Conductivity

by Peter Burwasser

	print	email	reply	rss feed

Published: Nov 18, 2009

The return of Riccardo Muti to Philadelphia always makes a splash. His appearance here last Friday night, leading the New York Philharmonic in music of Liszt, Elgar and Prokofiev, might have a bit more poignancy at this turn, as the Philadelphia Orchestra continues to struggle for new leadership, and as his 10-year stint of music directorship here in the 1980s still conjures powerful nostalgia. Not that his reign was without pitfalls; he ushered in the age of jet-set conducting in a city that was used to a proud resident leader (namely Eugene Ormandy), and his repertoire could be limited. But his podium presence had, and still has, a power and magnetism that embodies the image of the venerable maestro. When he lifts his baton for the upbeat, musicians and audience are at attention.

His successors, Wolfgang Sawallisch and then Christoph Eschenbach, each had their particular strengths. Both were more inward-looking than Muti, requiring a more active way of listening to the music. Thoughtfulness was not Muti's strong suit, although there is nothing especially wrong with intuitive artistry. But in plain English, this meant that Sawallisch often came off as dull in his music making, and Eschenbach lacking in focus. Neither attribute comes to mind with Muti.

Orchestra leadership, and probably much of the public, would want to shake out all of the positives of these past four directors to create, Frankenstein-like, the perfect successor. Not gonna happen. The jet-set conductor is now the universal norm, and Muti seems to be at the tail end of the era of authoritarian, personality-driven maestros, for better or worse. But in the sweepstakes for the next orchestra boss, there is a standout who evokes the strength and vision of Muti, and that is Vladimir Jurowski. No, this is not a bold statement; many in the local press have been clamoring for this choice for some time. I was waiting for a concert of standard repertoire before taking a stand (his musical selections have been, heretofore, rather esoteric), and his program of Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev last month was a terrific showcase. The musicians seemed rapt (very important!) and the music glowed with an intensity and expressiveness that this great ensemble has not been challenged to produce often enough in recent years.

As my contact at the orchestra is quick to point out, selecting a music director is a delicate process. It is not like picking a CEO. They have not tipped their hand in any way and, indeed, cannot as a practical matter. But just in case Maestro Jurowski needs one more vote of approval, I am here to cast it.

(p_burwasser@citypaper.net)

All reader comments are subject to our Terms of Use. By clicking Post Comment, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these Terms.

Name	please enter your name
Email (will not be published)	please enter a valid email
URL	please enter a valid url
Comment	please enter a comment
Enter the security code on the right in the textbox below.
Security Code	please enter the code
	Join the City Paper Mailing List

Share the Land
N'dambi
It's the Year 1989
Shot x Shot
Tim Hecker
Joker
Hamiet Bluiett/Kahil El'Zabar