Berlin Music Festival (27/8 - 19/9)

[Nick Armstrong]

Tempting-looking concert to kick off this Festival (available live in the BPO “digital concert hall”) at 7pm BST this evening, bringing together a number of topics discussed in the context of the Proms (Mahler interpretation, Mäkelä…):



I confess I didn’t know Mäkelä was a forthcoming chief conductor of the Concertgebouw. Not bad for a 26 year old - although he will be 31 when he assumes the role in 2027…

[bluestateprommer]

This site looks to have links to various videos behind a pay wall (*), where the KCO / Klaus Makela video mentions a "pay what you wish" scheme (sounds like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, which has a "pay what you wish, but you must pay something" situation for admission):

https://mediathek.berlinerfestspiele.de/de

FWIW, for Mahler 6, I understand that KM goes with Andante / Scherzo for the middle movements.

(*) Erratum: videos not behind a pay wall, instead available for limited time, with "pay what you wish" donation set-up

[Nick Armstrong]

Decent hammer contraption!

[bluestateprommer]

Well, the 2 hammer blows sounded just a shade feeble through my computer speakers, but maybe that was my tin ear also. Caught the video of Saariaho's Orion and Mahler 6 just before it expired. The KCO sounded fabulous, as you'd expect, and KM did a good job, in so far as a very sensible, nicely brought-up, well-adjusted, young Finnish middle-class dude can conduct Mahler 6. (He is but 26 now, after all.) His readings of the middle movements actually would have felt more of a piece with the overall interpretation had he gone with Scherzo-Andante, IMHO. Still also surprised that the KCO uses American-style string seating, with all the violins bunched to the left of the podium and cellos to the right. Mahler, among other composers, definitely benefits from antiphonal violins. All that aside, from your side of the pond, Katy-the-Great(y), i.e. Katy Woolley, anchored the ensemble from the first horn chair, and rightly got a solo bow at the end. Nice also to see a row of younger folks seated behind the orchestra in the choir stalls, with one fellow tapping his feet with the percussionist during the last movement.

Also watched the Philadelphia Orchestra truncated concert video of Dvorak and Florence Price (the Szymanowski Violin Concerto No. 1 with Lisa Batiashvili was omitted from the video, either at her request or DG's request, in light of the recent DG album with all the artists in question featured in KS' VC # 1). It was nice to see a video of the Florence Price work, even though it doesn't reveal her Symphony No. 1 as a lost masterpiece. But YN-S clearly believes in championing her music, which is why he's bringing it to Edinburgh and to The Proms. Whatever one thinks of the music, I can't imagine it getting better advocacy than from YN-S and the Fabulous Philadelphians. However, I noticed many more empty seats in the Philharmonie compared to the KCO/KM concert. On the lighter side, the encores from Berlin give me a heads-up as to what to expect in their Prom on the penultimate night :) .