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𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐦: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐮𝐫 There are conductors whose authority is built on domination, theatrical command, and visible force. And then there are rarer figures whose greatness comes…

𝐒𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐯 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚’𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐏𝐢𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨 There are pianists whose greatness can be explained through conservatory discipline, competitions, and a steady climb through the usual…

𝗠𝗬𝗨𝗡𝗚-𝗪𝗛𝗨𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗚: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 Myung-Whun Chung is one of those rare conductors whose authority has never depended on theatrical gestures, public self-advertisement, or cultivated legend. His power has…

𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐃𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚 𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 There are musicians who perform great repertory, and there are others who seem to widen the very map…

𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐭𝐢: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 There are conductors whose careers are defined by prestige, and there are others whose greatness comes from a…

𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 There are conductors who inherit greatness, and there are others who seem to create a new climate wherever they…

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 There are conductors whose legends are built on theatrical personality, and there are others whose greatness lies in something more durable: authority without noise, discipline…

𝐄𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐧 𝐎𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐀 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 There are conductors whose fame rests on a few electrifying seasons, and there are others whose greatness is built over decades, through patience,…

𝐕𝐚́𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐯 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐆𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐀 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 There are conductors who inherit great orchestras, and there are conductors who create them in the deepest sense. 𝐕𝐚́𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐯 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡 belonged to the…

𝐓𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚, 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐠𝐞 There are opera conductors who serve repertory, and there are opera conductors who seem almost to stand…

𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐜̌𝐞𝐫𝐥: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 There are conductors whose greatness can be measured in recordings, premieres, orchestral discipline, and international prestige. And then there are conductors…

𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐁𝐎̈𝐇𝐌 (𝟏𝟖𝟗𝟒–𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟏): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Karl Böhm (1894–1981) was born in Graz on 28 August 1894 and died in Salzburg on 14 August 1981. He studied law…

𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐅 𝐊𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐒 (𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟐–𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟒): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Josef Krips (1902–1974) was born in Vienna on 8 April 1902 and died in Geneva on 13 October 1974. He studied in…

𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐍-𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐘 (𝟏𝟔𝟑𝟐–𝟏𝟔𝟖𝟕): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687) was one of the most powerful and contradictory figures in seventeenth-century music. He was born Giovanni Battista Lulli in…

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐎 𝐓𝐎𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐈 (𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟕–𝟏𝟗𝟓𝟕): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Arturo Toscanini (1867–1957) was one of the most admired and feared conductors in modern history. He was born on 25 March 1867…

𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓-𝐒𝐀𝐄̈𝐍𝐒 (𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟓–𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟏): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) is often remembered as the supreme French classicist of the later nineteenth century: elegant, lucid, disciplined, cultivated, brilliant, and…

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐙 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐙𝐓 (𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟔): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Franz Liszt (1811–1886) was one of the most contradictory figures in nineteenth-century music. He was the greatest virtuoso celebrity of his age…

𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐊: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Antonin Dvorak is often remembered as one of the healthiest, warmest, and most balanced figures in nineteenth-century music: a deeply Czech composer, a…

𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐒: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Johannes Brahms is often remembered as the great embodiment of musical seriousness, structural mastery, emotional reserve, and artistic integrity: the bearded classicist of…

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐙 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Franz Joseph Haydn is often remembered as one of the most balanced, benevolent, and stable figures in music history: the kindly “Father…

𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐖𝐈𝐆 𝐕𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Ludwig van Beethoven is often presented as the supreme heroic figure in music: defiant, original, morally elevated, and artistically invincible. Yet his…

𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐇𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Felix Mendelssohn lived a life that seemed outwardly orderly, brilliant, elegant, and successful. Yet beneath that polished surface lay a series of deep…

**𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐒𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐆 (1907–1978): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄** Karl Ilyich Eliasberg was born in **Minsk on 10 June 1907** and died in **Leningrad on 12 February 1978**. In the broad history of…

𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄́: 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂, 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐃𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐈. 𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄 Few musical stories condense the grandeur and the collapse of Central European culture as sharply…