Nikolaus Harnoncourt R.I.P

[BBMmk2]

Nikolaus Harnoncourt RIP

It is with great sadness to hear of the passing of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

The one thing I do treasure, above all, his the Beethoven set. His JSB work and everything else he did, was superlative.

[BBMmk2]

I heard this via The book of face, as Cali calls it, from Tasmin Little. She although never worked with him, admired him greatly and as do we, for all the great recordings etc, he has left us. RIP

[pastoralguy]

One of my conductor-heroes, from the moment I bought his unsurpassable CMW Telemann TWV 55s... then the COE Beethoven, the RCOA Haydn, the Berlin Phil Brahms set, the COE/Schumann Cycle with the supplementary Berlin Phil 4th, the VPO Bruckner..what profound adventures in listening he took me on!


I hadn't yet found time for the last-issued Beethoven 4 and 5. Now I shall.../I]

I put this Beethoven 5 on as soon as I read the news, Jayne, and had a huge grin as I realised that his last recorded 'word' should be the distorted rhythm at the end of the symphony as if he was cocking a snook by saying I'm going to end this MY WAY!

Now for his COoE Pastoral symphony...

[bluestateprommer]

One droll NH anecdote embedded in serious philosophy about conducting is c/o Barry Millington's tribute in The Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/06/nikolaus-harnoncourt-obituary

'To the end of his life he remained fundamentally opposed to the cult of the autocratic conductor – the only man he acknowledged as “maestro” was his hairdresser, he joked. His rehearsal process was collegiate, with musicians as partners.'

Have started to listen a bit more intently, since his retirement, to his recordings on Telefunken/Teldec of the JSB Cantatas, with the knowledge that he had retired from the scene. It takes on more meaning now, now that he's gone. His website has a note in German:

http://www.harnoncourt.info/

"Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-2016)

Heute erreichte das styriarte-Büro eine Nachricht, mit der man rechnen musste, die die Welt aber nichts desto trotz erschüttern wird:

Am 5.3.2016 ist Nikolaus Harnoncourt friedlich im Kreis seiner Familie entschlafen.

Trauer und Dankbarkeit sind groß. Es war eine wunderbare Zusammenarbeit.

Alice Harnoncourt und Familie"

A poor paraphrase of the Google translation goes:

"Today a message reached the Styriarte office with which to be reckoned, which is modest for the world but shattering nevertheless:

On 03.05.2016 Nikolaus Harnoncourt died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his family.

Our grief, and gratitude, are great. It was a wonderful collaboration.

Alice Harnoncourt and family"

[french frank]

This is the Music Matters interview of 2012, mentioned in the Guardian obituary:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01g4sbz

[gurnemanz]

RIP. His recordings have been in my collection for nearly 50 years and quite recently, having got the Teldec Complete Bach USB, I have had the pleasure of getting to know even more. So glad we went to see him for the first (and last) time in 2012 for a memorable Missa Solemnis with the Concertgebouw at the Barbican when was presented with Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gold Medal.

[PS Google has not excelled itself in the first line of that translation above:
"mit der man rechnen musste" is more like "which was not unexpected"
"die die Welt aber nichts desto trotz erschüttern wird" not sure how "modest" got in there ... "but is shattering for the world nevertheless" makes more sense.]

[CallMePaul]

It is with great sadness to hear of the passing of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

The one thing I do treasure, above all, his the Beethoven set.

I also vividly remember his 1994 Beethoven Cycle with the Philharmonia at the RFH. Sad if not totally unexpected news - RIP

[Petrushka]

I also vividly remember his 1994 Beethoven Cycle with the Philharmonia at the RFH. Sad if not totally unexpected news - RIP

They also did the cycle in Birmingham which is where I caught two of the concerts and the only occasions I saw Harnoncourt.

[makropulos]

RIP. What an extraordinary musician he was - and it's hard to think of (m)any others who have made a greater impact on the way music is played today.

The last time I heard him live was in Vienna for the amazing performance of Timotheus (Mozart's arrangement - further doctored by Mosel - of Handel's Alexander's Feast) in the Musikverein (2012), to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (I gave a talk at the celebratory conference that was on at the same time). I didn't realise until recently, but this was subsequently released by Sony on 2 CDs - well worth hearing.

[BBMmk2]

He retired only recently, with his failing health. Yes, very sad but not totally unexpected. He will be sorely missed

[Pabmusic]

I'm saddened, but I have many good memories.

[doversoul1]

The young revolutionary. Sobering how quickly time catches up with us.

It is indeed sobering. Second generation of period performers are now well established. What a great achievement!

RIP

[Barbirollians]

Very sad news but as was said not unexpected following his apparently sudden retirement . Not my favourite conductor by any means and I struggled with his Beethoven and Mozart orchestral recordings . He was in my opinion an exceptional Schumann conductor and his recording of Das Paradis und Die Peri is magical and reveals the rather nelected work to be an absolute masterpiece . His conducting of choral works I was much more drawn to generally and his Missa Solemnis is also terrific .

RIP

[MickyD]

France Musique has prepared an admirably rapid two-day tribute to Harnoncourt, broadcast yesterday and today.

http://www.francemusique.fr/

[DracoM]

We are all indebted whether we know it or not.