Daniel Barenboim will play piano again in public
NewsThe Berlin Philharmonie has made changes to Sunday’s upcoming programme in order to pay homage to the late director Jürgen Flimm:
In memory of Jürgen Flimm, Cecilia Bartoli is going to sing two arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: the concert aria »Ch’io mi scordi di te? … Non temer, amato bene« for soprano, piano and orchestra KV 505 and the aria of Sesto »Parto, ma tu ben mio« from the opera »La clemenza di Tito« KV 621, instead of the song cycle »Les nuits d’été« by Hector Berlioz. Jürgen Flimm has had a special connection to Mozart’s operas (and his music in general) – he staged many of them in his work as a director, oftentimes with Cecilia Bartoli. Daniel Barenboim will participate in this homage and play the solo of the concert aria KV 505.
sans context, the headline might imply he only ever plays forte
The man is incorrigible. Unbelievable. Let him perform and keep him alive. He is truly the last of a line of those of who, despite the riches their talent harvests, put music before personal gain.Barenboim can only ever be on stage, let’s enjoy and support his duty as long as we can.
The Staatskapelle has made changes, not the Philharmonie. It’s a regular subscription concert by Barenboim and the Staatskapelle, which just happens to be at the Philharmonie (it’s repeated at the Staatsoper the next day).
Incidentally, I’m disappointed at the change – the Nuits d’été are great, and it’s rather inelegant to change an all-Berlioz program at the last minute. I’d have preferred the initially programmed Nuits d’été over some scattered Mozart arias.
I agree.
Incidentally, they’ve also replaced a 30-minute song cycle by two arias totalling around 17 minutes. Surely they could have thrown in a third one, Deh Vieni, non tardar, Come Scoglio, or the other Sesto aria from La Clemenza di Tito.
Either that or there’ll be long speeches and an encore.
“…long speeches..”
Barenboim can really go on when he makes speeches
Surely there was an encore and a little speech in memoriam Jürgen Flimm, bringing first half to about 45 minutes.
There was indeed, though the longest part was undoubtedly logistical: moving the piano out to the side after Ch’io mi scordi, moving chairs for Parto Parto, moving the piano back to let the harpsichord in, moving out the piano again…
Wonderful., His performances serve to remind us of our common
humanity!
Is it too much to hope that he might have actually practiced the piece?
So, several things I had never seen before: first, Barenboim harpsichordist (in the encore, Lascia la spina, which required a 5-minute pause to move the piano around to put in a harpsichord), and arguably a very good one! Second, an aria with three conductors! In Ch’io mi scordi di te, Barenboim waved hands from the piano sometimes, Bartoli systematically cued her own entries with musicians and the concertmaster (which at times led her to turn 360 degrees), and at one point the concertmaster was seen visibly beating in four with his bow. In Parto, Parto, Bartoli clearly took over the final cabaletta of the aria and set her own tempo.
In the Symphonie Fantastique, Barenboim did what was needed, no more, no less, seated, but got an overall good result. The orchestra played very well – predictably, in a somewhat timid and slow performance, but one which delivered (as a good Berlioz always does).
Barenboim started with a speech dedicating the music, a minute of silence, and then admonished a photographing spectator between movements 2 and 3 of the Berlioz. Berlin clearly loves him too – rousing standing ovation at the end.
Your Bartoli story indicates that they probably hadn’t rehearsed. Thanks for the rest of the report.
it’s very sad