Raw energy and musical honesty (Daniel Barenboim)

Member Name: vengius

Product:	Daniel Barenboim
Date:	18/07/00 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: True musical insight

Disadvantages: Still overlooked

The first CD I ever bought was of Beethoven Piano Sonatas playe by Daniel Barenboim when I was 8 years old. That recording revealed aspects of the music to me that very musicians achieve, and today when buying orchestral recordings my conductor of choice is Barenboim. It seems to me that he still either remembered as a pianist, or the husband of Jaqueline Du Pre, and his role as a conductor is secondary. This is a shame as he brings to orchestral music the same insight, raw energy and musical freedom that he expresses as a pianist. Every time I hear a recording that he has conducted, I discover something new about the music. The great violinist Maxim Vengerov refers to him as his 'musical father', and their combined recording of the Sibelius Violin Concerto stands as one of my favourite recordings of all time. The depth of emotion explored make you feel as if you can touch the music, it is soul searching, and yet it never loses its musical integrity or honesty. Barenboim, in his position with the Chicago Symphony, took on what must be one of the most demanding roles in music, but rather than be bowed by the history he has created a new sound for this remarkable ensemble. Their music is full of energy and creativity, and is a joy and always a revelation to listen to. As a young conductor myself, Barenboim represents for me the ideal of a conductor, a person for whom the music comes first, not in its technicality or its established role in history, but as a story or an expression or a feeling. He is one of the worlds great musicians, and a magical conductor.

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