Brahms receives a tattoo
NewsThe music director of the Metropolitan Opera pays a respectful visit to the great symphonist in Baden-Baden.
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He jumped around like a chimpanzee at the half-full 25th Anniversary Gala on July 1 but the Met Orchestra played magnificently and if you kept your eyes closed the music (all Berlioz) had its episodic if not structural rewards. Joyce DiDonato: on fire in the Didon scenes.
Not very respectful to visit with his armpits showing ….
Why are you staring at his armpits?
Because he obviously wants us to. Also, isn’t someone gonna give him street cred for his totally mediocre mid-life crisis pseudo-tribal tattoo?
because they are staring at us?
(the way this man markets himself visually, I wouldn’t trust ANY of his aesthetic choices.)
He was jogging. Should he wear a burka? It is amusing, albeit a bit depressing how predictable the comments are here.
Boy did I laugh hard at your comment, Max. Thanks for the humor.
Bravo,Mr.Raimi…You are one of the few commenters here with some reason.Always!
Package holiday tourist style!
I’m not sure YNS’ “modern lifestyle” would go down too well with the famously conservative Brahms
Brahms was closeted.
He wrote his best and most intimate chamber music for the young Richard Mühlfeld, whom he always introduced as “”Fraulein von Mühlfeld, my prima donna” to his inner circle, including Clara Schumann.
So, yes, as a closeted man, Brahms probably would disapprove, although with jealousy, YNS’s “modern” lifestyle.
Uh, Brahms was most definitely not closeted. You’re projecting, big time.
Names and addresses please.
Does anyone jog to Brahms? It’d be a pretty depressing jog, most likely in an indoor musty gym while it’s raining outside.
Of all the composers, Brahms seems to me to be the least likely to jog, I can sooner see Bach jogging than Brahms, although both would be wearing black socks.
If one were to jog to Classical music, Bach would be the best with his endless train of notes chugging along in sync with the pace of the runner and no expansive rubato to cause a twist of the ankle or spasm in the muscle. As for which composer would be least likely to jog, I nominate Chopin; the most likely, Gershwin, who had lots of nervous energy to expend.
I can imagine jogging to the final movement of the first symphony, but that’s about it. Outside of the concert hall, I find that Brahms’ music is best enjoyed with a whisky and (before I gave up) a cigar.
I think a good runner could jog to the third movement of Symphony No 4 and the fourth movement of the Horn Trio.
At my age, the only Brahms I could imagine “jogging” to would be the German Requiem.
How amusing that in this pose, Brahms is looking away!
This individual’s vulgarity (YNS’ of course) is limitless.
This Brahms business is total nonsense. His Brahms is formulaic as hell!
Like his clueless boss in NY, there is no one in his coterie to hold up the mirror. Clowns both.
He was out jogging, so his outfit makes sense, and there is nothing wrong – and plenty right – with him making a point to jog past the Brahms bust. Although his judgement in being photographed in that state and in that spot is questionable.
Doesn’t seem to be much question: YNS chooses to pay homage by jogging past a bust of Brahms. And then pauses to take a photo (or is someone else taking it for him?).
He might have shown enough respect to place Brahms in the foreground…
But that’s precisely the point: it isn’t about Brahms. It’s “all about me” …
The other photo on his Instagram post does have him kneeling beside this Brahm’s bust. It’s a better photo than the one above (IMHO).
Reflected glory is rather vainglorious.
The performances,with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe,were the best i ever heard….Historically informed,incredibly nuanced,and transparent,with an orchestra of the size Brahms had at its disposal in Meiningen…Similiar to what Mackerras did with the SCO,but much more detailed and dramatic….I can´t wait for the thumb downs from guys who haven´t heard it, but they are more intersted in tattoos,clothing and gossip any way….like most of the content here meanwhile.
Agree with you that the Brahms symphonies with COE are transparent. More detailed than Mackerras and SCO? Not sure I can agree with you on that one. The Mackerras recording is certainly ‘under-produced’ but, as ever with Sir Charles, the phrasing is beautifully paced, nuanced and without obvious contrivance.
