Enough of these marshmallow maestro movies
NewsFirst there was the soft-centred ‘documentary’ on Marin Alsop.
Titled ‘The Conductor’, it claimed to ‘trace the long and difficult rise of Marin Alsop to the podiums of major international symphonies.’
Except it didn’t.
There was very little process, only hagiolatrous footage of Marin at work and in a formal interview.
There is so much more to her than this.
Now there’s a similar doc on Dudamel, titled ¡Viva Maestro! and promoted as ‘the world’s most dynamic conductor’.
I haven’t seen it yet but the NY Times fluffs it up as: ‘The documentary “Viva Maestro” follows Dudamel, combining vérité footage of him in rehearsals with interviews in which Dudamel explains how orchestras can help young people create a more beautiful world.’
Basta!
A ridiculously overrated conductor who shouldn’t be allowed to stand in the same room as a Mahler score, let alone conduct one.
Why do you say that about Gustatory Dudamel?
I guess you’ll be happy when someone makes a film called “The Blogger!” But, I have a feeling it’s going to be a long wait.
The NYT makes a point of criticizing it as too full of talk w/o enough reportage.
Oh the delicious irony in that comment!!
I turned it off after 20 minutes. Much better is the documentary on Kleiber, ‘I am lost to the world”. Now that was a Conductor!!!!
Of course, he’d be a victim of generation hashtag if he was around today!!
Yes. And there’s one about Alondra de La Parra, and others about Kleiber and Celibidacche. What’s the problem with that? Some of us are actually interested in watching conductors conduct, rehearse, and talk about music and their careers. AND if those documentaries can bring a child into the world of classical music or even on the podium, what’s not to like. If you don’t like them don’t watch them.
If you’re interested in “watching” conductors conduct, you need a different hobby.
How can anybody ethically trash a film before watching it?
This is SlippedDisc- ethics has nothing to do with it!
Do you mean “Enough of these NY Philharmonic/Chicago Symphony Music Director audition-videos”?
You have cried Wolf so many times on both artists, Norman. Sorry.
1000% agreed, fflambeau!
Cried Hugo Wolf, you mean?
The NYT was actually quite critical of it:
But the documentary lacks the rigor it would take to turn this warm portrait into a proper cinematic symphony. The protests in Venezuela represent a major upheaval for Dudamel, even resulting in the death of one of his musicians. But the director Ted Braun does not take the time to show the protests or to explain what has prompted them, and so, much of the film’s conflict feels indistinct. Braun prefers to fondly listen to Dudamel’s musings in interviews. But even the most passionate speakers can come off as rambling with enough repetition.
Dulce de leche
The difficulty with these kind of documentaries about famous classical musicians is that their tone is of someone who wants you to buy a second-hand car.
…..when the wheels fall off during the first run!!
… or did you mean to say sell instead of buy?
Anyway, of course you know that you are not adressed with these kind of documentaries…
Nauseating. Dudamel was the willing, knowing, well paid, de facto cultural ambassador for a regime that destroyed his country over two decades, a regime whose closest ally is Vladimir Putin. It took a dead musician – shot in the neck at point blank range 3 years after the first round of deadly protests – and pressure for the LA Phil board for him to utter his banal generalities about democracy. Yet, Gergiev is out and Dudamel is deified in fawning documentaries designed specifically to launder that inconvenient past. New York Phil is next. No doubt. This is the “rinse and spin” cycle of that concerted washing process. Well, that’s just how it is. Brutality from the Left always gets a pass, even a T-shirt. Stupid, uninformed, self-serving world.
British philosopher (and jusicologist) Roger Scruton has explained in various of his books how and why the far left excuses its grand-scale crimes: if you are anti-fascist, you kill for an ideal that is JUST.
“There is so much more to her than this.”
You wanna bet?
With bogus refulgences like “…help young people create a more beautiful world” what could possibly go wrong??!!