Breaking: Cate Blanchett to conduct German orchestra

Breaking: Cate Blanchett to conduct German orchestra

News

norman lebrecht

September 09, 2021

The Dresden Philharmonc Orchestra has been hired for a week to perform with Cate Blanchett in the podiium, in a film about a woman who is appointed music director of a major German orchestra.

Shooting will start on September 16 in the concert hall of Dresden’s Kulturpalast.

In addition to Blanchett’s scenes, the orchestra will also be filmed performing Mahler’s fifth symphony under the direction of Stanislav Kochanovsky.

The director is Todd Fields. Much of the rest of the film will be shot in Berlin. The soundtrack is composed by the Grammy-winning Icelander, Hildur Guðnadóttir.

You read it here first.

An Australian actor and director, Blanchett, 52, speaks fluent German.


Cate Blanchett in The Good German

Comments

  • A.L. says:

    Great news. Blanchett is at the very pinnacle of favourite actors.

  • Genius Repairman says:

    Cate will be fantastic!

  • Marija Knežević says:

    Cate Blanchett is very much possibly currently the best not only actor, though that would be more tnan enpugh, but interpretor, thinker, explorer, minds reader… Her approach to art in general is amazing. At the same time so beautiful.
    A poet from Belgrade sends her a hug.

  • Karl says:

    A film about a woman who is appointed music director of a major German orchestra? Is this some kind of dystopian science fiction film?

    • RW2013 says:

      No, sad reality.

    • SLS says:

      Please read up on female conductors & music directors such as Marin Alsop who conducts the noted Baltimore Philharmonic & who guest conducted the prestigious New York Philharmonic in August 2021 USA. Also Susan Malikk (sp.) who conducts the Helsinki Philharmonic & other notable orchestras.

    • Pete kurian says:

      why not? Obviously the German orchestra thinks she is talented ; then let it be.I am sure she is more talented than all of us making our comments here !! Instead of tearing her apart even in a movie ,try encouraging her ! that’s what I would do !!!

  • J Barcelo says:

    I hope she “conducts” better than Charlton Heston in that god-awful film “Counterpoint”.

    • V. Lind says:

      What are the odds? Cate Blanchett is a serious and gifted artist, whereas Heston was as lifelike as a two-by-four both onscreen and off.

      When I read this header I thought CB was being drafted in as a guest conductor. It appears from the story that she is to play one. My bad; I fall for the clickbait every time.

    • Karl says:

      I never saw that one. I read that Charlton Heston spent up to 5 hours a day at rehearsals conducting Beethoven’s Fifth. I liked Rex Harrison’s conducting in Unfaithfully Yours. I read that he was imitating Beecham.

  • Brettermeier says:

    “speaks fluent German.”

    Do you know that for a fact or do you think so because she spoke German in a movie once?

  • Barry Guerrero says:

    I assume they’re going to avoid the second and third movements of Mahler 5, because both of those are sand-traps for the conductor. By that, I mean they have lots of tempo changes, both sudden and gradual. They also have plenty of tricky pauses and such. It would be difficult to fake and coordinate that stuff. Regardless, I hope this turns out to be a good film.

  • pvl says:

    Re: “speaks fluent German”

    Can she read a score? Does she know musical notes?

    • SJK says:

      That is not really relevant. Her job as an actress is to convince us that she does.

      • Brettermeier says:

        “That is not really relevant. Her job as an actress is to convince us that she does.”

        Wait. Are you saying that Patrick Stewart might not be a real starship captain?

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