Yes, i like the Mackerras set too….But listen to the YNZ concerts on Medici TV….Fantastic inner voicing ,more detail, more interaction between the groups,and more urgency in the faster mvts….And thank God,the beginning of the first symphony in two ,instead of plodding six!!!!I never understood the beginning of the symphony, it was always some elephant walk without any relation to the rest.Now it makes sense. Also the phrasings Brahms wrote,which you can´t do in six .To find the right tempo in Brahms one should always imagine his orchestra works as a string quartet,quintet,or sextet.Imagine the beginning of the 1st symphony as a pulsating ,throbbing ,fluent string quartet.You wouldn´t do it in six…Mackerras comes pretty close.He was the first to do it…after Steinbach,perhaps.
I have listened to them – I wouldn’t comment otherwise.
I also appreciate your advice on how I should interpret them.
Yes! Yannick has greatly improved with the years. He and Dudamel used to be the poster boys of hot but incompetent young diversity conductors, one gay the other latino, but both have actually started to get nice results. The Brahms was indeed often quite fantastic. Also Beethoven 6 with the same orchestra
People should lay off this Meiningen nonsense. OK, nonsense is not the correct word, and it is true that Brahms did hold that orchestra in great esteem.
But Brahms also held the Vienna Philharmonic in equally great esteem, and the VPO premiered more of his orchestral works than the Meiningen band (symphonies nr. 2 and 3, Tragic Overture). And all the things you hear about the Vienna Philharmonic performance tradition, well, there is some truth in that.
His Brahms also receives dreadful, formulaics performances! The YNS circus as usual!
If people appreciate his Brahms they need to rush and listen to Giulini, Bernstein, Swarowsky, Swell, Klemperer, Walter or others.
Mr Vulgarity has a lot of hype but very little substance.
Have you actually heard any of the performances????? Better than any of those monumental,fat old school performances you mentioned….we live in 2023,not 1963….
Genuinely curious: Klemperer, Szell (assuming “Swell” was a typo), and Walter are “fat old school” performance…how, exactly, does a 60 year difference make YNS such a marvel of interpretation compared to the masters you listed?
Caveat: I have not heard his recordings with COE. Tried his Mendelssohn and gave up, but I’m always willing to listen to a Brahms symphony.
Ancient wisdom by J.W. von Goethe which is worldwide no longer endorsed:
“The painting or tattooing of the body means a relapse into a bestial phase.”
He shoud have left one of his watches on the grave.
Rolex for sure.
So utterly sick of this egomaniacal charlatan.
His recent run of West Side Story at Carnegie Hall was completely slammed by NY Classic Review.
Nah: he only wanted us to see his tatts. Silly, shallow, narcissistic body graffiti.
Please don’t let the tattoos, armpit, nail polish or whatever confuse you. YNS is the real deal. Extremely intelligent and knowledgeable conductor. His energy captures the orchestras he works with and they give him 200% at all times.
lol
A whole lotta pearl clutching up in here.
He’s just so…tacky.
One cannot her but notice with appalled fascination that ridiculous tattoo. Why do people do this to themselves?
Yannick Narcissist Seguin. Just look at me, my nail varnish, my pyjamas, my tattoo… How tacky! Bring back the serious conductors please.
Yannick Narcissist Seguin…perfect. I hope that sticks.
Looks like a clown and conducts like one. I still have nightmares about his awful Beethoven 5th at Carnegie Hall.
Maybe people should more listen with their ears than their eyes…..i made a very funny and telling experiment with a colleague and friend tonight.We had dinner at my home and listened to music after…My friend loathes YNZ and is a big fan of Daniele Gatti,and he enthusiastically approached Mr.Gatti´s appointment in Dresden…I played him a live broadcast of the Symphonie fantastique withe the RCO under Gatti,and told him it was the Rotterdam Phil under YNZ….He couldn´t stop going on how horrible the performance was…..Later ,i played him a live recording of Bruckner 4 under YNZ,which i presented to him as a performance by Gatti…..He showered the performance with hymnic praise……After a few drinks,like Don Alfonso in Cosi, i confessed to my little charade…..I´ll spare you his reactions…
I am very,very sure,much of this vanity and self righteousness applies to many of the commentators here.