Berlin Phil cold-shoulders Klaus Mäkelä
OrchestrasFirst reviews of the young Finn’s debut are discouraging.
Berliner Zeitung: In Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” Mäkelä finds some striking new phrasing – he takes back the ornamented repetition of the four-note main motif, as if this ornament were not intensification but disguise. He varies the repetitions of the secondary theme, which floats somewhat unfamiliarly above the first movement, by carefully treating secondary voices – but here, too, the lyrical power is dismantled, so to speak.
Morgenpost: The chemistry with the chief conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra was probably not right. The orchestra gave him the cold shoulder.
Tagespiegel: This (Pathetique) reading is provocative, diametrically opposed to the harrowing interpretation with which Kirill Petrenko made his debut as Philharmoniker chief conductor in 2017. But also in a pleasantly carefree way. So easy.
I wasn’t there live, but watched the Digital Concert Hall with a very good home theater setup. I rather enjoyed the Tchaikovsky – can’t stand watching him though; as Boult would have said, he’s “one of the sweaty ones.” Of course the Berliners could probably play a first-rate 6th by themselves without any conductor. The third movement was really driven and exciting; Berlin must have a very good audience because they didn’t burst into applause after it. The Shostakovich 6th was really good, too. From what I’ve heard, he has more going for him than the Dude did at the same age, but he’s way behind where Mehta was.
Hey, what’s going on? It was a good concert. I watched it via live streaming and thought it an extremely promising debut. Nice to see one or two new faces to the regular orchestral line up too.
Powerful and vocal enemies and lots of irritation among those who insist that music should be interpreted in one correct way, and they know best about it.
His “vocal” enemies have no power. Given how fast he rose, I doubt he has acquired “powerful” enemies yet.
I was there the first night, the balancing between the different groups of instruments was way off at times, the strings always too loud. Might have been better in streaming with strategically placed microphones.
One thing I noticed and that seemed very odd: The musicians hardly looked at him. It was like there were on autopilot, the BPO famously does that when they are not keen on a conductor… Curious to see if he’ll be back.
I was there the second night and had a very similar observation. He has nothing to say and just switches from one pose to another. I saw the same not-looking-at-him when the Concertgebouw was here last September with Mahler’s 6th. Two very mediocre evenings. I’ll wait at least 10 years for my next concert with him, if he’s still around…
I was there too (20th). He is a business man, going from place to place, he does not have time to listen. The Berliner did not seem impressed by him. He is too young for such a great orchestra. He has to learn from them, not the opposite. Tchaikowsky was ok but it is true that he seemed alone, musicians were playing without looking at him. I wanted to see him, I did. Next time, it will be with Petrenko, a sure value.
Strings were too loud in the Digital Concert Hall as well. That has been a complaint about his appearances in Cleveland and Chicago as well, I think.
I would agree. I heard him with the CSO in Mahler’s Fifth Symphony in February. It was an uneven account but he has promise.
Strings too loud in Tchaik 6?? Really?? All the great tunes in the symphony are written for the strings.
There are NO great tunes in Tchaikovsky no. 6. It’s like bathing in golden syrup.
I was at tonights´repeat concert.The response of the orchestra was far from cold,nor was the reaction of the players i spoke to….Music critics and their flights into innuendo, parallel worlds and alternative facts….Just BTW ,the last two quotations are deliberately torn out of context,both are very positive reviews….But if the joy of being negative and misanthropic gets the upper hand ….what can you mach…..
Where do you gather that those are positive reviews? If you read them in German, they are very middle of the road.
On the first night, the reaction of the orchestra seemed very cold. They hardly looked at Mäkelä.
I have never seen a poor performance by Klaus Mäkelä. What happened here is a pure demonstration of the arrogance and rudeness of the Berlin Philharmonic. A conductor can be no better than the musicians he conducts. It the musicians refuse to be conducted, you’ll get what you got here.
That would be the Berlin PRESS. We’ll eventually know how the Berlin Phil feels about him if they invite him back.
What bothers me is that even the most brilliant 27 YO is going to need time to mature. Who was Petrenko when he was 27? Even wunderkind Sir Simon?
Wherever Petrenko or Rattle were, I’m sure they were also judged on what they did on stage and compared to what other conductors did with the same orchestra – and so the same applies to Mäkelä. The only difference now is that Mäkelä gets compared to some of the best living conductors as he conducts some of the best orchestras out there, not in Meiningen or Birmingham.
