Eschenbach / NSO

[cilea]

After Christoph Eschenbach's recent appointment as the new Music Director of the Washington National Symphony Orchestra (beginning at the start of the 2009/10 season), we can maybe expect to get some great discs -- hopefully SACDs! -- from this combination too:

"The Orchestra also announced that 'exploratory' discussions are underway with Ondine Records, the Finnish audiophile label with which Eschenbach has made 14 recordings featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris. And while the NSO will continue to commission American composers, Eschenbach has expressed a strong interest in broadening the programme to include 'international' composers."

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/newsMainTemplate.asp?storyID=3091&newssectionID=1

[barry guerrero]

He strikes me as a strange pick for the NSO, but maybe they wanted somebody very different than Slatkin (whom I really like). Regardless, I'm hoping that Ondine will still issue his Philly M2 and/or M8. I know that Dave was not happy with his conducting of M8, but Ondine makes excellent sounding recordings, and Verizon Hall seems tailor made for the part (the new organ is outrageous!).

Barry