Germany gets a new composer
The Guardian reports that Sir Simon Rattle — whom I like as a conductor, notwithstanding that he reminds me of the chap who had him knighted — is falling from grace with the patrons of the august Berlin Philharmonic:
The critic said that the novelty of having Rattle as conductor had worn off. “We are well acquainted with his dashing gestures, we’ve seen through his permanent expression of ecstasy, which has curdled in the meantime into a mask,” he said. “We know his tricks and mannerisms.” He went on: “There are no real challenges and no genuinely expanded horizons.”Did I mention that he reminds me of Blair? Anyway, it’s the following that raised my eyebrows in this article (emphasis added):
Rattle - who got the job as principal conductor in 1999, widely regarded as the most prestigious conducting post in the world - performed too few great German works, Mr Brug complained. “In working with this venerable orchestra, he neglects the great German symphonic tradition, in particular the works of Anton Bruckner,” the critic said.
The article goes on to paraphrase the BPO chairman Jan Dieselhorst thus:
The philharmonic regularly performed the German classics, including Brahms and Bruckner, and intended to play Wagner’s Ring over the next few seasons, he said.
On behalf of the world’s Brucknerians, I have to ask: Excuse me, but what the hell? Are the Germans plotting to avenge the Austrian appropriation of Beethoven and Brahms by taking off with Bruckner now?
