I enjoy the public service your many e-mailed messages provide for those
of us who have so enjoyed music as interpreted by Celibidache.. This
particular one from a French review of the Celibidache Bruckner Vol.2 is
particularly appreciated as we Americans await the release stateside.
Has anymore been said regarding the dreadful reviews of Vol. 1 from The
New York Times? I had a conversation with some Israeli musicians who
claimed that Celi was always highly thought of and indeed welcomed when
he went to Israel. Knowing their attitudes towards those who were Nazi
sympathizers or embroiled in the Nazification of Germany during the
rise of Hitler--von Karajan??-- could in no way believe they felt
Celibidache to be a sympathizer. Just look at the reception he got when
he went to Tel Aviv as seen on the Schmidt-Garre interview coupled with
the Dvorak 9th on Teldec Video. Such nonsense by the Times' reviewer
should not go unanswered! I regret I did not see any of this last
Spring while it was happening. I have since unsubscribed from their
Internet site in protest, based on the information from these Celi
e-mails (and told them so, but have not received a response).
I should not be too surprised at these self-serving, self-annointed
demi-god critics. I used to do battle with them in the '50's and 60's
while I was following the non-Toscanini like interpretations of Otto
Klemperer, enjoying them to the fullest. I was at one of his last
performances in London in May, 1971, when he did Mahler's 2nd. At the
Sunday rehearsal I mentioned to him how upset I was at one of his
detractors. His advice was to ignore it. That my enjoyment as well as
others of how Klemperer interpreted various composers would outlive the
memory of the reviewer, and indeed it has. Still made me angry, though.
Since when did Beethoven personally place his mantle of interpretation
on Toscanini or others of similar style. But none of those reviews were
as downright scathing and viscious as those reported in these e-mails
regarding Celi. Must mean Celi's interpretations must truly be heard to
be appreciated. Thanks again!!!
L. Epstein