Berlin Phil drops Rattle
OrchestrasThere is no room for Sir Simon Rattle in the orchestra’s 24/25 season – perhaps, with typical senisitivty, they are allowing the former chief conductor to bed in with his new band in Munich.
Other highlights:
Artist in Residence is pianist Seong-Jin Cho. Wolfgang Rihm, Composer in Residence.
Three conductors make Berlin Phil debuts: Marin Alsop, Joana Mallwitz and Kazuki Yamada.
Kirill Petrenko will conduct 50 of the season’s 128 concerts.
Wolfgang Rihm? Very fresh and innovative take, 40 years doing the same thing.
Marin Alsop? What a great agent she must have to pull strings that much.
I’m so sorry for Berliners. I lost my respect for Alsop after witnessing that catastrophic Woke Beethoven 9th she conducted at Ravinia.
You can find the Halal English translation of Schiller’s poem by Tracey Smith online.
I just looked up that text. What a load of manure.
You’re a load of manure.
That’s the wittiest you can provide, Mr Tired!?!?
You’re a tough one! One dud and You’re out!
So you consider yourself an enlightened person and yet you still don’t understand the term WOKE.
I have never understood the amount of Alsop bashing that happens on this site. Granted, I’ve only seen her conduct a handful of times (LNOP last year and a concert with Sheku and the Philharmonia) but I thought she did an exceptionally good job on both occasions. Read the slipped disc comments every time she gets a mention and you would think she’s a charlatan and fraudster deceiving the industry one concert at a time… it’s quite barmy!
Misogyny
I’ve sat concertmaster under Alsop …..she couldn’t keep “On the Town “ straight …wrong meter …..not a genius
What is Alle Menschen werden Brüder if it ain’t woke? Foolishness to call anything you don’t like “woke”.
Woke is to favor one group over another or to highlight one groups travails over another’s. Alle menschen werden Brueder is axiom of our human condition. Nothing to do with woke, which has negative attributes.
You are a dope…it is calling for a universal humanity love and respect..
Your comment is completely legitimate, Mr Robert. Thus, I hope you’ll understand that the functional definition that I consider to be accurate for ‘woke’ (not having encountered anything more appropriate) is “empathy without any sense of thought, consideration or discrimination.”
That‘s not woke. That‘s humanistic and enlightened.
The not rhyming „alle Menschen werden Brüder, Schwestern und Diverse“ would be woke.
I just don’t understand why she has a name or reputation beyond being a woman that hung in for a long time at Baltimore. I don’t feel she has any great skills or musicianship. I wish I could support her.
Baltimore was at best a second- rate orchestra when she took over, with serious financial troubles. She made them relevant again, and turned them into of the best ensembles in the States. She’s the best thing to happen to that orchestra in decades… just ask the musicians. If you don’t believe me, go see a concert… I’m sure you’ll be convinced!
Well, they were very good before.David Zinman did a fantastic job.
Baltimore is a great orchestra today, but I’m quite sure that they were an equally fine one under Sergiu Commissiona, David Zinman, and Yuri Termirkanov. Though most orchestras improve over time simply because the new conservatory grads who replace the old guard are usually much better players – at least on a technical level – than their predecessors ever were.
To quote the great Kathy Burke
‘I love being ‘woke’. It’s much nicer than being an ignorant f#cking twat.’
On the other hand one cannot pretend that Alsop is a great conductor.
Given the purpose of an agent is to help develop and maintain one’s career, and get their client good gigs, yes.
She did a damn fine job conducting John Adams’s “El Niño” at the Met the other night.
Marin Alsop is an amazing artist that is most likely why she has been chosen to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic.
Totally agree
Totally disagree. Her Last Night of the Proms last season was dreadful. Given the sense of the occasion, how can you possibly sap every ounce of energy from Verdi, especially given Lise Davidsen as Lady Macbeth, to take one example?
and Lise shouldn’t sing this repertoire as this Proms was awful
The Proms is not where conductors go to make profound music… Go watch her conduct something more serious, with an orchestra that has a full set of rehearsals… you won’t be disappointed!
