Concertgebouw books Jaap
mainThe headless Concertgebouw orchestra has secured funds for some more free streamed concerts.
First conductor they call in? New York Phil’s Jaap Van Zweden.
Nothing like giving new talent a chance.
Press release:
On 16 April Paavo Järvi will conduct the Concertgebouworkest in Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ Symphony preceded by Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, K.491 with pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, who will be making his debut with the orchestra.
On 23 April, Jaap van Zweden will conduct the Concertgebouworkest in a new programme with baritone Matthias Goerne singing Lieder by Schubert and Richard Strauss and Der Einsiedler, a world premiere by Detlev Glanert, followed by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
On 30 April, the orchestra will be streaming a programme recorded on 8 November 2020, with Daniel Harding conducting Stravinsky’s Apollon musagète and Messiaens Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum.
They should just make Jaap the Chief Conductor as his days in NYC are numbered.
There was a poll last year inside the orchestra and he was not very popular. A suprise for me because he was the front runner to be the next musical director after the decision of Fischer to don’t take the job.
He was 1st concertmaster of the KCO for years, so that may create some Dutch irritation (‘who do you think you are?’).
He fills the house, at least as much as they are allowed to fill at the moment.
Not sure how much you follow the classical music world, but big A-list orchestras are not generally inclined to book non-A-list conductors. Top Dutch orchestra booking top Dutch conductor? Not exactly a man-bites-dog story here.
Also, Jaap van Zweden has really never ever bitten a dog.
No but you certainly kiss quite a bit of hindquarters here.
No serious conductor since Karajan bites pet animals. And at the time HvK was drunk.
Jaap after his glorious years as Konzertmeister at the RCO in the 80’s and his promising first years as director is not exactly a rooky. And frenquently the RCO make some concerts with not famous and young directors ex : Dima Slobodeniouk.
Norman, a quick glance at the RCO season brochure for 2020/21 would tell you that van Zweden has been booked for this period all along. He is coming to honour a commitment for which he has been contracted since before Covid. The programme and soloist have changed.
The headline, as is often the case here, is misleading. Paavo Järvi and Daniel Harding are also booked.
This is not a time to stream an unknown conductor doing unpopular works. The consumer has many options to chose from now.
The impact of the virus on the human brain results in a narrower perceptive capacity.
From that list it would seem that the first conductor they have called in is Paavo Järvi.
I don’t understand this: “Nothing like giving new talent a chance”. Jaap Van Zweden certainly isn’t ‘new talent’!
Will, it was sarcasm – most propably.
Sad commentary on the state of the conducting world when jaap is so sought after. He conducts Mahler scherzos in three…give me a break man.
Right? I conduct Mahler scherzos in two-and-a-half.
Bruno Walter often conducted Mahler scherzi in 5 to be able to give more precise signals to the timpani. Bernstein sometimes would stop conducting at all during scherzi and spreading his arms à la Jesus because he gave up counting, was too hard.