Look – Prokofiev 3 without a conductor

Look – Prokofiev 3 without a conductor

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norman lebrecht

March 30, 2019

It’s the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra of Los Angeles, led from the keyboard by Irene Kim.

 

Comments

  • Leonard Slatkin says:

    I do not see a piano in the photo. Perhaps it is the Third Symphony, which would really be impressive. Mitropolous performed and recorded the concerto as soloist and conductor back in the early 50’s, I believe.

    • norman lebrecht says:

      If I remember rightly, Leonard, Mitropoulos did it for the first time in Berlin c. 1933 at a time he was still making his way as a pianist. He then took the concerto to the US.

  • Adam Stern says:

    There’s precedent!

    https://youtu.be/-4DoHQsNotI

    Apparently Prokofiev was annoyed at Mitropoulos’ wild success with the Concerto, which up to then had been Prokofiev’s own specialty (as pianist only).

  • barry guerrero says:

    Let’s see them do Prokofiev’s 3rd symphony sans conductor. That would be something!

  • Tully Potter says:

    Mitropoulos got there first!

  • Una says:

    How refreshing to hear the music!

  • Caravaggio says:

    Any prop or stunt for attention.

  • Pedro says:

    Mitropoulos conducted it from the keyboard.

  • Petros Linardos says:

    In the footsteps of Dimitri Mitropoulos?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4DoHQsNotI

  • Robert Battey says:

    No, it’s not being “led” by her. This is the Orpheus model, where the orchestra tends to itself. When a pianist is in charge, his/her back is to the audience, and he/she conducts tuttis.

    • MusicBear88 says:

      Leonard Bernstein led from the keyboard sitting in that formation, but to me there’s no indication that Ms. Kim is conducting anything. She plays the concerto quite nicely though.

  • BrianB says:

    What’s the big deal? Dmitri Mitropoulos did it with this concerto all the time with different orchestras.

  • Fliszt says:

    Mitropoulos and Cliburn also led this concerto from the keyboard.

  • Jack says:

    Brilliant!

  • William Stahl says:

    Dmitri Mitropoulos played while conducting this concerto several times in spectacular fashion and at a much faster tempo than done by Irene Kim here. A 1946 recording he made with the Robin Hood Dell Orchestra (aka Philadelphia Orchestra) is on YouTube.

  • Viola, Viola says:

    Fabulous! However, Mitropoulos was doing this 60 years ago…

  • Mario Roberto Lutz says:

    Impresive!

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