Ridiculous title for royal conductor
OrchestrasSir John Eliot Gardiner, 80 today and soon to conduct at King Charles’s Coronation, has been awarded an emeritus title by the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Even by the pointlessness of such titles, this one stands out as absurd.
JEG is to be known as Principal Guest Conductor Emeritus of the Philharmonia Orchestra.
The orchestra adds: ‘Following a gap of 23 years, the Orchestra was thrilled to reignite its relationship with Sir John Eliot Gardiner during the Covid lockdowns, with a streamed performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations.’
Gardiner says: ‘I’m greatly honoured to accept this title which the Philharmonia have conferred on me. Re-establishing contact with this magnificent Orchestra feels like a wonderful homecoming. It’s been a delight to re-encounter the translucent warmth of the legendary Philharmonia string sound, to rediscover and admire the individual character and musicality of their woodwind principals and the burnished sonority of their brass section. I am excited by this opportunity to renew and deepen my fruitful association with this flexible and open-minded body of musicians, and the chance it gives to cement the links with them by developing fresh ways to explore both familiar and unchartered areas of the symphonic repertoire.’
Is the title “For Life”?
As in ‘lechaim’ from Fiddler on the Roof?
Not in this instance.
I thought that was “to life”? (Vs “for life”)?
Spot on!!!!!
When is that announcement coming? After the final concert in Millennium Park?
Oh, I don’t know. My assumption (just my assumption, mind you) is that he’s currently more occupied laying plots in order not to invite a world class principal to final auditions.
At first glance, it looks like someone with the Philharmonia does not quite understand what “emeritus” means.
His father was a well-known Mosleyite and his involvement was exposed in a book. His son spent years trying to buy up as many copies as he could find in bookstores in the pre-internet era.
Despicable and gratuitous comment.
VPO should have invited him for their mid-summer do.
Some sparkling Berlioz and Chabrier!
Too late now.
Translation:
“translucent warmth of the legendary Philharmonia string sound”
the strings have no depth or energy
“to rediscover and admire the individual character and musicality of their woodwind principals”
they don’t know how to play as an ensemble
“and the burnished sonority of their brass section.”
they play on old instruments
“flexible and open-minded body of musicians”
they do what I tell them to do without complaining too much
Kidding, just thought I’d have some fun, since the compliment is so generic that I’ve seen it said by countless conductors about countless orchestras that I think it was written by the same agent who represents all these conductors.
He certainly showed the Germans how to do Bach with a phenomenal B-minor Mass in Hamburg last week.
And not a word on the percussion section. Like he just forgot about their existence. Bah percussions are always taken for granted, like anyone can bang on a drum.
Or maybe he just hates the percussion section, some of the more interesting rehearsal clips I’ve seen are with conductors arguing with the timpanist
A suitably punchy title…
PUNCHY being the operative word.
He truly is an amazing musician. His BBC documentary on Bach, among other things, testifies to the depth of his musicianship and understanding. Sad to say, but musicians of this caliber now belong to a bygone era. Today’s conductors are for the most part pretty faces, sometimes with decent techniques, but for the most part strong communication/social media skills and very little substance, if any. A Celibidache or Bruno Walter today would have been relegated to the dustbin of history, given how shallow the deciders in this business have become. It’s all about appearance and marketing. This is what happens when a society becomes completely dominated by the image and has lost the capacity to look inward — when audiences can no longer discern the difference between superficiality and authenticity.
Ok, one can admit that he is a great musician. But why should we celebrate a man who, at 80 years old, has burned more bridges than he built and is not going to last long enough to make any impact at this orchestra? It’s a title that means absolutely nothing. Isn’t that superficial?
You imply that JEG has no pretty face.
That’s not very kind.
