Rough landing for Barenboim in Lucerne
OrchestrasAfter making immense efforts to tour with the West-East Diwan Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim received an unsympathetic review from Swiss critic Christian Berzins:
‘… shaky entrances, ugly transitions, individual errors in the orchestra – not to mention the non-interpretation of Barenboim himself. We won’t do that either, because it was sad to see the legendary conductor drag himself onto the stage and pretend to lead the orchestra. Has a symphony ever been played so poorly at the Lucerne Festival? Which leading Intendant – Markus Hinterhäuser, Michael Haefliger, Elisabeth Sobotka, Dominique Meyer – will say to Barenboim: “let it go”?
Full review here.
As if the question needed asking again but when is enough enough?
When it’s not enough. He still wants to make music and may not be aware musically of the errors, if the critic was accurate, that he is making.
Sorry, but if he is not aware of the errors, then someone should make him aware it’s time to retire. It goes for anyone in any field of work who is no longer up to the job.
The psychology of this is obvious. This is not about music, which is just the means.
It’s about the feeling being needed, being relevant. It’s an issue of core identity. People like him are unable to retire voluntarily, and understandably so.
Shame on this Music critic who has such a big eggo. Not only but: once you review of cultural event, you are not suppose to use “market” languiage. You also should “take off your shoes” before you you write such vulgar idioms. Especially about one of the greatest musicians and conductors of our time, who unfotunately is rather sick these days.
I hope that you will be healthy but if not
God forbid, I hope some readers if you will have few, will teach you a lesson. Shame!!!
Barenboim is known for his modesty… continue to perform with is quality is just an other sign of it…
Barenboim wasn’t giving a living room concert for guests invited free of charge. He was giving a concert for a paying audience, and he knew that the performance was open to critics. Yes, some understanding is in order if a performer is unexpectedly ill. Barenboim, on the other hand, has been experiencing consistent health problems that are to be expected at his age. The only reason for him to continue forcing cancellations and inadequate performances on the public is his own personal unwillingness to give up his job, not any great gifts he is currently able to give to music or the public.
Great composers are irreplaceable. No performer, and especially no conductor, even one as gifted as Barenboim, is irreplaceable. There are plenty of musicians in their prime who can provide the services Barenboim is attempting to provide despite his health travails.
We all wish him well and sympathise with what he is going through. We don’t need him to be scheduling concerts under current conditions.
Several misconeptions with your post.
-the paying audience is generally aware of his age and physical condition
-much of the work of a conductor is happening in rehearsals, by listening and talking. As long as he can do that, his contribution can still be relevant and meaningful, even if the conducting itself is handicapped
-if an orchestra plays sloppy, it’s not necessarily the conductor’s fault, or only in varying degrees he shares the responsibility.
I respect him very much as the musical titan he is. Would I buy a ticket to his concert now, expecting musical revelations and excellence: no.
Would I buy a ticket out of respect and to witness one of the greats one more time, even if he performed better in the past: yes.
Ditto with Pollini… Well said!
It appears that you define a misconception to mean “someone else has not indulged in the same baseless speculation as me. ”
When people buy a ticket, often far in advance, they assume the musicians will deliver value for money and that a musician will cancel if he isn’t up to it. Furthermore, even if the audience is aware of Barenboim’s diminished capacity in advance and is okay with it, there is no reason to be dishonest about what the musician actually delivered. It is admirable that the critic called on Barenboim to call an end to this. Orchestras and concert halls are rare and expensive resources. Even if there is a willingness on Barenboim’s part to continue giving bad performances and a substantial public is so star struck that they are wililing to pay to see a really famous musician make bad music, it is still not in the public interest for the charade to go on.
The fact that I have not assumed, without any evidence, that he might have been helpful in the rehearsals, and the orchestra is responsible for the bad concert is not a misconception on my part. It is an unwillingness to indulge in baseless speculation. It’s probably more reasonable to speculate that most concerts go well regardless of the conductor given the high degree of musicianship present in most orchestras. The world is full of gifted pianists and conductors who can be effective day-in, day-out. We don’t need to keep Barenboim employed into his 80s at all costs.
