Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Conductor

Herbert Blomstedt at 90 A Conducting Legend

While Herbert Blomstedt may not be the most glamorous conductor, he is one of the most reliable. Occasionally, he’s even inspired. A professional conductor can’t hope for more than that. For me, his Hindemith recordings lift the composer’s music to a whole other level, and I was privileged to experience his acclaimed Nielsen live in Philadelphia.

Now, at the age of 90, Blomstedt shows no signs of slowing down, with dozens of concerts on this year’s schedule, from Europe’s most storied orchestras (the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics) to the San Francisco Symphony, which he directed from 1985 to 1995.

A devout Seventh-day Adventist, Blomstedt does not work on Saturdays. He does not consider conducting work, but rather an expression of his religious devotion; he does, however, count rehearsals. He abstains from meat, alcohol and coffee.

Interestingly, he was born in Massachusetts, but his parents returned the family to Sweden, the country of their origin, when he was only 2.

Join me this afternoon, as we mark the maestro’s 90th birthday by listening to some of his finest recordings. They’ll be among our featured offerings today from 12 to 4 p.m., on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

Happy birthday, Herbert Blomstedt!

A brief interview that ran in the New York Times back in February, concurrently with his latest appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/arts/music/herbert-blomstedt-is-turning-90-he-is-also-conducting-over-90-concerts-this-year.html

In more detail, as always, with Bruce Duffie:

http://www.bruceduffie.com/blomstedt.html

PHOTO: Blomstedt (left) hanging with Brahms

July 11, 2017
Sir Jeffrey Tate Dies at 74: Conductor’s Legacy

One day after the report of the death of conductor Jiří Bělohlávek, Sir Jeffrey Tate has passed. Tate, who was knighted only last month, collapsed of a heart attack at an art gallery in Bergamo. Despite having been born with spina bifida, which caused paralysis in his left leg, Tate lived a remarkably productive life. He merely conducted while seated on a tall stool.

At the time of his death, Tate was chief conductor of the Hamburg Symphony. He had also been principal conductor of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic.

He was a sensitive Mozart interpreter, as evidenced by a series of acclaimed recordings of the concertos with Mitsuko Uchida; he had a talent for opera, with which, apparently, he had a love/hate relationship; and I have in my possession a very lovely disc he conducted of English pastoral music.

He claimed that he took up conducting purely by accident.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40140053

Tate was 74 years-old. Here he is rehearsing with the English Chamber Orchestra.

PHOTO: Tate and Uchida with the ECO in 1984

June 2, 2017
Jiří Bělohlávek: Remembering a Master Conductor

I regret to announce that the conductor Jiři Bělohlávek has died at the age of 71. Bělohlávek was music director of the Czech Philharmonic from 1990 to 1992, and then again from 2010 to the time of his death. His contract had been extended this year through 2021-2022.

Bělohlávek was a high-profile champion of music from his native land. I was fortunate enough to see him conduct on several occasions, most memorably leading performances of Dvořák’s “Rusalka” and the “New World Symphony.” I met him, briefly, following the latter, but I got the impression that his English was not very good. On the same occasion, I met Dvořák’s grandson, who spoke no English at all, as far as I could tell. Ironically, the grandson (also named Antonin) died earlier this week, at the age of 88.

Join me this evening at 6:00 EDT, following a broadcast concert from The Princeton Festival with Concordia Chamber Players at 4 (for which Glenn Smith will be your host), when I’ll remember Bělohlávek with an hour of his recordings, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

His obituary in The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/01/czech-conductor-bbcso-chief-jiri-belohlavek-dies-aged-71-illness

PHOTO: Antonin Dvořák III (left) with Jiři Bělohlávek

June 1, 2017
Georg Tintner A Centennial Rediscovery

Yesterday would have been conductor Georg Tintner’s 100th birthday. Already at the age of 20, Tintner was one of Vienna’s rising stars. Following the Anschluss, however, he had to sue his employers in an attempt to retain his post at the Vienna Volksoper, then wound up fleeing for his life.

The bulk of his career played out outside the international limelight of the great capitals of Europe and the United States. He labored mostly in obscurity in New Zealand, Australia, and finally Canada. (His last post was as music director of Symphony Nova Scotia.) Then, suddenly, late in life, he recorded a Bruckner cycle that struck the critics like a thunderbolt. After 60 years, Tintner was an overnight success.

Stick around following today’s Noontime Concert (a program from Brooklyn’s Concerts on the Slope) to enjoy one of Tintner’s acclaimed Bruckner recordings. It will be among our featured works this afternoon, between 12 and 4 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

May 23, 2017
Carlos Païta Rediscovered Firebrand Conductor

Even somebody who knows a lot about a subject learns something new all the time. One of my latest “discoveries” is the conductor Carlos Païta (1932-2015), the Argentinean firebrand who made some breathtaking records during the era of London “Phase 4,” but has since largely fallen through the cracks.

Païta settled in Switzerland, where he was attended to by Furtwängler’s widow, and a special label, Lodia, was founded to reissue both his studio-forged treasures and live concert recordings.

His recordings of Wagner and Berlioz, which I discovered while sorting through a box of duplicates culled from donations to WWFM, knocked me back on my heels. Who is this guy? There is abundant evidence posted on YouTube. Païta’s conducting technique while rehearsing Beethoven’s 5th symphony is way, way over the top, but another video of his conducting Weber’s “Oberon Overture” suggests he may have dialed it down a bit during his actual concerts. His Janáček is stunning.

In fact, everything I have sampled with him has been exceptional, yet somehow this musical colossus never settled in with a major orchestra. How could he not have enjoyed a major career?

Païta would have been 85 this year. Head over to YouTube, search under his name, and prepare for a “wasted” Saturday.

Or tune in to WWFM – The Classical Network on Monday, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, to hear his extraordinary Wagner recordings on Richard Wagner’s birthday. Really, he will spoil it for you when you try to return to many of your previous favorites.

Carlos Païta, keeping the warhorses fresh:

May 20, 2017

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