Berlin Philharmonic hits a Barenboim blocked stream
NewsEveryone was thrilled that Daniel Barenboim felt well enough to conduct tonight’s concert – but not everyone could watch.
Here’s what the orchestra announced:
Live now: Daniel Barenboim conducts Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande and César Franck’s Symphony in D minor. Please note: Due to legal reasons we are unable to broadcast the performance of Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder. As a replacement, we will be streaming a recording from the 1997 Europakonzert from Versailles with Daniel Barenboim playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 13
This is the second time in recent weeks the orchestra has been hit by a ‘rights issue’. The last occasion saw a concert by Klaus Makela taken down.
hilarious. dont subscribe.If want to watch a concert I just use one of my many dozens of email accounts ,create a new account and get 7 days free.
Good for you!
I remember in the early days of Napster, my young nephew was enjoying it. “Hey, I’m listening to you guys play a Mahler Symphony–for free!” he told me. “That’s great,” I said. “While you’re at it, why don’t you break into my house and steal my food?”
Great tone to adopt with a child!! Perhaps it’s also too cryptic for the young, indoctrinated mind.
At least he WANTED to hear you play Mahler; something I don’t want for myself!!
My nephew was in his early 20s at the time. Young, as I said, but not a child. I actually made my point quite effectively, with humor and affection. But thanks for the child rearing advice. You’ve made your views on Mahler all too clear here in the past. Instead of more Da Capo, I strongly suggest Fine.
Mahler,and even more so,Bruckner is music for grown ups with an attention bigger than the one of an insect,my mom used to say
And you think that cute and clever?subscriptions are a small price to pay to hear one of the best orchestras in the world playing a live concert.What kind of work do you do? Do you expect compensation for YOUR time and effort?
Part of the something for nothing stealer crowd I see.
That’s a real shame. I was there for the Friday and Saturday concerts.
Garanca was stunning in the Wesendonck Lieder. And it was great to see Barenboim looking reasonably well (although occasionally a little unsteady).
I thought it was a wonderful concert. The Berlin Philh sounding great from the opening bar of the Faure to the closing bar of the Franck symphony.
I felt privileged to be there.
The Franck was fascinating and will probably have sharply divided opinion:
https://www.colinscolumn.com/berliner-philharmoniker-daniel-barenboim-conducts-faure-franck-with-elina-garanca-singing-wagners-wesendonck-lieder-live-digital-concert-hall-webcast/
It’s great to see that this warhorse has returned to the repertoire. I could never understand its neglect, especially when people seem to prefer Bruckner!!!
Because Bruckner is infinitely more great,as good as the Franck is.
Is Elīna Garanča singing? Is she exercising her right not to broadcast it? If soloists and conductors can cherry pick which piece to exclude out of a digital concert, what is the subscriber getting for paying for it? At least a partial refund?
Having toiled in the Legal/Business Affairs department of a large record company for a dozen years, I see a possible answer:
If Garanča has an exclusive contract with DG – and especially if she has recorded the Lieder for them or has plans to – the record company could have blocked the broadcast, especially if was only accessible with a paid subscription.
This practise goes back decades. Remember when Decca owned the souls of Sutherland and Tebaldi, EMI the soul of Callas, and RCA the soul of Price? I still have some complete opera LP sets in which an artist from another label has an inscription under his/her name saying something to the effect of “Through the courtesy of XXX Records”.
I just pulled out a set at random – the 1959 “Il barbiere di Siviglia” on RCA with Merrill, Peters, and Alva – and an asterisk next to the name of Erich Leinsdorf leads to small print which says “Courtesy of Capitol Records”.
This has happened in the world of popular music, too. The vocal track for the Byrd’s album “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” had to be re-recorded as the singer, Graham Parsons, was signed to another label. George Harrison was credited as “L’Angelo Misterioso” on Cream’s “Badge” for the same reason.
