BPO

[Deleted]

Besides Toru Yasunaga, was there any BPO musician under HvK who was not a Caucasian?

[mahalo]

Kunio Tsuchiya who entered BPO in 1959 and played Viola was
a Japanese too. He was the first Japanese musician under HVK.

[David]

Hello Mahalo,

I notice that Kunio Tsuchiya was still a member of the BPO on 6th October 1988 as his name appears in my London concert programme for Karajan’s final appearance in this country on that date.

So already an amazing 29 years with the BPO at that time.

I would be very interested to know when he finally left the orchestra and so do you know in which year he retired from the BPO?

There are a couple of interesting close-ups at 40 seconds and again at 5 minutes 50 seconds on the following -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdfNTO_o-3k

Best regards -
David

[Deleted]

Thanks for the video document. Just realized HvK preferred violas on far stage left.

Again, great tempo transition, 2:58 - 3:01. Suddenly this mvt is becoming a little more interesting than usual for me!

Also, who is the bearded second violinst at 1:34?

Tsuchiya also appears on the Bruckner 9 youtube (with Yasunaga as CM). This time Neithard Resa is bearded.

Thanks

[David]

Hello tjh212,

Thanks for mentioning the tempo transition at 3 minutes. Since then I’ve played it over several times and yes, it is remarkable - almost effortless but sounding exquisite.

I also find the prominence of the basses right on 2:40, just before the transition, to be invigorating.

I’m almost certain, although not quite 100%, that the bearded second violinist at 1:34 is Hanns-Joachim Westphal.

I found an article in the Guardian newspaper dated August 2008 which includes the following -

“It's a story that begins with the astonishing stories of the musicians in the orchestra, from the eldest, Hanns-Joachim Westphal, who worked in the Berlin Philharmonic for 50 years with everyone from Wilhelm Furtwängler to Simon Rattle”

Astonishing stuff indeed!

Here’s the link -

www.guardian.co.uk/music/tomserviceblog/2008/aug/19/theabbadomoment

Best Wishes -
David

[mahalo]

David,

According to the following wiki note, it was Jul 1st,2001:

tinyurl.com/yzxpx65

[David]

Hello Mahalo,

Many thanks for your link to the translated Wiki article - most interesting.

A wonderful achievement by your compatriot.

Best Wishes -
David.

[Deleted]

...Karajan [sought Furtwangler's] advice on how best to determine the tempo for the slow mvt of Beethoven 7. Pure shop, but meat and drink to Furtwangler who seems to have been strangely flattered by the idea that 'K' should want advice from him on anything.

Osborne p. 256

[Deleted]

Does any one know the names of the 2 trumpeters at 1:43 of below 1986 BPO clip:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCYGhjNgtIw&feature=related

Looks like there were at least 3 Asians on stage in this concert.

[David]

An interesting observation. I haven’t been aware of any Asian brass players in the band and so would be interested to learn more. However at 1:43 the player on the left is Martin Kretzer.

At 2:52 we see Kretzer again on the right with Konradin Groth next to him in the centre. I don’t know the name of the player on the left.

There’s another interesting short clip from presumably this same concert, with a glimpse of the legendary Lothar Koch, which is also worth watching -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E16Fnc1R5k4

Incidentally I saw Karajan conduct Heldenleben four times: Salzburg 1971; London 1972, 1976 and 1985.

A recording of the 1972 London performance was issued a couple of years ago by Testament on SBT 1452 and is available from Amazon (both sides of the pond); it has the great advantage of having Schwalbé as soloist. Treat yourself.

Best Wishes -
David.

[Deleted]

1972

Attachments:

[Deleted]

The 1985 London Heldenleben is also recorded. I recall several seconds in section 4 where the cymbal overpowered the entire orchestra. I'll get the 1972 and revisit the Karajan Heldens.

Are you in either of the pics? I wonder about the apparent difference in baton technique between the 2 concerts.

Is Heldenleben in the Legacy for Home Video series?

Attachments:

[David]

Apologies for the delayed response. I’ve listened to the 1972 and 1985 Testament Heldenlebens several times over during the past couple of weeks. This has been interesting and one point which I hadn’t previously noticed was the difference in tempo of the Hero’s Battlefield in the two performances. In 1985 this was slightly slower, more deliberate and measured; and this is confirmed by the track timings for this section in the booklets and on the CDs themselves: 8 minutes 55 seconds in 1972 and 9 minutes and 53 seconds in 1985. Nothing to lose any sleep about here but interesting I thought. Not sure which I’d choose although if pushed it would probably be the 1972.

There follow some extracts from previous forum postings by members relating to the two concerts:

. Re 1972 from myself:
“At the end of a concert after Karajan had dismissed the band, the applause would normally fade after perhaps a minute or so. However on this occasion this wasn’t the case and after a couple of minutes or possibly even longer, both Karajan and Schwalbé were eventually forced to return and appeared alone on the empty platform to a level of decibels in applause almost equal to that in the climaxes of Heldenleben.”

. Re 1985 from Lee:
“Karajan's entrance that evening was a cause for concern for many. This was the first time I had seen him and it was a shock to see this frail, small man drag himself up to the podium, looking very different from the pictures I had seen of him up until that time on the inside of CDs and record covers. You may even remember a small stumble that elicited a collective gasp from the audience too just before he reached the podium before the Beethoven.”

. Re 1985 from John:
“I was at the London concert in 1985 and I remember Karajan's slight stumble and the gasp of the audience.”

. Re 1985 from myself:
“I am not ashamed to admit that I felt quite choked when I saw Karajan’s initial entrance onto the platform that evening. I hadn’t seen him since the 1977 London concerts (I wasn’t able to attend those in 1979 and 1981) and the deterioration in his mobility during this time was very pronounced.”

I can’t be certain, although have the impression that the photographs on the two Testament booklets were not taken in the RFH, London.

It is difficult to put into words the difference in baton technique between the two concerts. Possibly it could be said that in his final years Karajan did not seem to generate the music, so much as preside over it, except for occasional moments when gestures were level and just sufficient.

Brahms’s First Symphony at the final London concert in October 1988 (Testament SBT 1431) seems to illustrate this point perfectly. It was as if the orchestra was making an offering to him, striving to sound as intent and committed as they knew how – a really quite remarkable and magnificent performance.

The following is also relevant and interesting and is taken from the Richard Strauss page on Linda’s site:

Of his 1984 production of "Der Rosenkavalier" with Anna Tomowa-Sintow and Agnes Baltsa the orchestral contribution astonished many people. Seiji Ozawa is quoted in the "Sunday Telegraph: A Night to Remember" 22nd September 1991:

"......he seemed to stop conducting, because he had created a single deep line, a unity with his players and performers, which took music-making beyond anything I had ever heard. Karajan was hardly moving yet he was absolutely in control. He completely trusted his performers, and they trusted him. They were, I think, the last Rosenkavaliers he conducted before his death. I know I was very lucky to be there."

Yes, the Sony Japanese Legacy for Home Video Box contains Heldenleben as disc 16 of 40. This was recorded in February 1985 and so therefore only a couple of months before the London concert. As you would expect the violin soloist (Leon Spierer) was the same on both occasions. Incidentally I also have the vinyl LP of this 1985 DG/Telemondial recording. I can’t remember exactly when this was purchased but there can’t have been many more commercial LPs to follow at that stage. Perhaps this was just as well since the vinyl is incredibly thin and unstable when compared with that from the 1950s and 1960s.

Best Wishes –
David