Review: Barenboim's Decrepit Franck Symphony and the Case for Mandatory Retirement

[@morrigambist]

In one of life's little ironies, Sir Adrian Boult was forced into retirement and then went on to make some glorious recordings.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Boult's final recording of Planets is, I think, his absolute best in terms of orchestral sonority, sonics, and interpretation.

[@lionelharrison4117]

Boult was, of course, an employee of the BBC and in those days they had a compulsory contractual retiring age of 60, hence his 'retirement'. As you imply, the BBC's loss was posterity's gain with all those wonderful subsequent recordings, including his final trip to the studio for Parry's 5th Symphony, Symphonic Variations and Elegy For Brahms which was made when he was 89 or 90, and showed absolutely no sign of decline, such as Dave describes in this sad Barenboim recording.

[@2leftfield]

Contrast Toscanini in his final years. According to Leonard Bernstein, who interacted with Toscanini at that time, the elder Maestro was very self critical and would sometimes berate himself after some performances because he had not conducted to his own satisfaction. The end came when Toscanini suffered a temporary mental lapse during a live broadcast while conducting the overture to Wagner's Tannhauser. He briefly stopped conducting, the orchestra came to a halt, a panicked producer in the broadcast booth ordered a record of a Brahms symphony to be put on, which was then promptly faded out--Toscanini had recovered, the orchestra resumed playing, and he finished the concert, conducting the Overture to Die Meistersinger as the final piece. He then went home and told David Sarnoff, the head of the NBC network, that he was retiring from public performance, effective immediately. RCA did persuade Toscanini to do a patch session with the NBC Symphony to complete his recording of Verdi's A Masked Ball, some months later. But he never conducted in public again. He had great pride in the standard he had set, and when he could no longer meet that standard, he stopped performing.

[@colincomposer]

As a decrepit musician, I endorse this review.

[@bruckner1]

I was wondering what Dave would say about this recording. A longtime Barenboim fan, when I played the previews I couldn't believe what I heard. This sounds like a trudge through a muddy field after a heavy rainstorm. Dave confirmed the impression that I got.

[@tiborserly]

The insider gossip gleamed from the gay opera community I meet at my favorite Berlin bar is that Barenboim was effectively forced out at the Staatsoper because he kept showing up late and having all kinds of problems conducting them effectively, which was obviously tied to him not wanting to admit that his neurological problem was rapidly debilitating him. Right after his retirement was announced, I saw him conduct a program at the Berlin Philharmonic where they had to rapidly change the program from some relatively adventurous music to Schumann's Piano Concerto and Brahms's 2nd symphony (which the BPO already did the previous season). Obviously, the program change was because they needed music that the orchestra could play in their sleep. Argerich remained phenomenal, but Barenboim looked worse than Joe Biden in his most senile moments - he barely moved at all, and many moments in the Brahms symphony had him just jabbing his stick out to mark a major downbeat. He insisted on joining Argerich at the piano for a four-hand piece, and he was just awful. It was really sad. They actually filmed the concert, and you can watch it on the BPO streaming service, but even the trailer on KZbin shows that his conducting looks pitiful. I saw him come back later that year to conduct the Philharmonic, and he seemed to be doing much better - but when the bar is that low, "much better" is still not good enough to justify taking up that spot from a more qualified conductor who could do so much better, or even just letting the Berlin Philharmonic go without a conductor - they would do just as well. It must be awful losing your ability to do what you love, but there's a reason the retirement age is normally 65, it's so that people can wind down their lives with grace. There are so many other amazing things he could still do with his promotion of the arts in Berlin, especially at his music school here. I don't think that this is dignified, it's just kind of depressing. -Charlie

[@dmntuba]

Sad

[@tiborserly]

He also has withdrawn from multiple engagements at the last minute, including 2 on an international tour to Georgia with the Berlin Phil that I found to be particularly irresponsible for him to try pushing himself to do, and a couple weeks ago he canceled again with the Staatskapelle Berlin right after conducting something else with the West-East Divan a week earlier. All this info tells me there's a pattern of refusing to accept his limits and handlers not putting their feet down now that he's not formally attached to a major operation like the Berlin State Opera.

[@tempo0719]

Some musicians just don't know when to RETIRE.

[@marcusassenmacher938]

agree 100% - Barenboim was in the audience in the philharmony a while ago and happened to sit in the same row with me and I was so shocked about the state he was in but from what I hear he is just stubborn and insists to fulfill his contracts to the very end. Singers have to make that decision decades earlier for how long they want to go on when everyone can hear that their voices aren‘t doing the music justice anymore. But for some reason it seems to be a tradition that conductors don‘t stop until they are in their 90s.

