Who Is Your Favorite Orchestral Conductor

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
My wife and I were at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles two nights ago where we heard Gustavo Dudamel conduct the LA Philharmonic in the playing of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Dudamel is indeed a prodigy at the age of 34 where after a world wide search he was hired to conduct the LA Philharmonic. I was impressed by his style and more than anything else by the huge ovation with "bravo" and "bravissimo" being shouted by the audience at the end of the symphony along with a standing audience and huge applause.

I found his style of conducting somewhat different than many of the world's great conductors. Many times it seemed as if Dudamel was dancing to the beat of the music as he was totally immersed. At the conclusion of the symphony Dudamel also walked through the orchestra and signaling to many to stand and be recognized. I thought this was so engaging for the crowd.

Also I can't remember a conductor walking off at the end only to return for two standing ovations followed by a 5 minute encore again to the same accolades.It was also thrilling to watch how his orchestra loves this man by the way they all embraced him at the end

I was also fascinated that during the symphony the orchestra was completely immersed in the music and TBH I didn't see one musician following the lead of Dudamel's conducting and wanted to ask members here if they have seen the same thing.

Lastly, having never been to the Walt Disney Concert Hall I didn't expect to see seating directly behind the orchestra where they could certainly follow the conductor's lead much better. Has anyone been in a concert hall where there is seating directly behind the orchestra.

At age 34 Dudamel was wonderful to watch. I understand his contract has been extended through 2019. So who is everyone's favorite conductor
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Great thread...

...Old School: Furtwangler
...'Buy it Blind': Sir John Gardiner
...Bach: Suzuki
...New School: Tugan Sokhiev

Of these four, i am sometimes most amazed by Sokhiev...his Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition is stunning.
Mussorgsky - Sokhiev.jpg
 

GaryProtein

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Bruno Walter

Arturo Toscanini

Wilhem Furtwangler

No one living today can conduct Beethoven (my gold standard) the way they could.

It's heart breaking that we cannot get new recordings of them.
 

astrotoy

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For dead conductors, there are many including Gary's picks. Clemens Krauss is also a great conductor from that era. His 1953 Bayreuth Ring is my favorite, although Furtwangler's 1950 La Scala Ring is very close second. Reiner and Szell, a little more recent. I would add Carlos Kleiber for a more recently deceased (his dad Erich was also a great conductor) and Lorin Maazel for extremely recently deceased (we saw him last year).

For living conductors - I was very impressed seeing Andris Nelsons conducting the Vienna Philharmonic last year. We see Michael Tilson Thomas regularly and he doesn't look or act like he is 70 (my age). Haven't seen Dudamel yet. We were at Disney last year, but Perlman was guest conducting the LAPO and fiddling.

Larry
 

KeithR

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And I believe he started at the LA Phil at the ripe age of 29 :)

I make it out to see him at least onc a year- havent been disappointed yet! I always sit in orchestra east or west to see him in full action. He never uses a score either. Simply a genius.
 

asiufy

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Don't have any favorites, but I've seen Dudamel here in São Paulo, in a very nice room (that has seating behind the orchestra!).
He was conducting his venezuelan orchestra, and the main piece was Rite of Spring. Needless to say, it was thrilling!

alexandre
 

JackD201

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If he doesn't use a score and his orchestra doesn't watch him that can only mean that this group practices HARD.
 

Al M.

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My favorite conductor depends on the music played.

A few examples:

1. Beethoven, Hindemith: Herbert Blomstedt
2. Bruckner: Guenther Wand, Herbert von Karajan
3. Mahler: Leonard Bernstein
4. Shostakovich: Mariss Janssons
5. Stockhausen: Karlheinz Stockhausen

Favorite local conductor (Boston) of avantgarde music: Jeffrey Means.
 

astrotoy

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What...no Reiner ?

Christian - second line of my post (along with Szell). I actually saw Reiner as a boy in Chicago in the '50's. Don't remember too much. Larry
 

errandboy

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Oct 20, 2014
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Current conductors:

Manfred Honeck
David Zinman
Antoni Wit
Ole Kristian Ruud

Deceased conductors:

Jean Martinon
Charles Mackerras
Igor Markevitch
 

rbbert

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I often find Celibidache fascinating. Bernard Haitink and Leonard Bernstein both impress over a very wide range of musical styles. Of newer conductors I find I often like Gergiev in later Romantic period works.
 