The concert was pitiful. It’s time for DB to retire. There was no excuse for what was a near-abortive event. Our family was there and we simply stared at each other in sadness.
They don’t know when to stop.
Maybe up to a point – I was at one of Segovia’s last concerts and it was truly pitiful. On the other hand, I was at several of Clifford Curzon’s late performances; fistfuls of wrong notes in Mozart, but still wonderful and memorable.
And what are your qualification for such a dismissive review?
A functional ear? Celebrate DB’s great gifts and legacy by all means, but using a concert hall as a proxy for a psychologist couch is another matter.
Ora Binur, I understand your sensitivity as an Israeli music critic for the honor of a great Israeli musician. I am also an Israeli musician and had the pleasure of singing under Barenboim’s baton in the past. When a great musician loses his ability to perform temporarily or for good, he has to be told of course, but a critic shouldn’t do it joyfully. It should be a painful task. It was painful for me to read about it and should be at least as painful for the critic to write it. When such a great man loses the ability to do what he did so perfectly for so many years and to the immense pleasure of millions it’s nothing short of a tragedy in my opinion. Christian Berzins was nothing short of rude and mean, and I’m asking myself what makes him feel entitled to treat Barenboim this way? What great things has he done in his life except for expressing his opinion about what other people did? Whatever he did, I’m sure it was nothing even close to what Barenboim did in his life. I believe he owes him a big apology on the pages of the newspaper, but since he proved himself to be a little man I’m afraid he won’t find it in him to apologize.
I hope the reality wasn’t that bad. It’s sad if it was. Several of the best performances I’ve ever seen in a concert hall have been led by Barenboim.
You should attend more concerts Barry…
Finally, someone speaks the truth!
Exactly my impression with his two concerts with the Berlin Phil this year.
I wasn’t at the Berlin Phil concerts, but I was at the Mozart-Berlioz Staatskapelle concert he did at the end of February, and I have no trouble believing it. The Mozart arias were conducted à trois, with Barenboim doing some (and playing some keyboard), Bartoli cueing her own entries with the concertmaster/solo instruments, and even the concertmaster not-so-subtly beating with his bow at times.
The Symphonie fantastique, meanwhile, was an ok reading, but certainly very controlled, and more of a read-over than an interpretation. It had very much the look of an orchestra being very careful not to embarrass their conductor. That works with a professional orchestra like the Staatskapelle, but the Divan is not that.
I believe they’re playing the Waldbühne tomorrow with Argerich. We shall see.
And Argerich, of course, is now Igor Levit.
There’s still quite a few tickets, in all categories.
I was at 2 of Barenboim’s Berlin Philharmonic performances this year – the Faure/Wagner/Franck programme. He was very much in control and the performances seemed to me fabulous.
In reformed Switzerland, people are direct, irreverent and, if necessary, provide euthanasia against money in order to alleviate the suffering and to avoid the sight of the old and weak creeping around their clean cities.
This critic should have been sent to Verbier two weeks ago to hear Tchaikovsky’s Fifth being butchered by “Mr.Ego” Placebo Flamingo
There was an article on this blog picking up reports from the Swiss press about the Domingo trainwreck. Pretending that it was ignored is…odd.
What is the relevance? Domingo is mostly reviled, while DB is mostly revered. Hence the sadness of witness DB in his present state.
Let this man RETIRE! The industry is so cruel to Barenboim, agents and promoters parading him in his old age around like a sickly show dog. He’s clearly suffering up there, his managers must be making quite a massive cut off his appearance fees, because I’ve never seen a conductor so clearly ill-fitted to physically perform be shoved onto the podium like that. Christ…
It’s especially ironic given his own (married) background.
