Who’s conducting the Olympics?
OrchestrasThe Romanian Cristian Măcelaru will conduct the Orchestre National de France at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games on Friday.
‘I never believed in my life that I would have this opportunity. It’s a very beautiful thing because it’s an event where we all seem to forget about the things that separate us and remember the beauty of the things that help us come together,’ he told Romanian TV.
They better play music from Couperin to Boulez.
Yes, but with the Boulez first. That will make all the other pieces sound greater than ever before.
Măcelaru is the man of the moment.
There’s also considerable excitement about him at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where he’ll be the incoming music director, following the 11-year tenure of Louis Langrée.
No, actually, these Olympics will be a constant reminder of the things that separate us. There’s not quite an outright ban on all Russian and Belarussian athletes, but it’s pretty close.
Is it just because its the Olympics and I’m being too nationalist? But didn’t the French want to find a French conductor for the Paris Olympics?
As the chief conductor of the Orch de Paris, it’s only right he was asked, or at least had first refusal.
The Orchestre national de France, not the Orchestre de Paris.
He isn’t chief conductor of the Orchestre de Paris! That is Klaus Mäkelä, another man of the moment! He’s not French either…
Macelaru is the chief conductor of the Orchestra National de France, not the Orchestre de Paris (that’s Klaus M.). Two very different orchestra profiles!
Klaus Makela is the chief conductor of Orchestre de Paris, last time I checked…
Orchestre national de France, not Orchestre de Paris.
The ONF belongs to Radio France, is headed by Macelaru and plays at the Maison de la radio et de la musique, mostly; the Orchestre de Paris belongs to the city of Paris, plays at the Philharmonie de Paris and is headed by Klaus Mäkelä (for now).
Usually when the French mediocrities, it’s their own mediocrity!
What things?
French admins and musicians are known to not like French conductors. They believe none of them is decent enough to do a good job, which is interesting given that no French orchestra figures in the top 10. The French flag bearers for the ceremony will also most likely be Lebron James and Coco Gauff.
From RadioClassique:
EXCLUSIVE Paris Olympics: Conductors Klaus Mäkelä and Cristian Măcelaru to participate in the opening ceremony
https://www.radioclassique.fr/classique/concerts-festivals/jo-de-paris-2024-le-chef-dorchestre-roumain-cristian-macelaru-a-la-baguette-pour-la-ceremonie-douverture/
He recently recorded the very challenging Enescu symphonies for DG with the ONdF.
“To forget about the things that separate us and remember the beauty of the things that help us come together” sounds a bit like Russian propaganda, sorry. I am sure he did not mean it like that, but hes message sounds like justifying different “truths” and the importance of “peace”…
“To forget about the things that separate us and remember the beauty of the things that help us come together” sounds a bit like Russian propaganda, sorry. I am sure he did not mean it like that, but his message sounds like justifying different “truths”, “multipolar world” and the importance of “peace”…