Hamburg loves Alan Gilbert
NewsThe last-but-one music director of the New York Philharmonic has been renewed as principal conductor at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie until 2029, a striking vote of confidence.
Alan Gilbert will be past 60 before he leaves. He is also music director of Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm.
The NDR Hamburg Orchestra is way better than the New York Phil…..
No. Certainly not in the brass and woodwinds.
Their Youtube videos are great. Excellent orchestra, beautiful hall, engaged audience; what’s not to like?
By 2029 Alan Gilbert will have been with the NDR Elbphilharmonie for 10 years. That’s longer than all his predecessors but Hans-Schmidt Isserstedt (1945-1971).
All NDR principal conductors have been famous, and mostly first rate, but why have there been generally short?
Back in the day, the NDR orchestra was notorious for making the lives of their conductors miserable.
Because after 10 years we all hate our bosses.
Two NDR tenures are particularly striking for their brevity: Tennstedt and Blomstedt lasted two seasons in Hamburg, 1979–1981 and 1996–1998. Their names rhyme, and neither have been famous for big egos. What was going on?
Günter Wand was with the orchestra for 9 years, and when he resigned at age 80, he still conducted the NDR again and again for his final 10 years.
Alan Gilbert was also renewed for a 2nd term when he was in NY.
Nearly every major music director of every orchestra is renewed after one term and serves another term.
It’s only big news when a music director is not renewed for a 2nd term.