But if BPO strongly relies on digital concert hall model, they should understand all legal aspects beforehand to avoid such flops in the streaming. I believe that this will affect the subscribers rate in the future – I’d get pissed and not renew subscription (as I did already with another issue).
I’m amazed that someone within the Berliner Philharmoniker could be this disorganised. Elina Garanca is always a joy to watch and her omission spoiled an otherwise great concert.
DG refused to come to an arrangement to allow her performance to be broadcast. Nothing to do with the Phil.
You’ve never made a mistake yourself? Well, that IS a relief.
The Wagner was the best part of the program,on Saturday.The Franck was a disaster.Ponderous, shapeless,ridiculously slow(the 2nd movt,played adagio molto instead allegretto,stumbling meaninglessly along,until it finally hit a lull). The last mvt without any forward momentum,sounding like a first slow run through at a rehearsal…True,there were beautiful colors,and some mighty playing .But ensemble was often shaky, transitions muddy,because the man on the podium was either unable or unwilling to show anything…..The performance was just about Barenboim doggedly making it somehow through to the end…The Faure was better,many beautiful solos,but also marred by shaky transitions and insecure beginnings of each mvt,without clear indication of tempo,the orchestra´s fantastic self repair system fixing things after two or three bars…..They should have taken down this…One of the saddest concert i ever saw…It almost made me cry,like Horowitz in Japan 1983.
DB needs to make good on his promise from 5 years ago. To stop once he longer has the the physical and mental ability to work at the level he strived in the past.
I wasn’t there, it was probably not a great concert, i am not Danny’s fan , i think he should retire with his shaky health , all of them ( with Mehta…)just want to be and not have been… but it’s a bit harsh for a diminished artist…
I wasn’t at this particular concert, but having seen Barenboim with the Staatskapelle last February, it resonates. Cecilia Bartoli (with help from the concertmaster) largely cued her own entries in her arias, while the Symphonie Fantastique had a strong air of autopilot.
Unfortunately, something wrong is going on – as we DB takes up something grand to make a resonance, a statement, but then skips more confortable (for his health, I believe) recitals in Swiss.
I think that he is fighter, but he just does not want to aceept the reality, and no one wants to tell him truth in the face.
Very disappointing, especially if one is looking forward to watching a specific concert. Subscribers deserve a better explanation than “we are unable to broadcast”. Someone is not doing his job of preparing legally sound contracts with artists at BP.
Yes. This should have been ironed out well before the concert broadcast.
Which orchestra is it in the photo? Strange not to use a photo of the Berliners in a post about them, or doesn’t it matter?
Sad. Like old singers and certain types of instrumentalists, conductors should know when to gracefully retire. DB’s astonishing international career should conclude (have concluded) with dignity, not cancellations and uneven concerts.
So, mark(London), I hope your devious scheme gave you the pleasure of Wagner’s Lieder. Living life, 7 free days at a time. You must be supremely happy.
Oh no: not another Mozart concerto!!! Absolute groan.
The picture is certainly of Barenboim, but what orchestra is it? Certainly not the BP of either today or yesteryear.
Why are you using a photo of an orchestra which is not The Berliner Philharmoniker and is not in the Philharmonie?
The orchestra pictures is not the Berlin Philharmonic. Looks like Staatskapelle performing at Staatsoper.
Typo corrected:
The orchestra pictured is not the Berlin Philharmonic. Looks like Staatskapelle performing at Staatsoper.
Artists sometimes appears as guests on other labels e.g. Lebrecht”s album of the week with Anne-Sophie Mutter playing in the Brahms Double Concerto on Sony
So, it’s hard to see why something couldn’t have been worked out for the concert to have been streamed.
The logic of such action continues to escape me. Another terrible decision by a classical music label – but then again, we’re anll accustomed to it by now. Streaming a stellar performance by an artist to a greatly expanded audience can only enhance their profile, reputation, live performance and catalogue sales. With Barenboim, Wagner and the BPO – what a blown marketing and branding opportunity. Everyone loses as a result of such stupid decision-making.