Berlin Logs July 2015

Art & Culture
13
A RISEN STAR
From 11th to 13th June, Gustavo Dudamel visited the German
capital to conduct the Berliner Philharmoniker. Berlin Logs
explains the hype surrounding the Venezuelan wunderkind.
By Hazel Rowland
Gone are the days when Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel was the
exciting new kid on the block. It is over ten years since he won the Gustav
Mahler Conducting Prize, which first brought him to international attention
in his early twenties. Since then, Dudamel has established himself as a worldclass
conductor. In 2009, he was appointed Music Director of the Los Angeles
Philharmonic Orchestra at the unbelievably young age of 26. He is now
comfortably entering his seventh season with them whilst simultaneously holding
the position of Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela.
Now aged 34, Dudamel is still young. But he can no longer be considered an
up-and-coming star: his star has very much already risen. Dudamel’s youthful
charisma plus his famously energetic curly hair (which cannot help but be flipped
and bounced around during his most impassioned moments on the podium)
certainly appeals to many of the conductor’s fans. But if he wants to be taken
seriously as he approaches maturity, then the Venezuelan cannot rely on these
traits alone.
Anyone hoping to see Dudamel’s hair in action for his series of concerts at the
Berliner Philharmonie from the 11th to 13th June may have been disappointed.
Youtube videos of the Venezuelan tend to show his impassioned face, hair
and gestures as he is moved – perhaps even overwhelmed – by the music he
is conducting. Yet Dudamel took a more restrained approach for his concerts
with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Although most audience members would not
have been able to see Dudamel’s face, what one could see from his general
movements was something more relaxed and less involved than expected.
This was not necessarily a bad thing, however. The resulting effect was a greater
distance between Dudamel and the music on the evening’s programme: Mozart’s
‘Posthorn’ Serenade, followed by Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. But this
distance did not make the performance any less passionate. Indeed, the Berliner
Philharmoniker is famous for its fervent playing. Dudamel therefore left the
passion to its players, whilst he remained a removed and guiding authority.
Dudamel struck the right balance between taking control and letting the
individual personalities of the Berlin Philharmoniker off the leash. The players
supplied the energy during fast moments in Mozart’s ‘Posthorn’ Serenade, whilst
Dudamel’s graceful gestures kept the orchestra responsive to the extreme
dynamic contrasts that Mozart asks for. Their playing was nimble and extremely
together. Dudamel knew better than to force anything from the strong-minded
players of the Berlin Philharmoniker. Instead there was a perfect collaboration,
resulting in a performance that felt completely natural.
This collaboration between orchestra and conductor came into its own for
Mahler’s First Symphony. Dudamel gave space to the individual personalities
of the Berliner Philharmoniker to speak. The solo double bass that opens the
haunting third movement, soon joined by timpani and bassoon, were captivating
on their own. Meanwhile the horn players were touchingly warm in the first
movement, turning this instrument associated with hunting and war into
something almost lullaby-like.
The Berlin Philharmoniker are yet to elect their next chief conductor due to
replace Sir Simon Rattle in 2018. But in March the Los Angeles Philharmonic
announced that Dudamel has extended his contract with the orchestra until the
2021-22 season. Dudamel might not currently be on the cards as a potential
successor to Rattle. But based on the success of his last visit to Berlin, one can
only hope that their collaboration will continue well into the future.