A game-changer at the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics
NewsAfter two years of postponed auditions for vacant seats, both orchestras rolled out their new members yesterday, and nothing will ever be the same.
The Berlin Phil made most play of its new principal viola, its first Chinese musician. Diyang Mei is 27, an ARD winner who became principal at the Munich Phil.
That orchestra is really sorry to see him go – and not necessarily for the obvious reasons. Berlin has just shown that it can entice top talent from any band in Germany and there’s nothing Munich can do about it. There will be bruised egos on the Isar this morning.
Berlin’s other four hires are drawn, with one exception, from its Karajan Academy. That sends out another loud message: this orchestra grows its own.
As for the Vienna Philharmonic, it now has four American musicians as candidate members.Who would ever have imagined that? The most significant is the US Korean Hannah Cho, the first Asian in an orchestra that has rigidly resisted certain races and, to some extent, still does. But Hannah is a ray of light.
The campaigner William Osborne, who has detailed the Vienna Phil’s predujices over more than two decades, acclaims it as a new dawn. ‘Given the immense influence of the VPO, this is a happy day for classical music and a sign the orchestra has truly changed. Bravo VPO!,’ he exclaims.
Only one of Vienna’s new hires is homegrown. Nothing stays the same.
Surely Ms. Cho’s hard work has paid off and we should recognize that Mr. Osborne’s blogging is not the reason she impressed the VPO
When Richard Nixon was asked why he was a member of a country club that did not admit Jews, he deftly replied, “Because I’m changing it from within”.
Mr. Osborne’s humourless and sometimes aggressive haranguing of many people over many years is a matter of record, but – as Gerry says above – surely not the reason for this appointment.
People who want to achieve change, get elected and DO.
Others just shout outside with placards – literal or metaphorical.
Of course, but the dig under the pseudonym “Gerry Feinsteen” reveals the resentment critics of the orchestra’s long history of racism continue to face.
Here is documentation about the VPO’s history of excluding Asians:
http://www.osborne-conant.org/blind.htm
Cheap shot. He wasn’t taking credit.
May the best players win the auditions. Good healthy stuff! Best wishes to all the successful candidates in both orchestras
Since the VPO has already perceptibly lost its fabled sound and style, joining the international community of elite orchestras in their anonymity, they might as well go for broke.
I would listen to them if they could hire some US/British brass players and loose their fabled brass sound.
They did have Ian Bousfield for a while. And Texas-born Kelton Koch is part of the State Opera orchestra, although not yet a VPO member.
American Jeremy Wilson was 2nd trombone while Ian was principle. And at the time, bass trombonist Hans Strocker played an American trombone instead of a German instrument. Their effect on the sound of the trombone section seemed minimal–though some might reasonably debate the point. The difference in sound between American and German trombones is relatively minimal.
Which is not a bad thing. Previously, British orchestras were essentially brass bands with strings attached.
Bah!Humbug!
They still use Wiener horns, Wiener oboes, German trombones (mostly,) German clarinets, and rotary valve trumpets. They’ve become more technically precise, but still have their unique sense of phrasing and coloring music. Many do not realize that another good example of the Vienna sound is the Czech Philharmonic. The history of this is interesting.
“All is flux. Nothing stays still.”
I welcome the new members but I was in Vienna last week and there still few women in the orchestra ,but it did sound fabulous in Peter Grimes.
Lest we forget. In life, the only constant is change.
Congrats!!!!
On the other side, a Chinese orchestra has 2 Europeans.
Yes, and both are conductors.