Last night was my third Tchaikovsky 6 with BPO, I heard both Petrenkos and Thielemanns interpretations in the last decade. Mäkelä left me the coldest but that doesn’t mean it was bad – and I non of the critics I have read implies that, simply that others were better. Like you said, he has a lot of time to mature – and I hope the orchestra invites him back so we can witness it first hand.
For years Simon Rattle did not put his foot in Tel Aviv, he had come strongly unprepared to a Mahler’s symphony. The fact is that most of the “famous” guys have had years of study, discioline, learning, besides their talent. Mäkelä is nice, has good looks, has talent but they’re squuezing him like a lemon, and he’s recklessly allowing it. He’s leading a jet-set style of life, conducts important orchestras in a difficult repertoire, has barely time to sleep. His talent is holding well, but you can notice creaks: most of his interpretations are good with many uneven areas, much is very superficial albeit “nicely done”. It will take twenty years for him to grow up and develop his real talent. If they will not squeeze him dry before.
I recently heard Mäkelä lead Orchestre de Paris in Mahler II at Musikverein. I left feeling oddly empty: how can you have a resurrection when the conductor has no soul?
Maybe he sold it to the Devil. . . or to Dave Hurwitz. . .
I mean, Hurwitz completely crapped on his Sibelius set and has been vehemently against his wholeqnifactured career, so… I can’t agree with you.
On the other hand, you’ve got Dudamel, who among the famous conductors active now probably has the most “soul” (whatever that means) in his music making, and yet people would simply find something else to complain about him.
At least he didn´t add sugar to the bombast of this symphony,and pour his own emotions over those of the composer,a la Bernstein(which many confuse with”soul”)…..The most convincing versions of this over the top piece,which has all the flaws of a “Jugendwerk”are those,who let the music eloquently speak for itself,like Haitink,Boulez,Chailly,Abbado,Blomstedt ,Bychkov ,Welser Möst do,in very different ways….Mäkelä did exactly that…And the structure was transparent and lucid…Which is all important in this work,which all too often declines into empty,sentimental bombast
I take Bernstein over any of the names you mentioned, thank you very much.
I don´t…..can´t stand his overcooked versions.It´s more about himself than Mahler….Reminds me of George Szell´s bonmot:”You don´t pour whipped cream on a black forest gateau….”
Bernstein was a very faithful Mahler interpreter from the stuff I’ve seen in the scores.
Everyone in (not only) that orchestra knows so much more about music -even about just that symphony – than this guy…
Too late for the Concertgebouw to have second thoughts.
Concertgebouworkest, or at least one of their concertmasters, seems to be extremely happy with the decision. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqu5SjcoYOV/
No comment on his clothes, shoes, or looks? How disappointing. The last time Yuja Wang played with Berlin Philharmonic, that is all some local critics had to say about her. She, by the way, really did have bad chemistry with the orchestra. Of the three works she played with them, much better live recordings exist with other orchestras. This time at least the orchestra sounded fairly committed.
Here’s mine of last night’s webcast: http://www.colinscolumn.com/berliner-philharmoniker-klaus-makela-conducts-the-sixth-symphonies-of-shostakovich-tchaikovsky-live-digital-concert-hall-webcast/
We should not forget BPO is the world’s best orchestra. Some of these conductors receive accolades in less demanding cities, where audiences are not used to the very best level of music making. For example, this young conductor got hired in Amsterdam where the level of the orchestra is not top. He also received enthusiastic reviews in Chicago, another place that seems to have gotten worse for a while. In Berlin, it’s a different story. The orchestra is the best and used to the very best. The audience is most discerning .No surprise that what’s an hero in Amsterdam and in Chicago is not so special in Berlin. The conductor is young and can still improve.
Where’s Amsterdam? Never heard of it.
This „that orchestra is the best“ nonsense has to stop.
BPhO is certainly a top notch orchestra. But first of all there are several orchestras with comparable capabilities, and then a truly great orchestra is always much more than a collective of great individual players.
From a certain level of technical capability on it is all about soul and dedication and doing it as a unified orchestral body. BPhO often strikes me as cold and just loud, while they sometimes also have magic moments.
