Mr Dutoit,
I’m sure you don’t keep up with the critics; why would you? Those symphonies aren’t going to learn themselves, after all. So here’s hoping you didn’t see what I wrote about your performance of Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony with the RPO a few weeks ago. I think I said something like “Was anything ever at stake here? Were there depths beyond Dutoit's shimmering surface? ... on this occasion, not all of the hollowness was Tchaikovsky's own.” That was a bit much, wasn’t it. I’ll admit it: I was disappointed with the performance, especially after I’d so much enjoyed your Rite of Spring in London a few months before; but, all considered, I’ll admit I was guilty of a little overstatement. The performance left me rather nonplussed, but it didn’t make me angry. It took Valery Gergiev to do that; to make a performance of this same work not so much a distortion as an act of vandalism. So I’m sorry for being a bit mean and I’ll look forward to your next concert. Honestly, I will; now that I know just how much worse that Tchaikovsky really could have been.
Ta,
Andrew
Ta,
Andrew
You're kind hearted and polite, Andrew. Dutoit's problem is that he is, too, which is nice in a human being but doesn't make for dynamic, idiosyncrasic performances. OTOH maybe only he could put up with some orchestras he conducts (big grin)
ReplyDelete