How Barenboim built Berlin
OrchestrasWhen Daniel Barenboim arrived as Generalmusikdirector of Berlin’s State Opera 30 years ago both he and the company were looking a bit shabby. The opera house on Unter den Linden was struggling to recover from an insidious East German mentality and Barenboim was still reeling from being sacked in Paris as music director of the Bastille Opera before it even opened.
Conductor and opera comany felt an affinity of grievance and an ambition to improve. Barenboim had an away job as music director of the Chicago Symphony. He also knew that a segment of the Berlin Philharmonic would want him to succeed Claudio Abbado. When Abbado resigned in 1998 and the players chose Simon Rattle over Barenboim, he showed no resentment. On the contrary, he carried on conducting the Philharmonic in non-Rattle repertoire and formed a wacky friendship with the British conductor.
The mature Barenboim had larger plans. He made the Staatsoper Berlin’s #1 opera house, outshining the Deutsche Oper in West Berlin, and raised support locally for the Said Barenboim Akademie that he saw as a lasting legacy to music education and Middle East harmony.
Other conductors came and went – Thielemann, Ivan Fischer, Kirill Petrenko, Nagano, Sokhiev, Runnicles, to name a few – but Barenboim has been the fulcrum of musical life for three decades in the reunited German capital, the one who could call up the Chancellor and get what he wanted. If his management style was at times autocratic, people knew where they stood with Barenboim. There was no duplicity, no intrigue.
His departure is epochal. When we look back on this era in times to come, it will be evident that Barenboim, more than anyone, made Berlin the music capital of the world.
Munich is, was and always will be more important than Berlin.
Helen, I’m not challenging your comment. But I’d like to understand it, as someone outside of Germany who does not know these things. Why do you (and probably others) consider Munich more important than Berlin in opera?
I’m not a big fan of Barenboim as an interpreter, but I don’t question his brilliance (seeing him conduct Tristan with the CSO in Carnegie Hall back in 2001 – totally mastery – was a thing of wonder).
I admire that while the Berlin Phil never selected him, he maintained a good relationship with the orchestra and is now a revered figure there, rather than a bitter crosstown rival (and Sir Simon seems to have a second home at the Staatsoper now, too).
His legacy will indeed outshine most others, his musical genius and versatility was accompanied by his exemplary pan-humanism. (even though also he as a normal human was far from being free of the pettiness of choleric outbursts and their toxic fallout.)
But this is not about a ranking or competition. As culture and civilization functions, he built and enlarged on the foundation of others. Too many to name in the case of Berlin. Nikisch, Furtwängler, Karajan, Erich Kleiber, etc. etc.
I hope his humanism – which goes far beyond and above Daniel Barenboim the musician – will continue to inspire, make this world a better place and bring humanity forward from its tribal psychopathology.
And I hope despite him stepping down as MD, we will continue hearing from him as much as possible as musician and humanistic activist.
Thank you!
whom do you consider tribal psychopathologists?
Anybody who is unable to overcome his tribal instincts for identifying with humanity as a whole. “Alle Menschen werden Brüder”.
Those who’s identity depends on dividing people, rather than unifying them.
Nationality is a construct. Humanity is not.
all people are brothers, but all brothers are not the same and I believe differences should be accepted and respected
Woke-ists and identitarians. (Shudder)
Thank you Norman for this article.
Mario
Berlin the Music Capital of the World? I would think London tops Berlin, not only for classical music, but the vast range of other genres readily available.
Not sure about London, but indeed, living in Berlin, I can’t help but note all the major singers who are *not* singing in Berlin and who I haven’t seen here. The three major opera houses largely run on ensembles (the Deutsche Oper more than the Staatsoper).
It’s a great town for music, for sure, and levels are high. But it’s not as if everyone is in Berlin all the time.
The major singers, even more so their agents, have a slight preference for cities where the money is, not always where the music is. Berlin is rich in many ways, but not with money. It paid the price for Germany losing its war like no other German town, and that has shaped its reality ever since.
Typical Danny. He got on well with Simon. Lovely article.
Veritable Love-Fest for him tonight in the Philharmonie, standing ovations all round for Marthas Schumann (and the touching four-handed Petit Mari, Petite Femme! as encore), and the mystic, autumnal Brahms 2.
Wonderful stuff!!
He is a modern great.
I once heard him conduct a free for the public Wagner, Tristan Und Isolde.
Kudos.
“… Barenboim, more than anyone, made Berlin the music capital of the world.”
Remember Karajan.
Karajan was never a Berliner. Flew in only for a few weeks per year and stayed in a hotel.
Barenboim is at home in Berlin and raised a family here.
A great genius musician with a child from the Musikkindergarten: the same interest as for a famos college. Very very sad that this golden times will end soon.
Hope DB does not scare the child … A genius can be intimidating …