FrantzM

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bonzo75

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My wife and I were at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles two nights ago where we heard Gustavo Dudamel conduct the LA Philharmonic in the playing of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Dudamel is indeed a prodigy at the age of 34 where after a world wide search he was hired to conduct the LA Philharmonic. I was impressed by his style and more than anything else by the huge ovation with "bravo" and "bravissimo" being shouted by the audience at the end of the symphony along with a standing audience and huge applause.

I found his style of conducting somewhat different than many of the world's great conductors. Many times it seemed as if Dudamel was dancing to the beat of the music as he was totally immersed. At the conclusion of the symphony Dudamel also walked through the orchestra and signaling to many to stand and be recognized. I thought this was so engaging for the crowd.

Also I can't remember a conductor walking off at the end only to return for two standing ovations followed by a 5 minute encore again to the same accolades.It was also thrilling to watch how his orchestra loves this man by the way they all embraced him at the end

I was also fascinated that during the symphony the orchestra was completely immersed in the music and TBH I didn't see one musician following the lead of Dudamel's conducting and wanted to ask members here if they have seen the same thing.

Lastly, having never been to the Walt Disney Concert Hall I didn't expect to see seating directly behind the orchestra where they could certainly follow the conductor's lead much better. Has anyone been in a concert hall where there is seating directly behind the orchestra.

At age 34 Dudamel was wonderful to watch. I understand his contract has been extended through 2019. So who is everyone's favorite conductor

Hi Steve, at the Royal festival hall there is seating directly behind the orchestra. The seats are cheaper in that section.

Saw Dudamel do Mahler 5th and Beethoven 5th, and some Wagner.
 

Route 66

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Mar 29, 2015
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My wife and I were at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles two nights ago where we heard Gustavo Dudamel conduct the LA Philharmonic in the playing of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Dudamel is indeed a prodigy at the age of 34 where after a world wide search he was hired to conduct the LA Philharmonic. I was impressed by his style and more than anything else by the huge ovation with "bravo" and "bravissimo" being shouted by the audience at the end of the symphony along with a standing audience and huge applause.

I found his style of conducting somewhat different than many of the world's great conductors. Many times it seemed as if Dudamel was dancing to the beat of the music as he was totally immersed. At the conclusion of the symphony Dudamel also walked through the orchestra and signaling to many to stand and be recognized. I thought this was so engaging for the crowd.

Also I can't remember a conductor walking off at the end only to return for two standing ovations followed by a 5 minute encore again to the same accolades.It was also thrilling to watch how his orchestra loves this man by the way they all embraced him at the end

I was also fascinated that during the symphony the orchestra was completely immersed in the music and TBH I didn't see one musician following the lead of Dudamel's conducting and wanted to ask members here if they have seen the same thing.

Lastly, having never been to the Walt Disney Concert Hall I didn't expect to see seating directly behind the orchestra where they could certainly follow the conductor's lead much better. Has anyone been in a concert hall where there is seating directly behind the orchestra.

At age 34 Dudamel was wonderful to watch. I understand his contract has been extended through 2019. So who is everyone's favorite conductor

I'm also a big fan of Dudamel and have seen him conduct on a number of occasions at the Hollywood Bowl. I was very pleased to hear that his contract with the LA Phil has been extended until 2022.

[url]http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...326-story.html[/URL]
 

Bachtoven

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I like Herbert von Karajan a lot. His readings have power, grace, whatever the score requires. Solti for balls to the wall intensity!
 

amadeus

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Bruno Walter

Arturo Toscanini

Wilhem Furtwangler

No one living today can conduct Beethoven (my gold standard) the way they could.

It's heart breaking that we cannot get new recordings of them.


Talking about Beethoven you can't forget Carlos Kleiber listen to his 5th and 7th whit Wiener Philarmoniker mind its like Cosmos.
 

amadeus

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Alive:

Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Maris Jansons
Valery Gergiev
Bernard Haitink
Simon Rattle
Gustav Dudamel


Rip:

Carlos Kleiber
Yvgeny Mravinsky
Fritz Reiner
Leonard Bernstein
Karajan
Claudio Abbado
Charles Munch
 
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LL21

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Ivan Fischer is starting to pique my interest more broadly as i have now listened to a number of his Mahler's and liked them, particularly his No. 2.
 

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