Berlin falls in love with a German conductor

Berlin falls in love with a German conductor

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

October 12, 2023

The Guardian has a news report on Joana Mallwitz who, two weeks ago, was awarded the Order of Merit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Mallwitz, 37, has just taken over as  chief conductor at the Konzerthaus.

She is, they proclaim, “the next big thing”. A virtual unknown figure in the Berlin capital until recently, the musician says she can no longer go to the supermarket or local bakery without being recognised.

“The build-up was massive,” says Mallwitz, who was inaugurated last month. “I had to push it all away from me, saving myself as it were, by concentrating on getting to know the musicians, or on how I want to conduct bar 17 of a particular violin symphony.”…

 

Read on here.

Photo (c) Simon Pauly/KonzerthausBerlin

Comments

  • Hm says:

    A head-scratcher. A victory of publicity, I guess.

    • Tamino says:

      A misguided PR strategy. To promote a conductor without her/his instrument, the orchestra. Deeply amusical and narcissistic.

    • Just for now says:

      To be fair: that review is more critical of (what the critic views as) Eschenbach‘s legacy than of Mallwitz, other than wrt parts of the programming (saying that one of the pieces was forgettable).

  • Dave says:

    I saw the original and would have commented on the unusual new genre “violin symphony” had there been the facility. I can only assume she was misquoted by a generalist reporter.

  • TITUREL says:

    What, one might ask, is a “violin symphony”?

  • Thomas M. says:

    Horrible, horrible woman. There was a sigh of relief among Frankfurt musicians when she got that job in <Berlin so she wouldn't get the one here (Frankfurt Opera).

  • M2N2K says:

    The phrase that includes “violin symphony” is probably not translated well. The picture is odd too: her arms and hands look much too long and large for her head.

  • Paul Wells says:

    My favourite part is where it says “Read on here” and there’s no link. I mean, how hard could it be.

  • Elisabeth Smith says:

    I really don’t understand the music business anymore! What the hell gives this woman the right to stand on a podium! It’s just dreadful! She creates a lot of sound (and noise) but not one bar of music!

    • benno lerner says:

      I heard -and SAW- Frau Mallwitz tonight with Concertgebouw orchestra in amsterdam. She reminded me of the famous Radio City ballet where all the Rockettes are falling ans getting up, all like wooden dolls. I had to close my eyes because she decided to mark every note on the score for all the players. All individuality and Spielfreude were gone. This orchestra can play Beethoven VII backwards if suggested. Tonight the sound was too loud, over -conducted, no spontanous moments. I’ve never heard such a large orchestra -Bruckner Wagner size- for Beethoven. And the worst: far too fast. No moments of gooseflesh or concentration for me while the music is beautiful, even in a third rate performance. I hope they won’t invite her back

  • Tom M. says:

    Interesting photo. Looks like the orchestra is about to launch an attack against the conductor.

  • Don Antonio says:

    “Already a legend in her own mind, she is working on being unknown internationally,” was the proper translation.

  • michael says:

    Having heard her conduct Lohengrin, Figaro, Rosenkavalier , Die Frau ohne Schatten and War and Peace in Nuremberg, I think that Berlin have made a fine choice . I have not heard her in symphonic music but will certainly be travelling to Berlin to hear her conduct the Konzerthaus orchestra.
    Give a new appointee a chance!

  • Harry Collier says:

    What on Earth is a “violin symphony”?

  • SJ64 says:

    Could someone please explain why she is so bad. Some of us have never heard of her. Thanks.

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