Karajan considered him a likely successor
OrchestrasIn Georg Wübbolt’s extraordinary new biography of Klaus Tennstedt, he covers the period when Herbert von Karajan was so impressed by the new arrival from East Germany that he offered hom 25 concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic and talked of him as a potential successor.
Peter Alward, the EMI producer who wasclose to both men, said: ‘I have a feeling that Karajan saw in Klaus what he would have liked to be…’
Tennstedt was marvellous. Thankfully his legacy lives on, for example in his recordings of Mahler 2 and 5 with the London Philharmonic. The actual performances must have been riveting and electrifying.
Karajan also thought that Carlo Maria Giulini and Semyon Bychkov would make for good successors.
However, and without wanting to diminish their and Tennstedt’s accomplishments as a conductor in any way, the musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker were probably unimpressed whenever Karajan said something like this, since they knew that eventually they – and none other, no Intendant, no Senate, no Kulturpolitiker – would be the ones to have a say.
I’ll never forget Tennstedt’s performances with the LPO of Mahler 5 and Mahler 9. Stunning musicianship and understanding.
I think Alward’s quote is bang on the money.
Peter Alward, the EMI producer who wasclose to both men, said: ‘I have a feeling that Karajan saw in Klaus what he would have liked to be…’
You mean humble, self-effacing and focussed on conducting rather than self-promotion. I remember visiting the Salzburg during the festival and seeing Karajan pictures in virtually every shop window. It seemed like a throwback from a previous era if I might express it in a nuanced manner.
Alward wasn’t wrong: Tennstedt was the far better conductor. Tragic that he died at a relatively young age.
A wonderful conductor. Stayed loyal to Kiel, too, when he could have roamed further.
Somehow, he reminds me of Alfred Brendel on that pic.
Absolutely brilliant!! Couldn’t agree more about the unruly hair. Do listen to Desert Island Discs 1991 with Klaus Tennstedt, available on U-Tube.
You could hear his Emphysema in full flight. Tennstedt was a chain-smoker and he paid for this with his comparatively early death.
A gorgeous man who had some troubles with English right to the end.
Klaus was principal guest conductor in Minneapolis for a few years in the late 70s or early 80s. Quickly became a favorite and his “groupies “ called themselves the Klauskateers.
Which reminds me to inform people that there’s an outrageous Tennstedt/Minnesota Orch. Mahler 3 on Youtube that is far and away better than any of his L.P.O. recordings of it (the 3rd was not one of his best, on the whole). Check it out – it’s ‘white hot’.
The few recordings Tennstedt made with the B.P.O. were, indeed, quite good. I’ve never understood why his B.P.O./EMI recording of the Schumann “Rhennish” Symphony, coupled to the wonderful “Konzertstuck” for Four Horns & Orchestra, never got issued on CD. Go figure!
They were issued in the box set ‘Klaus Tennstedt: The Great EMI Recordings’.
Yes, I have these. I felt his Wagnerian overtures were far too slow, however.
You can find excellent japanese pressing, for example
https://amzn.asia/d/8SnQywP
But you have other editions there…
It is in a cd box set of his EMI recordings.
“What he would have liked to be:” : That is ???
I have wonderful memories of seeing Maestro Tennstedt in Chicago.
And I, in Philadelphia.
Chicago and him must have been the perfect match. He would have been a great permanent conductor of that orchestra.
The link provided to the biography doesn’t work.
I treasure the program booklet that Tennstedt signed for me when he was with the LPO in Tempe, Arizona a long time ago. Brazenly, I went to his dressing room just looking for an autograph. He was very happy to do that and then offered me a Heineken! Sure, why not! I wish I had kept that bottle. I envy those of you who got to hear him live many times…
In 1960 I heard Tennstedt conducting “Aida” at Hamburg State Opera, as guest from Schwerin. I don’t have any memory of this performance, which was my first “Aida”, aged only 15. But his Hamburg concerts with NDR Symphony Orchestra will be forever in my memory. His interpretations of Bruckner, Mahler, Strauss (Don Quixote, Bürger als Edelmann) etc were all excellent and exciting. I was looking forward to his Bruckner VII in Hamburg, when he canceled after Paris all further concerts with this orchestra and was replaced by George Alexander Albrecht, for more concerts to come by Günter Wand. As much I admired Wand, Tennstedt’s interpretations were unforgettable. Many thanks to Georg Wübbolt for the Tennstedt biography, which I read with great interest.
I saw Tennstedt for the last time (I have to check, which year), when he attended at Kiel Opera the premiere of “Manon Lescaut”, afterwards being honored as “honorary member” of this opera house.
The “Aida” performance at Hamburg State Opera took place on 30th of June, 1960. Tennstedt was at this time conducting in Radebeul, not in Schwerin, as I wrote.
Wonderfull book ! Very rich and informative, with a lot of interesting testimonies of very competent people. Many Thanks for thé recommandation a few days ago