Jiří Bělohlávek 1946-2017

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I shed a tear at the news - a fine musician, guide (so very well put, Alain) and a gentleman, always a pleasure to sing for with the BBCSC - we fondly remember a Last Night when he said he would be back the next year with "MY orchestra and MY chorus".

My own favourite personal anecdote about Jiři: one summer's evening, with the Bakerloo Line misfiring, I headed for the bus stop to find the maestro himself there.

"No, limousine is tomorrow", he replied - with that twinkle in his eye - to my question about his mode of transport. There then followed a discussion of forthcoming repertoire with one of the world's finest conductors - on the top deck of the number 6 bus.

A lovely man, always approachable. On one of his final appearances in the BBC canteen at Maida Vale it was that twinkle that identified him - the chemo had robbed him of his hair but not that lovely smile.

So as it transpires, the Dvořák Requiem that we sang with (and now for) him a month or so back is the final time he will guide us...

My listening at the moment: Martinů Symphony No 6, which is said to quote the Requiem.

RIP Jiři

[bluestateprommer]

More tributes:
(a) Czech Philharmonic (worth feeding into Google Translator)
(b) Prague Philharmonia (ditto)
(c) David Nice, The Guardian

My own favourite personal anecdote about Jiři: one summer's evening, with the Bakerloo Line misfiring, I headed for the bus stop to find the maestro himself there.

"No, limousine is tomorrow", he replied - with that twinkle in his eye - to my question about his mode of transport. There then followed a discussion of forthcoming repertoire with one of the world's finest conductors - on the top deck of the number 6 bus.....

So as it transpires, the Dvořák Requiem that we sang with (and now for) him a month or so back is the final time he will guide us...

Great story about chatting with JB on the bus; presumably that must have been after a concert at the Barbican.

JB was supposed to make his Chicago Symphony debut this December, with Dvorak 5, and Barber's Cello Concerto with Alisa Weilerstein. Sadly, not to be.

PS: One more sendoff in tribute, the first 45 seconds of this clip from the 2012 Last Night.

[verismissimo]

Listening to his Dvorak 6 with BBCSO from 1999. Deepest joy.

[jayne lee wilson]

In Memoriam Jiri Bēlohlávek

Martinu Piano Concerto No.2. Firkušny/Czech PO/Bēlohlávek.
Supraphon CD 1995, rec. live 28/05/90, Smetana Hall Prague.

Martinu Symphony No.4. Prague SO/Bēlohlávek.
Panton CD 1990. Rec. 1979, House of Artists Prague.

Earliest of Bélohlávek's 4 (!) Martinu 4ths, and my clear favourite among them for its spontaneous rhythmic kick, idiomatic phrase and sheer freshness of the lovely pastoral episodes (definitely more My Homeland than Copland here). They all know how it should go, it's in the blood and played with an irresistible Czech accent. Slightly dry recording, finale at a slightly lower level, but strikingly light and sharp - not too thunderous. Probably JB's earliest Martinu recording and an absolute gem!

[makropulos]

Such a sad loss. RIP

I've been listening to Brahms: Serenades Nos. 1 and 2, Czech Philharmonic, Supraphon 11 1992-2 031, rec. 1993 (No. 2) and 1994 (No. 1). The Serenade No. 2 is immensely enjoyable, with the bucolic delights of the Czech Phil woodwind. Alongside Mackerras (SCO/Telarc), this is my favourite recording of it.

[pastoralguy]

Very sad news. Mrs PG and I met him a couple of times when the Czech Philharmonic visited Edinburgh. A lovely man and a superb musician.

RIP, maestro.

[Petrushka]

I've just been away for a couple of days without internet access and have just seen this sad news. I first encountered JB on record as Jayne did with the Suk Asrael Symphony on Chandos but my first encounter in the concert hall was at a 1998 Prom in which he conducted the BBCSO in Martinu Frescoes and Brahms 2, performances that ended up on a BBC MM CD. I saw him frequently at the Proms during his time at the helm of the BBCSO.

RIP JB.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Great story about chatting with JB on the bus; presumably that must have been after a concert at the Barbican.

...

JB was supposed to make his Chicago Symphony debut this December, with Dvorak 5, and Barber's Cello Concerto with Alisa Weilerstein. Sadly, not to be.

No, that was after a rehearsal at the BBC studios in Maida Vale; I don't recall what repertoire, but it may well have been for LNOP 2009 or 2012.

I'm very surprised that JB hadn't already conducted the CSO, given that he had made some Met appearances.

[Bryn]

Later today I will listen to two works by his countrymen: His FNotP performance of the 1927 version of the Glagolitic Mass (DVD-R) and his 2009 Barbican concert performance of Juliette (DAB 192kbps mp2).

[Dave2002]

Sad to hear of this. I have some of his recordings - in particular the Martinu symphony set (and possibly I've still got some of air recordings of some very similar performances). I only saw/heard him once live in concert that I can remember - at the Proms a few years back - I had certainly hoped that I would have more opportunities, but sadly no. However, I never did see Karajan, nor Beecham, nor Klemperer, so I can look back on that one concert in the RAH with some fondness.

Jiří
RIP

[jayne lee wilson]

In Memoriam Jiri Belohlávek (2)

Martinu Symphony No.2; Symphony No.3.
BBCSO/Belohlávek, Barbican Live 2009/10. Onyx CDs.

