Berlin wobbles over next baton
OperaSubscribers of the Berlin State Opera are being kept waiting for a glimpse of Daniel Barenboim’s successor.
There were no clues at yesterday’s seasonn rollout. The favoured candidate, Christian Thielemann, will conduct just once – a Bruckner concert. Barenboim himself is still down to conduct a Brahms cycle on a November US tour. Seven women conductors are listed, led by Joana Mallwitz, Elim Chan, Marie Jacquot and Simone Young.
The ultimate decision will rest in the hands of a new intendant, Elisabeth Sobotka (pic).
Place your bets now.
It might be Philippe Jordan, who is about to end his Vienna Opera job at the end of 2024-25 season. He is conducting the Ring in Berlin un MarchApril- and he is a very fine Wagner Strauss conductor, and much younger and hard worker than Thielemann
Yes but he is over with opera. He is looking to conduct a philharmonic orchestra.
Jordan is overrated. Boring.
Thielemann had his momentum with jumping in successfully (with the orchestra) for Bruckner 7 and the Ring. He seemed then also to be an odd favorite of DB. The new Senat is likely shifting back from the left to the middle politically, so Thielemann’s chances should be rising with a CDU culture Senator.
But if they drag it out in the house, DB’s emeritus soft power fading away do ever slowly, anything might be possible.
Rattle as another local superstar conductor, with recent great rapport with the orchestra both in Mahler 9 and in the pit? (both Staatsoper Berlin and BRSO Munich are possible. Jurowski does the same in reverse)
I guess with SSR it would come very much down to if he wants it or not. Has he ever led an opera company?
Simone Young as “the woman”? She was an assistant to DB back in the day and was a regular in the pit Unter den Linden. The other women seem unlikely, either too unexperienced or bound elsewhere or both.
There’s always Lydia Tár…
Simone Young is not very good. And lacks the stature.
Thielemann the best-qualified Nazi.
There is no question that it’s Thielemann’s job, if he wants it.
Obviously he doesn’t have to prove himself after a ring cycle and some concerts he has conducted.
Other candidates they might be looking at are obviously those conducting operas AND concerts.
Those seem to be Jordan and Payare. Now, Payare is less likely, since he has (too) many jobs already, but Jordan would make much sense as a successor and a joker in case Thielemann doesn’t work out.
Also Thielemann is conducting the very popular open air concert with Alpensinfonie, so this is definitely a sign towards him.
Another conductor who has been obviously upgraded is Giedre Slekyte, conducting Rigoletto and a concert in Boulez-Saal.
The ultimate decision lies with the Kultursenator, not with the Intendantin.
And the decision, of course, is constrained by the level of interest and/or availability on the part of desired candidates.
Actual it is, a joint decision between the, Senat, the Intendantin and the Staatskappelle.
That’s very good and reasonable, but as far as I understand it, that’s the “soft” process, agreed by good will by all sides. Legally in the end all power lies with the ‘Dienstherr’, the Senat. AFAIK the GMD’s contract is legally only directly between the Senat and him/her. But I don’t know with absolute certainty.
Barenboim resigned in January, they’re launching their season in March. Understandable that they haven’t had the time to revamp the whole season in two months, especially given that an opera run is at least a month’s commitment, including rehearsals.
That being said, I commented before on this blog criticising Barenboim’s lack of orderly succession planning as he started getting sick – this is the result.
They should take their time and see how various eligible candidates pan out over a year or so. No need to rush anything.
Hoping a token female will not be appointed just to please the PC crowd. So sick and tired of them.
Hopefully the list includes blacks, Latinos, Latinx, LGBTSGAWTYNQ,
Asians, Luxembourgians, Eskimos, paraplegics, little people and, above all, deaf-mutes.
Ms Sobotka does not… how shalI I put this… look much like an ideal collaborator with and sponsor of Christian Thielemann? Quite a left wing face.
And VERY left wing hair!