to go to the Orchestre Métropolitain’s shows. Yannick Neznet-Seguin is wowing everyone, and they are probably the best ticket in town if you consider cost versus quality. I have also heard some concerts directed by Kent Nagano that I did not care for at all. But that being said, he does have his strengths, and he did get the MSO the concert hall, something Dutoit never accomplished in spite of all his efforts.
http://www.osm.ca/en/news/osm-kent-nagano-relationship-continues
They renewed through 2020. We now know that previous press reports about the end of the Nagano-Montreal partnership were exaggerated.
http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/04/just-in-naganos-out-in-montreal.html
After having been “outed” by Mr Lebrecht in March 2013, Nagano is finally “in” until 2020 !!!
That comes when one confuses wishes and reality…
Here my feature about that crap at that time
http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/musique/375456/kent-nagano-ce-succes-qui-derange
But my reaction here is to condemn firmly a vile usurpation of identity.
Claude Gingras is my colleague journalist at La Presse, acting music journalist since 60 years. He would never be so unprofessional to leave the comment above, assuming that he even knows your blog exists. In addition, I very much doubt that on a Sunday morning after an opera premiere he is looking for access to a computer to publish stupid insults (which naturally, do not break your “code of ethics”, Mr Lebrecht).
I just have spoken to Mr Gingras, he does not know about that post.
Please Mr Usurpator, have the guts to sign your dirt with your own name.
The others, please give us a break with the “charming Dutoit” (il is OVER since 2002) and let Nagano work. Btw, Mr Williams “the media” does not fill the hall, “sold out” after “sold out”. It is the audience.
Thanks
Christophe Huss – Music journalist
Thank you for this post, Christophe.