Bernard Haitink documentary

[Bryn]

I found that a very moving documentary, calm and honest like the great man himself.

Thomas Allen’s contribution perhaps the highlight for me.

And Sarah Connolly

Not in the mood to argue with any of that. I was pretty much transfixed. The thing is, why can I not seem to be able to find any form of video or even audio offering of the final Lucerne concert? Have I missed a trick, somewhere along the line?

[Alison]

Not in the mood to argue with any of that. I was pretty much transfixed. The thing is, why can I not seem to be able to find any form of video or even audio offering of the final Lucerne concert? Have I missed a trick, somewhere along the line?

The Lucerne concert was broadcast one afternoon in the winter.

No doubt you’re aware of the video of the Salzburg one.

[LMcD]

I found that a very moving documentary, calm and honest like the great man himself.

Thomas Allen’s contribution perhaps the highlight for me.

And Sarah Connolly

Couldn't agree more!

[Petrushka]

The Lucerne concert was broadcast one afternoon in the winter.

No doubt you’re aware of the video of the Salzburg one.

The Lucerne concert was also broadcast live on Dutch Radio 4 which is where I caught it. The broadcast is still there but you will need to move forward about 30 minutes to catch the beginning of the concert: https://www.nporadio4.nl/4demiddag/u...jdagconcert-19

Agree absolutely with your comments above, Alison. Thomas Allen's contribution was most illuminating. Haitink has always been rather reticent about the Nazi occupation years in Amsterdam and for a long time would not talk about what happened to his father so it was interesting to have more detail than I've previously heard from him

[Pulcinella]

The Lucerne concert was also broadcast live on Dutch Radio 4 which is where I caught it. The broadcast is still there but you will need to move forward about 30 minutes to catch the beginning of the concert: https://www.nporadio4.nl/4demiddag/u...jdagconcert-19

Agree absolutely with your comments above, Alison. Thomas Allen's contribution was most illuminating. Haitink has always been rather reticent about the Nazi occupation years in Amsterdam and for a long time would not talk about what happened to his father so it was interesting to have more detail than I've previously heard from him

Seconded.
While I could understand the emphasis being primarily on Bruckner 7, I would have liked to have heard something about his Shostakovich symphony recordings; he must have had real empathy with the deprivations Leningrad endured, for example. I think that Turnage, who also made a good contribution, was the only one to mention Shostakovich.

[Bryn]

The Lucerne concert was also broadcast live on Dutch Radio 4 which is where I caught it. The broadcast is still there but you will need to move forward about 30 minutes to catch the beginning of the concert: https://www.nporadio4.nl/4demiddag/u...jdagconcert-19

Agree absolutely with your comments above, Alison. Thomas Allen's contribution was most illuminating. Haitink has always been rather reticent about the Nazi occupation years in Amsterdam and for a long time would not talk about what happened to his father so it was interesting to have more detail than I've previously heard from him

Useful as such listening facilities are, I was referring not to the availability of radio or television broadcast but the lack of availability on Blu-ray, DVD, CD or lossless download. I find it puzzling that such have not, as yet, appeared.

[Petrushka]

Useful as such listening facilities are, I was referring not to the availability of radio or television broadcast but the lack of availability on Blu-ray, DVD, CD or lossless download. I find it puzzling that such have not been, as yet, appeared.

Yes, I see your point now. I was surprised to see that the Salzburg performance was recorded for DVD rather than Haitink's truly final concert. However, it hadn't been known that it was to be Haitink's final performance until he declared it as such late in the day. It could therefore be that contracts etc had already been arranged to record the Salzburg performance. My own personal regret is that the Proms performance wasn't chosen as it seemed to me to be the best of the three.

Perhaps the Lucerne concert will eventually appear on CD..

[LMcD]

Seconded.
While I could understand the emphasis being primarily on Bruckner 7, I would have liked to have heard something about his Shostakovich symphony recordings; he must have had real empathy with the deprivations Leningrad endured, for example. I think that Turnage, who also made a good contribution, was the only one to mention Shostakovich.

I don't think Elgar or Vaughan Williams were mentioned either, were they - a pity, perhaps, in view of his proven love of this country and his recordings of their symphonies.

[Petrushka]

I don't think Elgar or Vaughan Williams were mentioned either, were they - a pity, perhaps, in view of his proven love of this country and his recordings of their symphonies.

In a programme lasting 90 minutes it was inevitable that there would be lots not covered and no doubt some fascinating material ended up on the cutting room floor. Bridcut could undoubtedly have produced a programme twice the length and still not covered everything. As it was I think he did a very good job of homing in on what was most important without making Haitink any less of an enigmatic maestro of the title. I've been a Haitink watcher since 1973 and the enigma has always been part of the fascination.

[gurnemanz]

A revealing watch for me, for example, the insights into his troubled relationship with his homeland. My first CD bought in the same shop and at the same time as I bought my first CD player was his Mahler 4 with Concertgebouw and Elly Ameling, so for a short time it constituted my entire CD collection.

[bluestateprommer]

Peter Quantrill has a very warmly appreciative review of this documentary at The Arts Desk:

https://theartsdesk.com/tv/bernard-haitink-enigmatic-maestro-bbc-two-review-saying-goodbye-bruckner

It does indeed sound a treat to watch, from all the comments here.

[Petrushka]

Peter Quantrill has a very warmly appreciative review of this documentary at The Arts Desk:

https://theartsdesk.com/tv/bernard-haitink-enigmatic-maestro-bbc-two-review-saying-goodbye-bruckner

It does indeed sound a treat to watch, from all the comments here.

Many thanks for highlighting that review, bsp. Quantrill is a fine writer and catches precisely the essence of this documentary. I do hope that you are able to watch it from your side of the Pond via the BBC i-player.

[Pulcinella]

And, pace another thread (I forget which; pronunciation possibly, but might be in a comment about Breakfast or Essential Classics), we now know how a Dutchman pronounces Amsterdam.

[Alison]

Does anyone on here know the Cherubini Requiem?

[Petrushka]

Does anyone on here know the Cherubini Requiem?

I have it with Riccardo Muti and the Philharmonia but haven't heard it in years.

However, you might be interested in this: https://pastdaily.com/2016/07/27/nic...ds-radio-1956/ It's a 1956 Holland Festival recording of Haitink conducting the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and presumably this was the performance that opened the door to his Concertgebouw debut, replacing an ailing Giulini, the following November. I've not listened to it so no idea of sound quality etc but recall it being on the Dutch Radio 4 website some time ago and I assume this is where the present recording came from.