A different kind of domino effect is taking place in the conducting world as three very important posts will be up for grabs in 2017-18.
Chief among these is music directorship of the Berlin Philharmonic, a post held by Sir Simon Rattle since 2002. His departure was well-documented and announced in January 2013. While many names are being bandied about, a successor has not been named. One thing is certain: it will not be an American. Here is a list of the principal conductors of the BPO:
- Ludwig von Brenner (1882–1887)
- Hans von Bülow (1887–1892)
- Arthur Nikisch (1895–1922)
- Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922–1945)
- Leo Borchard (May – August 1945)
- Sergiu Celibidache (1945–1952)
- Wilhelm Furtwängler (1952–1954)
- Herbert von Karajan (1954–1989)
- Claudio Abbado (1989–2002)
- Sir Simon Rattle (2002–2018)
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| Munich's atrocious Gasteig |
I predict a German--just a hunch. That said, Mariss Jansons, is very unhappy in Munich as the government has reneged on its promise of a new concert hall, opting instead to renovate the atrocious Gasteig. While Valery Gergiev is conductor of Munich's "other" orchestra, he's not headed to Berlin. It can probably be safely said that Berlin will not go the way of the "youth movement."
On top of all this, rumors have been circulated that Sir Simon is being courted for a return to his native Britain to lead the London Symphony. The conductor has, thus far, not indicated that he has any interest especially due to the fact that London possesses no concert hall of international stature (see S & P, 1/22/15). However, suddenly support for a new London hall seems to be gaining traction. Who knows what will happen?
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On this side of the pond, announcements of conductor departures have been swift:
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On this side of the pond, announcements of conductor departures have been swift:
- Earlier this month, Alan Gilbert of the NY Phil, announced his resignation effective 2017. This could not come at a worse time as the orchestra will be homeless starting in 2019 to accommodate yet another renovation of the hall formerly known as Avery Fisher. The orchestra has little time to name a successor and recent searches haven't always gone as planned. In 2000, the rumor mill was rife with news that Riccardo Muti was the top choice but he (apparently repeatedly) turned them down, making Gilbert--at best--a second choice. Muti, of course, went to Chicago. However things turn out this time, whomever is selected will still live in the shadow of Leonard Bernstein. Although he has been gone almost 25 years, Bernstein remains, for many, the face and voice of the Philharmonic and much of America's music, for that matter.
- Even more recently (this past week) the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. announced the departure of Christoph Eschenbach. It seems as though the NSO has always been deemed a second-tier ensemble and Eschenbach hasn't really helped things. His programs are sometimes fine and sometimes horrible, as evidenced by a disastrous 2013 Cosi fan Tutte in Salzburg. And despite his track record, he was among the highest paid music directors in the world. What will become of this post? Contemporary criticism has it that the orchestra has been largely rudderless since the tenure of Antal Dorati, who left in 1977. That said, Kennedy Center has a new boss in former Chicago CEO Deborah Rutter. If anyone can get the job done in a short time, she can.
Any way they stack up, I'm available!
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