Rattle to leave Berlin in 2018

[IcedNote]

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/ ... d=tw-share

BERLIN – Simon Rattle will step down as chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic when his contract expires in 2018, the orchestra said on Thursday. Mr. Rattle, who came to Berlin in 2002 after 18 years spent conducting the City of Birmingham Orchestra in England, made the announcement so far in advance, he said, to give the orchestra time to find a new conductor.

“As a Liverpool boy, it is impossible not to think of the Beatles’ question, ‘Will you still need me when I’m 64?’” Mr. Rattle, 57, said in a statement, noting that he will be stepping down just before he reaches that age. “I am sure that then it will be time for somebody else to take on the magnificent challenge that is the Berliner Philharmoniker.”

Under Mr. Rattle’s energetic baton the Berlin Philharmonic has expanded its outreach locally and internationally. In one of its best-known projects, aimed at making classical music more popular among young people, Mr. Rattle staged a performance of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” with 250 children from Berlin inner-city schools. It was documented in a 2004 film, “Rhythm Is It!”

In 2008 the orchestra created a digital concert hall and began streaming its performances over the Internet, allowing subscribers from Japan to New York to listen to concerts live from Berlin or download them for later use.

“This is very sad news for the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation and the city of Berlin,” Martin Hoffmann, the orchestra’s general manager, said of Mr. Rattle’s decision.

A planned appearance at the Easter Festival in the southwestern German city of Baden-Baden this year reflects Mr. Rattle’s attitude that just performing in concert halls is no longer enough: that even a world-class orchestra must have a mission to take music to the people. In addition to four staged performances of Mozart’s “Magic Flute,” musicians will appear in smaller spaces, from churches to a museum. They will also perform a special interactive version of the opera for children.

Peter Riegelbauer and Stefan Dohr, who represent the orchestra as chairmen, said the musicians regretted their director’s decision but respected it. Their focus in the next five years, they added, will be on the “many exciting projects which are already in the planning stage.”

-G

[Ricordanza]

Mr. Rattle ... made the announcement so far in advance, he said, to give the orchestra time to find a new conductor.

A five-year conductor search! That's even longer than an American presidential campaign!

[josé echenique]

I am not surprised, and I doubt it was solely Rattle´s decision.
2 years ago I heard him conduct in Boston a concert with mostly the Boston Symphony plus a few free lancers for a benefit Cancer cause. The program included Mozart´s heavenly Piano Concerto #23 with Marc-André Hamelin and Brahms´Second Symphony.
With the Chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic such a concert should have been sold out months in advance. Well, I couldn´t believe my eyes, but it was half empty, and the tickets were not that expensive, $120.00 the most expensive ones.
Surely this never would have happened with a Furtwängler, Karajan or Abbado.
It is obvious that Sir Simon was not the right man for the job.

Now I only hope that they don´t choose Dudamel!!!

[John F]

I don't know about that. In 2008, after six years with him as their chief conductor and four years to go on his contract, the members of the Berlin Philharmonic voted to extend his contract by ten years. Clearly they thought they'd chosen the right man for the job, and wanted to keep him. I've seen nothing to suggest that the players have changed their minds - and the players alone choose their chief conductor.

Rattle isn't yet 60, and as far as I know he is in vigorous good health. But he also has a family with two young sons, and for all I know, he may want them to grow up in England rather than Germany. I expect he'll give his reasons when he sees fit.

[josé echenique]

I would be surprised if he is giving up the Berlin Philharmonic to see his sons living in the UK.
After all, where do you go after the Berlin Philharmonic?

[piston]

Got this from him in the seventies, and it left me cold:

The central question for musicologists is how did he manage to reach retirement?

[bigshot]

I have a theory on conductors from the modern era. If they have wild hair, they probably suck. Rattle and Ozawa certainly count. The opposite is true of Golden age conductors.

[John F]

I would be surprised if he is giving up the Berlin Philharmonic to see his sons living in the UK.
After all, where do you go after the Berlin Philharmonic?

