OT - Alan Gilbert

[chris]

So Alan Gilbert is the new music director of the NY Philharmonic.

I don't know much about him, other than I saw him conduct the Civic Orchestra of Chicago doing Pictures at an Exhibition a few months back and found it to be a very enjoyable performance.   

Also, every single time I hear his name I confuse him with Gilbert Kaplan.

[barry guerrero]

hey, if they got Gilbert Kaplan, we'd have the Resurrection symphony every single week. Cool!   

[je-b]

I heard him once here in Berlin, doing M6 with the Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin. That was a stunning und gripping performance - dark, heavy, and grim to the degree where this work becomes scary indeed. I liked it a lot, so I'm glad to hear he's the new music director in NYC.

[sbugala]

I think it's a good move.  I've seen him conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra three times, and I've enjoyed each concert.  One of them was Mahler's 7th, which was a good performance.  Another was a fantastic Shostakovich 4th Symphony.  The other was an enjoyable concert of Haydn Symphony No. 90, Bernstein's Serenade, and Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. 

[Amphissa]

I don't think it was much of a surprise that he was selected. His mother is a violinist in the NYPO. His father was a violist in NYPO (now retired). And his first cousin is the Director of Operations of NYPO. So, he has music in his blood and NYPO is his spiritual home.

I've never seen him conduct, but have heard for several years that he is very good.

However, nepotism is risky. As long as everyone is happy, it works. But if any musicians or members of the orchestra organization or major supporters get unhappy about something (anything), this just becomes another whip to flail him with.

Wasn't he being considered in Chicago as well?

[chris]

He was being considered (by the press anyway) for the Chicago job, he was here for a few weeks and had some very strong reviews.

The president of the CSO said yesterday they have seven finalist candidates, but haven't named anyone.   The Chicago Trib seems to think said finalists are:   Tilson Thomas, Slatkin, Chailly, Muti, Pappano, Salonen, and David Robertson....with Chailly and Muti  being the most likely.

I thought Muti's stance was he didn't want to be bothered with schmoozing and fundraising though (which is part of the reason why Barenboim left).

[barry guerrero]

Please take Tilson-Thomas; I want some different blood in S.F., and I don't care how much Mahler he conducts. But just think, you'd get Mahler up the kazoo!

[Jot N. Tittle]

But just think, you'd get Mahler up the kazoo!

Don't you mean ON a kazoo, Barry?

     . & '

[michaelw]

They even devoted a special, central article (with photo) to this decision on the main political comment page of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" today. So that's really a job with a lot of pressure!

Michael

[barry guerrero]

Don't you mean ON a kazoo, Barry?

Not far from it. When I saw MTT/SFSO do M7, it sounded to me like a big trumpet concerto with Broadway pit band accompaniment. When I saw Rostroprovich do Shostakovich with the SFSO, they sounded like an entirely different orchestra.

[sperlsco]

In the last week or two, Houston inked up Hans Graf through 2012.  That is great news for the two Houstonians on the Board!

[Amphissa]

I doubt that CSO would be interested in Slatkin. His tenure in DC went badly and by the time he left, everyone was eager for him to be gone. He has now taken the leadership of Nashville Symphony - a mediocre band that wants to be better and sees him as a step up. I also doubt that MTT could be lured away from SF. He loves SF and SF is happy with him. If he'd quit playing Mahler, Barry might even like him better. I saw him conduct Stravinsky in December '05 and it was excellent. I saw Pappano conduct LSO a couple of summers ago, and cannot imagine any reputable orchestra wanting him as their #1. He's one of those "dance and wave" conductors. The LSO basically ignored him. Muti is a conservative choice. Salonen probably would be higher on the list if he had not been in LA so long, but I think he needs to be away from the U.S. for some years before he will be a top choice at a major U.S. orchestra. So, I think it *should* be between Robertson and Chailly. Which would mean a war in the board rooms, to be sure.

[barry guerrero]

No, not everybody in S.F. is thrilled with Tilson-Thomas, and I predict that his star is going to slowly fade away here. He's been repeating his rep. to just a ridiculous degree. You'd think that someone who is allegedly so brainy as MTT is supposed to be, would want to learn lots of new repertoire. I think that even Blomstedt was better in that regard. Can't wait for him to leave someday - seriously.

[Leo K]

I'd gladly take MTT for Tucson, but it's probably too small a gig for him.  I'll be a big MTT fan regardless where he goes.  I love his Mahler cycle to bits.

--Leo

[barry guerrero]

"I love his Mahler cycle to bits"

That's good, because that's exactly how, to my ears, his is Mahler put together: in bits. Unfortunately, I don't think that Tuscon would be his kind of place. Believe me, I wish that it were.