If she were a guy she wouldn’t be conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. someone had to say it.
Otherwise, Bravo to her!
Because of course, men famously have never been allowed to conduct the Berlin Phil?
The exact opposite is true… read the account of what happened when she took over the Baltimore Symphony: being a woman was a huge hindrance for her. Only through having great musical ideas and impeccable musicality was she able to prove her naysayers wrong. That orchestra is light years better, musically and financially, than when she took the helm. Go see a concert of hers… you won’t be disappointed!
Exactly..it’s all about a different gender to conduct. What next a Trans conductor ?
Have you ever worked with her or seen a concert led by her? I’ve done both and am convinced that she’s the real deal. Wait for her to come to Berlin, go to the concert, and you’ll be very happy you did!
Great to see the wonderful Kazuki getting this kind of gig.
Kirill Petrenko will perhaps conduct 50 of the season’s 128 concerts.
I dread booking for the two Proms in case he drops out and Harding is again considered a suitable replacement!!
Hopefully Kirill Petrenko should be fine to perform the two concerts at the Proms. The reason why he dropped out in 2022 was to do with a foot injury, and he normally cancels when he is guest conducting. Since the beginning of this season, he hasn’t cancelled a single concert with the Berlin Philharmonic so he should be able to conduct the orchestra at the Proms.
Actually Petrenko hasn’t really dropped any concerts with BPO(despite the frequent cancellation of guest conducting) since his surgery in early 2023(which was due to a broken toe in July 2022).
Happy for Seong Jin Cho. He is an modest man, yet a fantastic pianist.
But the MD can’t be bothered to play a single concert with the Artist in Residence.
I agree. And I have heard him perform frequently with another great artist, Clara-Jumi Kang.
You forgot to mention your favorite boy Klaus and your favorite girl Yuja, Klaus gets 5 appearances (2 at Baden-Baden and 3 at the Philharmonie), Yuja gets 4 (1 solo, 1 outdoors, 2 on tour in China).
Chicago made the right choice. He’s hot.
It can also get quite cold in Berlin: Rattle gets nothing, Thielemann gets nothing.
No Thielemann is just as rattleing? Maybe a contractual agreement, when beginning as chief up the street at Staatsoper? He will appear in Philharmonie, but with his own band.
Berlin is pretty good about the various institutions being friends. Barenboim and Fischer routinely guest-conducted the Philharmonic. Robin Ticciati when he led DSO Berlin (I think). Thielemann will be back, I’m sure.
True, but maybe a matter of courtesy in the first season as chief? After things are settled then it might get a bit more inclusive. But who knows, could also be a particular competitive edge by either BPhil or more likely CT. Pure speculation on my part.
Thielemann is at the Berlin State Opera where he has plenty to do after all those Barenboim years.
didn’t we get enough of them…?
Klaus Mäkelä is back and conducting in Berlin 30 May – 1 Juni 2025!
If I am right the annual Thielemann concerts are gone as,well … but Barenboim has new contracts ( if his health allows…)
I think Rattle is an overrated conductor anyway
so true but he go the media behind him – he is such a bore
So Simon Rattle’s non-appearance with the BPO is a highlight of the season for Norman. Saucy. I fear he has been watching too many YouTube videos from critic David Hurwitz, founder and Executive Editor of ClassicsToday.com.
And don’t you forget it!
The internets most rabid Rattle ripper!
Hurwitz is just a loud mouthed undereducated highly opinionated moron and internet entrepeneur. As they say in German „Was kümmerts die Eiche, wenn sich ein Schwein an ihr reibt.“ (the oak doesn‘t care, if a pig rubs itself on it)
More interesting to see the conductors they are re-inviting for a second time :
Klaus Makela, Jakob Hrusa, Robin Ticciatti, Antonello Manacorda, Giovanni Antonini
I don’t see Ticciatti and manacorda are yet invited the 2nd time though, but Simone Young did.