Perhaps you don't go anywhere, but continue your career as an independent guest conductor, without the responsibilities a music director has to shoulder in addition to conducting concerts. And wait to see what comes your way.

Colin Davis left the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1993 with no new position in view, and when the London Symphony offered its leadership to him in 1995, he accepted only on condition that he would have no administrative or personnel responsibilities, only conducting. Since 2006 he has again held no position with any orchestra.

Gennady Rozhdestvensky has held no appointment with any orchestra or opera company since resigning from the Bolshoi in 2001, when he was 70. I don't know where and how often he's been conducting during the last decade or so, but he's still alive and I haven't heard that he's retired.

It's likely that by the time Rattle's Berlin contract expires in 2018, he will have received many offers from which to choose. In the UK, he has a relationship with the London Symphony, and when Gergiev leaves, Rattle would be the obvious candidate to succeed him. Gergiev will complete 10 years with the LSO in 2018, if he stays that long, and the orchestra may feel it's time for a change - especially if Simon Rattle is waiting in the wings.

All this is wool-gathering, but at least it's an answer to your question.

[jbuck919]

I have a theory on conductors from the modern era. If they have wild hair, they probably suck. Rattle and Ozawa certainly count. The opposite is true of Golden age conductors.

How do you account for James Levine?

[maestrob]

Good riddance. I haven't heard a single impressive recording come out of Berlin since Sir Simon took over the helm, and believe me, I've tried. (Mahler, Beethoven, Brahms, Shostakovich). I'm sure there must have been glorious moments, but I haven't heard them. I wish I could say better, but Sir Simon's earlier efforts (at least in XXth Century music) were much better to my ears.

Perhaps his leaving will change the chemistry and bring some coherence to his music-making: this from the conductor who called HVK "unmusical."

But then I'm just a retired grumbler.

My nominees: Alan Gilbert, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Myung-Whun Chung, Fabio Luisi, Paavo Jarvi: the list goes on. There are many, many finer conductors out there. All of these make consistently fine music.

[Modernistfan]

It's a 1-10 shot that it will be Christian Thielemann. That is a very dispiriting choice in my view, but the German intellectual Weltanschauung has shifted markedly to a more nationalistic view and they will want someone who accords with that viewpoint. In musical terms, they want someone to concentrate on the core of the so-called "German" repertoire: Mozart, Haydn (to the extent that these two composers are not fobbed off on the "period instruments" crowd, as is increasingly occurring), Beethoven, Weber, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, and Richard Strauss. (The omission of Mendelssohn from that list was not an accident for reasons that should be obvious; he has never returned to the Germanic core repertoire post-1933 (just look at the recorded repertoire of conductors such as Gunter Wand).) Of course, that means that they will require guest conductors to tackle Mahler, the Second Viennese School, Hindemith, and more modern composers such as Hans Werner Henze, Wolfgang Rihm, Georg Friedrich Haas, and many others, if they even want to bother.

They could have had Daniel Barenboim the last time, but they were too scared of the reaction from more nationalistic quarters, even though, musically, he would have been a far better fit with much of the Germanic core repertoire than Rattle ever was. He is probably seen as too old to take the job now. As for David Zinman, Leonard Slatkin, Alan Gilbert et al., what is someone smoking? (Bluntly, we are talking about three Americans here, two of whom are Jewish and the other of whom is half-Jewish and half-Japanese.) Another name that has come up is Vladimir Jurowski, but he is not only Russian, but Jewish as well.

[Tarantella]

I don't know about that. In 2008, after six years with him as their chief conductor and four years to go on his contract, the members of the Berlin Philharmonic voted to extend his contract by ten years. Clearly they thought they'd chosen the right man for the job, and wanted to keep him. I've seen nothing to suggest that the players have changed their minds - and the players alone choose their chief conductor.