Often their top principals seem a bit lacking guidance and integration and then just „do their thing“, pointless loud blaring and faux virtuosity without musical meaning. High gloss Orchestra porn.
But with the right unified guidance and inspiration they can do magic. But so can others.
As you say, there is no ‘best” orchestra. There’s a collection of maybe 5 or 6 that could be overall the best but it’s difficult to define. There’s been a lot of fuss made of this new conductor, however from what I’ve heard I would place him below Jakob Hrusa whose performances with the Bamberg S.O. never disappoint.
I’m sorry but all the concertgebouw fans who disliked the above post need to stop deluding themselves while masturbating to old glories, and actually look at the results produced by their orchestra in current times. I’ve been to concertgebouw’s live concerts 3 times in the last 3 years. Every time I was not only disappointed, but shocked by the disconnect between their reputation and the actual results. Yes, they play clean, but that’s the only thing they have going for them. Perhaps the blandest, most soul-less orchestral playing I’ve ever heard in my life. Gatti was on the path to change that, but they fired him. Guess it’s really a match with their new chief conductor!
I cannot agree more. Unfortunately the orchestra is past it’s glory. The musicians maybe technically equiped but they often play (especially the strings) without breaking the sweat.
While you’re putting this is in a ‘hard hammered’ way, I actually agree with your basic message. Danielle Gatti brought an intensity and sense of impetus to Amsterdam that had been missing for quite a while. Sadly, he ‘blew’ the situation for himself (no pun intended). Makela is simply too young to be handed the keys to the front door of the Concertgebouw. I agree with the person who said that Makela – with the Concertgebouw – brought absolutely nothing new or interesting to table when performing the Mahler 6th symphony. Everybody looked to be on autopilot, with Makela looking ‘energetic’ in the usual, obligatory manner. That simply won’t do for what is supposed to be world’s foremost Mahler orchestra. They already gave that recording with Mariss Jansons (yes, I know – Jansons was a nice guy, and a generally ‘good’ conductor with a big repertoire; blah, blah, blah). While the input of an orchestra IS important, I don’t believe the process of choosing one should be left up entirely to the players themselves. Many of them don’t do comparative listening to recordings, or study the scores. In fact, the last thing that many of them want to do in their off time, is to listen to orchestral recordings. I know – I’ve been around them for much of my life. Most of them would prefer to focus on chamber music and soloing.
They remained too long without a musical director, they need to find their unity and purpose again…
What a load of BS.
If two basketball teams play each other, we can say the one that scores more points is “better”, at least that day. We don’t keep score with orchestras. Professional orchestra musicians strive for consistency, but it is never perfectly attained. Invariably, they will be more or less successful depending on the repertoire, the conductor, and other factors. And sometimes there is just a bad night; something unaccountably goes wrong and there is a momentary loss of confidence across the ensemble. Ranking orchestras is a fool’s errand, or, as Bartok once put it, “Competitions are for horses, not artists.”
You actually are incorrect about this assessment. It’s BP that’s been declining
The Cleveland Orchestra (also often called world’s best) musicians were very enthusiastic about working with him last season and this season as well.
Conductors should spend more time with their own orchestras. No need to homogenize everything,
Conducting Tchaikovsky poorly may be a hidden protest against Russia.
Stop while you’re behind. Tchaikovsky has nothing to do with today’s Russia.
In some small activist countries Tchaikovsky is already semi-cancelled even despite some well known facts
we don’t know how this guy behaves during rehearsals. it could be just a lack of chemistry and not a lack of musicality.
He is preternaturally self assured, charming, respectful, and effective in rehearsals, defying his age. At least in Chicago.
I watched it on the Digital Concert Hall. I’m unimpressed by him. There was far more emphasis on lunging physical gestures than stick work. He looked uneasy too. For a lesson on how to conduct the Pathetique, he needs to study Kirill Petrenko. Another overhyped conductor?
I was at the 2nd concert (friday). Due to my subscriptions calendar I had a ticket for the saturday (3rd) concert. At the end of the friday concert it was obvious that the sunday concert was a ” no way” for me. One of the less interesting concert of the BPO in years. The orchestra was impressive ( they never go below a certain- high- standard, anyway). But this conductor….So poor. PR product one more time?
Well maybe the Berlin didn’t agree with that pr game that he is the next Karajan…It is easier to say than done, right Klaus?
