Kirill Petrenko. Who...?

[otterhouse]

Vasily Petrenko is far more known in the Netherlands, but Kirill, the new Berliner Philharmoniker chef (in 2018) ?

Found some, but not many, recordings on Spotify:

http://classicalspotify.blogspot.nl/2015/06/kirill-petrenko-spotify-new-berliner.html

Did any of you heard him conduct? Opinions?

Rolf (Netherlands)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Glad it's not just me!

[Mary Chambers]

I know the name, but that's all. I've never heard him conduct. He's presumably quite good.

[jean]

I read the thread title as Kill Petrenko...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I read the thread title as Kill Petrenko...

Tends to give a wide berth to the BBC National Orchestra of Whales.

[Gordon]

Tends to give a wide berth to the BBC National Orchestra of Whales.

As in Whale Kipper Whelk-ome in the Eelside?

As for KP we'll have to wait and see I suppose.

[makropulos]

This strikes me as a most enlightened appointment. What I've heard of Kirill Petrenko's work is very exciting. Like his namesake (but not relation), he's an Elgar enthusias and his Berlin PO performance of Elgar's 2nd Symphony in 2009 was outstanding (it was broadcast). The only time I've heard him live was a splendid performance of Janacek's Katya Kabanova in Vienna (2008). He's a most experienced opera conductor, and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing how his relationship with the Berlin PO develops.

[slarty]

I heard his RING Cycle from Bayreuth last year and was not impressed. Too slick and superficial, his Verdi(from Munich) suffers from the same problems. Maybe he is unduly influenced by so many Eurotrash productions.
Like Makropulos, I also heard his Elgar 2, paired with Beethoven 3rd Piano Co(Vogt) with the BPO. Good, but not one for the archives.

[Stanfordian]

Vasily Petrenko is far more known in the Netherlands, but Kirill, the new Berliner Philharmoniker chef (in 2018) ?

Found some, but not many, recordings on Spotify:

http://classicalspotify.blogspot.nl/2015/06/kirill-petrenko-spotify-new-berliner.html

Did any of you heard him conduct? Opinions?

Rolf (Netherlands)

I also have never heard KP conduct in concert, missing his performances closely by only a few days. I know that he made a splendid impression overall at the Bavarian State Opera, Munich.

[Barbirollians]

It does seem an out of the blue sort of appointment after they were unable to agree on the previous candidates .

[Anastasius]

It does seem an out of the blue sort of appointment after they were unable to agree on the previous candidates .

Hobson's ?

[Gordon]

It does seem an out of the blue sort of appointment after they were unable to agree on the previous candidates .

The online Guardian report [there are already reports from the Times and Telegraph too] provides more details of KPs background and seems mildly welcoming suggesting however that he will be quite a different MD from Rattle whose outreach and repertoire changes [not to mention his EMI contract] have had their effect. Maybe the BPO players wanted a change? He does seem to be steeped in opera rather than orchestral repertoire but seems a talent that can fix that in time. More interesting will be the response of the German musical press [and then the audiences]. Salutary in this day and age that there have only been 3 MDs since 1954, that must be a record.

[LHC]

There is a story on Norman Lebrecht's website (and so must be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt), that the Bavarian Staatsoper, where Petrenko is currently the MD, asked about bringing an opera to next year's proms as part of a European tour, but were turned down with the explanation that no-one knew who Kirill Petrenko was in the UK and so a performance by him was of no interest!

[pastoralguy]

Sean Rafftery interviewed Richard Morrison on 'In Tune' after 17.00. Apparently, Mr. Petrenko has refused to do interviews AT ANY TIME! Seems he's a very shy man who doesn't like talking to the press. It seems amazing that, in today's media hungry environment, he refuses to engage. To be head of an orchestra that travels the world on a regular basis and who generates tremendous interest will require him to be a figure head.

He'd better be a damn good conductor to justify ducking out of what is an essential part of the job.

[french frank]

He'd better be a damn good conductor to justify ducking out of what is an essential part of the job.

I like the sound of someone who doesn't jump on the publicity bandwagon, doesn't tweet, doesn't do Facebook, doesn't make himself available to all and sundry, doesn't pose in a wet T-shirt, and just gets on with the job he's been appointed to do.

'During an orchestra assembly last Sunday Kirill Petrenko was elected by a large majority of the members of the Berliner Philharmoniker as the Chief Conductor Designate of the orchestra and Artistic Director of the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation. He succeeds Sir Simon Rattle, who will leave the orchestra in August of 2018.'

Kirill Petrenko, currently music director of the Bavarian State Opera, said: “Words cannot express my feelings – everything from euphoria and great joy to awe and disbelief. I am aware of the responsibility and high expectations of me, and I will do everything in my power to be a worthy conductor of this outstanding orchestra. Above all, however, I hope for many moments of artistic happiness in our music-making together which will reward our hard work and fill our lives as artists with meaning.”