Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thank goodness Boston has Levine! From what my friends report, the BSO only really came alive when Ozawa was absent from the podium. I also understand that Levine is spending the next several months to concentrate on his health, particularly issues related to his weight. Press reports also indicate that he has symptoms consistent with Parkinson's. He is an amazing conductor. I had hoped to hear him with the BSO in Philadelphia; when he was forced to cancel (with a substitution of the competent by less than enthralling David Robertson,) I decided to stay home with my Koussevitzky 78s. Jim Shulman Bryn Mawr, PA PS. For an unusual treat, you can go to this website to hear Koussevitzky and the BSO perform Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Eleanor Roosevelt! http://www.bpl.org/soundarchives/default.asp -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Richard S. Taylor Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 3:47 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Levine and the BSO [was Re: [Leica] LKH photos from Uruguay] Steve - Levine has revitalized the BSO. He took charge of the orchestra even before he arrived formally, demanded and got additional rehearsal time, and pushed their routine playing to levels they only rarely achieved under even the best of guest conductors. After 30 years of listening to occasionally exciting but usually pedestrian subscription concerts, this was a revelation. The orchestra seems to like playing for him. After one piece they played while he was still a visiting conductor, one that the full orchestra had played at an astonishing level of precision, grace and emotion, and before the audience erupted into the ovation I knew was coming, many of the players looked at one another with big smiles on their faces that seemed to say, "Look what we just pulled off!" This season at an all-Beethoven concert he played the 7th with such verve and excitement that the hall was literally rockin'. Never heard anything like it. That concert made me get a last minute ticket for Beethoven's 9th a few weeks later. Unfortunately, Levine fell on stage and hurt his conducting arm during the inevitable ovation that followed their playing of the 9th the night before I was to hear it. What I heard was an entirely competent but not very special 9th even though they had played it with Levine to a standing ovation the night before. His presence makes the difference. We were talking about talent earlier on this forum. That's talent. May his arm heal rapidly. Dick >On Mar 22, 2006, at 11:02 AM, Richard S. Taylor wrote: > >>Walt - Sounds like I need to spend some time with Siskind and >>White. But then again, all those "Equivalents" never made much >>sense to me either. On the other hand, since Levine started >>conducting in Boston, I've (finally) started to make some sense out >>of Schoenberg, so who knows? > >Richard...I'd very much like to know how James Levine does in >Boston... I knew him in Cleveland as a young man, a formidable >talent, many wonderful concerts there and a few in Philadelphia... > >Steve > (snip)