Only a Few Days to Listen (8/8) -- Mahler's Second Symphony From the Proms

[leigh.bess.toad]

Just found a broadcast from Friday's (8/5) at the Proms of what is to me probably the greatest piece of music ever written -- Mahler's Second Symphony. Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra. A fascinating performance. I can hardly wait to hear how Dudamel grows with this piece over the next 10-15 years. He obviously has an affinity with Mahler but I think he still has some growing to do to fully get inside of this enormous work. But still, all in all, a wonderful performance.

 

This will be available only for a few days on the BBC website.

 

And as I write this on Monday night, east coast USA time. If you happen to be in London, there will be a repeat performance of this work tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm at Royal Albert Hall (I'm assuming). What I wouldn't give to be there to hear it live.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b012x17l

[whipped guy]

Thanks for the link... hopefully I'll be able to listen...

 

I have not really heard much of Dudamel's work... He is the latest conductor du jour... and I wonder if it is all hype... but then again when Lenny Bernstein burst onto the scene it seemed to be all hype... some conductors just embody the essence of flash... so who knows? In any event, it will be interesting to see how he grows and develops as an artist... Incidentally, Dudamel is the cover story in this month's issue of Gramophone to coincide with his appearances at the Proms at Royal Albert Hall.

[leigh.bess.toad]

WG -- I really don't think it's hype. I've heard a few performances of his, both with Simon Bolivar (which is a disgustingly amazing orchestra considdering the age of the musicians) and with the LA Phil. He obviously has much room to grow as an artist. Who at the age of 30 (he turned 30 last January) doesn't have room to grow as an artist. If he didn't there would reallyl be something wrong. Although I was unable to do it, I was actuallly going to drive from Richmond to Philly to hear the LA Phil do the Mahler 1st a couple of months ago. The Kennedy Center Concert in DC was long sold out. Commitments at home kept me here, but it would have been worth a 5+ hour drive to hear him. I think he really is that good. And will only get better.

[whipped guy]

There are conductors and conductors... and somehow the great ones have the ability to bring out certain details that define the essence of a piece of music. Of course, some of the "great ones" at times tend to bend and shape the music in controversial directions. Such individuals are at the very least never boring... Still, it is interesting to see how some maestros can draw something special (or at least unorthodox) out of the same musicians who under someone of lesser talent sound as if they are simply going through the motions. Dudamel I guess is more than a few cuts above someone like a Fausto Cleva (a routinier if there ever was one)... and I mention Cleva because he was featured in a recent issue of Opera News in an article that sung his praises for his conducting at the MET in the 1950's and 1960's. Now, from what I have heard of Cleva's work and from what I have heard about him from others, he conducted almost exclusively at the MET because no other opera house or orchestra would hire him. I doubt Dudamel will ever have that problem... and I wonder if Dudamel has ever tried his hand at anything operatic...

[leigh.bess.toad]

Yes, he has conducted at La Scala, first appearing with them almost 5 years ago (at the age of 25) conducting Don Giovanni. He has also done Boheme there, IBoheme in Berlin and L'Elisir at Staatsoper (according to the LA Times review of Carmen, below)

 

And last weekend, he led a performance of Turandot at the Hollywood Bowl. Last year he did Carmen there. The LA Times review is below. But one interesting thing in the review is the line that there are reports of rumors of Dudamel taking over as music director at La Scala, and discussions and negotiations are already under way. For me, that is too soon for him.

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/07/opera-review-gustavo-dudamel-conducts-turandot-at-the-hollywood-bowl.html

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/08/gustavo-dudamel-conducts-carmen-at-the-hollywood-bowl.html

[whipped guy]

Probably way too soon, but James Levine was quite young when he first came to the MET, and he was named principal conductor at age 30 and music director at age 33 he was named music director, but frankly a lot of Levine's early work was not really high quality in my opinion and at times was downright trashy and especially in the Italian rep. He has since grown as an artist.

 

As for Dudamel.. Giovanni, Elisir, Turandot... three of my favorites. I need to check him out a bit more... all I need is time!

[uwsman2]

I've seen Dudamel conduct his Simon Bolivar group at Carnegie Hall and the NY Philharmonic at Avery Fisher, and have the DVDs from the broadcast concerts of his first two LA seasons, as well as most of his DG releases. As far as I can tell, he seems to be the real thing, although he is going through a "super-slow" kick just now. From the Gramophone interview, it seems that he understands this is a stage he is passing through where he just feels the tempo a bit slower than the norm and he expects he will come to want things a bit faster as he goes along. The thing with conductors is that they really need to feel the inner rhythm and tempo of the music, and different composers feel different things at different times in their careers. Klemperer went from being a fast conductor to being a very slow conductor. Similarly Bernstein, Celibadache - early recordings fast-paced, later recordings slower. Stokowski was ll over the lot. Ormandy tended to be on the swift side as a youngster and gradually got slower. Toscanini went in the reverse direction. Frequently, his earliest recorded performance of a piece will be his slowest, although even there one finds exceptions. Inner rhythm and tempo is a tricky thing.

 

Bernstein had the skill of making a slow tempo not seem so slow because he would maintain the momentum and dramatic continuity and bring out extraordinary detail - e.g., his final recording of Tchaikovsky's Pathetique with the NYP.

 

I hold out great hope for Dudamel. The Gramophone interview is definitely worth reading.

[leigh.bess.toad]

I've seen Dudamel conduct his Simon Bolivar group at Carnegie Hall and the NY Philharmonic at Avery Fisher, and have the DVDs from the broadcast concerts of his first two LA seasons, as well as most of his DG releases. As far as I can tell, he seems to be the real thing, although he is going through a "super-slow" kick just now. From the Gramophone interview, it seems that he understands this is a stage he is passing through where he just feels the tempo a bit slower than the norm and he expects he will come to want things a bit faster as he goes along.

 

If you haven't listened to his Mahler 2nd (and you only have 3 days now), he does seem to take things a bit slowly at times. But even for a "conducting animal" (as he has been called), The Resurrectdion is a monstrous work and I would expect his interpretation to change with time. But there was nothing that was that far out of the norm and I thought it was a good performance. Not the equal to the Bernstein that is available on youtube (with Janet Baker, who I think gives the definitive performance of Urlicht, and Sheila Armstrong) but certainly worthwhile.

[uwsman2]

For Dudamel listeners - the Gramophone interview describes a multi-CD set due out shortly from DG with Dudamel conducting the Gothenburg Symphony (where he became music director in 2007) in several concert broadcasts, including Bruckner 9 (his first Bruckner) and Nielsen 4 & 5.

[whipped guy]

The most interesting part of the Gramophone interview is the section when Dudamel discusses tempo, tempo relationships, and intensity. He relates the reason for his choices for the opening movement of the Brahms first symphony among others. It is also obvious that he expects to be a different person and will probably discover new aspects to the pieces he has already conducted as he grows and matures. Still, amusingly, he also states that at 30 he feels old... well perhaps... but hopefully he is not burning himself out! In any event, a few of us here might be able to tell him what "old" really feels like!