Marin Alsop to conduct world leaders

Marin Alsop to conduct world leaders

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norman lebrecht

January 09, 2020

The Baltimore and Sao Paulo music director will conduct ‘An International Call for Unity and Joy’ at the opening of the World Economic Forum’s 50th Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on January 20.

She will lead the European Union Youth Orchestra, Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Choir and international soloists in the Scherzo and Finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, using a new Brazilian Portuguese text for the Ode to Joy.

 

Comments

  • John Borstlap says:

    ‘An International Call for Unity and Joy’ – how incredibly inappropriate. In Davos it is the network of big business, wild kapitalism etc. who gather to make plans, and it is thanks to them that the entire Western world is in social upheavel with re-ermerging of fascism, rightwing extremism, antisemitism, yellow vests – in short: the rebellion of the masses who have been neglected and exploited and skimmed.

    • Flutista says:

      Well, that’s not surprising… Marin Alsop is known to care about nothing but herself, her mediocre career and about making sure she is the “first female conductor” doing this and doing that. Nothing that she does reflects real quality, musicianship or professionalism. It’s time for her to leave the podium and go do her fake business somewhere else.

    • B.H says:

      I totally agree with you. Alsop is the most overrated female conductor of our time (maybe of all times).

  • PHF says:

    European orchestra playing european music in europe with an north american conductor with a brazilian choir singing an adapted text in portuguese with not even a brazilian authority to listen to It. Well, what a great ideia!

    • A Musician says:

      It’s a typical MA project! I truly support female conductors, but she is such a mediocre conductor and a bad musician that she will unfortunately do anything to get herself a headline (and the hell with the costs and the environment).

    • Professor K. says:

      It probably appears on her calendar as “Ode to Alsop”

  • Aaron herschel says:

    How heartwarming.

    • LOL says:

      This extravagant and unnecessary series of concerts are warming Alsop’s wallet and social media rather than anyone’s heart. We are sick and tired of hearing about this “Maestra”.

  • Alexander Tarak says:

    I find her conducting a cure for insomnia.

  • K says:

    Isn’t Alsop out of Sao PAOLO and probably leaving Baltimore?

    • That Guy says:

      Don’t you mean Sao Paulo?

      • Insider says:

        He probably means São Paulo. And yes, Marin Alsop left her position as music director and principal conductor of Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Osesp) last December, but won an emeritus position there. In practical terms this means she will have at least one programme a year with Osesp from now on.

    • WiseGuy says:

      She has to figure out a way to first bleed Baltimore dry of yet more money since they barely managed to escape bankruptcy under her usurious mismanagement. Then she will finally go away so they can heal.

  • Pianofortissimo says:

    What a waste of resources, flying so many people to Davos to play a kind of hype concert conducted by an uninteresting conductor for a mostly (quite?) uninterested public!

  • Erste Geige says:

    As a professional orchestra player who played under her several times, I honestly don’t think she has what it takes to be a conductor… I’m sorry, but you need more than just great PR and good friends in the industry. I think there are some marvelous female conductors out there, but she is certainly not one of them. It’s really sad that our music business has become all about social media and connections rather than skills and quality.

  • Esther Cavett says:

    I remember Ashkenazy conducting Elgar’s Falstaff and Beethoven Choral (complete) for a high profile G8 event. And I could see the sheet boredom on the face of Tony Blair and his international peers. Most of these guys hate attending cultural events as much as the Queen does.

  • MIke Schachter says:

    Beethoven 9 is a beautiful work ruined an inane final movement.

    • Karl says:

      Maybe someone could just alter the lyrics. Maybe change to AC/DC’s Highway to Hell?

    • John Borstlap says:

      Nonsense. The finale is a symbolic hymn, and is brilliantly made. Even Debussy, who did not like Beethoven at all (he would leave a concert when a B symphony got at the devlopment – which for him was a ridiculous undertaking), said in a review how well the whole work was made and how well the finale held interest ‘at every corner’ of the narrative, with surprises all the time. This was at a time when intellectuals and critics began to play-down the 9th and especially the finale. Debussy also said of the 9y”th

      “…a magnificent gesture of musical pride.”

