Is this new news or old news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ngham-24371343 ?
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New news but expected news in that it became inevitable once Nelsons had taken on the Boston job.
Edward Gardner already has a position with the orchestra (is it chief guest?) and in my view would make a first-rate choice for the top job. There's no need for the CBSO to go on an international search when the right man is on their doorstep."The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink -
I agree Pet, having admired Edward Gardner's work at ENO and in concerts with the Philharmonia.Originally posted by Petrushka View PostComment
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It's old news really but a formal statement had been promised during this autumn. Andris continues as Music Director of the CBSO until August 2015. He is presently Music Director Designate of the Boston SO, becoming MD next season. His 5 yr contract is said to be worth $5 million.
IMO he's doing the right thing by making a clean break rather than extend his CBSO contract. He will have done 7 yrs of excellent work, will only be 36 when he leaves. He had already said he wants to keep & develop his ties with the Berlin & Vienna Phils, Berlin Staatskapelle/Staatsoper, Concertgebouw, Royal Opera House & Bayreuth. That leaves little free time.
Frankly, he's working too hard at the moment & it's beginning to take its toll on his health. Apart from his Symphony Hall concerts, he's contracted to all 35 overseas engagements with the CBSO this season.
IMO the CBSO's biggest problem is going to be renegotiating the present £1.5 million grant from Birmingham City Council, which the council partly justify as an investment in the promotion of the city with CBSO's role being that of cultural ambassador through overseas tours. And the orchestra's sponsors will need a lot of massaging to keep their longterm support. The financial climate for the arts is difficult enough without losing your acclaimed Music Director.Comment
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Interesting and helpful comments,Zucchini, especially re overwork. I felt he was below par with the Manfred Symphony broadcast live from Symphony Hall recently. But he had sandwiched that betwee performances of Electra in London.Originally posted by Zucchini View Post
The points you make about future funding of the CBSO are worrying.
THanks.Comment
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Given the overall tone of the announcement on the CBSO's own site, it's not hard to guess that privately, they're sad to be losing AN, but they knew once he had accepted the Boston SO post, that the writing was pretty much on the wall for his time in Birmingham and that the time of parting would be soon:Originally posted by Petrushka View Post
Quoth Stephen Maddock, chief executive of the CBSO:
The Birmingham Post article on the news is here:"Andris' decision to step down as music director has not been an easy one. He is one of the world's best conductors, and has recently accepted a second music director role at one of the world's greatest orchestras, the Boston Symphony; while his desire was to do everything that he could, he has to consider his family and his future. Whilst we will miss his energy and charisma in his leadership role here, we look forward to continuing to work with him regularly after 2015."
"Andris is one in a line of conducting superstars that have taken the role of music director in the last 35 years. Sir Simon Rattle, appointed at just 25 years old, held the post for 18 years before moving to the Berlin Philharmonic. He then passed the baton to the superbly talented Sakari Oramo who is now with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. As Andris heads to the Boston Symphony Orchestra it's clear to everyone that we have very good taste in music directors and, whilst our search for our next Music Director is only just beginning, you can trust the CBSO to bring another outstanding talent to the podium in Birmingham."
The Boston Globe had an article as well:
Perhaps a tad bluntly, the Boston SO's Mark Volpe noted:
My one contact in Birmingham mentioned one under-the-radar reason why Nelsons was likely to give up his CBSO post, namely that he can't stand airplane travel. Evidently when he commutes between Riga and Birmingham, he goes by land and sea travel, not by air. In shuttling between Europe and the USA, while this is obviously a stupid thing to say on my part, air travel is unavoidable. But that takes on a certain psychological strain if you don't like air travel, which Nelsons apparently doesn't. One can speculate that once he's departed from Birmingham and focuses full time on Boston, he'll try to keep transatlantic travel to a minimum, where my guess is that he and his agent will try to book clusters of guest engagements on one side of the pond or the other for long stretches at a time. Of course, all that remains in the future. Per Zucchini's comment, AN leaving in 2015 would definitely be a case of 5 years too early rather than 5 minutes too late, since that means he won't be MD for the CBSO's centenary season in 2020."It's very good news. It came up organically. He started looking at how he was going to organize his musical life and what he wanted to do in Boston and what he wanted to do in Tanglewood. It became clear, especially with blocking some family time, that something had to give."
Per Petrushka's comment, Edward Gardner is indeed principal guest conductor with the CBSO currently. On that level, it makes perfectly logical sense to consider EG in the running to take over from AN. However, my own gut feeling is that this is rather unlikely, for the reason that EG is set to become principal conductor with the Bergen Philharmonic in 2015, the very year that AN leaves. Plus, EG still has ENO. Assuming that he stays there for the time being, potentially trying to juggle Bergen, the CBSO, and ENO would be much too much for one conductor to handle.
From quickly looking at the CBSO's schedule for 2013-2014, the two youngish conductor names that leap out at me are Olari Elts and Ilan Volkov, besides AN himself, of course. Anyway, add another orchestra to the conductor-orchestra matchmaking game going on now. I suspect that given the attractions of what I've heard is the best concert hall in the UK (have never been there, mind you), it shouldn't be that hard to attract interested candidates. Heck, Osmo Vanska is available now, although I strongly suspect that the CBSO will stick with younger conductors on the rise, even if that sounds ageist of me to say so (OV is 60 this year).Last edited by bluestateprommer; 03-10-13, 03:58.Comment
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Rattle anyone ?
Unless the LSO post is confirmed ?
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Absolutely not!Originally posted by Barbirollians View PostRattle anyone ?Unless the LSO post is confirmed ?
Returning as a distinguished guest, yes (and to a huge welcome, I'm sure.) but SSR must move forward to greater challenges - opera perhaps?
By all means look over your shoulder. But never turn back.
HSComment
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Entirely agree.Originally posted by Hornspieler View Post
Rattle occured to me, too - and I hope his move away enables him to spend more time with his former orchestra (if only to help the CBSO gain funding) - but orchestra and conductor need to move on, rather than back.[FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]Comment
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I'm afraid that Rattle will not go back to the CBSO as chief conductor: I had many happy years as a subscriber to the series at the Town and Symphony Halls in Birmingham under Uncle Simes careful guidance, and I was sorry when he he got the Berlin job (which I forecast five years before it actually took place).
Rattle will leave the BPO and go to the LSO, mark my words.Comment
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He had to pull out of the concert with the Philharmonia in Oxford tonight with a "serious virus". He was replaced by Jac van Steen, who, despite conducting like a cross between a windmill and Bernstein at his most dramatic, was really rather good.Originally posted by Zucchini View PostComment
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