The Myth of Age
It must have been around 1982. The music of Dmitri Shostakovich was hardly played by the major symphony orchestras. Me still being a music student, I only knew Shostakovich from history lessons, and had not yet heard one note: unbelievable! And then there was the 5th symphony by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink. As a Mahler fan I was totally shocked by this music. Such a tormented soul, a sharp voice, so dramatic, tapping the psyche. I was grabbed by the throat and sold forever and his music.
What a conductor. No show, only music. What has fascinated me most over the years is what age did to the career of Bernard Haitink. In his own words he in fact knew nothing and was too young for such a great orchestra when he became the RCO's chief aged 32. But this ensemble with its unbelievable tradition in Bruckner, Mahler and Strauss and surrounded by the great acoustics of the Concertgebouw, gave Haitink all credits to learn, to build repertoire.
Maybe the most impressive skill Haitink developed was to get the best out of an orchestra by just inspiring them to give their individual and collective best. I remember a rehearsal with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Mahler 2 on the music stands. Haitink played the score over and over, listened to the musicians, never corrected, only complimented them with his eyes and noticably enjoyed their playing. It seemed like he followed the players instead of urging them to follow him. One of the musicians said to me: "he did nothing but it was getting better and better ending in the greatest Mahler interpretation I ever participated in": really, an inspiration.
A very odd example of this conducting style is the slow movement of Mahlers 6th he recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic. Never having heard it that slow, and with such rich and full sound, Haitink later simply declared that he was so impressed by this sound that he just did not want to interrupt them.
Haitink became increasingly better beyond 60. US critics described him as boring, but the greatest orchestras wanted to work with him. Chicago, Boston, Vienna, Berlin and others. His secret? Experience, knowledge, tradition, the ability to let them play. AGE!!
I am so proud that this Dutch conductor now finally received a Grammy Award for probably the best ever recorded interpretation of Shostakovich' tragic 4th symphony. I am lost for words.
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