Maestro move: Bonn grabs Prick
mainAfter tearing itself apart over the next music director – the bosses wanted one man, the players another – the Beethoven Orchestra of Bonn has hired an interim chief conductor for the 2016/17 season.
He is the seasoned Christoph Prick.
Once upon a time in America, where he was music director in Charlotte, North Carolina, he used to spell it Perick.
For some reason.
Oh Norman! Greatest headline ever.
Speaking of different names, his name is Christof, not Christoph.
In Germany he’s known as Schewanz.
It was a marketing mistake to change his name, a lost opportunity. “Perick” was probably the idea of a London agent.
As music director in Nürnberg a few seasons ago, he led a propulsive Tannhäuser.
Maestro Schewanz…..as one member of the Staatskapelle Dresden called him once…..
At the time maestro Prick used to work with the National German Youth Orchestra quite frequently. As a reaction to his american pseudonym, they came up with a german nickname: Schewanz…
Nice headline.
Norman, your sense of humor is becoming darkly American.
I was about to say that’s not exactly the headline that i have would have chosen
On couldn’t make this up if one tried.
YES I LOVE THE HEADLINE
He was also music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
And then what happens?
Well done, sir. Chapeau à vous aussi.
Nice to see a very talented conductor landing a post commensurate with his abilities. Not a lot of glamour, but some very tasteful music making. Prick has more experience in his little finger than most conductors in their whole body. Bonn should be so lucky!
Perick (as he is known in the US) was music director of the Charlotte Symphony for ten years up until about 2010. He is an amazing artist!
He also conducted at least one production at the Met – Die Frau Ohne Schatten?
Things were even more problematic when he was a member of a trio with Josef Suk and Yo-Yo Ma.
Fred,
OUTSTANDING!!! Keep ’em coming.
Reminds me of the time when the front desk of the 1st violins at the CBSO was Felix Kok and Paul Willey.
I remember him conducting “Electra” at the Met in 1980 and thought then he was an up-and-coming conductor.
Ha, very good. Does anybody remember the classic cricket commentator’s ‘The bowler’s Holding, the batsman’s Willey’?
The piano slot in that trio was taken quite a while ago by James Dick.
(And who could forget the Lizzie Borden Trio? Ax, Ma, Mutter)
….aaaaaand Fred Plotkin wins the internet again. Chapeau.
Sorry, no. That was pianist James Dick.
You may think I invented this but I heard an announcer say after the interval in a performance of “Fidelio” at the Met in the early 1980s : “Now Maestro Prick is on the stand again.” (Isn’t it the musicians who have stands and the conductor a podium?)
After awhile the mockery will peter out.
This will all peter out after awhile.
But until then…..the beat goes on….
Tell me, does this Prick take things quick?
If he composed a couple of pieces of music, would they be Schwanzstücke?
It seems never too late to still be in puberty.