Just in: Seiji Ozawa has died
RIPThe family of Seiji Ozawa has just released news of his death on February 6th. The cause was heart failure.
Seiji, the long-serving music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, was 88.
Here is the official statement:
Conductor Seiji Ozawa passed away peacefully at his home in Tokyo on February 6th, 2024, at the age of 88. The cause of death was heart failure.
According to the wishes of the deceased, the funeral was held only for close relatives. The family is considering holding a memorial gathering at a later date. Out of respect for the bereaved family’s wish to see him off quietly, we kindly ask you to refrain from requesting comments or interviews.
In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, we also kindly ask you to refrain from sending flowers, condolence gifts, and requesting visits.
A full obituary follows here.
pictured with Martha Argerich, 2020
rip
Very sad to learn about of his passing. But he had been in frail health for what seems like quite a long time. Rest in peace.
He was a giant the only one maybe who worked as assistant of Bernstein and Karajan after his start so important in Besançon. I will always regret to never have seen him in concert. I like so much his records of Sherazade and de Falla with Boston. But when I think about him I think about Ravel. The box of the orchestral works he did with Boston is a treasure to be cherished. And it’s a pity and a shame that DG didnt reedit the box in LP 180g during the last year. A professional misconduct.
You’re right about the Ravel discs. I would also commend to you the Faure disc with Pelleas & M. His best recording imo. And while I’m at it his Rite with the CSO is absolutely superb and frenzied at the end. I heard him many times and in some things he was wonderful , especially larger works like the Berlioz Requiem
of (not about of)
Wonderful, delightful man and fabulous musician. May he rest in peace.
RIP Maestro
He had been suffering for a very long time. Let´s remember him as a young, vigorous man, who was the first to avoid the stuffy formal conductor´s attire, and blew like a whirlwind through the classical musical world about 50 years ago.
A photograph of the Director of the Boston Symphony chasing down a line drive during a (evidently competitive) softball game, I think it was a Time Magazine photo, has, for me, always been an enduring of the Maestro.
The word would be image, enduring image.
RIP
His Brahms 1 at the Proms with the Saito Kinen Orchestra (early 90s?) sticks in the memory. R.I.P.
I heard them in that very symphony on the opening night of the 1990 Edinburgh Festival. Rostropovich played the Dvořák Cello Concerto. A wonderful memory.
I still remember the excitement decades ago when his first recordings (on RCA) showed up – they were so exciting and fresh; a new maestro had arrived! And then on various labels he brought out so many superb recordings – his Swan Lake is tops. Not everyone likes his Mahler cycle, but I sure do. Ok, we’ll skip over the misjudged Prokofiev set. I did get to hear him live a few times with Boston – a Dvorak 8th still rings in my head. I hope Boston does a nice tribute and RCA should do a budget box of those early LPs. RIP.
Sony reissued the Ozawa/Chicago Symphony RCA recordings in a box in 2017 and it’s still listed on Amazon. They didn’t include the Carmina Burana he did with Boston about the same time.
I cherish this interview he did in his last appearance with the Berlin Philharmonic 2016, with Daishin Kashimoto. The reverence he shows for the man who paved the way for Japanese musicians in the West is evident. https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/interview/22406-5
His greatest achievement that will make his mark in music history: premiere of Messiaen’s Saint François d’Assise
Absolutely. For what it’s worth after this seeing underrated comment: Larger than life even from the pit and into his 70s, everything was electric live – from Pikovaya dama to sexy Tannhäuser.
In private, sensei’s casual phonographic(?) memory of every fine detail from Ravel to Bach to, yes, Chopin (always prefaced by “I don’t know piano music”…) was just beyond staggering.
And behind the scenes such a sense of justice, empathy, compassion and humanity, even if rightly reluctant to share views in public that are not in service of music making.
2024 has taken so much from us all. Be free as a bird now and fly far, far away from this wretched earth.
I met him in Toronto at a private dinner when I was 18. He was an enchanting man, very gentle and open and friendly. His concerts seemed so exciting — he dazzled Toronto.
Years later I read two novels, written by two young women who had both been his neighbours when he lived in Toronto. They both fell madly in love with him — I gather from interviews that I read when they came out that he had been as kindly and amiable as I had remembered on my much briefer encounter with him. They were not alone — all Toronto seemed to love him.
One of those books was called Almost Japanese; I forget the other. But reading them brought him back to mind as a person, not the by-now distant demi-god of the music world that he had become. For a lot of people who were in Toronto while he was with us, he remained forever young, and forever ours.
RIP, dear Maestro.
As a teenager , I taped from the radio a few acts of his premiere performance of Messiaen’s glorious opera ‘ St Francis of Assisi ‘. I also vividly recall the documentary where he patiently teaches conducting students at Tanglewood, the 2nd movement of Beethoven’s Pastoral . RIP
He led a long and productive life. May he rest in peace.
A life well lived and a man of class, gentleness and talent.
RIP, may Buddha rest his soul.
Ozawa was as much fun to watch on the podium as Solti.
Big Name ‘Living Legend’ conductors that are still with us in 2024 = Muti, MTT, Mehta… (anyone else????)
Chailly maybe.
Blomstedt
I will forever remember his powerful performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony with the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Chicago. RIP, Maestro.
RIP – I especially remember an amazing Rite of Spring with Boston SO in London early 80s.
One of my first world-class experiences was hearing the San Francisco orchestra with Ozawa at the RFH in London. I particularly remember the Tchaik 4 that ended the programme. Later he returned to London with Boston.
Recently I rediscovered this and it displays so much of Ozawa’s dynamic approach https://youtu.be/KP-DAOuBsGA?si=mIygHGQGJ7eelQUy&t=1703