Rattle isn't yet 60, and as far as I know he is in vigorous good health. But he also has a family with two young sons, and for all I know, he may want them to grow up in England rather than Germany. I expect he'll give his reasons when he sees fit.

Bravo.

And Alan Gilbert gets very mixed reviews. I didn't like his work in the Musikverein last year with the NYPO, even though the orchestra played magnificently. Rattle brings energy and vigour to his performances and I like these.

Talk about politics in the BPO? That wouldn't apply to all symphony orchestras now would it? Politics in kunstmusik circles? Never!! Remember Lorin Maazel's tenure with the Wiener Staatsoper - horrendous. And as far as I know he's not Jewish.

Gosh it wouldn't take me a long time to remember 'affirmative action' plans to get females into orchestras, so please don't resort to the old chestnut about whether or not an orchestra wants a more 'nationalistic' approach to its programming.

[Modernistfan]

Well, Maazel is Jewish (he was born in France to American-Jewish parents). It would be nice if all of this were behind us, but, clearly, it isn't, and it is better to have this brought out into the open than to have it fester in the dark and be referred to by euphemisms.

[josé echenique]

<They could have had Daniel Barenboim the last time, but they were too scared of the reaction from more nationalistic quarters, even though, musically, he would have been a far better fit with much of the Germanic core repertoire than Rattle ever was. >

To say the least.

Both Barenboim and Muti wanted the post, maybe even Levine was on the run. Any of them would have served with more distinction than Sir Simon.

[Tarantella]

Well, Maazel is Jewish (he was born in France to American-Jewish parents). It would be nice if all of this were behind us, but, clearly, it isn't, and it is better to have this brought out into the open than to have it fester in the dark and be referred to by euphemisms.

Well, perhaps so. But the Wiener Staatsoper now has a new French director and this is causing ructions because he wants to program period instrument orchestras with French conductors - al la Marc Minkowski. A fellow audience member told me all this one night when I was there. As I said, politics in kunstmusik is par for the course and the Jewish element may be just one tiny part of this.

I feel that Christian Thielmann will get the BPO post - he's been 'groomed for the job', it seems to me. Barenboim has the job with the Dresdener Staatskapelle - so much for being anti-semitic.

[THEHORN]

Oh well , as CMG's resident contrarian, I demur regarding Rattle. I've always found his conducting admirable ,and within a wide, wide range of repertoire . Like his BPO recordings or not, the orchestra sounds as splendid as it ever has under him to my humble ears . The BPO are a very picky group of musicians and would have never chosen him as their number one man if they thought he was a lousy conductor. In fact, after his first guest appearance with them if this were the case, they would not even have invited him back !
Remember- the BPO musicians choose their chief conductor, not some group of administrators who are not performing musicians themselves .

[Tarantella]

Oh well , as CMG's resident contrarian, I demur regarding Rattle. I've always found his conducting admirable ,and within a wide, wide range of repertoire . Like his BPO recordings or not, the orchestra sounds as splendid as it ever has under him to my humble ears . The BPO are a very picky group of musicians and would have never chosen him as their number one man if they thought he was a lousy conductor. In fact, after his first guest appearance with them if this were the case, they would not even have invited him back !
Remember- the BPO musicians choose their chief conductor, not some group of administrators who are not performing musicians themselves .

You've nailed it The Horn (of plenty!). The BPO is an extraordinary ensemble and many, or most, of its members have to re-audition for their jobs EVERY YEAR. Der Wiener Philharmoniker is also self-governing. The Director is in the first violins, Prof. Dr. Clemens Hellsberg. And what an orchestra!!!! If they told me to walk over broken glass with bare feet I'd give it a serious attempt!!

Incidentally, I saw/heard the LAPO and NYPO and the Chicago SO when I was in Vienna. They, each to a man and woman, were obviously overjoyed about being in the Musikverein and took pictures of each other before the performances. I strained to listen to their conversations because it had been nearly a year since I'd heard fluent and idiomatic English!!

And we're going back for more of this later in 2013!!