With ticciati they made once a mistake . But looks like they have learned from it..
Petrenko conducting 50 of 128 concerts clearly shows what is wrong about Music Directors in 2024. Every Music Director should be contracted to conduct at least 1/2 of a season, not a quarter of the season. That leaves plenty of time to have a second orchestra and a Summer Festival.
Nothing wrong with that amount. Twelve programs or more (3 concerts each), on top Salzburg gigs and tours? Rather above average these days.
Actually Petrenko only has 8 new programme this year at Berlin(10 if you add Ma Vlast on tour early in the season and additional Beethoven 9 at Baden Baden).
However, seems Petrenko has basically taken about 90% of the tours for BPO in the past 4 seasons and almost never repeat programmes from past seasons, the commitment is still quite obvious
That’s a lot of concerts. The Berlin Phil has a very heavy workload. Half of a season makes sense if the orchestra were half as busy as Berlin. The principals only play half the season, after all.
Cancellation-wise, this is a high risk season with conductors such as Blomstedt, Barenboim, Mehta and Petrenko.
Fingers crossed!
I am planning next two trips to New York around concerts conducted by Petrenko and Blostedt, next November and February respectively. Is thar living on the edge!
Alsop, a vlassic case of absurd over-promotion.
Vlassic!
She deserves the promotion. She‘s one of the finest conductors I‘ve worked with and a genuine artist.
Spelling?
That’s not what the musicians of the orchestras she conducts say. Go see a concert… you’ll be glad you did!
I was awaiting program for 2024/25 with very high expectations – since I was planning to visit the BP for the first time, and to do it his, I need to travel from overseas.
However, I was greatly disappointed – and now need to re-evaluate my plans with this programming.
I did not get “much thought” what was claimed being put into programming. The only two highlights were Kazuki and Dudamel (not dropped yet, but might get soon).
Sorry for brag, just my opinion.
I recently spent a weekend in Vienna and heard a wonderful concert – not the Vienna Phil, but the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (to my embarrassment, not an orchestra I’d ever heard of!), conducted by Petr Popelka – Dvorak cello concerto, Strauss Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel. World class playing – stunning performances. Perhaps look at Vienna SO programme before booking a flight to Berlin?
Yes, they’re a fine orchestra. Operating under the shadow of the VPO whose brand will always outshine them. Just as the Prague Symphony will probably always be outshone by the Czech Philharmonic.
As a big BPO&Petrenko fan, was a bit disappointed with the programme at the first look(compare to the last 2 seasons), but now feel it is still a good season. A quick personal breakdown on Petrenko’s involvement:
Only 8 unique programmes at home, but each one look good.
– ‘Big symphonies”: Beethoven 6, Dvorak 7, Mahler 9 and Bruckner 5. The latter 3 are my fav symphonies of the respective composers and will be heavily toured
– Concertos: Schumman(Prom only) and Brahms(2) PC, Korngold and Elgar VCs. The VCs are good choices and Petrenko’s style suit the Brahms PC
– Operas: Rach’s Rimini and Madame Butterfly, not bad, but personally not as exciting as the Operas last 3 seasons. After hearing exciting Tchaikovsky and Strauss, would be interesting to see how petrenko navigate BPO through this Italian classic
– Others: The Varese, Srnka, Rihm and Sibelius Lemminkäinen, not too bad but I have hoped to have more modern pieces
– There will also be Ma Vlast(from current season) on tour and eduction programme.
Overall, the highs are definitely there, but I would have hoped more programmes. However, good thing that except the Rach Isle of dead, all pieces this season are ‘new’ collaboration between Petrenko and BPO.
Follow up on my earlier comments, maybe some quick run-through on the guest conductings:
– Very exiting ones: Nott conducts Eovtos and Ives, Oramo&Gerstein performs Busoni PC, Hrusa Beethoven PC(5) with Son and Bartok.
