Maestra gets 26-part TV series

Maestra gets 26-part TV series

main

norman lebrecht

July 15, 2017

From Deutsche Welle:

Star conductor Alondra de la Parra is both reporter and protagonist in DW’s unique new series “Musica Maestra.” She will be appearing in 26 web-videos and six television shows….

Alondra de la Parra, a renowned conductor from Mexico, invites viewers behind the scenes of the music world as she speaks with distinguished musicians from around the world….

Alondra de la Parra represents a new type of classical musician, said DW’s Director General Peter Limbourg.

“She thinks according to the new rule of modern execution of classical music and doesn’t shy away from other genres. She uses social media like a pop star and makes great music accessible to many young people. And she is a great conductor in a male-dominated field.”

 

Comments

  • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

    She will be the next big hit! We finally have an idol who is as cool & attractive as those pop stars~

  • Meaux Feaux says:

    She’s an absolutely bloody useless conductor, though…

    • Stefan Treddel says:

      I suffered throught two concerts and saw her in rehearsal and have to say: bad.

    • ben LEGEBEKE says:

      I fully agree. Never saw an accomplished feminine conductor until today,haha. Ridiculous body movements in general. Indeed again an useless conductor. Mediocrity at the top. This profession is detoriating unfortunately. Worked with Carneiro, Alsop, Mälkki& Falletta ea. Some are better than others but no one can have the title “maestrina”….

  • eduardo marturet says:

    Meax Feux, you would receive more credibility to your comment if you revealed your real name instead of hiding your identity.
    Alondra de la Parra is not only an inspired and accomplished conductor but, also, a maestra who deserves all the respect from the international musical community.

    • Musician says:

      He’s right. She’s absolutely terrible. You can tell she spends most of her time in front of a mirror. Such a disconnect between what she is doing and the music. Awful.

  • wurtfangler says:

    ‘As cool and attractive as those pop stars’ – yep, style but absolutely no substance whatsoever! Meaux Feaux got it right and if she wasn’t a young, attractive female she wouldn’t be conducting a bus!

  • eduardo marturet says:

    …Un Ballo in Maschera !!!

  • John says:

    Has she or her family paid for this? I seem to remember hearing she paid her way into her previous conducting positions.

    • Jim says:

      Did she buy her way into conducting the London Symphony Orchestra? Was the CBSO Chorus extra? l’Orchestre de Paris?
      Just asking.

  • Meaux Feaux says:

    OK, Eduardo Marturet – you may find her ‘an inspired and accomplished conductor’ and that’s great. More power to you. However, I’m a member of what you term the ‘international musical community’ and I object to you telling me who I should respect. I have found her to be far-from inspiring and spectacularly far-from accomplished and so I see no reason whatsoever to give her ‘all the respect’. Personable? Sure. Technically competent? No way. An absolute liability. (Mind you, the same goes for a large number of professional stick-wavers – REGARDLESS of gender – and so this in itself is hardly anything new.)

    Wurtfangler – I wouldn’t want to comment too specifically on what you say. I’m staying out of that argument. All I will say is that having close family and friends who are/have been in the upper echelons of the Mexican government presumably has its advantages…

    • Talking the Talk says:

      +1. absolutely incompetant professionally in every way – as meaux Feaux say a liability- except she is personable in direct proportion to getting what she wants which apparently is a lot and counts for a lot in these times.

  • Ben says:

    That’s what happen when some people are promoting female conductors at all cost.

  • Richard says:

    The complaints voiced earlier are all familiar to me, and I have seen this conductor in an unmemorable performance a few years back. I am a little surprised that this is a 26-parter. Perhaps she has better media skills than conducting skills; we’ll see.

  • John says:

    The sexism in this blog is always quite amusing. Seems to come from many of the same people.

  • Anton Bruckner says:

    I must raise again the question of Mirga at Birmingham. Is she a fully accomplished musician atbthis stafe ir did someone want to attract PR?

    • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

      And what do you think?
      How do you like Mirga’s conducting? We do want your opinion.
      If you don’t know much about her musicianship yet, why not just go and listen to her recordings and live concerts by yourself so that you can get your own picture, instead of asking other people for their opinions.

  • Ilio says:

    Hope she isn’t replacing Sarah Willis’s Sarah’s Music. Willis is such a great ambassador for classical music.

    • Harold Lewis says:

      Is there something particularly Mexican about this situation? I recall similar doubts being raised in the past about the technical competence and authenticity of another Mexican conductor, Enrique Batiz, whom I used to hear described in almost actionable terms by London musicians.

      • Max Grimm says:

        I believe the “almost actionable terms” say more about those London musicians using them than they do about any conductor/nationality.
        The comments I’ve personally heard regarding Alondra de la Parra were largely the usual fare you’d expect to hear from orchestral musicians discussing most conductors.
        (On an aside, I’ve heard overwhelmingly positive things about Carlos Miguel Prieto).

        • Richard says:

          I consider myself lucky to have seen Carlos Miguel Prieto conduct both big Falla ballet scores and some Revueltas as well. Quite a good conductor in my opinion.

  • Harold Lewis says:

    Enrique Diemecke is another Mexican conductor who I believe has a good reputation in the UK. And, of course, we remember with sadness Eduardo Mata.

  • MOST READ TODAY: