Gramophone March 2019

This Gramophone tribute article celebrates Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink on the occasion of his 90th birthday in March 2019. Written by David Gutman, the feature explores Haitink's remarkable career spanning from his beginnings as a rank-and-file violinist to his enduring influence as a conductor. The article highlights his self-deprecating nature, his preference for the modest title of 'principal conductor' over 'music director,' and his philosophy of collaboration with musicians. Noted for his old-school integrity and economy of gesture, Haitink built durable relationships with orchestras in Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Vienna, Chicago, Munich, and Lucerne. The article examines his extensive recording legacy, particularly his career-defining surveys of Bruckner and Mahler symphonies, his Beethoven cycles with the LSO, and his Shostakovich and Vaughan Williams interpretations. His approach emphasizes freshness and collaboration over replication of interpretative quirks, with Jonathan Del Mar's Bärenreiter editions encouraging new perspectives on familiar works. The feature also covers his significant opera work at Glyndebourne and Covent Garden, including his support for musicians during crises. Despite physical frailty, his music-making remained assured and direct, exemplifying traditional integrity that was once criticized as risk-averse but now represents enduring musical values.

This feature article profiles Russian-American pianist Kirill Gerstein, focusing on his latest recording of Busoni's monumental Piano Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo on the Myrios label. Gerstein discusses his longstanding attraction to Busoni as a composer beyond the "piano specialist" category, and his view that the work is essentially a symphonic creation rather than a conventional concerto—describing it as "an Italianate Mahler symphony with the world's most challenging piano part." The article also covers Gerstein's upcoming premiere of Thomas Adès' new piano concerto, commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which he describes as potentially the most significant piano concerto since Prokofiev and Ravel. Gerstein explains his philosophy of expanding the repertoire beyond standard warhorses, using his Gilmore Artist Award to commission works from contemporary composers including Timo Andres, Chick Corea, Alexander Goehr, Oliver Knussen, and Brad Mehldau. He advocates for creative programming that pairs unusual works together, challenging the conventional "overture, concerto, symphony" concert format.

This Gramophone article profiles American composer Charles Wuorinen, who turned 80 in 2018 and has composed for over 65 years, producing more than 250 acknowledged works. Despite being relatively unknown in the UK and Europe, he is highly respected in American music circles, even praised by John Zorn as one of the world's greatest composers. The article recommends Wuorinen's four 'bamboula' pieces—Grand Bamboula (1971), The Blue Bamboula (1980), Bamboula Squared (1984), and Bamboula Beach (1986)—as ideal entry points to his music, noting how they blend technical virtuosity with formal precision and expressive intensity. His 1969 work Time's Encomium won the Pulitzer Prize, but he subsequently abandoned electronics, instead channeling those experiences into dense, rhythmically trenchant instrumental music. Described as "radical without being experimental," Wuorinen readily adapts traditional forms with innovative solutions while maintaining stylistic consistency. The article discusses significant works including his Reliquary for Igor Stravinsky (1975), Eighth Symphony (2006), and the operas Haroun and the Sea of Stories (2001) and Brokeback Mountain (2008-12). Wuorinen is positioned as the most significant modernist composer of the generation following Carter, Babbitt, and Shapey, continuing to compose prolifically into his eighties with recent works including Eros and Nemesis (2016) and Burlesque (2018).

The Gramophone March 2019 “Defining Moments” feature traces the career milestones of a distinguished conductor, beginning with his first public conducting appearance at age 25 on 19 July 1954 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Under the mentorship of Ferdinand Leitner he quickly rose to become the orchestra’s chief conductor in 1957, establishing a reputation for insightful and poised leadership. A pivotal point came in 1956 when he stepped in for Carlo Maria Giulini to make his debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, a performance that led to his appointment as the youngest ever principal conductor of the ensemble in 1961, a role he held alongside Eugen Jochum before assuming sole charge until 1988. The article also chronicles his extensive British collaborations: from 1967 he served as principal conductor and artistic adviser (artistic director from 1970) of the London Philharmonic until 1979, and from 1977 to 1987 he was music director at Glyndebourne, where he made his UK opera debut in 1972. His final long‑term position was as music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 1987 to 2002, a period marked by an existential crisis and physical transformation of the cash‑strapped house. The feature concludes by noting his receipt of Gramophone’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and his appointment as Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2017, underscoring his enduring impact on the classical music world.

This Gramophone feature celebrates Riccardo Chailly's distinguished conducting career, highlighting his exceptional mastery across orchestral and operatic repertoire. The article presents four exemplary recordings that showcase his artistry: Mahler's Seventh Symphony with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, described as the 'black gem' of his Mahler cycle, where his vision perfectly aligns with the orchestra's refined brilliance. His performance of Brahms' Serenades with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra offers a heady, invigorating interpretation of these lesser-known works, demonstrating his ability to bring fresh life to neglected repertoire. The feature also covers his tenure in Bologna with Rossini's La Cenerentola, featuring a youthful Cecilia Bartoli in a zesty rendition of this opera buffa, and his arrival at La Scala with Puccini's Turandot, delivered in Luciano Berio's controversial completion, marking the beginning of a new era in his career. Together, these recordings illustrate Chailly's versatility and interpretive depth across the classical and romantic repertoire.

This Gramophone feature article from March 2019, written by Peter Quantrill, explores Mahler's Symphony No. 6 (1904) as a gateway to understanding the broader symphonic tradition. The article traces the symphony's delayed reception, noting that conductors like Klemperer and Walter initially struggled with its vision, while its performance tradition was largely shaped by Russian interpreters, particularly Shostakovich and his protégé Kirill Kondrashin, whose legacy is continued by Teodor Currentzis. Quantrill presents five thematic sections of recommended listening: precedents (Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky), a contemporary work by Schreker, Strauss's Alpine Symphony as a companion piece, Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony as Soviet-style reading between the lines, and finally works by Zimmermann, Ustvolskaya, and Eggert that extend Mahler's aesthetic into the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The article argues that Mahler's Sixth, despite being a journey undertaken alone, has profoundly influenced subsequent composers who grappled with its fatalism and symphonic logic.

This article is an interview with Ukrainian pianist Vadym Kholodenko discussing his recording of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for Harmonia Mundi. Kholodenko challenges the common perception of the concerto as "hooligan" or "football" music, emphasizing its Romantic roots and expressiveness evident in detailed hairpin markings. He draws connections to Rachmaninov's influence, particularly in the opening, though he disputes comparisons between the slow 'three-handed' section and Rachmaninov. Kholodenko discusses his collaborative approach with conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya in finding appropriate tempi that serve both individual sections and the overall structure. He treats the episodic work as a "concerto grosso" where attention is shared among instruments, and highlights the importance of orchestral colours and 'sour' harmonies for the piece's humour. The interview covers practical aspects of the recording (three live concerts in 2015), and Kholodenko's preference for live recording over studio takes, believing that "a series of right notes isn't yet a musical impression."

This Gramophone feature from March 2019 profiles Riccardo Chailly, marking his remarkable 40-year relationship with Decca Records and his tenure as Music Director at La Scala since 2017. The article explores Chailly's passionate advocacy for rare Verdi operas, detailing his revival of Giovanna d'Arco in 2015 (after a 150-year absence in Milan) and his current production of Attila, which he plans to culminate with a staging of Macbeth in 2020. Chailly reflects on his artistic philosophy, emphasizing research and discovery as his 'primary profession,' with conducting as secondary. He discusses his 1978 La Scala debut conducting I masnadieri (at Claudio Abbado's invitation), his formative years in Berlin as Chief Conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra, and his important mentorship under Herbert von Karajan, who allowed him to attend private rehearsals. The feature also covers his Bruckner cycle, his cautious approach to recording Beethoven until he felt adequately prepared, and his successful Beethoven project with the Leipzig Gewandhaus. Throughout, Chailly demonstrates his commitment to uncovering lesser-known repertoire and exploring textual alternatives, advocating for the 'treasure of scores' that composers like Bruckner left behind.

This article examines Gabriel Jackson's ambitious new Passion setting, "The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ," commissioned by Merton College, Oxford to commemorate its 750th anniversary in 2014. The 70-minute work, recorded by Merton College Choir under Director of Music Benjamin Nicholas for Delphian Records, draws on all four Gospels for its narrative, supplemented by poetry from Merton-affiliated writers Edward Blunden and T.S. Eliot, as well as liturgical texts including the General Thanksgiving from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The seven-movement work progresses from the dramatic opening of Palm Sunday through the Anointing at Bethany, Last Supper and Footwashing, Gethsemene, Peter's denial and Christ's trial, the Crucifixion, and concludes with "The End and the Beginning" using Eliot's "Little Gidding." Jackson employs innovative instrumentation including soprano saxophone, harp, and references to medieval shawm and shofar sounds, creating what the composer describes as "an imagined ancient sound world." The piece explores universal themes of sacrifice, suffering, forgiveness, and love, designed as a liturgical Passion that speaks to people across time and circumstances, including soldiers and poets. Benjamin Nicholas conducted the recording sessions held in Merton's 13th-century chapel during an unusually hot Oxford summer in 2018.