Uh, maybe. But also, Maestro Barenboim himself might be reluctant to withdraw from the public he so clearly craves. It’s a drug, of a sort.
In my dozen years in artist management, I have yet to meet an artist who is “forced” on stage. Many people here seem to live under the conviction that we, evil creatures, are forcibly making artists do things. Far from it: they live for their art and can’t stop themselves, even when we try to suggest that, perhaps, they could take that week off, or slow down.
Spot on
Even if accurate, this is unnecessarily spiteful. The event provided an opportunity for the audience to pay possibly final homage to a musical legend and his truly wonderful creation.
The critic might have addressed the review in those terms.
Vulgarity and disrespect is the way that worthless people got attention. This man will leave no trace of any value behind him and will be forgotten, while maestro Brainstorm great artistic achievement will live as long as Humanity.
Paul this was a disaster. I was present and it was an abortion. First Martha was sick, sadly. But DB has had a serious vascular illness for over a year and he’s best remembered for his great concerts from the late 60s until just a year or two ago.
So it’s not just Simon Rattle who seems to have lost his lustre.
When you get kicked out of the Berlin Phil (Rattle), there’s not much left, is there?
This even happened to Karajan and he died three months later!
A lie followed by nonesense.
Neither Rattle not Karajan was “kicked out of the Berlin Phil”. I realize this is SD, but please try to have some respect for the facts nonetheless.
Sad but true.
Absolute nonsense….Check the facts.
I was not able to read the review cited completely (paywall), just my thoughts on the excerpts published here:
A few days ago, Barenboim gave the same concert in Cologne. I liked it very much – and many others, as you can read in several independent reviews. Yes, there were some not perfect entries, rare intonation weaknesses etc.. But: it is the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra playing. They are not the Berlin Phil or the Vienna Phil, of course. Nevertheless, they play at a very good level. I have heard many big, established orchestras with weaker results. Although Barenboim did not wave his arms a lot he had the orchestra under perfect control with small gestures etc. The most important thing is that musically, both the orchestra and Barenboim delivered a very good interpretation. I am so glad that I was there. Although I could certainly understand if Barenboim were to retire for health reasons (I could read the strain on his face), he still has a lot to say. So if he wants to continue, I’m happy.
Not two nights ago.
It’s a telephone orchestra… What to expect.
So is the Sinfonia of London…But what a difference!!!!….But then,the Sinfonia has a real conductor in charge…i bet the WEDO could achieve great results with fantastic guest conductors.And play some new repertoire, not the same 15 pieces again and again,each time worse than before.
A critical review is not news. With extraordinarily rare exceptions, a critic’s opinion is utterly meaningless as data.
Three days ago Barenboim and his orchestra received a similar review in the Dutch newspaper NRC from the respected music critic Bas van Putten after the concert in Cologne: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/08/14/keulen-juicht-voor-de-verstikkende-lauwheid-van-daniel-barenboim-a4171906
The impression from Lucerne seems to be the rule rather than an exeption.
I am sad to read this. A few years ago I heard Barenboim in Paris with the Berlin Staatskapelle orchestra in an all-Debussy program (coals to Newcastle) and he and they were OUTSTANDING. A magnificent concert and among the best I’d ever heard from DB. Last year I heard him twice with the West ThEast orchestra at Salzburg. It was painful listening and painful viewing – he went off to the wrong side of the stage for his first stage exit and seemed very disoriented. Tempi were slower than Celibidache. After the most slow, boring Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Lang Lang had to help him off stage. Let’s leave it at that. It made me very sad to see this Lion of a conductor in such a poor state. I felt sorry also for Michael Barenboim, his son, concertmaster. This must be awful for him. Time for DB to pack it up.
Are you sure it wasn’t Joe Biden?
No,Cadet Bone Spurs.
