Christian Thielemann is on his way to Dresden

Earlier this year, Mark Elder renewed his contract with the Hallé Orchestra. It's been a popular and successful appointment, but the event was only quietly celebrated in the specialist press and maybe one or two national arts pages, I don't recall. If he hadn't renewed, would press coverage have increased? I doubt it.

Things are different in Germany. London orchestras may have trouble filling a hall, but the Munich Philharmonic have 18,000 subscribers, and repeat some of their concerts three or four times to fit everyone in. When their music director Christian Thielemann fell out with them over contract extension terms this summer, the German press were all over it. Dozens of news items and interviews chronicled progress day by day. At one point Domingo, Barenboim, and a bunch of other heavyweight names pitched in on Thielemann's side with a petition (duly reproduced in every national newspaper) begging Munich to reconsider. In England only a football manager could dream of that sort of coverage.

A few days ago it seemed there might be a last ditch attempt to resume discussions. It's all over now though, as Thielemann has agreed to become chief conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle from 2012, taking over from Fabio Luisi, who's off to Zurich. This places Germany's best Wagner/Strauss conductor at the head of one of its greatest Wagner/Strauss orchestras - albeit one which has been turning in some distinctly lacklustre performances in recent years. Thielemann could be just what they need.

It also leaves a gap in Munich, with no obvious successor in sight. My own wild guess here.

Comments

[Alan, London]

This is good news for Dresden and Thielemann. Not good for Zurich (though Luisi is much better in the pit than on the podium), but that's their problem.

Given the limited resources now available in Munich, and the lack of authority that the city fathers are willing to grant their Generalmusikdirektor, it would be a brave man or woman who'd take it. Harding knows the politics of German music well enough to know what a poisoned chalice this is.

[John]

I have been to the Semper Oper several times and cannot agree on the lackluster comment. Earlier this year I heard on successive nights superb playing in Strauss, Weber and Hindemith. Perhaps one needs to hear them on home ground but they maintain an unique patrician clarity and character.

[Furst]

Dresden is indeed in superb shape based on a couple of experiences (although haven't heard Luisi conduct there) now but Thielemann was an obvious choice with the departure of Luisi and his own "situation" in Munich". Can't really agree with Luisi's problems on the podium, at least with respect to Strauss: his Heldenleben and Don Quixote last year were nothing short of stupendous.