[@sly16]

Thank you for your brutal honesty

[@omegamale7880]

I listened to this video at 1.5 speed so the speed of the chugga-chuggas seemed pretty normal.

[@ftumschk]

... that's chugga-chugga-cheating!

[@barrygray8903]

I was initially curious about this because I Listened to Barenboim's earlier recording (once) many years ago and thought hey, this might be an improvement. Thanks so much for this review and saving me from a superfluous waste of time and money.

[@tempo0719]

In relation to your final comments, it's the super star syndrome. Super Stars in classical music cannot be told what to do. They are gods, regardless of the effects of age or illness. If Barenboim had true friends or his agent really cared about him outside of making money on him, they should have told him to retire and preserve his legacy. But, they probably didn't because the maestro is the maestro.

[@gregoryames2483]

I love the Franck D minor and never tire of it, even given some conductors' tinkerings with it. I do agree that for it to succeed the symphony must, by and large, move along at a good clip, and so will avoid this performance!

[@mickeytheviewmoo]

Would be interesting to do a video on conductors who retired at the top of their game.

[@kjetilheilandsrensen2112]

Like Toscanini.

[@kestrel4733]

I heard the last 2 mins of the finale on DG’s KZbin channel before release and my first thought was “can’t wait to hear Dave chew this to shreds when it releases”! Unfathomably slack and sluggish recording!

[@GeorgeFrideric71]

But what did it release? That would be the question.

[@jshaers96]

Barenboim retired for health reasons a couple of years ago but slowly came back again. I saw him a few months ago with the WED and he looked terrible, Anne-Sophie Mutter had to hold his hand so he could get to the podium, and the whole concert felt very uncomfortable although it got glowing reviews. It was also incredibly slow to the point where it felt like it was going to grind to a halt at some points.

[@67Parsifal]

No mainstream critic is going to give Barenboim a less than glowing review in 2024, regardless of what he does.

[@theresamagee9014]

@jshaers96 yes, I was at that too (the Proms). It was a very sad occasion in many ways. I actually didn't think Id see him perform again and I almost wish I hadn't.

[@hiphurrah1]

In no other area of the arts there is such a thing as the cult of the older alnost dying conductor. They make you believe they have deeper insights than ever. Agree with David: please stop and enjoy your last years out of the limelight

[@Richard-b5r9v]

I fell in love with Classical Music when first hearing the last movement of the Franck Symphony

[@matthewbbenton]

The opening of the finale sounds like half the strings thought they were going to do the normal tempo, then they looked at Barenboim and realized, “Oh s***!”

[@shobarsch]

This is obviously what happened

[@Wagnerismus]

The strings should be playing more staccato, so you can actually hear the individual notes. Here it's an awful mush. Barenboim's tempi just emphasise the piece's structural weaknesses, though it all sounds rather beautiful.

[@danielreid5114]

Hi Dave - I wonder if the real villains here are the DG executives who seem prepared to make money out of Daniel Barenboim. It seems Barenboim is unwell and needs help and protection and not exploitation!

[@tiborserly]

I think he's the one who refuses to quit, not the other way around.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I don't think they were adding up the anticipated profits from this release with greedy little dollar signs in their eyes.

[@lednew2010]

I will always have a soft spot for the Paray/Detroit/Mercury recording. The fire and precision of the playing remains #1 for me always

[@ftumschk]

That's a wonderful rendition. Despite their age, the Paray and Monteux recordings are, for me, still the two to beat.

[@bomcabedal]

As an experiment I sped up Barenboim's finale to a fairly usual 10:30 (or 80%) and for some insane reason it still felt slow and no, of course it didn't solve any of this recording's many problems.

[@doctorzingo]

Hmm. In the sixties and seventies, the future for conducting must have looked very bright, with a new generation making excellent recordings to rival the very best. Barenboim, Maazel, Abbado et al then spent the next half-century making increasingly tired re-recordings of stuff that they, on the whole, did better in their youth.

[@markfarrington5183]

....such as Maazel's 1961 Berlin Schubert 4th: what a revelation.

[@xavierdelarrard4323]

Barenboim has a real point of view on the work. He makes it a Bruckner Symphony. And why not, after all?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Because it sounds just horrible when played that way.

