![\"Valery](\"http:\/\/www.musicalamerica.com\/mablogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/fesGergievMueller20170214.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
By ANDREW POWELL MUNICH \u2014 Contrary to a London blog report yesterday, nothing has been \u201clocked down\u201d with regard to a contract extension for Valery Gergiev<\/a> at the Munich Philharmonic<\/a>, though things are indeed moving in that direction, for practical more than artistic reasons.<\/p>\n What has happened is that Hans-Georg K\u00fcppers<\/a>, Kulturreferent<\/em> of the City of Munich, which operates the orchestra, has gone public with his resolve to recommend a full five-year renewal for the Russian maestro to the city council at its scheduled Feb. 21 meeting. Any contract-signing would naturally take place later.<\/p>\n K\u00fcppers, MPhil Intendant<\/em> Paul M\u00fcller<\/a> (pictured last year with Gergiev), and Munich B\u00fcrgermeister<\/em> Dieter Reiter<\/a> are all inclined on continuity because 2020, when the present contract expires, heralds the lengthy and probably tortuous closure of the MPhil\u2019s Gasteig home for gutting<\/a> \u2014 at which time the musicians must decamp for a temporary wooden hall next to a power plant<\/a> up the Isar River.<\/p>\n Gergiev has been no more of a musical success here than anyone predicted, but the high tensions around his friendship with Vladimir Putin \u2014 at fever pitch in 2013 when he was hired<\/a> \u2014 have abated, and artistic decision-making since he began his tenure 29 months ago has gone smoothly.<\/p>\n Regarding other jobs around town, rumors persist that Vladimir Jurowski<\/a> has joined Andris Nelsons<\/a> im Gespr\u00e4ch<\/em> for Kirill Petrenko<\/a>\u2019s position as Generalmusikdirektor<\/em> at Bavarian State Opera<\/a>. Petrenko steps down in fall 2020 after an unprecedented single season as head both of Germany\u2019s largest opera company and of the Berlin Philharmonic<\/a>. No rumors are yet floating about a successor to, or a renewal for, Mariss Jansons<\/a>, whose contract at the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra<\/a> is up one year after Gergiev\u2019s.<\/p>\n Photo \u00a9 Florian Emanuel Schwarz<\/p>\n Related posts:
Published: January 31, 2018<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nMPhil Asserts Bruckner Legacy<\/a>
\nFlitting Thru Prokofiev<\/a>
\nBerlin\u2019s Dark Horse<\/a>
\nGergiev, Munich\u2019s Mistake<\/a>
\nHorses for Mozartwoche<\/a><\/p>\n