Christoph von Dohnanyi:Opinions?

[Guest]

I'd be interested in hearing what other forum members think of this conductor.

It's been a while since I heard him, but his period as MD of the Philharmonia Orchestra coincided with the time I lived in London: I recall him being very impressive in post-Romantic music (I have strong memories of a concert peformance of Woyzeck he conducted in the autumn of 1998), but coarse and insensitive in anything that required more delicacy (I can recall him tearing apart Schubert's 9th symphony in a manner that suggested he was working out some private grudge).

He doesn't seem to be a name to drop, all told, though his close physical resemblance to Derek Jacobi has always intrigued me.

Any thoughts?

[amateur51]

I'd be interested in hearing what other forum members think of this conductor.

It's been a while since I heard him, but his period as MD of the Philharmonia Orchestra coincided with the time I lived in London: I recall him being very impressive in post-Romantic music (I have strong memories of a concert peformance of Woyzeck he conducted in the autumn of 1998), but coarse and insensitive in anything that required more delicacy (I can recall him tearing apart Schubert's 9th symphony in a manner that suggested he was working out some private grudge).

He doesn't seem to be a name to drop, all told, though his close physical resemblance to Derek Jacobi has always intrigued me.

Any thoughts?

I went to Philharmonia concert conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi recently. It comprised R.Strauss Four Last Songs with a nice enough soprano, Mozart symphony no 25 and R.Strauss Til Eulenspiegel

Years ago I had formed the impression that he sometimes got bored in concerts and tended to either get bogged down or, as you say, would tear things apart. However on this occasion the Mozart was played with great tenderness with a much reduced orchestra and discreet vibrato, and then Til was played with maximum good humour, beautifully rehearsed. I was surprised and delighted. It was a very good evening

[Beef Oven]

I went to Philharmonia concert conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi recently. It comprised R.Strauss Four Last Songs with a nice enough soprano, Mozart symphony no 25 and R.Strauss Til Eulenspiegel

Years ago I had formed the impression that he sometimes got bored in concerts and tended to either get bogged down or, as you say, would tear things apart. However on this occasion the Mozart was played with great tenderness with a much reduced orchestra and discreet vibrato, and then Til was played with maximum good humour, beautifully rehearsed. I was surprised and delighted. It was a very good evening

saw him conduct the philharmonia in a lively bruckner 8 in 1990 (or thereabouts)

[hafod]

I went to Philharmonia concert conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi recently. It comprised R.Strauss Four Last Songs with a nice enough soprano, Mozart symphony no 25 and R.Strauss Til Eulenspiegel

C von D has, for no apparent reason, remained pretty much under my radar. Maybe a good thing given the decidedly short measure of this concert that clocks in at around the hour. I know he is over 80 but that's relatively young in conducting terms. Perhaps it was a lunch-time concert?

[french frank]

C von D has, for no apparent reason, remained pretty much under my radar. Maybe a good thing given the decidedly short measure of this concert that clocks in at around the hour. I know he is over 80 but that's relatively young in conducting terms. Perhaps it was a lunch-time concert?

I know I've mentioned this before, but it still haunts me:

He was interviewed by the (then) guest presenter on In Tune and the point was brought up that he was regarded as rather less 'flamboyant' in style than many other conductors. The discussion then moved on to the murder of his father and other members of his family when he was a teenager and he was asked what, if any, effect that had had on him as a musician. He said, It makes you less flamboyant.

[jayne lee wilson]

How soon we forget!

Remember many of us enthusing over his superb Brahms German Requiem with the Philharmonia, live on R3 earlier this year?

I think it was Dohnanyi who described Mahler as "opera without theatre". Possibly he went too far in stripping away the folk and austro-viennese elements in Mahler, but you couldn't deny the precision and power of execution. A live RFH Mahler 5th with, IIRC, the Cleveland, on R3 in - I think - 1992, was still thrilling. But, "Perfectly precise", a reviewer said...

I also recall a terrific Schumann 2nd with the Philharmonia (R3 again) and among his recordings the VPO Wozzeck stands out, the VPO Brahms/Schoenberg Op.25 (c/w Mahler's arrangement of LvB's op.95 - a great CD), and a wonderful Webern orchestral anthology with the Clevelanders.
A brilliant orchestral technician, who for some listeners on some occasions doesn't quite generate enough drama, or indulge the desire for sensuousness and entertainment.

I nearly always admire what he does, and will look out for more.

[amateur51]

I know I've mentioned this before, but it still haunts me:

He was interviewed by the (then) guest presenter on In Tune and the point was brought up that he was regarded as rather less 'flamboyant' in style than many other conductors. The discussion then moved on to the murder of his father and other members of his family when he was a teenager and he was asked what, if any, effect that had had on him as a musician. He said, It makes you less flamboyant.