“oh the haters, oh his enemies!” they gave a child an orchestra and a slew of guest gigs, and recordings! he is not the second coming of Karajan yall, we should be so lucky!
I certainly hope not. I much prefer the accuracy and sound of Chicago, Cleveland, and Philly of that era to HVK and Berlin. The BPO is, to some degree, over hyped with self-proclaimed greatness.
The record sales at that time were not ‘self proclaimed’. They provided evidence to the contrary.
I am still unfamiliar with this conductor but given the general hostility from critics I am beginning to wonder if he’s doing something right. I will be checking him out. On a related note, the love fest for Dudamel remains a mystery to me. But we all know what that’s about: equity, diversity and inclusion.
Probably it is the two additional ‘rehearsing’ nights. I had the privilege to be at the third concert last night and now must believe the reviews described a concert from a parallel universe in which the orchestra and the conductor couldn’t find common ground, the conductor needs to grow up, and all that. The concert I witnessed must obviously be from a different dimension then. Of course, KM offered a different reading, offers his usual different approaches and puts focus on different things than the average other (not saying others are better or worse) conductors. This may leave some reviewers and some orchestra members clueless what to make of all of that. Yes, it was visible that some had their problems with KM’s approach. Especially in one section. (And even they looked at him) Most, however, followed him. Had they not followed him, how could they have achieved that intensity? And intense it was. After the 1st movement of Shostakovich’s 6th I heard quite a few people around me gasp. During the entire concert there was not the slightest noise from the audience. The endless silence after the last bar of Tchaikovsky’s 6. And, of course that cannot serve as proof, my own inner turmoil during and after the concert. The great applause and people around me saying things like, ‘this is new’ or ‘finally some fresh wind’ All that should be testament to the greatness of the evening.
But then, maybe I was in a different universe, where everything was good and great.
My late colleague Dale Clevenger referred to critics as “the eunuchs in the harem”.
Hear hear, Max! Dad would have agreed!
chef en devenir….mais beaucoup trop encensé en France où son âge semble être le critère majeur ! Attendons !
I was at Friday’s performance and the Shostakovich 6th was one of the most extraordinary performances I’ve ever heard. I don’t understand the negative accounts, as this wasn’t my experience at all. However, it seems as if the focus has largely been on Mäkelä’s Tchaikovsky – a work that the critics clearly feel more at home with.
It might be relevant to point out that the week before Makela’s program, the Berlin Phil played a concert rendition Die Frau Ohne Schotten under Petrenko, which even in their rich season has to be considered the season highlight. Granted, there was probably major turnover in personnel between the two programs, but that must have been a hard act to follow.
I’m an admitted Mäkelä fan, though my experience is only with online videos.
It seems to me that with increasing popularity and stardom has come increasing showmanship. His early performances (e.g., his Shostakovich 7 with Frankfurt) display the right amount of bravado, in my opinion.
Mäkelä is the best that could happen to the classical music world. A new fresh young amazingly talented conductor was really needed. How can you accuse him of not being experienced enough or having enough ‘soul’? He is 27!! For his age, he is actually very mature in his approach and music making. Concertgebouw did a very smart move and took him before anybody else. This is going to be THE combination for the coming decade or more, watch my words. And about Berlin, who cares. They became a political tool of Berlin and I was surprised they even play Russian music these days. An snake pit full of arrogant players that are there only for the money, no wonder they don’t look happy on stage.
wow! and here I thought Currentzis is the best that could happen to the classical music world. Now I’m confused…
The point is that EVERY young prospect – some of them competition winners – brings energy, talent and a thorough knowledge of the score in front of them. They wouldn’t land these gigs if they didn’t. Many of them will work their way up the ladder. The question is, has such a person proven that he/she is good enough to be handed the keys to the Concertgebouw? . . . . I say no, but want to proven wrong.
Anyhow, when you’re too young and too hyped things may go astray, whatever the talent. Mäkelä’s first recordings (glossy, superficially exciting Sibelius’ Symphonies, a nice sounding but empty Stravinsky) show that he can have a bright future, if he’ll be able to control his ambitions and study more in-depth.
The concert is not available at digital concert hall archive, and there is no link preserved. Either Mäkelä or the orchestra has decided not to show this video.
It’s not the first time this happens, the New Year’s Even 2012 concert with is also not available, because of Bartoli’s appearance.