Label news: Chinese Karajan joins DG
mainThe yellow label has signed an exclusive contract with Long Yu and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, it was announced this morning.
Long Yu holds all the teacups in China. He is artistic director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and the Beijing Music Festival, music director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, co-director of MISA Shanghai Summer Festival and principal guest conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. In this respect, he is regarded as the Chinese Karajan.
Politically, this is a very correct move.
is this an international contract?
As Hong Konger I find this frankly shocking: he’s a competent enough musician but really… a DG contract? Got to be marketing – and to call him the Chinese Karajan is absurd, both for him and for Karajan
Totally agree with Gareth Jones. Long Yu is at best an average conductor whose career was made as a result of a degree of talent and a great deal of political influence, especially through a very close relative who was a Vice Premier. There are much better Chinese conductors of his generation – Tang Muhai being one (who happened to study with Karajan for a year) – and of the younger generation. But Long Yu has a stranglehold over the three major orchestras in China, its foremost Music Festival (which, in fairness, it should be noted he himself started up) and, most importantly, has access to the cash. I have to wonder if cash was involved in the DG deal – cash which flows directly to DG!
This is a marketing ploy, presumably with a view to the China market. Perhaps they will only perform Chinese music!
He did a very good coule of concerts recently with the RLPO in Liverpool.
there will never be another Karajan
Very true!
+1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeUjMagnJ_M
at 49:30 (with the Ave verum)
If this conductor approached, matched or surpassed this, my ears will be his. But not counting on it.
https://youtu.be/4fuIeYnJSRs
Chinese Karajan. That bland, eh?
This is more proof that the future of classical music is, in large measure, in the Far East …
Perhaps his privileged connections and background in China also play an important part
. . . much to the chagrin of many older white males (and I’m not talking about anybody here – I know some prime examples outside of the cyber world).