  • Nicholas Ennos says:

    More globalist nonsense

  • Cubs Fan says:

    Why all the hate of Alsop? Is it that she’s a woman? An American? She is certainly not overrated, mediocre, or whatever else you may think. Her recordings of Prokofiev, Bernstein, Dvorak, Copland, Bartok…all superb. The Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet is one of the very finest ever done – better than Gergiev/LSO. Her promotion omodern composers is second to none. She paid her dues, is a terrific technician, has a fine baton technique and musicians love working with her.

    • Me says:

      No, it’s not because she is a woman, American or blond. I think most musicians (including myself) are just tired of working with someone who doesn’t have the suitable skills to stand on the podium and builds their career over social media and a** kissing. You can argue that every conductor does this to a certain extant, but the ones that get to conduct top orchestras like Chicago and Philadelphia usually have some fine musicianship skills, exceptional hearing (she is not even close to that) and deep understand of various musical styles (I played Mahler with her…. you can clearly hear that she doesn’t get it). I don’t know what musicians you talk to, but I can certainly tell you that there is a big portion of professionals and audience members that are not fooled by this “Alsop fashion” and definitely think she is overrated and consider her as a mediocre conductor. The bottom line – we don’t care if you are a man or a woman, an American or German, we just want quality. Alsop unfortunately, doesn’t bring much of it to the stage.

      • Saxon Broken says:

        Well, she isn’t in the running for Chicago, the Bavarian RSO or the Concertgebouw. She really has had a reasonable career conducting second-rank professional orchestras. So what if she is not top-top level. She is certainly competent enough to conduct the orchestras that employ her, and that is still pretty competent.

    • The View from America says:

      You seem to be watching a completely different movie and hearing a completely different soundtrack.

    • Me says:

      No, it’s not because she is a woman, American or blond. I think most musicians (including myself) are just tired of working with someone who doesn’t have the suitable skills to stand on the podium and builds their career over social media and a** kissing. You can argue that every conductor does this to a certain extant, but the ones that get to conduct top orchestras like Chicago and Philadelphia usually have some fine musicianship skills, exceptional hearing (she is not even close to that) and deep understand of various musical styles (I played Mahler with her…. you can clearly hear that she doesn’t get it). I don’t know what musicians you talk to, but I can certainly tell you that there is a big portion of professionals and audience members that are not fooled by this “Alsop fashion” and definitely think she is overrated and consider her as a mediocre conductor. The bottom line is – we don’t care if you are a man or a woman, an American or German, we just want quality. Alsop unfortunately, doesn’t bring much of it to the stage.

    • WiseGuy says:

      I know that orchestral musicians across the world hate working with her, especially in Cubs territory. Soloists make fun of her because she is so dense.
      Not sure who you are referring to except maybe her psychophants who show up at Cabrillo.

  • Esther Cavett says:

    ==Beethoven 9 is a beautiful work ruined an inane final movement.

    Yes – apparently Sir Henry Wood in Edwardian years, frequently programmed it in London with the first 3 movements only

  • A musician says:

    As musicians, we try to make a difference through music. Bravo to Alsop for bringing not only music to the world leaders at Davos, but also including young people in the European Union Youth Orchestra and singers from Brazil using new texts in Portuguese. This is exactly what the world leaders at Davos need to see and experience – music bringing people together, unity, joy, inclusiveness, and more. How fantastic that classical music will be a part of the opening of the Forum! How often does that happen at international events? Alsop throughout her career has dared to do things differently. She has the vision to make a difference in her communities and beyond through music. haters will hate I guess… As a musician who has worked with her, she is an excellent and superb conductor – full of passion, depth and insights. She is also down to earth, caring, kind and a real human being. Can’t say that about many conductors coming through our podiums.

  • WiseGuy says:

    Alsop will suck up to anyone with power, money, or the ability to make her appear more important in her Wikipedia entry. I can’t think of any group that captures what is wrong with this winner-takes-all world than the Davos International Forum, who have perfected using everyone else for their own enrichment. They will love her.

  • debuschubertussy says:

    I feel the more hate Alsop gets, the more plum gigs and positions she wins. So keep at it, all haters out there.

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