A majority of Munich city council voted today to appoint Valery Gergiev chief conductor of the Philis from 2015. Since he has already given notice to the LSO that he’s not renewing his contract which ends that year, the deal is done, sealed and delivered. The contract is for five years, to 2020, which rules him out of the running for the Berlin Philharmonic, which falls vacant in 2018.
Here’s the first report, on AFP:
FRANKFURT, Jan 23, 2013 (AFP) – Charismatic Russian maestro Valery
Gergiev will take over as chief conductor of the prestigious Munich
Philharmonic from 2015, Munich’s municipal authorities announced on
Wednesday.
Gergiev, 59, will replace Lorin Maazel as the orchestra’s chief when
Maazel’s contract expires in 2015, the city council said in a
statement.
The Moscow-born maestro, currently chief conductor of the London
Symphony Orchestra and long-term director of the legendary Mariinsky
Theatre in St. Petersburg, will initially be appointed for a term of
five years until 2020.
“Valery Gergiev is without doubt one of the most important,
influential and inspirational conductors of our time,” said Munich’s
cultural minister Hans-Georg Kueppers.
“His youthful energy and enthusiasm will not only benefit the
orchestra. His ability and charisma will also shape audiences of all
different age groups and Munich’s musical life,” Kueppers said.
The appointment, voted through by a majority by Munich’s city council
on Wednesday, had been decided in consultation with orchestra, which
is one Germany’s top ensembles, he added.
“The Munich Philharmonic is a fantastic orchestra with a great
tradition,” Gergiev was quoted as saying in the statement.
“We know each other very well. I’m happy that we can intensify our
artistic collaboration.”
Gergiev is one of the busiest conductors working today. He has headed
the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg for 20 years and been chief
conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra since 2007.
He is also chief conductor of the World Orchestra for Peace, an
initiative sent up in 1995 by legendary maestro Georg Solti.
The classical music scene has been abuzz with speculation recently
that Gergiev was to take the Munich position after the LSO in London
announced last week that he would not be renewing his contract with
them after the end of 2015.
But the London orchestra insisted that their relationship with
Gergiev remained “excellent” and would continue to be strong even
after his departure.
The Munich Philharmonic is one of Germany’s top orchestras and its
previous chief conductors include the legendary Sergiu Celibidache, US
maestro James Levine and German star conductor Christian Thielemann.
“the LSO in London announced last week that he would not be renewing his contract” Where? No they didn’t. That’s what a lot of people are reading into a statement made by the LSO a couple of days ago, but it’s not the same thing. After all, this is Gergiev we are talking about, so anything is possible.
They did. On Slipped Disc and in various subsequent clarifications.
I have no doubt Gergiev is leaving the LSO, but the LSO statement doesn’t say that. Indeed it goes to great lengths to avoid saying it. We can all read between the lines, but that’s not the same. If you believe different, please point out the language that confirms he would not be renewing his contract or where I can find the “announcement” referred to by AFP. It’s all great fun speculating, but it’s only that.
I’m sure Gergiev’s bank manager is delighted. Bavarian music lovers are likely to be less delirious.
Come on, give Maestro Gergiev a bit of credit with his new job. Some Bavarians are just happy about this news!
any word on that? hell lets talk about that, whats a likely sum these days?
$l Million, minimum or possibly even I Million Euros ($1,330,000 at todays rate) in my opinion. Probably more.
Maybe this will help:
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/22/arts/james-levine-will-lead-the-munich-philharmonic.html
Maazel even made 2.4 million Euro (!) in his last year with the SOBR. That doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what he is getting in his current job with the MP or that that is what Gergiev will get.
I would be curious to hear from those who understand the situation in Munich concerning the short tenure of Lorin Maazel. He apparently just began a 3 year contract and will be replaced by a successor who starts with a 5 year agreement. Was he simply a placeholder until they got their dream conductor? How is Maazel taking the news of the Gergiev appointment?
Here is the official statement made by Maazel, as released by the Munich City Council on 1 Feb, the day of signing the contract with Gergiev.
“I congratulate Valery Gergiev on his appointment as principal conductor of the Munich Phil-
harmonic Orchestra starting the 2015/16 season.
I am honoured to have been serving as the artistic bridge between the terms of two much re-
spected colleagues, Mr. Thielemann and Mr. Gergiev.
When I took on this responsibility, I made it quite clear that it could only be for three years,
because I always wanted to continue to serve as guest conductor with the orchestras with
which I have been involved for half a century. I moreover postponed my composition projects
for three years in order to be able to work as principal conductor for the Munich Philharmonic
Orchestra. Starting September 2015, I will be able to return to them again, as well.”
Maazel just “filled the gap” until a good solution is found. I Gergiev a good solution for the orchetra?
Probably not, due to his otherr commitments he will not be more than a guest in Munich. His salary is
probably higher than most of the orchestras in Europe or the USA is willing to pay, a good deal for Gergiev and his agent. The orchestra would have needed a real “leader” to shape the orchestra and explore a wide repertoire, and not a conductor with one of the most dense schedules in the music “circus”, busy in St. Petersburg, Rotterdam, New York and elsewhere, who dashes in last minute to conduct an orchestra rehearsed by an assistant.
I was hoping I was wrong.
Gergiev’s appointment in Munich should hardly come as a shock . The omnipotent Russian maestro has had more orchestras than you and I hot dinners.
Charismatic and certainly superlative in Russian music but with highly questionable taste in other repertoire and with a conducting technique beyond the limits of convention- I’ve never quite understood why Gergiev has attained such adulation.
Commonly referred to as the world’s ‘busiest conductor’. Busiest being a euphemism for greediest of course. As the jet propelled maestro hops from one continent to the next, calling in on orchestras with little rehearsal time and hence ragged performances, other deserving conductors aren’t given a look in.
Lets see if he gives a slice of his million euro salary to the many charities for poor Russian orphans.
While your musical criticism is justified, your ad hominem ad his greediness is not. Gergiev has done more than his fair share to support disadvantaged people. I personally actually consider his humanistic achievements higher than his musical ones.
He was giving 10% of his salary to keep the Mariinsky afloat years ago and now has his own charity based I think in Moscow. Don’t forget he is working for CAMI his management and they will have an annual figure for his manager to achieve – anything above that and the manager is on a bonus.
So who is most likely to take over LSO in 2015 – perhaps Daniel Harding ?
Heaven help us Mark if this prophecy were to become reality
Looking forward to a new conductor for the LSO top of my list would be petrenko and nelsons, maybe pappano (nice double with the opera). Never really thought much of Harding though
i suppose Pappano is probably chief contender for the LSO job, but what about Mark Elder or Bychcov ? Do you think Rattle or Chailly might be persuaded?