Kurt Masur
Last night on TV I caught the last movement of the Brahms First Symphony in a performance by Kurt Masur conducting the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. This orchestra has been conducted by Mendelsohn, Wagner, Mahler and R. Strauss among others. Masur is known as a sturdy interpreter of the Teutonic tradition, conducted the NY Philharmonic for a number of years and was recently unceremoniously pushed out to make room for the glitzier Loren Maazel. I had never seen or heard Masur and was quite impressed. The question with Brahms is often can an elephant be made to dance? Here the elephant danced quite rhythmically. The beat was on the fast side and very firm, except where the music demands retard. And the result was very pleasurably satisfying if not quite revelatory. Another thing I enjoyed was seeing his conducting technique. He used no baton but very strong body, arm and hand gestures. With most conductors I am unsure of how the players pick up the rhythym, it doesn't seem to my untrained eye to be implied in the gestures. But Masur's left hand, almost in a fist, struck out the rhythm solidly while his right elicited expression from the orchestra. And his body
was solidly dancing although he didn't move his feet.
Since he is known as a Teutonic traditionalist, has anyone heard him in Beethoven, and what did you think of it?
was solidly dancing although he didn't move his feet.
Since he is known as a Teutonic traditionalist, has anyone heard him in Beethoven, and what did you think of it?
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