Jurowski to step down at London Philharmonic

Jurowski to step down at London Philharmonic

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norman lebrecht

March 09, 2018

The incoming music director of the Bavarian State Opera will relinquish his London position.

 

Comments

  • Will says:

    He’s going to be missed. Such an adventurous programmer and a superb conductor. Tough act to follow.

  • Anthony Kershaw says:

    Big loss for that orchestra. Even with shrinking budgets and a crap hall, he’s maintained and even improved the orchestra’s standards. Great hires, too (flute and bassoon, especially).

    • Will says:

      Er, um… which London ‘crap hall’ in particular? Basically they are all crap as we know only too well…!
      Rhetorical question: why is the Westminster Central Hall so under-used? My impression is that it ‘s a little larger ( for the audience) than the recently much-feted Cadogan Hall. About 25 years ago I heard a lovely concert there by the Hanover Band ( Beethoven 6th symphony and 3rd piano concerto) and I thought that the sound was superb. But on reflection, maybe it was partly due to the increased clarity of the ‘period instruments’.
      I do remember seeing the legendary ex-Cleveland horn player Myron Bloom (now a nonagenarian I think) in the audience and I wondered whether one of his pupils was playing horn in the Hanover Band.

  • Sébastien Chonion says:

    One cannot imagine the LPO without Vladimir after more than 10 years of incredible and unique music making. He did so much rep, they can play everything so well: the orchestra became the best London Orchestra under his tenure!
    Vladimir is a true Master.

    • Robin Smith says:

      I agree that Jurowski has done outstanding work with the LPO during his tenure and for a time they were certainly London’s best Orchestra (the Philharmonia under Salonen have often been outstanding as well) but the LSO under Simon Rattle already deserve that accolade today – an orchestra reborn.

      The CBSO under Nelsons were the UK’s best orchestra (in Symphony Hall) over the last 10 years. Probably the greatest conductor/orchestra combination I’ve been a regular subscriber to in my lifetime.

      • Derek says:

        I agree with your comments on Andris Nelsons and the CBSO,

        Every concert was special. I believe we were lucky to enjoy that combination over the years.

  • Lucy Listweil says:

    By the time Jurowski steps down in 2021 he will have been the London Philharmonic’ s longest ever serving principal conductor, beating even Bernard Haitink’s previous unbeaten record. The Bavarian State Opera, today is probably the best opera house in the world- the perfect job for this great Maestro.

  • Mark says:

    An outstanding conductor. I wish the Met had hired him instead of the Tiny Canadian Hot dog …

    • Anon says:

      I don’t think he would be a good match to the MET, to the financial system there with its obligations for many close encounters with the private financiers. Too intellectual, too aspirational, not the type who charmes his way around the often annoying patrons easily.
      His programming ideas would fall on less fertile ground there as well.

    • hrbmus says:

      Name calling as jejune as Trump’s? Apparently we have a paid Troll doll here? “sad.”

  • Alex Davies says:

    I’ve probably been to about half the LPO’s concerts for the past 15 years and I have to say they are the best orchestra in London and Jurowski’s programming is indeed an inspiration to hear. I’m still enthusing to people about his UK premiere of Sylvestrov’s third symphony, which he introduced with an erudite lecture, all the more impressive as he appeared to be speaking ex tempore. I hope his successor will continue to introduce audiences to unfamiliar repertoire.

    I also wonder, is Jurowski to be credited with the promotion of Pieter Schoeman to the position of leader? What a great violinist, whether as concertmaster, chamber musician, or soloist. He is easily the finest orchestra leader in London. (Boris Garlitsky before him was pretty great too!)

  • Derek Bacon says:

    Indeed, sad and bad news for the great LPO. Consistently outstanding programmes from him.

  • Rob says:

    Does anybody know if that Mahler 8 was recorded and will be released?

  • Herr Doktor says:

    I’m not going to second-guess all the positive statements made about Jurowski by readers who have heard him conduct regularly. But I’ll say that hearing him as a guest conductor here in Boston twice, I’ve been solidly unimpressed. I thought his Shostakovich 4 was not well done–and that’s supposed to be music that plays to his strengths. I’m trying hard to remember what the second program I heard was, and honestly, it’s not coming to mind. That’s how well I thought of it.

    • James says:

      Two concerts are sufficient to form a prejudice, acquire an attitude?

      Here is Shostakovich on his teacher Glazunov, who

      ”liked to recount how he ‘penetrated’ Wagner. ‘I listened to Die Walkuere the first time, understood absolutely nothing, and didn’t like it at all. I went a second time. Nothing again. And a third…the same. How many times do you think I went to hear that opera before I understood it? Nine times. On the tenth, I understood it all. And Iiked it very much.”
      Shostakovich continues: “When I heard Glazunov tell that
      story the first time, I laughed to myself, even though I maintained a serious
      expression. But now I respect him for it deeply. Life has taught me many things.”

    • Saxon Broken says:

      I think the thing to remember is no conductor is always great; most have better and worse performances. Moreover, a conductor is only as good as the orchestra: and sometimes the chemistry works between conductor and orchestra and sometimes it doesn’t. By all accounts, the relationship between Jurowski and the LPO worked really well and they made interesting music together. Some other orchestras also seem to have enjoyed working with him, but there will always be instances where it doesn’t go so well.

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