Mourning for a great Russian Maestro, 76
NewsThe excellent Russian conductor Michail Jurowski died yesterday in a Berlin hospital of organ failure at the age of 76.
His two sons, Vladimir and Dmitri, are international conductors. His daughter, Maria, is a music teacher.
Mikhail Jurowski was descended from a Jewish musical dynasty. His father Wladimir was a composer, his grandfather the conductor David Block. Mikhail grew up in a family that was friendly with Dmitri Shostakovich and played four-hand as a young man with the composer.
His career in the Soviet Union was impeded by antisemitism (so his son has told me) and he left in 1989 for a post in East Germany. In 1999 he became principal conductor of Leipzig Opera for two years. From 1998 to 2006.[3] From 2006 to 2008, he was principal director of the WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln. He often conducted at Berlin Radio and across Scandinavia. In 1995 he conducted the premiere recording of Shostakovich’s unfinished opera, The Gamblers.
He had been in poor health over the past 20 years.
With soloist Vadim Gluzman
His son Vladmir Jurowski is chief conductor of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Generalmusikdirektor of Bavarian State Opera.
I first heard him conduct the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1992 and spoke with him in the musicians cafe next door afterwards. He was very intelligent and a fine musician. Later there was a sense that he was disappointed after missing out on several big name orchestra posts in the western world. Rest in peace, Misha.
During a short klarinet solo in Forza del Destino ovt maestro Jurowsky instructed the strings to play their one pizzicato …….
” not Robin Hood”.
From then on we all loved him !
Had several series of great concerts with him in the late 90’s early 00’s.
RIP
What a wonderful recollection, Nosema!
R.I.P., Maestro Jurowski.
I wonder did I see his last concert? He conducted the Irish NSO on 6th March 2020 in Dublin. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 and Prokofiev excerpts from Cinderella. Very enjoyable evening. I wonder did he conduct again after that/ May he RIP
I am aware of concert in February 2021 (see: https://www.rsb-online.de/konzerte/verzerrter-frohsinn-februar-2021-live-radiokonzert/). I do not know whether or not he conducted thereafter further concerts. Excerpts of the concert and more will be broadcasted today at deutschlandfunk.de. I will miss him. May he rest in peace.
Sad news! I had the marvelous opportunity to study orchestral Conducting with him at Riva Música Festival in July , 2018. He called me my old pupil and I could be In touch with the most important concepts of a Golden Conducting School in practice! My Dear Maestro, many thanks for everything mainly for your generosity and wisdom. Rest In Peace my beloved maestro!!!
Another memory of the great man…when a players entrance musically amused him he would flick his baton at the orchestral perpetrator as if he was sending a spitball at them. I was once the recipient of one of these ‘spitballs’ as I represented the galloping horses in Elektra. Every time that I hear the passage in the opera I think fondly of him.
What a family! 🙂
His Met debut was, alas, cancelled due to Covid. His concerts in Washington were cancelled for teh same reason.
RIP.
I loved him conducting ballet music, especially that full-length Raymonda at la Scala.
It’s when Glazunov came close to Mahler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_12TCi9aTw
I saw him in Basel in November 2021, he conducted Beethoven’s Emperor piano concerto and Shostakovich’s 15th Symphony. Not very impressed by the results, probably due to the orchestra not at its best state, although Shostakovich is always amazing. Jurowski was also very weak and was taken to the stage from a wheelchair… He looked simple and modest. It’s a sad news…