The next chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic has been chosen: He is Kirill Petrenko, a Jew born and raised until age 18 in Russia! [Strangely, or not, the announcement was made on June 22 (the date of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941).] Isn't it wonderful, and so international as befits an “international city” like Berlin, yes?
The problem for true Berliners, though, is that Petrenko was selected over a Berlin-born German who many expected to get that job: Christian Thielemann, currently chief conductor for the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and former music director of the Munich (Bavarian) Philharmonic. Thielemann is 56 years old (born April 1, 1959), with a brilliant career in opera, being a regular conductor at Bayreuth and the Salzburg Festivals.
In 2003, Thielemann was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz). In October 2011, he received honorary membership of the Royal Academy of Music in London. This year Thielemann won the Richard Wagner Award (Richard-Wagner-Preis) of Leipzig. He is described as a world-renowned expert on the German sound.
But perhaps there are influential people in Berlin who don't want a “German sound” at their Philharmonic. Or could this be about breaking through one more “taboo” for the Jews. Because Petrenko [pictured right] will be the first Jewish conductor in the Berliner Philharmoniker's history, though there are several Jewish conductors of other orchestras in the German capital, including Daniel Barenboim, originally of Argentina, who conducts the Berlin State Opera and Dresden Staatskapelle, and the Hungarian-born Ivan Fischer, who conducts the Berlin Konzerthaus.
The orchestra members, who are given the responsibility for the selection, voted for Petrenko despite Petrenko having conducted the Berlin Philharmonic only three times prior to his being made the new Chief Conductor. Thielemann was considered by some a controversial choice because of his “conservative” views.
Here's how The Guardian's music critic rated Theilemann in a March 2015 article on the upcoming voting :
1. Christian Thielemann
Age: 55 Current job: Chief Conductor, Staatskapelle Dresden
Thielemans’s admitted brilliance in late-romantic repertoire - Bruckner, Strauss, Wagner, but not Mahler, with whom he feels less sympathy - and his lifelong obsession with the German and specifically Prussian culture of which the Berliners are a historic symbol, along with his direct musical relationship with Herbert von Karajan, makes him impossible to ignore. But it’s precisely that narrowness of repertoire, along with his perceived political sympathies, that makes him so toxic to some, arguably especially for the international audience who are so essential to the Berliners’ continuing reputation.
Read more about Theilemann's interesting character in this enlightening interview from 2001 in The Guardian. And see here for the nasty rumour-mongering against him continuing up until today.
Below: Christian Thielemann, a real German passed over for political reasons, conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden.
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Sad
Markus
Thielemann's looks alone would draw many more people to Berlin than this other guy. And who wants to talk to the Berlin head conductor in Russian or Yiddish? What a handsome man Thielemann is and a great German mind.
I bet the Jew has already a plan to make Wagner more edgy, mixing up the roles of the script, adding some gayness and hiring Blacks or at least Asians for the Soprano.
Berlin is international now after all and desires to progress from its oppressive patriachical Prussian past.
#ThanksJews
This is just wrong on so many
alecti
This is just wrong on so many levels. Especially since the choice they made of Kirill is just very subjective and political. It is a shame, the jewish media has totally twisted this story to promote one of their own and discredit the German candidate. I hope he sues them for libel. As a fan of Opera and a season pass member for many years in my city. Christian Thielemann sounds much more my style because it sounds like he prefers to revive the original classical interpretations or versions of the original works which tends to be more conservative. Even comparing the photos of the two men, Christian presents himself as elegant and professional compared to the other guy who looks like a slob to me. I remember going to a Wagner Opera series Der Ring and they ruined it for me because they made it into this weird modern interpretation of the original works. My friend and I hated it. Why don't they let the regular fans and members vote on who should be given this position because I bet it would result in the selection of Christian. This Kirill guy doesn't even live in Berlin and has only been there 3 times so is not even very well known to the regular fans. I hope Karma repays them and his Russian Jewish interpretations of the original works flop since he obtained the position mainly for political reasons.
It's not all that black and white
carolyn
Petrenko is not unknown in Germany; he was Music Director of the Komische Oper Berlin from 2002 to 2007, so he was in Berlin for 5 years. In 1913, he became music director/conductor of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, where he is at present. He is well-liked. He brings a slavic emotionalism to German music that is said to remain respectful of the essence. And remember, it was the musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic who voted for him over all others. So Petrenko is not the bad guy here; he's just a gifted and apparently hard-working JEWISH-RUSSIAN musician who immigrated to Voralberg (Austria) at age 18 with his musician father, who is not going to turn down opportunities that come his way. And the members of the orchestra who voted for him are just looking out for the future well-being of said orchestra, whereby being politically correct only helps.
The "bad guy" is the political grip of leftism/marxism that controls Germany and Europe now. What we need to always remember is that the Jews won the war and continue to make gains. In a free Germany, Christian Thielemann would be the natural choice to be lead conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic and produce outstanding performances of the greatest work of great German composers. The German people have voted him in polls taken as their favorite conductor. But "politics" doesn't want it that way; "politics" wants an international Germany, and especially Berlin.
That man is very difficult to
enoch
That man is very difficult to look at, though I'm sure that's the least of the issue.
Looks count and are symbolic
carolyn
I don't think it's the least of it. He is so stereotypically Jewish-looking, so un-German, that I think it has to matter. You see how we both react to pictures of him, and others do too ... with surprise and revulsion. But go to this images page for a good look. Why don't we see him standing next to other people? I think because he's so small.
So this is how you further demoralize and minimize the German people - by making such a man a leader who exercises control over Germany's great composers - the German musical giants. All now, in a sense, at the mercy of this little gnome.
I've thought how he was born in 1972. His family emigrated in 1990, when the Soviet Union collapsed; they went West into the far western corner of Austria. As Jews, they were naturally welcome in any part of German-speaking territory. We know that more and more Russian Jews are re-settling in the former Reich. The aim is to put everything back into Jewish hands, as it was during Weimar days. You're not allowed to protest. Look how careful Thielemann has to be. Every word he utters is examined for "anti-semitism" or some other transgression.
Berlin, needs another
Joe
Berlin, needs another cleansing of the eternal pathogen (ala 1933). But, for there to be any kind of permanence, this cleansing has to happen worldwide this time around... not just one small nation. Otherwise, they will simply return and begin the process of decay all over again (kinda like the MRSA strain).