Well, Cologne was marvelous with utmost respect from the audience for both parts of the concert. All is relative but not respect. I enjoyed it very much and not entering in any verbal competition. Enjoying can be very easy. In total very satisfying. Being independent and not staying on any payroll to write shit und unrespectful reviews and always chasing for the bad moments. The suisse review revealing dark soul from the writer. Ignore him, not worth to follow him. Cologne was great and unique. I suppose Lucerne the same. If not or with some gaps, who cares, I assume the audience had a great evening. No one recognized the reviewer, who cares.
I feel sorry for Barenboim. I predict the next one to flame out in the footsteps of Rattle will be Klaus Mäkelä (How many umlauts do you need in one name?).
Could someone please tell me how someone in their 20s can possibly juggle three major European orchestras at a time.
Arrogance and hubris clearly know no bounds but the pretty boy will soon fade and the unthinkably talented and gifted Yuja Wang will tire of him. Then it’s back-to-basics, I’m afraid.
I have predicted for months that those who never had a good word to say about Yuja Wang will now suddenly find she is “unthinkably talented and gifted” in order to bash her boyfriend. Watch the US media (Alex Ross, the hacks at NY Times, Davie Hurwitz, et.al.) follow the same tack in the coming months.
Would you like to make some bets that Yuja will tire of Klaus first? He is 9 years younger and women of a certain age, at the near end of childbearing years (cough), don’t have quite the same the appeal as 20 somethings. No matter how ‘talented’ they are. Old father time is ruthless.
Clearly the answer is two umlauts are needed in his name. By the same logic don’t you think that two Rs in your name might be a bit indulgent?
I really think you might have to work on your critical skills if that’s the best argument you can come up with for not liking someone with much more talent than you.
Additional comment to my previous one. After the concert staying in the same hotel my wife and I had the chance for a liitle chat with him and his wife expressing our warmest compliments, we could see the joy in his eyes. The next morning before departure to Lucerne we talked to his assistant and again underlined our deepest respect and again got a very respectful feedback combined with best wishes. Diplomatic and respectful is not the language of everyone. What will you expect from reviewers not saying it face to face. I had the chance as so often with Mr. Barenboim in Cologne in the last years. I will always remember with warm and grateful feelings. I had the chance, the reviewer not. He has to cope with this, good luck.
When Father Time knocks on your door….DON’T OPEN IT.
As if the word of a music critic was ever something to go by…
when was he such a great conductor? even in his best days there was nothing much to write home about. just one example, for many – a total blunder in a core repertoire, with his own, over-rehearsed orchestra…missed complete section entries, orchestra sections several beats apart, total chaos… only fermata saved his ass. Very sad 30 seconds starting at 38:00 https://youtu.be/0FhU-Ls9abw?t=2310 and at the end he walks away with hands in his pockets… as the Dutch critic above said: he learned nothing, but from the best.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion. He was my Music Director in Chicago for 15 years. He was absurdly overscheduled and consequently inconsistent. But at his best, in certain repertoire (Bruckner, Wagner, Mozart, some Spanish music, Elgar, etc.) I found him revelatory, with a sensitivity to harmony and structure that was unrivaled. When crucial unexpected chord occurred in the music, he would somehow contrive to compel the orchestra to reflect this in our sound; it was as if the lighting in the hall had magically changed color. I have no idea how he did it.
I have some idea…and Oliver Sacks wrote an excellent book on the subject. It explains it perfectly.
So, I’ve heared and watched this concert. Unfortunately this review is not too harsh, it was really, really bad. I have great respect for Barenboim and his life achievements as a pianist and conductor, but the performance of Brahms’ second symphony was below what would be expected from a school orchestra.
