Klarinet Archive - Posting 000087.txt from 1999/07

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Conductors going places!
Date: Sun, 4 Jul 1999 13:31:05 -0400

On Sun, 4 Jul 1999, avrahm galper wrote:

> Simon Rattle to Berlin.
>
> Apparently the battle for conductorships is on. Simon Rattle, a British
> conductor from Birmingham England, is to get the job with the Berlin
> Philharmonic. Rattle's Informal tendencies may grate on the institution
> that spent almost 40 years under Karajan.

Rattle will not take over until 2002, and it's difficult to
estimate what kind of differences will exist in his relation-
ship with the orchestra relative to his predecessor. He suc-
ceeds Claudio Abbado (not Karajan), who himself was chosen as
a very welcome relaxed and friendly successor to Karajan.
Abbado will retire in 2002. And let's not overlook who was
turned down in favor of Rattle: Daniel Barenboim, who will
remain in Chicago for the time being.

Of equal interest is that Ozawa will be leaving the Boston
Symphony Orchestra to conduct the Vienna State Opera. He
has had the longest-standing tenure of any conductor in the
117-year history of the BSO. Ozawa has indicated that his
minimum-3-year stint with the Opera will be his final con-
ducting gig prior to retirement.

Also, Masur will be retiring from the New York Phil at some
point in the near future, although I've not yet heard or read
of an exact date.

It's interesting that there is such dynamic turnover in the
conductor's world, where multi-million dollar annual salaries
are common. Yet player turnover -- at a tiny fraction of con-
ductors' pay -- appears infinitessimal by comparison.

-- Neil

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