Mallwitz misses TV stardom

The much-discussed Berlin conductor Joanna Mallwitz has pulled out of a bicentennial performance of Beethoven’s ninth symphony in Vienna next Tuesday, citing ill-health.

She was due to conduct the finale of the symphony in a performance by four orchestras with star conductors, to be broadcast live on Arte-TV.

She will be replaced by the Vienna Symphony’s chief conductor Petr Popelka.

Here’s the revised lineup:

From 9:35 p.m. on TV and on arte.tv:

Ludwig van Beethoven: 9th Symphony Leipzig, Paris, Milan, Vienna

1st movement from the Leipzig Gewandhaus / Musical direction: Andris Nelsons

2nd movement from the Philharmonie de Paris / Musical direction: Klaus Mäkelä

3rd movement from La Scala in Milan / Musical direction: Riccardo Chailly

4th movement from the Vienna Konzerthaus / Musical direction: Petr Popelka

The project is a European co-production between ARTE and its partner broadcasters MDR, RAI and ORF 3.