Big guns are blasting in at the Czech Philharmonic
NewsFranz Welser-Möst is having a honeymoon relationship with the Czech Phil, booming away at Bruckner this weekend to standing ovations and promising to return both as a guest conductor and with his Cleveland Orchestra.
Also bedding in at the Prague Hyatt is Sir Simon Rattle.
Nothing has yet been announced but eagle eyes have spotted that he will be conducting the Czech Phil in three different programmes next season, always the sign of an intensifying affair.
Semyon Bychkov, the principal conductor, is not afraid to invite the best guests.
Thanks to Semyon Bychkov…
It’s healthy to see music directors inviting high-level guest artists. It’s good for the music, the musicians, and ultimately for the public and society. Let’s call it, “trickle-down art-o-nomics”.
But if I may, the use of “big guns blasting” in the headline is rather insensitive and inappropriate, considering the war in Ukraine just around the corner from Prague. To be clear, I am not offended, not am I interested in the tiresome circus of virtue signaling.
But if we sincerely want to live in peace, then we need to demilitarize our language first and foremost. Language is a reflection of our thoughts and can lead to action and reaction. In many ways, the world we live in is formed by our choice of words.
So please dear Norman, I implore you to choose more carefully. Thank you.
Well said. In fact it would be a very good idea for all contributors on SD to be less personal and more factual.
We all want to live in peace as Eugene so wonderfully says.
You are TOTALLY virtue signalling. For God’s sake give it a rest. Ukraine a sight more that “round the corner” from Prague anyway.
Why do you have an issue with virtues?
Rather, it is just an illicit affair of mixed metaphors:
“honeymoon relationship … booming away … bedding in … sign of an intensifying affair”
In this context, “big guns are blasting” take on a whole different meaning.
Let us come together, ahem, to make love not war.
A serious crash of metaphors, as used to say an old writing teacher.
FWM is the BFG blasting in the Czech Philharmonic?
I cannot imagine a universe where FWM would be described as a BFG.
It’s not just Bychkov; it’s probably more David Maracek, who first brought back Jiri Belohlavik as music director (after he’d quit 20 years earlier), then set about bringing in a lot of top guest conductors – when I was in Prague 2014-17 Manfred Honeck was principal guest conductor, and we also saw David Robertson, David Zinman, Christoph Eschenbach (whatever one may think of him), and Valery Gergiev, and Sir Simon was expected once he’d finished in Berlin.
Sir Simon finally came three years ago and, if you watch video of the concert (available on Czech TV), it would appear a good time was had by all, and then he came back during COVID. So it’s good to see him deepening the relationship – and remember he has a Czech wife and his new job in Munich is only a 3-hour drive away. So why not?
The Czech Philharmonic isn’t a huge-budget orchestra, but they’re a legendary one, and their subscription concerts always feel special. It’s hard to see how any serious-minded conductor wouldn’t jump at a chance to work with them.
Yes, but they should also invite Czech conductors, and make sure that their fabulous, unique sound gets preserved for generations to come (OK, so they don’t sound exactly how they sounded 50 years ago, but the sound is still recognizable as that of the Czech Philharmonic).
They do. Jakub Hrusa and (I think) Tomas Netopil are their de facto principal guest conductors, and they seem to make use of a lot of other Czechs for their lower-profile shows.
Magdalena Kožená.
Let us not exaggerate things. It is the usual nepotism as old as classical music itself. To get the husband, you got to invite the wife…
She’s a wonderful singer; if she’s part of the package, fine by me. Though I’d be surprised if she were to be on three programs.
Czech Phil is and always has been among the world’s best orchestras….
Rattle’s been working in the Czech Republic for a while. He even conducted youth orchestras there about ten years back.
His debut with them was in March 2019 (almost exactly 3 years ago); a much-awaited event. He conducted the youth orchestra in around June 2020 during a COVID benefit concert.
Glad he’s coming back for more.
I remember reading a review in the Karlovy Vary daily back in 2015 or so, saying that the youth orchestra had worked s Rattlem.
I can’t imagine better music to sooth the soul in wartime than Bruckner. Scratch wartime, Bruckner soothes the soul no matter what. Listen to one of his symphonic adagios and not feel profoundly changed or humbled. I don’t care what you may think of FWM but he has come closer to truth in Bruckner than anyone.
Anyway I am old and this is my opinion forged from a lifetime of listening to music.
Jeff Merta
Well said, Jeffrey.
When you’re the best conductor on the planet you have no need for insecurity.
Sir Simon was in the audience at one of the Czech Philharmonic’s recent concerts at the Barbican. Like the rest of the audience he gave the orchestra a standing ovation after their performance of Smetana’s Ma Vlast.
The first half was a performance of Rachmaninov’s first piano concerto with the soloist being Yuja Wang. Sir Simon found time to visit her back stage.
See the link for a photo.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=517556139731761&set=a.270740874413290
With Sir SR’s relations with the brexited motherland cooling and the LSO gig fading, it seems natural to refocus. A triangle between his family residence in Berlin, his job in Munich and the fantastic Czech Phil in his wife’s homeland seems to make a lot of sense. All sides of that triangle are short train rides apart. A liveable life for a seasoned top artist with a family with children of school age. We all get older too.
Ah you just cannot beat the cult of ‘personality’ in classical music.
But was it ever different? Didn’t Bach walk the 370 km to Lübeck (and back) to hear Buxtehude play the organ?
In this time of war, perhaps a metaphor than “Big Guns are Blasting” would be more appropriate.