[Modernistfan]

Barenboim is the music director of the Staatskapelle Berlin (the orchestra in the former East Berlin), not the Sächische Staatskapelle Dresden. To the best oif my knowledge, he has never held a formal post in Dresden. Although the Staatskapelle Berlin is important, it is not nearly as prestigious as the Berlin Philharmonic.

[Modernistfan]

If they really want to shake things up, how about Markus Stenz or Ingo Metzmacher?

[Tarantella]

Barenboim is the music director of the Staatskapelle Berlin (the orchestra in the former East Berlin), not the Sächische Staatskapelle Dresden. To the best oif my knowledge, he has never held a formal post in Dresden. Although the Staatskapelle Berlin is important, it is not nearly as prestigious as the Berlin Philharmonic.

I was just in the shower and realized my mistake/typo - yes Staatskapelle, Berlin and also the EXTREMELY PRESTIGIOUS, innovative and wonderful Berliner Staatsoper. This is their flagship cultural organization, alongside Berliner Philharmoniker. But I think you get the point I was making about anti-semitism.

[Chalkperson]

removed.

[Chalkperson]

removed.

[Tarantella]

Then it is very 'sour' that the great musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker - and they are amongst the very finest in the world - have collectively chosen as their Dirigent somebody whom the good people of the United States, with their infinite good taste and wisdom, have found lacking. This same nation which chose Gustavo Dudamel as a Dirigent for the LAPO. (Cough; Laugh Hysterical belly-laugh).

[John F]

Finally, Berlin is rid of Le Rat...

Not for 5 more years, though.

[RebLem]

Someday, some enterprising orchestra should hire the whole Chung family and have them march systematically through as much of the concerto repertoire as they possibly can.

[Chalkperson]

removed

[RebLem]

Finally, Berlin is rid of Le Rat...

Not for 5 more years, though.

Im hoping for an on stage assassination myself, by a Berlin Music Lover who happens to be a Sniper by Profession and simply cant last another five years...

This is the kind of comment that can land you on the DHS no travel list.

[Tarantella]

Finally, Berlin is rid of Le Rat...

Not for 5 more years, though.

Im hoping for an on stage assassination myself, by a Berlin Music Lover who happens to be a Sniper by Profession and simply cant last another five years...

You mean, like, removing a baton 'from my cold dead hand'? Wishing a person dead would cause you to be instantly banned from a couple of messageboards I've been on.

On second thoughts, why don't I just leave here myself - that's a better idea.

[Modernistfan]

Agreed on Gustavo Dudamel--what I have heard comes nowhere near the hype. What is even worse from my viewpoint is that Dudamel has shown little or no desire to engage with the music of his time, unlike his predecessor Esa-Pekka Salonen. (That is very important to me, as I indicated previously with respect to my criticism of Thielemann.)

[josé echenique]

Then it is very 'sour' that the great musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker - and they are amongst the very finest in the world - have collectively chosen as their Dirigent somebody whom the good people of the United States, with their infinite good taste and wisdom, have found lacking. This same nation which chose Gustavo Dudamel as a Dirigent for the LAPO. (Cough; Laugh Hysterical belly-laugh).

It´s easy to understand that the BPO thought Rattle refreshing after decades of Karajan´s Diva Dictatorship. He is a charming, no nonsense guy. But with the best will in the world, it would be ridiculous to think that his tenure was in the league of Karajan or Abbado, let alone Furtwängler.
As dear Chalkie says, his years there will be soon forgotten and his recordings deleted.

[maestrob]

Finally, Berlin is rid of Le Rat...

Not for 5 more years, though.

Im hoping for an on stage assassination myself, by a Berlin Music Lover who happens to be a Sniper by Profession and simply cant last another five years...

Chalkie: That is a bit much......

[Ken]

2018 still seems like an eternity away.

[John F]

It´s easy to understand that the BPO thought Rattle refreshing after decades of Karajan´s Diva Dictatorship.

