Daniel Harding
Mon, Jan 9 2012, 1:22AM
Over the past 20 years several truly great artists have left us and amongst the famous conductors currently in the middle age to senior generation none have that sparkle of greatness, bar one or two, they all pretty much sound the same, average.
One conductor that in my view is on his very best path to becoming a truly great conductor is Daniel Harding. Many live concerts and most recently the Radio 4 broadcast of the Magic Flute from last year's Lucerne Festival under his baton keep confirming to me that he is one of the most outstanding conductors alive today.
He wisely plays a low profile in public and releases few recordings, but go and hear him live to be amazed! He has a true sense for phrasing, architecture, orchestral balance and - well, that little but so important "extra" that distinguishes him from the others. His Mozart is outstanding both in symphonic and operatic repertoire, his Bruckner is approaching greatness, his Mahler is absolutely fascinating. I think he has certainly outgrown the famous conductors that trained him and introduced his own voice. Nothing is an imitation of someone else (a rarity!), the music is created anew, filled with depth and spontaneity alike, entirely fresh!
So, my sincerest recommendation to Gramophone readers out there is to watch this young conductor and most importantly to listen to him, you won't be disappointed (unless clouded by old habits)!
Mon, Jan 9 2012, 8:21PM
#2
RE: Daniel Harding
I entirely agree, ganymede. I even wrote a letter to Gramophone complaining about the non-inclusion of Harding in the June 2011 issue's article on the "10 new conductors on the verge of greatness". In my view, Harding's career is far more promising that those of most conductors listed in said article. It's good to know that I'm not alone in my assessment of Harding's singular talent.
Mon, Jan 9 2012, 8:29PM
#3
RE: Daniel Harding
I very much agree with OP regarding Harding. I have seen him in a lot of concerts as he is chief conductor of the Swedish Radio SO and I have always been very impressed. Some highlights include a fantastic Vaughan-Williams 5. Such a pity it was never recorded, a shattering Bruckner 9, the best Tod und Verklärung I have heard, a wonderful Verdi Requiem and so on. Lots of fantastic concerts.
I would not be surprised if he in 10 or 15 years will be regarded as the best living conductor. He almost is already.
Tue, Jan 10 2012, 3:13AM
#4
RE: Daniel Harding
Basta, Bagis! The guy is good, probably very good already, but he is not...there...and he needs time to mature further.
Most hopefully, he will be consistent and he will become, one day, what we all want to see from him.
Parla
Tue, Jan 10 2012, 11:35AM
#5
RE: Daniel Harding
Well, despite his young age he has in my view certainly surpassed in terms of maturity most of his much more senior colleagues, not to speak of those close to his age.
His early Don Giovanni was at first "crazy" to my ears, but how fascinating! I love it now, and his later Don Giovanni is more mature but perhaps lacks the joyfulness of the earlier version. Anyways, both are fabulous!
His latest Magic Flute with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (from Lucerne) is in my view superior to that of another famous senior colleague with the same orchestra.
Definitely he deserves more attention, but I'm not worried, he has a solid foundation, his musicianship is superb and he will progress slowly but steadily. Indeed it was bizarre Gramophone didn't include him, perhaps they thought he was too mature to be an upcoming conductor... ;-)
I agree that his work with the Swedish Philharmonic is fabulous, their Verdi Requiem, their Mahler 10, Mozart G Minor Symphony, plus with others the Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Schumann, Bruckner, Brahms... - a long list! He wisely limits his repertoire for now and progresses slowly into new terrain.
Keep eyes on Radio 4, they occasionally transmit Harding concerts, that's currently the only way to catch up with him unless you go to the concerts which is always best of course.
Tue, Jan 17 2012, 2:50PM
#6
RE: Daniel Harding
I can only agree with the above raves for Daniel Harding. I saw him conduct the New York Phil. here in NYC. He only conducted one work that afternoon but it was the Mahler Tenth Symphony (Cooke version) and it was absolutely wonderful. I have several recordings of the Tenth; some of them quite good but I was unprepared for the live performance. We are sure he will be, if he is not already, one of the great conductors.
You are right, Ganymede, to a great extent, as far as I can tell.
From his few recordings, I was not convinced, to say the least. His Don Giovanni, though not bad at all, couldn't reach the level of a true great Mozart reading or much more interpretation. His Mahler recording of the 10th was much better.
However, as you very correctly pointed out, his live performances are another very different story. I saw him, recently in Beijing, to perform Mahler's 4th with one of the not so well known Chinese orchestras and a local soloist (for the 4th movement).
I have to underline that this Symphony is my favourite, the one I have attended and listened more frequently than any other from this great composer. It's a very lean, sensitive and difficult to balance work (trombones for the first and only time are omitted, orchestration is the "lighter" than any other Symphony, crescenti are few and built with an utmost sensibility, the third movement is arguably the best music he ever composed, the so many pianissimi are so elusive, etc.).
Maestro Harding was absorbing, fascinating and so magical to make this so Asian orchestra (and the very local soprano) to sound so idiomatic, so true to Mahler. Every woodwind player, the solo violin and the various layers of the orchestra were so clean, meaningful, poetic. It was not Bernstein or Fischer or Abbado, but a great performance to cherish and remember. (Needless to say, the almost totally Chinese audience loved and praised it accordingly).
I sincerely hope he will be consistent and true to his Art and to a Music that needs strong and consistent people to advocate and promote it.
Parla