Label news: Chinese Karajan joins DG

Label news: Chinese Karajan joins DG

main

norman lebrecht

June 07, 2018

The 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.

 

Comments

  • tian says:

    is this an international contract?

  • Gareth jones says:

    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

    • Nick2 says:

      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!

  • Robin Bloxsidge says:

    He did a very good coule of concerts recently with the RLPO in Liverpool.

  • Richard Craig says:

    there will never be another Karajan

  • Caravaggio says:

    If this conductor approached, matched or surpassed this, my ears will be his. But not counting on it.

    https://youtu.be/4fuIeYnJSRs

  • The View from America says:

    This is more proof that the future of classical music is, in large measure, in the Far East …

  • Politically_incorrect says:

    Perhaps his privileged connections and background in China also play an important part

  • Barry Guerrero says:

    . . . 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).

  • MOST READ TODAY: