| Whiny brats are what they sound like! Musicians today are more interested in themselves it seems than the ensemble.
Under Sir Simon's baton, the musicians sound as if they are "on autopilot", according to a critique in Welt am Sonntag. They are accused of drifting back to the style fostered by their tyrannical but idolised former conductor, Herbert von Karajan
Drifting BACK to the style of von Karajan? Oh my, and that is a criticism? Hailed as one of the best directors to get the right sound out of an orchestra. Symphony musicians sometimes sound like NBA players. The NBA players are more important than the coaches. The coaches have little control with players with guaranteed contracts. Take away tenure from the musicians and see what happens!
To get the most out of a modern day orchestra, you would have to be dictatorial. This is not a criticism, it is a complement. I doubt Sir Simon is overly worried about be compared to von Karajan!
M&C |