Returning to these once again, the Barbican sound is as ever spatially-constrained, rather anonymous at lower levels, but - the sheer spontaneity and sense of fun in No.2, and the darker, more searching and exploratory reading of No.3 (not to mention the superb orchestral response) has won me over; yes, my response is a little intensified by the maestro's passing, but having listened to the gloriously opulent late-Supraphon CD of 3 and 4 I had a clearer perspective on the live cycle: it has a warmth and fullness unusual in Martinu recordings (which naturally tend to focus on greater textural clarity and rhythmic bite) a Romantic lift to the soaring melodies, and above all that sense of discovery in the live moment. The quieter, coloristic episodes are never going to be as telling as one would prefer, or the rhythms as sharply articulated; but the cycle's own unique qualities make up for it.

Thank Goodness he completed this cycle after two incomplete ones (Chandos & Supraphon), especially as it includes Belohlávek's only extant 2nd in as serene and joyful a reading as you could wish for. Not for the first time I was compelled to encore the lovely andante.

[HighlandDougie]

Much too young to leave us. His Martinu/BBC SO cycle has been one of my most-listened to downloads over the past three or four years - and I increasingly like the Decca Dvorak symphonies box. I most remember a Mahler 6/BBC SO at the Barbican which came at the end of a day's journey by various means of public transport from chez moi 2,500 feet above sea level in the A-M and ended in the Barbican. I wasn't expecting very much (such stupid snobbery on my part) but was as moved by his interpretation as by those of Abbado and Haitink - and left deeply impressed by what I had heard. There's a very fine Rotterdam PO Dvorak Stabat Mater recorded this April available on Dutch Radio if the recent Decca Czech PO CDs are too much of a commitment.

[Petrushka]

Much too young to leave us. His Martinu/BBC SO cycle has been one of my most-listened to downloads over the past three or four years - and I increasingly like the Decca Dvorak symphonies box. I most remember a Mahler 6/BBC SO at the Barbican which came at the end of a day's journey by various means of public transport from chez moi 2,500 feet above sea level in the A-M and ended in the Barbican. I wasn't expecting very much (such stupid snobbery on my part) but was as moved by his interpretation as by those of Abbado and Haitink - and left deeply impressed by what I had heard. There's a very fine Rotterdam PO Dvorak Stabat Mater recorded this April available on Dutch Radio if the recent Decca Czech PO CDs are too much of a commitment.

A link to the Dvorak mentioned by HD: http://www.radio4.nl/luister-concert...iri-belohlavek

I'm a visitor to the Dutch Radio 4 website on a regular basis and will try and find time for this recording given in the Concertgebouw last April.

[bluestateprommer]

No, that was after a rehearsal at the BBC studios in Maida Vale; I don't recall what repertoire, but it may well have been for LNOP 2009 or 2012.

Good point; Maida Vale didn't even register as a possibility (oops).

I'm very surprised that JB hadn't already conducted the CSO, given that he had made some Met appearances.

From what I can tell, JB's guest-conducting career in the USA certainly had its twists and turns. One would expect that he would start in the US with orchestras not necessarily of "Big Five" prestige, and gradually work his way "up". I remember when National Public Radio had more frequent symphony orchestra broadcasts, in the 1980's and early 1990's, and there seemed a fairly frequent number of broadcasts of JB leading the Saint Louis Symphony, in repertoire such as in Dvorak 6. I actually recall Richard Freed, the NPR announcer, giving us poor benighted Yanks with no sympathy for other languages the translation of JB's name as "George Whitehead". Scouring the web revealed one other Saint Louis program from the 1980's:

Smetana: Wallenstein's Camp
Berg: Violin Concerto (Josef Suk, violin)
Brahms 4

JB first guested with the NY Phil in 1985, according to the orchestra's archive, in a program of:

Bartok: Divertimento for Strings
LvB Emperor (Claudio Arrau, piano)
Dvorak 7

However, JB didn't return to the NY Phil until last December, for his only other appearance with them. Evidently, "Murder, Inc." didn't care for JB enough to invite him back immediately after the 1st time, with 31 years between the two appearances.

JB first conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2004 or so, with Dvorak 9, where the Inquirer critic gave JB's interpretation a glowing review (but there was a subtext at the time, namely the hiring of Eschenbach as Philly's music director, much to the critic's displeasure, but that's a major digression not fit for topic here). JB returned just once more, which included Brahms 2, but the reviews were less strong. He was supposed to go back one more time, bringing Martinu 3 (if memory serves) to them, but he had to cancel.

Interestingly, JB is documented in a live concert recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra of the Symphony No. 5 of John Harbison:

https://www.bso.org/Merchandise/Detail/57485

Not sure if that was his Boston debut. He was supposed to return to Boston in January 2016, but he cancelled that, presumably for his chemo treatment, in retrospect. But overall, it may not be so surprising that he never got to Chicago and wasn't scheduled to get there until next season. I just checked the Cleveland Orchestra's website, and nothing came up in the archives there, so he never did the complete "Big Five" circuit in the US, as he covered 3 out of the 5. Haven't done a systematic search of all his US appearances, to be sure.

[duncan]

Our car, a Škoda, is called Jiří. It's not very fashionable but always gets us where we want to go.

He was an underestimated conductor and (perhaps because?) a lovely human being.