Barenboim explains the difference between Germans and Italians

"German culture leads to seeking depth in music; if it sounds lovely, then it's presumed to be superficial. For the Italians, it's exactly the opposite: if it doesn't sound nice, it's not art." On the eve of his first stab at Il trovatore, Barenboim contrasts Verdi's guiding principles of rhythmic rigour and melodic freedom with Wagner's harmonic uncertainty. 

Has his departure from La Scala left a gap in his diary? In the Tagesspiegel interview, he laughs off a mention of the Berlin Philharmonic vacancy. The Staatsoper is, he says, his "life's work".

Comments

[Kassandra]

!Nunca mejor dicho, maestro!

[Ruth]

I initially misread the word "contrasts" in your piece as "conducts"...

[JohnVecchio]

Hardly an earth shattering perception for someone who has delivered the Reith Lectures.
Let's hear how our local Italian boy, Antonio Pappano, gets on conducting Parsifal tomorrow night

[Emil Archambault]

Off topic: Marina Poplavskaya has pulled out from Guillaume Tell in Munich in July. Her vocal problems are still present, it seems...

She is still listed as Elisabeth in Tannhauser in Berlin and Elisabetta in Don Carlo in Zurich.
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Intermezzo replies - She was actually replaced back in September. I don't think it's anything to do with 'vocal problems', more that the role isn't a good fit. She's getting excellent reviews for her current run of Onegin at the Met. I'd be more concerned if she pulled out of the other two, which are exactly the sort of thing she ought to be doing.

[PetetheCheat]

She's doing Onegin, Don Carlo and Tannhauser because they are less of a strain on her voice, and they suit her better. After the problems with Vepres, it seems she is now avoiding roles which may expose any vocal problems she has. A good decision. After all, singing unsuitable strenuous roles has not been good for her health this year, as she relapsed after the only performance of Vepres. She has done well to recover from that mishap to be doing so well in Onegin, for which she has received ample praise.

[PetetheCheat]

Also, Poplavskaya is being replaced in Guillaume Tell by Marina Rebeka, who some people consider "boring". I have seen a part of a performance as Donna Anna in Giovanni by Rebeka where, though she sings well, she just stands and delivers, not acting at all. Though you might criticise her voice, to stand and deliver is something you can never accuse Popsy of doing; she always acts the role.