[@emusic4269]

Dear God, it sounds like he's doing both Franck and Faure in the style of Faure, while Faure was zonked on opium.

[@williamsu5552]

Today is trashing Barenboim. I like it. I love Barenboim but DG should really give him a rest and let him retire because he already has had a life time of great legacy!

[@b286guy]

Unfortunately, he’s in such poor physical and cerebral health now, he can’t lead a performance that he would intend were he not afflicted. It’s a shame and a sad situation. Compare this to the one Monteux did with the Chicago Symphony. It’s not even the same piece.

[@Wiktor_Brogowski]

Yeah and Monty was even older than Barenboim when he did that fabulous living stereo recording. As much as i admire Daniel, I think that he really should retire and focus mostly on teaching younger generation of conductors. He should finally accept the fact that some people age better and others worse and he is one of those who unfortunately are already a shadow of themselves from years ago. I saw clips on Berliner Philharmoniker’s yt channel, and it was just sad to see how his condition deteriorated in just 2 years when he conducted New Year Concert with VPO.

[@proyectocms]

What a curious coincidence! Only yesterday I was listening to Barenboin performing Brahms' Concerto No. 1 on the piano (conducted by Dudamel), and, given his very poor quality as a pianist, I thought the same as you about Barenboin. Apparently his excessive ego blinded him. Greetings from Chile, and apologies for my poor English.

[@nicolaswiernsperger6242]

I share this opinion 200%; it is really really time for him to stop conducting (I must confess I have never thought he was a great conductor, as opposed to his pianist talent). This interpretation is just ridiculous. Heavier it can't be ! Probably his worst -énd by far- recording. How can Berlin Phil accept this ?

[@1906DS]

I listened to this live on the DCH and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I can't believe this was released for consumption. Just who is this for? Surely not for new listeners, if this was someone's first time hearing the Franck, they would swear the piece off for life. Sad.

[@ftumschk]

3:15 "Chugga-Chugga Bwap-Bwap" sounds like a really crappy musical about a flying car ;)

[@orbyfan]

With a cast including Benny Hill.

[@jujukoba6924]

Years ago I heard a story about a famous lawyer asking his secretary: Please tell me if I will be no longer able to do a a good job. The secretary answered: Yes I will do, but you won't believe me. I think there some more professions without any obligation to retire or ? :)

[@classicaloracle]

Sadly, I agree with all of this. So important to go back to his early recordings now and not to remember him for these late recordings. What we used to do in the UK was to effectively lead the performance from within the orchestra. You're stuck with tempo but players would normally work within that to produce at least something. Surprised this doesn't seem to be the case in Berlin!

[@WesSmith-m6i]

Where was the Red Scarf of Shame?? Wesley

[@nicolaswiernsperger6242]

JUst want to add that Dudamel, at NOtre Dame's inauguration, did the opposite mistake: much too fast. It is not prestissimo...

[@jeshpost5216]

this album was my intro to franck's symphony, and i was like why do people like franck's symphony. Now i think it's more of a barenboim being old thing... So, who should i listen to now...?

[@IgnatzKolisch]

That’s an idea for a video series! Musical Malpractice!

[@kaiyuanwu8903]

How do you think of Maazel’s rendition of Franck Symphony in d?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

See review at classicstoday.com

[@ewmbr1164]

Any artist must know when and how to leave the stage before appearing on it....

[@hallingerman2168]

How could anyone beat the marvelous Pierre Monteux recording - or the Paray rendition of the Franck, the "pater seraphicus" (Seraphic father)?

[@kingstontaylorjordan3539]

As a longtime admirer of your critical voice, I know how you feel about crossover music. I’d love to hear your take on the new Jon Batiste Beethoven Blues album.

[@laurentriou3195]

Vous avez, malheureusement, totalement raison... jouée ainsi la symphonie en devient presque insupportable ! A qui voudrait revenir aux origines, il faut, par exemple, recommander d'écouter l'enregistrement de Roger Desormiere, approuvé et préfacé par Guy Ropartz, ancien élève de Franck.

[@bernardfield8110]

He's ill. A neurological disorder apparently. Very sad.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Then he should retire. He's had a wonderful career.

[@CaminoAir]

@@DavesClassicalGuide I guess the dilemma is that someone who has devoted their life to conducting and musical performance......what do they do if they retire? Possibly it would just hasten their decline.

[@bernardfield8110]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Absolutely. I've always loved him and wish him the best as we all do.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Better that than wasting resources on recordings like this that hasten the decline of musical culture.