Ouch!

Did the interviewer ever walk again, french frank?

[french frank]

Ouch!

Did the interviewer ever walk again, french frank?

Well, it was the great (in my view) interviewer Humphrey Carpenter, and I don't think the question was held against him. It was a very moving moment, followed by a silence. That's why I remember it.

A great difference from another IT presenter who was interviewing Thomas Quasthoff a long while back. Not knowing of TQ back then, I was left completely baffled about what the interviewer was trying not to say.

[amateur51]

How soon we forget!

Remember many of us enthusing over his superb Brahms German Requiem with the Philharmonia, live on R3 earlier this year?

I think it was Dohnanyi who described Mahler as "opera without theatre". Possibly he went too far in stripping away the folk and austro-viennese elements in Mahler, but you couldn't deny the precision and power of execution. A life RFH Mahler 5th on R3 in, I think, 1992, was still thrilling. But, "Perfectly precise", a reviewer said...

I also recall a terrific Schumann 2nd with the Philharmonia (R3 live again) and among his recordings the Wozzeck stands out, the VPO Brahms Schoenberg Op.25 (c/w Mahler's arrangement of LvB's op.95 - a great CD), and a wonderful Webern orchestral anthology with the Clevelanders.
A brilliant orchestral technician, who for some listeners on some occasions doesn't quite generate enough drama, or indulge the desire for sensuousness and entertainment.

I nearly always admire what he does, and will look out for more.

I attended a performance at the RFH/London of Schumann symphony no 2 by the Philharmonia conducted by him quite a few years back, jlw and it made a big impression on me.

He has three Philharmonia concerts lined up for RFH/London next season that I've made a note of, although I don't know whether or not they'll be touring with them/broadcasting them:

18 October 2012 with Martin Helmchen (piano) Mozart piano concerto no 27 in Bflat, K.595 and Bruckner symphony no 8

06 June 2013 with Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano) Brahms piano concerto no 1 and Beethoven symphony no 3 'Eroica'

09 June 2013 with Paul Lewis (piano) Mozart piano concerto No 23 K.488 and Dvorak symphony no 9 'From the New World'.Concert notice says repertoire includes so there may be another piece

[amateur51]

Well, it was the great (in my view) interviewer Humphrey Carpenter, and I don't think the question was held against him. It was a very moving moment, followed by a silence. That's why I remember it.

Yes indeed - quite a moment

[Mandryka]

I went to Philharmonia concert conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi recently. It comprised R.Strauss Four Last Songs with a nice enough soprano, Mozart symphony no 25 and R.Strauss Til Eulenspiegel

Years ago I had formed the impression that he sometimes got bored in concerts and tended to either get bogged down or, as you say, would tear things apart. However on this occasion the Mozart was played with great tenderness with a much reduced orchestra and discreet vibrato, and then Til was played with maximum good humour, beautifully rehearsed. I was surprised and delighted. It was a very good evening

You may well be right about him being 'bored'.

I have a feeling I was at that Schumann 2 concert, as well: late 1999, if I recall correctly.

[amateur51]

You may well be right about him being 'bored'.

I have a feeling I was at that Schumann 2 concert, as well: late 1999, if I recall correctly.

That could well be it, Mandryka

[amateur51]

Crikey french frank! Do you remember who it was and if so are you prepared to reveal all?

[PJPJ]

I know I've mentioned this before, but it still haunts me:

He was interviewed by the (then) guest presenter on In Tune and the point was brought up that he was regarded as rather less 'flamboyant' in style than many other conductors. The discussion then moved on to the murder of his father and other members of his family .........

which included Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Klaus Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi.

As far as Christoph von Dohnanyi is concerned his time with the Cleveland Orchestra was surely highly successful, a far more than worthy successor to Szell, and his recordings from Cleveland and Vienna make an impressive list.

Can't say I've noticed from his concert relays signs of his being bored or coarse and insensitive.

[Curalach]

I think he is a fine conductor and like jlw I recall the splendid Brahms Requiem broadcast in February. A difficult work to bring off well. I recorded it to cd.

I have a 10 cd set of live performances from his time with the Cleveland Orchestra which includes, works by Schoenberg, Wagner, Bruckner (Sym 4), Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Lutoslawski, Bartok, Prokofiev, Hindemith, Schubert, Adams, Mahler (Sym 2), Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Berlioz, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Delius, Haydn, Ives, Varese, Janacek, Franck, Schnittke and Sibelius (SYM 5).
These are not necessarily "library choice" recordings, though certainly not boring, but they give a flavour of a highly musical conductor collaborating with one of the world's finest orchestras in wide ranging repertoire.