Reports: Currentzis quits

Reports: Currentzis quits

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norman lebrecht

June 10, 2019

Russian agencies are reporting that Teodor Currentzis has resigned as music director in Perm and will not return.

They say he is focussed on landing jobs in other countries.

Nothing yet from the man himself.

Comments

  • Ned Keene says:

    The SWR Symphony Orchestra (Germany) say on their site that he has already been appointed Chief Conductor there.

    • Ingeborg Baumann says:

      Yes, since the beginning of the now ending season. Had already some concerts in Stuttgart, highly praised by audience and critics.

  • Jay Bee says:

    I thought he had decided to stop faking being a conductor altogether… What a pity…

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Perhaps he’s still in the gym doing weights and building up his abs. It’s hard work waving a stick you know!!

  • MacroV says:

    He’s created quite a profile working first in Novosibirsk and then in Perm. Interesting career path for a Greek. I imagine he’ll attract interest.

    • Ned Keene says:

      He isn’t Greek. He’s held a Russian passport for at least five years – personally awarded to him by Vladimir Putin, and sidestepping all the usual formalities for citizenship.

      • Nik says:

        That doesn’t mean that he isn’t Greek. He didn’t stop being Greek just because he took Russian citizenship.
        As far as the Russians are concerned, he may be ‘rossisky’ now but he will never be ‘russky’.

  • Gregor Tassie says:

    Apparently he told the opera house management that he would leave and take a third of the orchestra with him and them to st Petersburg. This is because of the delay in building a new theatre on Perm.

    • Nik says:

      Take them to St Petersburg… does that mean he has a new job there?

      • Gregor Tassie says:

        This morning the Russian press is saying this is all gossip, his orchestra played last week in St Petersburg so there couldn’t have been the meeting in Perm for his alleged statement about leaving, albeit he has already said he would leave if the plans to build a new opera theatre were not implemented. At this time there are still delays and the orchestra has lost its rehearsal hall so anything is possible.

  • Nick says:

    He should go into body-building! Looks good!

  • Anon says:

    People on here have no idea how popular this guy is in concert halls in Europe. All his concerts are sold out, his followers think he is some kind of god, and he does indeed make some fantastic music

    • Harry Collier says:

      I have heard his Pathétique symphony. Does not cut the mustard compared with Gergiev, Pletnev, or Mravinsky.

      • Gordon Freeman says:

        Indeed, and we should always judge people by a single recording or performance of a single work.

        In which case one could listen to his Rite and see the results as being more technically proficient than Abbado and Boulez, with more guts than Bernstein and more imagination than anyone at all.

        Or his impeccable Cosi.

        Or genius Don Giovanni.

        Or brilliant Figaro.

        Or Mahler 3 with SWR, Mahler 6 with MusicAeterna, Purcell, Rameau, his Beethoven Symphony cycle, his Britten, Prokofiev, Berio. Luckily and wisely he’s built up a wide ranging library of extraordinary live performances and studio recordings that just make the haters look sort of moronic.

      • Dennis says:

        Interesting, since his recordings of the Tchaikovsky and Mahler 6ths have generally garnered very high praise indeed (with which I agree wholeheartedly).

        Indeed, the reviewer at The High Arts Review” says of Currentzis’ Pathétique, “It will be difficult to return to other recordings after Currentzis’ performance.”

        https://thehigharts.com/currentzis-tchaikovsky-symphony-6-pathetique/

      • mathias broucek says:

        I thought it was pretty good and to be honest there aren’t many who *can* compare to Mravinsky or Pletnev (first two recordings). Have you heard his Rite? It’s truly exceptional….

        • Dennis says:

          Haven’t heard his Rite of Spring, but I’ll try to check it out. I was recently blown away (after coming across the DVD in a used bookstore) by Gergiev’s 2013 Rite in Paris, which was not just performed as an orchestra piece as it usually is these days, but as the full ballet which reconstructed the costumes and choreography of the 1913 premiere.

  • Musician says:

    He’s moving his base and orchestra to St Petersburg. He wasn’t there much lately anyway.

  • Tamino says:

    To be expected. Too cold in Perm for the exhibitionist‘s uncovered biceps.

  • Musiclife says:

    In a world and era where image is more important than music; music criticism is now rarely made by those with authentic knowledge and often supported by those making money from artists (agencies); and hirings and winners of competitions and signings depend mostly on the marketability of the artist and not the music quality, it is not surprising that we hear such ‘unbelievable positive’ things about this awful conductor (a product of very careful marketing). If music were more important than the musicians!

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