Archive for the ‘Munich Times’ Category

Bayreuth Theater Restored

Wednesday, April 4th, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: April 4, 2018 MUNICH — Bayreuth’s Rococo gem of a theater, the Markgräfliches Opernhaus, will reopen April 12 after a five-year, €32-million restoration. On the bill, fittingly: Hasse’s Artaserse (1730), as mounted by the Theater-Akademie August Everding. Like virtually every public project in Germany these days, the effort took longer than […]

Read the rest of this article »

Ministry Split, Minister Fired

Wednesday, March 21st, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: March 21, 2018 MUNICH — Bavaria’s Culture Ministry, responsible for Bayerische Staatsoper and Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, among many other entities, underwent a sudden double shake-up this morning with the firing of its cheerful chief, Ludwig Spaenle, and an organizational severing into two parts. Bernd Sibler, 47, is the new Kultusminister. The […]

Read the rest of this article »

Houston Has No Problem

Tuesday, March 20th, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: March 20, 2018 MUNICH — Judging from reports around the country here, the Houston Symphony Orchestra today returns to Texas mission-accomplished. The clarity of its tone colors, the exuberance of its brass section, the articulate luster of its strings — all have been remarked upon during an eleven-day tour to busy […]

Read the rest of this article »

Dorny, Jurowski to Staatsoper

Tuesday, March 6th, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: March 6, 2018 MUNICH — The rumor emerged last fall, lingered, and today became fact during a Free State of Bavaria cabinet meeting: Serge Dorny, 56, and Vladimir Jurowski, 45, will in Sept. 2021 take over as Intendant and Generalmusikdirektor, respectively, at Bavarian State Opera. So said a statement from Bavaria’s […]

Read the rest of this article »

Margaine, Tézier Find Favor

Tuesday, February 27th, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: February 27, 2018 MUNICH — Sometimes the revival has the better cast. So it was for La Favorite at Bavarian State Opera on Sunday, when Giacomo Sagripanti, Clémentine Margaine and Ludovic Tézier made more sense of the music than their counterparts in the 2016 production’s first run (a Deutsche Grammophon DVD) […]

Read the rest of this article »

Five More Years

Wednesday, February 21st, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: February 21, 2018 MUNICH — Putting box-office steadiness ahead of artistic achievement, the city council here voted this morning to extend by five years Valery Gergiev’s contract as Chefdirigent of the civically run Munich Philharmonic, as requested by the orchestra’s managers. The move doubles the Russian’s tenure, to encompass the seasons […]

Read the rest of this article »

MPhil Bosses Want Continuity

Wednesday, January 31st, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: January 31, 2018 MUNICH — Contrary to a London blog report yesterday, nothing has been “locked down” with regard to a contract extension for Valery Gergiev at the Munich Philharmonic, though things are indeed moving in that direction, for practical more than artistic reasons. What has happened is that Hans-Georg Küppers, […]

Read the rest of this article »

Jansons Turns 75

Friday, January 12th, 2018

By ANDREW POWELL Published: January 12, 2018 MUNICH — Against the medical odds, perhaps, Mariss Jansons turns seventy-five on Sunday, still adored by his favorite orchestra. Bavarian Broadcasting marks the occasion with a 44-minute video portrait, Im Zeichen der Musik, or In the Music’s Character, freely watchable. Last evening here at the Gasteig, a subscription […]

Read the rest of this article »

Staatsoper Imposes Queue-it

Thursday, December 28th, 2017

By ANDREW POWELL Published: December 28, 2017 MUNICH — Post is under revision. Illustration © Queue-it and Bayerische Staatsoper Related posts: Staatsoper Favors Local Fans See-Through Lulu Ettinger Drives Aida U.S. Orchestras on Travel Ban Time for Schwetzingen

Read the rest of this article »

Fall Discs

Sunday, November 26th, 2017

By ANDREW POWELL Published: November 26, 2017 MUNICH — Post is under revision. Photos © Arthaus, BelAir Classiques, Querstand, Supraphon, Warner Classics Related posts: Winter Discs Time for Schwetzingen Ives: Violin Sonatas on CD Chung to Conduct for Trump Manon, Let’s Go

Read the rest of this article »