Karajan was not a dictator of the Berlin Philharmonic, though the orchestra chose to appoint him their music director for life, as they had Furtwängler. Of course he had great influence, not only because of the orchestra's respect for him but because royalties from his many recordings benefited the players. He hired Sabine Meyer to be a principal clarinet, and nobody can say that she isn't one of the finest clarinets today. But the orchestra overrode his choice at the end of her probationary period by voting 73-4 not to retain her, proving that power was shared between conductor and orchestra, and in the end the orchestra had the final say.

That said, Karajan is probably the last conductor whom the Philharmonic will appoint for life. His successor, Claudio Abbado, had a contract of fixed length which was then renewed or extended until his health forced him to resign. Similarly with Simon Rattle, and doubtless with his successors.

[jbuck919]

He hired Sabine Meyer to be a principal clarinet, and nobody can say that she isn't one of the finest clarinets today. But the orchestra overrode his choice at the end of her probationary period by voting 73-4 not to retain her, proving that power was shared between conductor and orchestra, and in the end the orchestra has the final say.

Did they? I read that story at the time it was happening (this was about 1984), and according to what I read, Karajan got his revenge by cancelling all those lucrative recording contracts which had each member of the orchestra at a six-figure salary (a big deal at the time). Back then, I just assumed that Meyer was his favorite in more ways than one, but I may have been wrong about that.

[John F]

Karajan was furious at being overruled, and he canceled more than just some recording sessions. In effect, he said he would do no more than conduct the six double concerts in Berlin per season, fulfilling only the letter of his contract. But this did not sway the orchestra, which then publicly announced its vote against Sabine Meyer, who never became a member of the Berlin Philharmonic despite some complicated maneuvers on her behalf. They definitely had the last say.

[slofstra]

I'm throwing my lot in with the Rattle boosters. I've subscribed to the last 2 seasons of the BPO on 'Digital Concert Hall' and isn't the proof in the pudding? That is, I don't think you can have a great orchestra led by a bad conductor.
I defy anyone to tell me that the following are not fantastic concerts, and if you have high speed Internet, it would cost you very few dollars to find out. You can watch all 3 of the following concerts for $12 USD provided you do so in a 48 hour time period. And you can watch whatever else you can cram in during that time frame.

http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/2580

http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/2493

http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/2563
(This last one for the Berio and the Faure Requiem, not the Schumann piano concerto, although it's okay.)

Thielemann has conducted a couple of concerts each of the last two seasons, and they are outstanding as well. Roughly half the concerts are guest conducted. I suspect that Rattle's announcement is a personal decision; after 15 years or so at the helm, he probably wants to do something else, I suspect, something that would give him more creative licence and less pressure. Pure speculation on my part.
Regarding the recording output, perhaps they have just gone with 'Digital Concert Hall' instead. These concerts could be released on DVD, and a few have, but what's the point since anyone can access all of the concerts on the Internet in HD for a very reasonable fee.

[Chalkperson]

removed...

[Chalkperson]

removed

[lennygoran]

It's a bit of black comedy, nothing more, Tarentella is not used to my questionable use of humour, and does not know I have been questioning this decision since the day the BPO made it, and brought to mind because there are still five very long years left on his contract. I cannot think of any decision this bad in Classical Music, other than the invention of Crossover Music.

Chalkie I love you but in light of how you've criticized my humor a number of times I gotta say in light of the present situation with guns in America your humor was not at all funny imo! Regards, Len

[Chalkperson]

It's a bit of black comedy, nothing more, Tarentella is not used to my questionable use of humour, and does not know I have been questioning this decision since the day the BPO made it, and brought to mind because there are still five very long years left on his contract. I cannot think of any decision this bad in Classical Music, other than the invention of Crossover Music.

Chalkie I love you but in light of how you've criticized my humor a number of times I gotta say in light of the present situation with guns in America your humor was not at all funny imo! Regards, Len

Sorry Len, genuinely never saw it that way...but i'm off, as I upset Tarantella and she threatened to leave then I should do the British thing and resign, her comments are far more worthy than mine, I will get Lance to take away every comment I ever made, all 17,000 of them...

