Bernard Haitink at 85 - and Beyond.

[Richard Tarleton]

What will be your chosen music this evening?

His Mahler 9 with/from the Concertgebouw is being repeated tomorrow at 10.45 am on Sky Arts 2. I have it stored and may well give it a spin tonight, a marvellous performance. I've heard him perform it live twice, with the LSO and VPO.

[Petrushka]

My favourite live Haitink performance was an incandescent account of Mahler 3 at the Barbican in 2004. Unforgettable.

[Richard Tarleton]

My favourite live Haitink performance was an incandescent account of Mahler 3 at the Barbican in 2004. Unforgettable.

Me too - I've mentioned before that we were in the front row with our knees under the stage extension, one of the BPO 2nd violins was practically sitting in our laps. My first (of 3) Haitink Mahler 3s, in the RFH in 1972, was my introduction to Mahler - a life-changing experience

[richardfinegold]

My favourite live Haitink performance was an incandescent account of Mahler 3 at the Barbican in 2004. Unforgettable.

Mine was Mahler 1 in Chicago a few years ago.

[Petrushka]

Mine was Mahler 1 in Chicago a few years ago.

Was that one of the performances that made it on a Chicago SO Resound CD?

In the end I settled down this evening to play the 2005 Bruckner 8 with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on the RCO label. If you play this at the right volume level (relatively high) it sounds tremendous. Have it too low and it loses a lot.

[Alison]

I went for Beethoven Pastoral and DSCH 10 (proms) with the LPO.

Though I love his work with the LSO it would be splendid to see the birthday boy back with the Philharmonic sometime!

[Petrushka]

I went for Beethoven Pastoral and DSCH 10 (proms) with the LPO.

Though I love his work with the LSO it would be splendid to see the birthday boy back with the Philharmonic sometime!

Alison, there is a recording on the Austrian Radio website, broadcast this Sunday just gone, of Haitink conducting the VPO in a Mozart and Shostakovich 10 programme in June 2006. It is available for 7 days (that is, until this Sunday):

http://oe1.orf.at/programm/365180

http://oe1.orf.at/programm/365182

I haven't heard it myself yet but was present at a Barbican concert a few days later in which they gave a similar programme

[Honoured Guest]

Bernard Haitink at 85

Not quite as funny as The Kumars at No. 42

[Alison]

Breaking news: Haitink will never conduct the Concertgebouw again having not been involved in their 125th anniversary celebrations.

[Richard Tarleton]

Bernard Haitink at 85

Not quite as funny as The Kumars at No. 42

Thank you as ever for your contribution, HG. Not a fan, then? On second thoughts, don't answer that, or bother telling us why you felt you had to contribute to a thread intended to express our birthday wishes and gratitude to a great conductor who has been an essential part of the lives of many of us. I remember him conducting Mahler 9 in Cardiff on 21 January 1999, perhaps you were there.

Anyway, another piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is Honoured Guest. A downright nasty piece, but there we are.

[cloughie]

Breaking news: Haitink will never conduct the Concertgebouw again having not been involved in their 125th anniversary celebrations.

Is this because the relationship between him and the orchestra powers that be are at such a low - or is the 85 year old's diary full? - such international demands on his talents!

[Richard Tarleton]

Is this because the relationship between him and the orchestra powers that be are at such a low - or is the 85 year old's diary full? - such international demands on his talents!

Perhaps Alison or Pet could drop our Dominic an email to find out what's going on?

[Alison]

It's a fallout with the management not with the players as I understand it.

BH feels they don't respect tradition. All a bit sad.

[PJPJ]

It's a fallout with the management not with the players as I understand it.

BH feels they don't respect tradition. All a bit sad.

It is sad, and I'm sorry it's come to this. Happy birthday, Maestro BH. I look forward to hearing your concerts for years to come.

[Roehre]

Breaking news: Haitink will never conduct the Concertgebouw again having not been involved in their 125th anniversary celebrations.

Haitink was always a bit short-fused.
During his time at the Concertgebouw (1961-'64 with Jochum; 1964-1988 as Chief conductor) there have been incidents and falling outs more than once. It was even a not a remote possibillity that he wouldn't be conducting the Centenary concert, i.a. as he doesn't like Mahler 8 and he doesn't like live televised concerts -despite doing the Chrismas concerts for more than a decade. It also took quite a long time before he returned to the Concertgebouworchestra and only after he accepted the honorary conductorship which was offered to him.
According to hearsay tensions have contributed very positively to that grandiose performance of Mahler 9 during that live Christmas concert. Is it a freudian accident or just only an incident that Haitink dropped his stick at the end?

PS: that Centenary concert with Mahler 8 and in the presence of HM Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus showed that tensions have an effect on performances. That particular concert Mahler 8 took nearly 11 minutes less than at the 2nd performance two nights later. Haitink was visibly stressed on that occasion which was.televised live as well.