Compromised Currentzis keeps wriggling on Russia
NewsThe Russian-based Greek conductor Teodor Currentzis and his German SWR orchestra have issued a joint statement calling for ‘peace and reconciliation’ in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Currentzis does not condemn the Russian invasion, nor will he limit his involvements in Russia, some of which are funded by a sanctioned state bank.
The SWR orchestra has capitulated to his wishes in an equivocal statement that verges on shameful acquiescence.
Here’s the wording:
The SWR Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Teodor Currentzis will start their European tour on March 27, 2022. As an appeal for peace and reconciliation, the orchestra and its chief conductor agreed on a Ukrainian-German-Russian program at short notice. Instead of the originally planned works by Marko Nikodijevic and Johannes Brahms, compositions by Oleksandr Shchetynsky, Jörg Widmann and Dmitrij Shostakovich will be heard.
The discussions between Teodor Currentzis, the orchestra management and the orchestra board have clearly confirmed that the musical collaboration is based on shared values and beliefs. Teodor Currentzis and the members of the SWR Symphonieorchester unequivocally support the common appeal for peace and reconciliation. The SWR does not expect any further statement or even the abandonment of its artistic activity in Russia from its chief conductor. Teodor Currentzis has never said anything true to the system, but has often emphasized that he sees music as a connecting force that can build bridges. The SWR is aware of the financial support of its ensemble musicAeterna based in St. Petersburg by the Russian VTB Bank. From today’s perspective, this is certainly problematic, but it has existed for a longer period of time. In hindsight, a supportive stance for the ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine cannot be derived from this. To what extent the financing by the VTB Bank for musicAeterna will be continued is, according to the current knowledge of the SWR, open.
Kai Gniffke, director of SWR: “With our comprehensive and transparent reporting on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the ongoing information on aid campaigns and donation options, we are making it clear that our solidarity is with the people who are victims of this terrible war, who are losing their homes and have to fear for their lives. However, we are not helping anyone or even ending the war if we condemn artists who live and work in Russia in a blanket way and automatically end the collaboration. Teodor Currentzis has given us no reason to doubt that he also speaks out unequivocally for peace. Because that has always been his artistic vision: to contribute to a peaceful coexistence and to overcome borders with the help of music. He is pursuing this goal together with the members of the SWR Symphonieorchester with the program of the tour that is now starting.”
photo: SWR
The SWR Symphony Orchestra is doing the right thing keeping Currentzis as chief conductor and proceeding with their tour. His relationship with Musicaeterna is entirely independent of his relationship with the SWR, but anyway, to force him to say something negative about the Russian government would put his Russian orchestra (which he founded and built from the ground up) as well as all of the most-likely innocent musicians in the orchestra, at risk of losing everything. What good would that honestly do for anybody? Anyone who knows Currentzis knows that he does not stand for violent terror, wherever it may arise. Forcing him to make a statement, knowing how many innocence people’s lives that would destroy, seems ludicrous. Haven’t enough lives already been destroyed in this horrible invasion?
” Anyone who knows Currentzis knows ….”
I know everything that I need to know about this scammer and pseudo artist I would ever need to know having been in Perm during his whole much vaunted shit show.
I have watched him “rehearse”. What a joke.
I have seen his crappy Diaghilev festival swaggering (my mother was in the ballet Russe), trained by Pavlova’s assistant Nordi.
I have spoken with the pianists who do the daily tough work of rehearsing singers (one of them is our neighbour).
I have seen the girls swooning over him, begging him for his narcissistic favours.
I have seen the crappy Sony vinyl releases and the way he helped himself to vast sums of Russian money.
I want to throw up, because I have seen great conductors at work myself, unassuming, humble but fantastic artists – the absolute antithesis of the PR pusher Correntzis.
I remember the truly wonderful Roddy Brydon and him able to inspire musicians to do anything for him for sheer love of music making.
Fricsay was the same ilk.
’nuff said.
tear up Correntzis passport, hand him over to Russia and revoke all schengen visas to his orchestra Music Aeterna…so we see for real how “eternal” they are not when faced with working in Russia at normal wages like far better musicians than them have to do every day of the week.
My dear you speak with such a frustration… I’m curios to know who you are to avoid to attend a mediocre performance
“who you are to avoid to attend a mediocre performance”
SD readers have known for a while that the Russian trolls on this site aren’t the brightest bulbs ever, but this takes the cake. People, don’t drink coffee when reading SD posts, unless you want to prove right the cliché I-was-just-drinking-coffee-when-I-set-eyes-on-this-and-it-almost-ended-up-all-over.
It’s so transparent that you are jealous and that you don’t possess even 1% of his talent or charisma. Currentzis has been and continues to a breath of fresh air in the world of Classical music and is nothing short of an inspiration to all those that have had the privilege of working with him. I am so looking forward to the Sony release of his conducting Beethoven’s 9th!
You’ve obviously not listened to the music….
Most Ukrainian musicians I know would disagree passionately with you, and would plead for the opposite.
Still, you know best…
Sanctions are made to hurt. If it hurts Musicaeterna so be it! “innocents musicians losing everything” how does that compare to the population of Mariupol?
Long, windy, defensive, unoriginal, but less pious than the other one. Why this overused “build bridges” cliché in every announcement?
Translation: Russian artists are greedy for Western gigs, and some Western institutions are only to happy to support them in their quest, on taxpayers’ dime if need be. The SWR Symphony Orchestra couldn’t find a more worthy recipient for compulsory German taxpayer largesse than this clown.