[@nattyco]

Yes, but producing poor recordings does not enhance his legacy. Actually I admire him as a pianist but was never happy with him as a conductor. He is a prime example of a soloist who wrongly believes it's a simple matter to overnight become a conductor.(one exception is him being soloist and conductor in Mozart's piano concertos)

[@goonbelly5841]

Was Barenboim ever a good conductor? Back when I lived in the Chicago area (2001-2009), I'd regularly visit the old Tower Records store in the loop and the two old guys who worked in the classical music section didn't think much of Barenboim as musical director of the CSO (they didn't care for Solti either). The only recording of Barenboim conducting that I like is Saint-Saens' organ symphony. Can't think of any other.

[@janouglaeser8049]

Don't be silly, most of his Bruckner with the CSO was excellent.

[@goonbelly5841]

@@janouglaeser8049 LOL, you lost me at "Bruckner".

[@janouglaeser8049]

@@goonbelly5841 Well, if you don't like the music itself that's fine, but the recordings were quite good.

[@jppitman1]

I think it was Barenboim who conducted the Berlioz Requiem in DC in the 1980`s and in the Tuba Miram (however you spell it) he had a way of drawing the brass chords in a crescendo from where they were at the back of the orchestra. It was different, I loved it, and I’ve not forgotten it. Most of the time the brass are called upon to pounce on those chords.

[@karenbryan132]

If you take the second movement at a slow enough tempo, the poor guy playing the cor anglais might be in danger of rupturing his eyes--or ears. Have a heart, maestro!

[@dmntuba]

The blurb on back of CD case sounds like they are putting lipstick on the pig in order to sale some second rate pork chops...sad.

[@gabrielmm2669]

Tough to hear. I have numerous Barenboim recordings (from the last century) that I treasure. Better to retire one concert too early than one concert too late.

[@gmroberto1967]

So I guess we already have an ALDA recipient even before the official ceremony 😂😂😂

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

So it seems. Just squeaked in before the deadline.

[@TOONACEDRELA]

Yep, you can't fight age and infirmity. Eventually it becomes a dignity issue. What's the matter with sitting in the sun, under a big straw hat, sipping champagne and ruminating on the great career you had?

[@AlexMadorsky]

Not every conductor can be Herbert Blomstedt and excel well into advanced old age. Barenboim has cancelled many appearances recently and it would likely be the better part of valor for him to just retire. Franck is all about movement, and if the thing lies still serious problems will ensue. The orchestra would likely have recorded a better performance had they done it conductorless.

[@orbyfan]

John Cleese said that entertainers should have to pass a test once they reach a certain age in order to continue.

[@orbyfan]

Even the notoriously awful baseball umpire Angel Hernandez was forced into a sudden mid-season retirement this year.

[@Bucky58]

Crappy package too

[@TheRealJoseramirez]

I'm not a trained musician but I've never been a fan of Barenboim's. Many years ago, I heard him conduct a Beethoven symphony and it sound like a New Orleans jazz band. Years later, I heard him play a Bach piece on solo piano. He used the pedal indiscriminately throughout. I genuinely found it difficult to comprehend. It was terribly muddy. In my opinion it demonstrated a complete lack of taste. Gould would have turned in his grave.

[@oakwoodian4465]

Like you I have never been a Barenboim admirer. I always thought him over-rated and, in my concert going days, tried to avoid him. Stupid, I know but there are some musicians, held in great esteem by some, that you are somehow never congenial with and whose performances leave you unimpressed, unsatisfied or, at worst, irritated. Yes, Mr Barenboim, you're a case in point.

[@TheRealJoseramirez]

@oakwoodian4465 Thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one. "Emperor's new clothes" comes to mind.

[@antonioantonio-no2uc]

Very bad recording. Franck is Monteux, Munch, Bernstein, Muti... but this Franck is brother of Celibidache tempo. Sloooooooooooooooooow. Not, please.

[@callumkenmuir2825]

I watched the Barenboim performance of the Franck with the BPO on its digital concert hall. It was awful. Slow tempi and lifeless. Pierre Monteux premiered the symphony and his old recording is a much shorter and definitive performance. Barenboim should retire from the concert platform. It is sad to witness the deterioration of a great musician.

[@YKsfo]

Never been able to get into Barenboim as a performer or conductor . Just too boring and conventional to my taste

[@bbailey7818]

A New Year Irredeemable Scarf of Shame candidate? 🫣