– Interesting ones: Mena conducts french music, Jarvi Bruckner 1+Shostakovich PC1 with Son, Antonini Haydn, Simone Young with Bruckner 2+ a Rihm Soprano Scene, Blomstedt Bruckner 9(hope he can make it), Sokhiev with Donghoon Shin Viola concerto and Mahler 1, Roth conducts Scriabin and Debussy, the Mallwitz and Yazuki’s programme choices as debut aren’t bad either.
– The mundane ones: Barenboim and Mehta while I highly respect them, their concerts haven’t been inspiring past seasons. Nelsons’ bruckner 8, Harding Planet, Makela Alps and Dudamel Tchaikovsky 5 won’t be bad with BPO, but I don’t think I will miss any of these tbh…
I love Yeol Eum’s playing.
I agree with you on Daniel Barenboim. His concerts have not been that great but I have to disagree with you on Zubin Mehta. I saw Zubin conduct the BPO last year in a programme consisting of works by Schumann, Bartok, and Tchaikovsky and it was one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever been to in my life. The BPO were on top form and Zubin Mehta was in full control. Even though he’s quite frail these days, he’s still got the energy inside him
Petrenko conducting 50% of concerts of his home orchestra… that’s more than Dudamel in L.A.
Marin Alsop is in hot demand all of a sudden, debuting in Berlin and the Met this year.
Rattle isn’t conducting the Berlin Phil itself, but he is doing Messiaen’s Des Canyons aux étoiles with the Karajan Academy & Kirill Gerstein + the excellent Berlin Phil principal horn, Stefan Dohr, as soloists in September.
https://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/en/musikfest-berlin/programm/2024/kalender/karajan-akademie-der-berliner-philharmoniker
Munich is a great orchestra also with a history of having fine conductors, especially Celebidache! Conductors used to powerfully influence the orchestra’s sound because of hiring and long term residency. Now they usually work for a few weeks with several orchestras.
It’s not the conductors who dismissed this power. More the orchestras themselves, wanting more fair participation in choosing their colleagues and framework. And the agents, who make more from the jetsetting conductors, than the resident ones.
Also today’s pampered top orchestra musicians often roll their eyes, if the chief is appearing too often. Not enough dopamine, they are hungry for other flesh.
différent orchestra though
That’s just an assumption that Berlin Phil dropped Rattle. It could be Rattle that dropped (ie postponed) Berlin Phil.
He has commitments with his new orchestra Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra (which he is now Conductor Emeritus of)
Quite a good idea for Berlin Philharmonic to try new conductors at this time.
Per the interview on the BPO’s website, Seong-Jin Cho said it was so fun to work as the BPO’s Artist in Residence, and it was like “paradise” for him because he was allowed to curate the program for the residency. Speaking of the program, he will perform all of Ravel’s solo piano work in one evening, celebrating the150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth.Wow.In my humble opinion, he is the best Ravel interpreter. He’s turning 30, and he has done half of the repertoire list he wrote down when he was 17. An enormous talent with remarkable willpower and self-discipline.I have huge respect for him.
Oops, no Yunchan?
I think Sir Simon has other fish to fry these days. No big issue here.
he is more interested in claiming new orchestra halls….so irritating as hardly any can be filled nowadays especially when he is conducting
no one will honestly miss Rattle the most overrated conductor alive
Oh I so agree! I mean what do a 100 plus world class musicians in the Berlin Phil know about talent? Nothing. They should all be sacked and replaced by armchair critics.
Alsop? Are they that hard up for talent?
According to the BPO after the question was posed, there’s no Thielemann and no Rattle because of scheduling. But who’s buying that, considering there’s also no Pappano, Järvi, Welser-Möst or Salonen. So a whole generation is out except for Petrenko for the most part.
Would rather have John Elliott Gardner get it