I can’t believe my eyes. What a shame!! This “critic”, WHO IS HE?? Intendants?? But they are just ordinary “business people” and have nothing common with us, musicians!! Why on earth, why they should stop the greatest living musician from making music with his orchestra?! Yes, he is old and weak, so what? He is genius anyway, and those young musicians can learn SO MUCH from him! My personal opinion: we have to thank him, we have to pay tribute to this amazing life in art, and me, personally — the best music moments I ever had, as a musician and as a listener — were with Daniel, — I do thank him, and hope to see him on the stage many times in future. OMG, how can people be so heartless? what that bloody critic said is, actually: hey, Maestro, die now and do not remind us of old age and weakness!
The critic may be showing signs of his demise,only earlier than expected. Just making a name for himself.
==unsympathetic review ==
It’s what critics are there for. DB should call it a day
No mercy to the older generation who overstay on stage.
Make room for youngsters.
Enjoy life after retirement.
Same for politics.
Indeed: “Let it go.”
His behaviour is cringeworthy and laughable. And a disservice to music.
I suggest he and Domingo and a few others move on and get out of the way of the future.
The concert he gave in Vienna with the Staatskapelle and Argerich also got some very bad write-ups.
Let’s face it, Barenboim has always been hit-and-miss, relying too much on force of personality.
If he can’t do it any more then he should retire. Those of us who heard Pollini a couple of months ago saw what happens if you leave it too late.
It is a pitty, but one should know when” it’s time to say goodbye”
Please give the health compromised man a break! Yes, he needs to re-evaluate and, perhaps, not conduct much, when he is not feeling up to it! Maestro loves his music, and needs to find a safe and comfortable place, to still enjoy music, where he doesn’t put his legacy, and reputation, at risk! As an example, I gave up my performing career, when I was diagnosed with an incurable, neurodegenerative disorder, that affected my performance ability, greatly! Now, I enjoy watching others, perform in public! Perhaps, teaching, and/or the elder emeritus role, would be a good fit, for the Great Maestro Barenboim!
Music making is always risky. Expect the unexpected, and it is part of the charm. I have been disappointed by the performances of some of the greatest names in the industry, but also enjoyed great performances of unknowns. Perhaps DB or his orchestra had a bad day, or are having a bad season. People sometimes do, even when not old and unhealthy. They are artists, and nothing is ever certain in art. So, no point in writing someone off. Especialy when his talent is not in doubt. He had done enough to deserve more credit.
Isn’t that sweet, the “critic” thinks the Maestro needs a conducting lesson. Bless his little heart!
Never been a talented musician or musician at all. He pushed himself through Europe as a Jew, as millions of ethnic brothers did. Poisoning our European classical traditions and blocking our culture!
Mary dear, judging by your comment, it is obvious to what tradition you conform. Your “culture” had already thus been poisoned long before DB was born.
I won’t reply directly to this.
Norman: surely this comment should be removed?
Nazi comment…..Stinking antisemitism…Should be deleted!
He was able to hide the fact that he was an Argentinian, born in Buenos Aires,so he could have a career, years ago….
Geez. People are so damned obsessed with perfection. Get over it! Arrogant shyteheads! Let the man be old and frail and hear the beauty in the imperfections! Stop slagging a great artist who will leave soon enough! I’m done with you cold hearted jealous wannabes. Get a frickin life!
I do find the attitude that these things shouldn’t be reported quite bizzare. If people who write reviews are only there to fawn then there’s no point in writing or reading them.
In the end these people are expected not not just to show-up and go through the motions but to perform to a certain standard. People pay good money to go to concerts and if the conductor can’t get the orchestra to play together or do justice to the composer any more then personally I’d like to know.
https://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-barenboim-argerich-liszt-berlioz-staatskapelle-berlin-musikverein-vienna-march–2023
Another great musician in shocking decline….After his botching the Brahms 2nd concerto two years ago….he leaves out most of the left hand…..Listen to the opening statement of the 3rd mvt….
As somebody who played that concert ..I can only say…what nonsense…I would love to see this critic cv ..I bet he didn’t do what in his whole life what barenboim did in 2 days …
I was afraid of that.DB should stop conducting,stop playing piano.
he will make a fool of himself!