Berlin Phil finds last-minute local saviour
NewsWhen the French soprano Julie Fuchs called in sick for tonight’s performance of Debussy’s La Damoiselle élue, brows were furrowed in the Berlin Philharmonic bunker. Not many sopranos carry that elusive work in their memory, least of all within easy flying distance.
Calls were made.
Happily, a replacement was found right in Berlin, within a bus ride of the Philharmonie.
Step forward Anna Prohaska, Austrian and British by nationality but a Berliner by residence.
UPDATE Anna writes: ‘Insane jump-in tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. Just got back home from Vienna late last night. 9:30am phone calls and messages on my phone from the Berlin Phil – dress rehearsal at 10:10am in front of a small audience and cameras.’
Tonight’s programme now reads:
Berliner Philharmoniker
François-Xavier Roth conductor
Isabelle Faust violin
Anna Prohaska soprano
Adèle Charvet mezzo-soprano
Ladies of the Rundfunkchor Berlin choir
Paul Dukas Polyeucte: Ouverture
Béla Bartók Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2, Sz 112
Claude Debussy La Damoiselle élue
Paul Dukas L’Apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)
Isabelle Faust and Anna Prohaska could perform Kurtágs “Kafka-Fragmente” as encore – as they have been touring with this wonderful work …
Philip Roth meets F-X Roth. Love it.
Wow. That is impressive. And what a terrific program, as well.
As a concert goer: This Roth guy – could someone explain? Such a boring conductor, low charisma on stage, pretencious and pompous programs, weird technique.
Just a musicians conductor?
Bullshit writ large.He is a fantastic musician,has fantastic ears,musicality,technique,charisma….I played about 30 times under him,musicians and audiences love him .Great programs too,for those who love more then Tchaik 5 and Beethoven 5 for the umpteenth time.He is a conductor for people with ears and a music appreciation level above an insect,yes.
I might have bought tickets for some of your concerts, then. Thank you for calling me an insect only because you disagree.
Have you actually used your ears? Roth brings a fresh and insightful sound to almost every piece he conducts, such that you hear new details in pieces you may have known for decades.
I don’t see anything remotely pompous in the programme listed above?
Are we still in the 1980s? Comes home to messages on her phone? No calls to her iPhone? No e-mails? No texts?