First the SWR disbands the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra. Now they’re bending over backwards to support this Russian shill. And folks think arts organizations in the US are poorly run…
Correntzis a first rate A-hole.
Tear up his passport and send him back to Russia.
He can suck up to his other ex-Musin best mate PR and Putin Lover Gergiev.
Some people have no shame
Both of them are toast.
He speaks well of you, though.
I just can’t look at him and not think of Marilyn Manson. Am I alone?
Marilyn Manson has more entertainment value! But you are right, MM is probably the role model for Currentzis to get publicity by provocating…
Yes. Enjoy the company!
It looks like you are the lone one in this comment thread. Enjoy yourself.
Oh, don’t we all want ‘peace and reconciliation’. I mean, who can object to that? Jeremy Corbyn spouted it all the time. You’re either ‘for us or against us’. Where does ‘peace and reconciliation’ align itself? Nowhere.
Shameful, SWR! Shameful, Currentzis!
Have you seen those “open rehearsal” type things he does with the SWR orchestra? Available free on YouTube. Absolutely the most cringey display of narcissism I’ve seen in a long time. How the orchestra can put up with that, I’ll never understand. I’d sooner quit.
He’s like a hipster Furtwangler.
Bravo, David!
The best description I have seen of Currentzis!
Seriously, though, as a musician TC is not even on the same planet as WF. Just look at those embarrassing YouTube vids that True North mentioned.
Unglaublich, SWR!!!!
Western nations, having proudly declared their impotence in the face of Putin’s aggression, now seek to make European citizens pay for their leaders’ cowardice. ‘We won’t do anything, but you, little fool, have to speak up or you’ll lose your job’. Loathsome behaviour.
What impotence, Putin’s war clearly doesn’t unfold as hoped by him, and shouldn’t you call it “special operation”? What with Putin’s continuous babble about the greatness of the Russian Empire, I’m sure you are looking forward to modern serfdom.
You are unwittingly asserting the desirability of the Western world above Russia when you whine about Russians and their supporters losing jobs in the West. No one whines about losing jobs in Russia. Rotflol.
What are you talking about? Incoherent babble.
Unbelievable! How?
Is there any indication or evidence that Currentzis has some sympathy for Putin or his invasion ? My guess is that for Putin and his ilk, Currentzis represents everything he hates about the cosmopolitan and decadent West. He will hardly approve something like the DAU project, which was by the way shot in Kharkiv/Ukraine.
This isn’t the only thing that Currentzis is wriggling. https://slippedisc.com/2019/02/the-conductor-who-shows-off-his-parts/
You are affording this man far too much attention and importance.
“The SWR is aware of the financial support of its ensemble musicAeterna based in St. Petersburg by the Russian VTB Bank. From today’s perspective, this is certainly problematic, but it has existed for a longer period of time.” So a long period of time makes something bad, tolerable?
The point of “cancelling”Russian artists is surely to add cumulative weight on Russians to repudiate their leader. Harsh on them, but important if there is to be any reasonable resolution to a conflict caused by evil acts of the Russian leader.
Anyone see his Prokofiev 5 rehearsal video on YouTube? What a complete charlatan!
An orchestra that hired him in the first place — would it be worth listening to? After all, long before TC the ‘politician’ and TC the ‘film star’ there was TC the ‘musician’.
SWR has no plan B. A thoroughly uninspired, uncreative and bureaucratic institution. Just when they thought they could buy themselves some inspiration, with a joke of a chief conductor contract (six weeks a season? LMAO) the clown they hired gets into murky political waters.
What’s their next move?
With what has this music-killer and Mozart-killer deserved special traetment in this crazy world today. I am very much against bannig russian culture, artists etc from the worlds scene, and some really great ones (musicians and works) have been banned for no really good reason except for being Russian. But this frog-larvae, he may stay … good intentions there or not, why , for God sake him???
We can only guess what made him attractive to Sony Classics: That he sold them full opera productions produced dirt cheap and with Russian money?
I feel sorry for the AE musicians, on who’s slave labor the Currentzis Cult was based on.
Such weakness. Replace “peace and reconciliation” with “justice and war crimes tribunals” and that would be fine. Otherwise, fire him.
If he is for peace than he should stand up for it! What else is there to say? Some wishy- washy garbage statement from an orchestra …
Let’s also not forget (since so many people seem to be of the belief that ALL Russians should be punished because of Putin’s invasion) that Currentzis (or Correntzis, as a certain jackass keeps writing) is only kind-of Russian. He was born and raised in Greece by (I think) Greek parents. He studied and set up his career in Russia and has dedicated his talents (yes, he’s very talented whether you like him or not) to that country. He is not a full-on Russian, and NO, he doesn’t spend his evenings schmoozing with Vladimir. You people writing such scathing things about Currentzis really ought to get a life.
He is talented because an anonymous dude, pompously calling himself “Maestro”, writes so on SD? Some people are too full of themselves.
He’s a parvenu and holds his hands out to both sides. Interesting article in the SPIEGEL —> https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/teodor-currentzis-und-der-swr-der-stardirigent-und-das-russische-geld-a-7c485afe-2d06-490d-a45b-19e65c00b0b1
It is enough to say only two words “No to war!” , – and you will immediately be forced to become a member.
One question for Currentzis:
Does Vladimir Putin support “Peace and Reconciliation”?