No, the fact that it takes a pretty face today to make it as a conductor doesn’t mean JEG doesn’t have one. It only means that a pretty face has now become an absolute requirement in today’s musical reality, bypassing other qualities which anyone claiming to be a conductor should actually possess. I’m confident though that most people would agree that neither Celibidache, nor Bruno Walter or even Furtwängler could be described as pretty faces by today’s standards, and that the aforementioned would have deemed such attributes as completely irrelevant to being a great musician. Of course, the other element in this equation is age, which is not as subjective a quality as physical attractiveness, and which is so to speak the other elephant in the room.
We’re literally talking about different species here. On the one hand, artists who experience music to the innermost depths of their being and are able to convey it to an orchestra, and on the other, people who can do little more than keep an orchestra playing together (for the most competent of them) and whose main strengths lie in their videogenic qualities, smooth talking with administrators and donors, and quite often conformity in making sure they remain securely within the bounds of what is currently deemed acceptable — musically or otherwise.
In today’s world if you cannot succeed at selling your brand, you are doomed to obscurity. JEG is a fine musician, but he’s a fixture of a bygone era. Whether or not you like the new direction of classical music is irrelevant, these orchestras have to make profit and so they need someone to make them look good for a younger audience. Don’t blame the musicians either, I’m sure many young conductors would rather be known for their musical ability than for their looks. Blame instead the economic structures that demand never ending profit increases for this.
Celibidache was quite handsome when he was young.
His book, “Music in the Castle of Heaven” about Bach reveals yet another aspect of his musicological authority.
A sad lack of imagination and inspiration from the ever-badly managed Philharmonia. What an orchestra it could be if it ever got on an even keel!
Most orchestras in the UK suffer from abysmal management. It’s no wonder their musicians are constantly jumping ship.
The Philharmonia is particularly badly managed. And the musicians are indeed jumping ship: losing the wonderful Tom Blomfield to BBC SO is not a good sign, nor Benjamin Marquise Gilmore to LSO after such a short time.
They are superb musicians but don’t have any work, yet the Management continue to be paid! At any given time, Philharmonia players can be found as freelancers in the RPO, LPO, LSO, BBCSO – musicians take care of their own these days. The chasm between players and Management in self governing orchestras has become unsustainable.
Quite. I mean losing even Three Choirs Festival to RPO – that’s serious management incompetence. But I agree the musicians are wonderful and it’s a shame they are struggling so much for work in their own orchestra.
Maybe they’ll finally start inviting lesser known candidates to auditions in order to fill their seats.
Perhaps it has morphed into just another sinecure for the diversity crowd?!
Surprised he accepted any title, let alone one as long-winded as this. His reputation is fully established. This will add nothing to it.
I am reminded of a former boss of mine who has become an object of derision for his relentless pursuit of post-nominal letters. At the moment it seems to be OBE, JP, SBStJ, BSc, MA, MTech, MA(Lit), PhD, HonDSc, HonDBA, HonDCL, FRSA, FIoD, FSPH, FRSPH.
I once saw Olivier Messiaen’s business/calling card: his name had more post-nominal letters than your former boss’! -not to mention his awards and skills, which were also mentioned.
Much like other alphabet-obsessed people we all know!!
Henceforth Mr Gardiner can be
JEGPGCEPO.
The even better title would be ‘Principle Guest Conductor Emeritus in Residence.’ And while we’re at it let him ‘curate’ something.
Did he not try to strangle a trumpet player once? I seem to recall a story in Private Eye by Lunchtime O’Boulez. Peter Phillips I think is not so keen on him.
Will be giving the Charles III thing a miss.
This happened at the LSO because the player purportedly played ” out of tune” . And JEG got away with it! Artistic License it’s called, whilst in reality was Assault in the Workplace. Yes. Protected by the higher echelons of society.
This is a fantastic appointment. JEG may be 80 but have you seen him? In every way he is at least a decade younger than reality and he can contribute to the UK arts scene for years to come.
I’m excited to see what the second conducting announcement is from the PO. No doubt something different that balances the orchestra’s roster of conductors.
“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” (Shelley)
Wow, JEG doesn’t think it’s absurd and its his opinion that matters, frankly.