[lennygoran]

Sorry Len, never saw it that way...

Still you're a great guy imo and you gotta know how much I envy you and all the others with topnotch stereo and other sound equipment from that long conversation you're having with other experts in the field in another thread....Regards, Len

[Chalkperson]

Sorry Len, never saw it that way...

Still you're a great guy imo and you gotta know how much I envy you and all the others with topnotch stereo and other sound equipment from that long conversation you're having with other experts in the field in another thread....Regards, Len

Those comments have been deleted...

[barney]

Sorry I joined this too late and missed all the fun. What did you say, Chalkie? Pm me!

By the way, I can tell you the real reason Rattle is leaving. He is taking up a full-time post in New York!

[barney]

More than that, he has rented the house next to yours. I believe he works very hard at home, so you will have many opportunities to hear his finest performances...

[barney]

Ok, I made all that up. But how delightful if it were true. If wishing could make it so ...

[barney]

If they really want to shake things up, how about Markus Stenz or Ingo Metzmacher?

Stenz was chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony for some years. I liked him a good deal, and he was very popular with the audiences, a great communicator as we cognoscenti now say. But he had real weaknesses, especially with core 18 and 19th century repertoire. I'd be astonished if the BPO chose him.

[slofstra]

Someday, some enterprising orchestra should hire the whole Chung family and have them march systematically through as much of the concerto repertoire as they possibly can.

You may not realize that to get the whole Chung family, or at least the South Korean part of it, that you would have to put over 2 million people on the payroll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_(Korean_name)

But no doubt you meant just these three.

[slofstra]

It's a bit of black comedy, nothing more, Tarentella is not used to my questionable use of humour, and does not know I have been questioning this decision since the day the BPO made it, and brought to mind because there are still five very long years left on his contract. I cannot think of any decision this bad in Classical Music, other than the invention of Crossover Music.

Chalkie I love you but in light of how you've criticized my humor a number of times I gotta say in light of the present situation with guns in America your humor was not at all funny imo! Regards, Len

Sorry Len, genuinely never saw it that way...but i'm off, as I upset Tarantella and she threatened to leave then I should do the British thing and resign, her comments are far more worthy than mine, I will get Lance to take away every comment I ever made, all 17,000 of them...

I meant well here, but I have retracted my comments ...

[jbuck919]

It's a bit of black comedy, nothing more, Tarentella is not used to my questionable use of humour, and does not know I have been questioning this decision since the day the BPO made it, and brought to mind because there are still five very long years left on his contract. I cannot think of any decision this bad in Classical Music, other than the invention of Crossover Music.

Chalkie I love you but in light of how you've criticized my humor a number of times I gotta say in light of the present situation with guns in America your humor was not at all funny imo! Regards, Len

Sorry Len, genuinely never saw it that way...but i'm off, as I upset Tarantella and she threatened to leave then I should do the British thing and resign, her comments are far more worthy than mine, I will get Lance to take away every comment I ever made, all 17,000 of them...

Come on chalkie, hang in there. Let's see some fight.
(What is it about a music board that so many people leave in a huff all the time? Artistic temperament?)

I'm not sure if you are being serious, but Chalkie is certainly being sarcastic. I assume that was his way of saying "enough, already, I've backed off from that post, give me a break." And that should be the end of it.

You know, in my first couple of years of posting here, I posted so much crap that it is a wonder Corlyss kept me on. It was as though I had grown up in my real life but had to go through a parallel experience of growing up as an online presence, and was starting back at about four years old. I still occasionally make a post without anticipating how it might be misunderstood or what sensitivities it might prickle. It's part of life, and when one is among friends, such things are forgiven in advance and then immediately forgotten.

[lennygoran]

and when one is among friends, such things are forgiven in advance and then immediately forgotten.

Bravo! Regards, Len