Daniel Barenboim has been named Music Director of La Scala, effective December 1, 2011. His contract is for 5 years. Barenboim is already the General Music Director of Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
* Notes *
Last weekend the Staatskapelle Berlin performed all five of Beethoven piano concertos paired with works by Arnold Schönberg at Salle Pleyel. Friday night started off with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, a cheerful, almost Mozartian piece. Daniel Barenboim played straightforwardly, without any bravado. The woodwinds had a certain whimpering quality, and the strings were fine. The Schönberg was Fünf Orchesterstücke (5 Pieces for Orchestra), which was played with exuberance. This was followed by the fourth piano concerto of Beethoven, played with great vigor with emphasis on the wonderful sense of salvation in this piece.
The second evening gave us Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major and No. 3 in C minor. Barenboim played solidly, making only a few mistakes, and the orchestra kept pace. The Adagio of No. 2 had a beautiful longing in it, and the Rondo (Molto allegro) a certain irrepressibleness. In No. 3, the brass had a slightly hazy sound, but were not ostentatious. The Schönberg was Variations for Orchestra was played well, though I found it somewhat waxen in comparison to the Beethoven.
The final afternoon performance included the famous Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major. Barenboim and the orchestra played with vim and playfulness. Schönberg's rather romantic Pelleas und Melisande followed.
* Tattling *
The audience was very good on Friday, from where we were only a bit of snoring was noted during Schönberg. Saturday's audience was less good, there was a cellphone ring during the second piano concerto. Worst of all was Sunday, when the couple next to us in the orchestra seats V 150 and 152 could not stop talking, whispering, and making out. It was actually pretty funny. However, a woman in the center terrace insisted on taking flash photographs of the orchestra, and was roundly scolded in French by Barenboim himself before Schönberg. She was unabashed and unrepentant, and she continued photographing him after the performance, even using flash a few times.
December 7-23 2009: Carmen
January 15- February 5 2010: Rigoletto
January 30- February 14 2010: Don Giovanni
February 28- March 16 2010: From the House of the Dead
March 17- April 2 2010: Tannhäuser
April 6-30 2010: Lulu
April 16- May 7 2010: Simon Boccanegra
May 13-29 2010: Das Rheingold
June 18- July 5 2010: Faust
July 9-24 2010: Il barbiere di Siviglia
September 18- October 7 2010: L'occasione fa il ladro
October 2-27 2010: L'elisir d'amore
October 29- November 18 2010: Carmen
Barenboim and Dudamel conduct Carmen, the former also conducts Simon Boccanegra and Das Rheingold. James Conlon conducts Rigoletto, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts From the House of the Dead.
Asher Fisch will replace Daniel Barenboim as the conductor of the five April performances of Don Giovanni at Staatsoper Unter den Linden. I cannot say I'm not disappointed, though Fisch is a perfectly good conductor.
November 2008: Salome
December 2008: A Journey to the End of the Millennium
January - February 2009: Mefistofele
February- March 2009: Cunning Little Vixen
March- April 2009: La Bohème
April- May 2009: Tosca
May- June 2009: Carmen
July 2009: Aida
Barenboim will conduct the Zeffirelli production of Aida from La Scala. The productions of La Bohème and Carmen are also by Zeffirelli.