You'd better check out this M2......

[bluesbreaker]

I just ran into this Mahler 2 from Dudamel's fromer group on YouTube......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBd95RynVns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M1246fckU0&feature=related

I am sure some of the tempi are questionable, but this is one titanic performance nontheless.
In fact, I have not heard such emotional performance since Lenny and Tennstedt's. Put some Latin passion into a piece like M2, you've got a scorching, heaven-storming performance!
I would like to know what Barry and Mr. Hurwitz think about it!

[Fafner]

I heard the Resurrection with Dudamel and the Bolìvar Orchestra at the 2008 Lucerne Festival. While it didn't lack some spectacular moments (but which performance doesn't?), I found Dudamel's architectural grasp of the whole pretty much equal to 0. It was just a sequence of schyzophrenic gear changes which made me think more on Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition than on a Mahler Symphony (keep in mind I love Bernstein, thus I'm not against taking some unusual ways). Imho he still is quite far away to really get in touch with Mahler (and with many other composers which require some architectural grasp...thx God he hasn't thrown himself into Buckner yet), spectacular and brilliant doesn't necessarily mean great. So far, a recent quite nice Alpensymphonie apart (at Lucerne), Dudamel always failed to particulary impress me.
As for this performance, it sounds very similar to Dudamel's at the point I wonder if the conductor actually was rehearsing it for him. I prefer this one to Dudamel's, but it failes to impress me as a whole although surely sounding spectacular on some places.
At this point I really can't decide wether this sudden Venenzuela hype is due to real qualities or (at least partially) to some wise marketing strategy.

[James Meckley]

...thx God he hasn't thrown himself into Buckner yet...

Señor Dudamel will be doing Bruckner 7 with LA in March of 2011.

James

[Fafner]

Abbado himself, while having been one of Dudamel's mentor, has already warned him no to rush wanting to do everything immediately. I think the suggestion is a very wise one.

[bluesbreaker]

At this point I really can't decide wether this sudden Venenzuela hype is due to real qualities or (at least partially) to some wise marketing strategy.

I do see your point. But, hype or not, these kids know how to play their stuff.........according to these clips.

[chris]

...thx God he hasn't thrown himself into Buckner yet...

Señor Dudamel will be doing Bruckner 7 with LA in March of 2011.

James

I have a radio broadcast of him doing Bruckner 9 (in Gothenburg I believe).    I listened to it once and it didn't strike me as anything special, I'll have to revisit it at some point. 

I like Dudamel quite a bit, but he's still young and - even though the hype machine brings up the fact that he's been "conducting for 15 years" - has much room for growth.   He's no fool though - staying put in Gothenburg allows him to learn in a less high pressure environment and the recent SBYO performances which skipped the whole Mambo encore thing seems like a good sign, perhaps fearing/realizing that the schtick was becoming more important than the music?   We shall see.

[vvrinc]

Performances of the "Resurrection" Symphony conducted by young conductors who are a handful of years post-pubescent are always such welcome circus acts.

The young man on the video seems extremely talented, however someone should mention to him that his career will be short-lived unless he tempers his violent head-shakes. That is, unless he employs the services of a tourling chiropractor. 

[singingfriar]

It's amazing to me how similar this conductor's technique is to Dudamel's.  Even if you take out the head shakes, both arms look very similar to Dudamel's.  He uses a small stick, and is very left hand heavy with the same overhand-spread-finger "drawing out" that Dudamel tends to do.  Fair or not, it's very distracting.  Also, I think the production of the video at "Auferstehn" is terribly distracting and cheesy (with the conductor's face overlaid onto the orchestra).

As far as Dudamel, I think he is obviously very talented and a very good conductor.  I've seen him twice, once with BSYO and last with the LA Phil doing the Verdi Requiem.  Both were outstanding performances.  I think it will be some time still before we find a "Dudamel sound" or approach to these large scale works. 

[bluesbreaker]

Performances of the "Resurrection" Symphony conducted by young conductors who are a handful of years post-pubescent are always such welcome circus acts.

The young man on the video seems extremely talented, however someone should mention to him that his career will be short-lived unless he tempers his violent head-shakes. That is, unless he employs the services of a tourling chiropractor. 

COme on, don't be too harsh. After all that guy is only 25 years old. He did a pretty good job for that age.

[James Meckley]

The young man on the video seems extremely talented, however someone should mention to him that his career will be short-lived unless he tempers his violent head-shakes. That is, unless he employs the services of a tourling chiropractor.  

How terribly prescient of you! His mentor—Señor Dudamel—apparently pulled a neck muscle while conducting the first half of a concert Thursday night at Walt Disney Concert Hall. He sought immediate medical attention, and Associate Conductor Lionel Bringuier finished the concert. There is now some doubt as to whether Dudamel will be able to lead the orchestra on its national eight-city tour which is to begin on Monday.

James