Renowned pianist and titan among world conductors, Barenboim was due to conduct a long-awaited new cycle of Wagner’s ‘Ring’ at the Berlin State Opera this fall.herculean feat in preparation for seven years.
He planned to take that company’s orchestra, which he led for three decades, on a tour of Asia. And he was due to perform works by Chopin and Beethoven at a concert in Berlin to mark his 80th birthday on Nov. 15.
However, Barenboim was sidelined by an illness – which he described as a “serious neurological condition” – which forced him to cancel those plans along with other commitments scheduled for months. The one who was one of the most active interpreters of classical music is now, on medical prescription, confined to his home in Berlin. According to his friends, he has reduced his study of sheet music and plays the piano less often.
Barenboim’s absence, a leading figure in classical music for decades, highlighted its unique importance and power. Many of the institutions he directs, such as the Berlin Staatskapelle (State Opera) and West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which have become internationally renowned ensembles under his direction, have been quick to find replacements in the face of their uncertain status . His return to the podium is expected in late December, but friends and colleagues fear illness will prevent him from maintaining the hectic schedule he previously enjoyed.
“It doesn’t make him happy to see a figure like him weakened in any way,” said Antonio Pappano, music director of London’s Royal Opera House and Barenboim’s protégé. “It’s something he doesn’t like. He IS a dragon slayer. He always has been. So it’s very unusual.”
Barenboim’s friends and family say he hopes to return to his post full-time in the coming months. Even remotely, he remains engaged with the institutions he directs, discussing plans for upcoming seasons and giving his opinion on conductors and composers.
When he has a good day, he encourages himself to leave the house and go to dinners and concerts. In September he attended a rehearsal of “Das Rheingold” at the State Opera and recently held a master class for young pianists at the Barenboim-Said Akademie, a Berlin music conservatory of which he is co-founder.
“He definitely hopes to come back, I don’t think there is another option in his head”said violinist Michael Barenboim, one of her sons. You never know with these things. But I don’t think there’s any doubt.”
A rep for Daniel Barenboim said he wasn’t well enough to give an interview or answer questions in writing. Your health issues have required a lot of your attention over the past year; he canceled performances in the spring and summer while recovering from surgery and dealing with circulation problems. In October, she disclosed his neurological status and said he would be taking time off to “focus on my physical well-being as much as possible.”
“Music has always been and continues to be a fundamental and enduring part of my life,” he said in an October statement. “I have lived my entire life in and through music and will continue to do so as long as my health permits.”
Barenboim has achieved a rare status in the performing arts: in addition to his musical achievements, he is also an influential public figure. Born to Jewish parents in Argentina, he sought to use music to bridge political divides; in 1999 he founded, together with the Palestinian intellectual Edward Said, the Divan Orchestra provide a forum for young Arab and Israeli musicians to play together.
“You could say it’s one of the few atomic reactors in classical music, in a good way,” said Michael Haefliger, executive and artistic director of the Lucerne Festival (Switzerland). “There is always something to do. The world is always in motion. never stand still“.
His influence is perhaps most visible in Berlin, where he has built a vast cultural empire since taking the podium at the State Opera in 1992.
During his tenure, he took the Staatskapelle to new heights, frequently touring internationally and securing hundreds of millions of dollars in government grants to fund his ambitions.
He convinced the authorities to build the Pierre Boulez Saal, a room designed by Frank Gehry which is located in the same building as his conservatory. And it led to an expensive renovation of the main opera house which was completed in 2017. The State Opera now has 587 employees and a budget of more than €81.4 million.
There were problems along the way, but Barenboim maintained his grip on power. In 2019 members of the Staatskapelle accused him of harassment; that same year, however, the opera, saying it could not verify the allegations, extended its contract until 2027.
Though he’s battled back pain and low energy in recent years, he’s moved on with a busy directing and acting schedule. He entered 2022 with great fanfare, conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in its annual New Year’s concert.
Soon after, his health began to fail. In February, he underwent spinal surgery and canceled two weeks of shows. In April, citing circulatory problems, he canceled a number of engagements; in May he withdrew from a European tour with the Divan Orchestra.
In the summer, he regained enough energy to join the Divan Orchestra on another European tour, performing works by Ravel, Falla and Smetana.
“Being able to be back in front of these young musicians, so full of energy and passion for music, fills me with great emotion,” he said in a statement ahead of the tour.
In August, during a stop at the Lucerne Festival, he sat in a backstage dressing room, seemingly exhausted, but told friends he was determined to perform. He spoke slowly and walked with difficulty. But when he took the stage, he led the orchestra with intensity and concentration.
Piano superstar Lang Lang, who has joined the ensemble on tour, his first with Barenboim in a decade, said it was hard to see his old mentor in such a fragile state. To honor him, she played one of Barenboim’s favorite tunes, Debussy’s “Clair of the Moon,” as an encore.
“It was a very difficult time,” said Lang. “I couldn’t believe he was in that state and still on stage.”
Lang said he’s relieved that Barenboim is taking time to rest. “I’m concerned that even if he’s not physically fit, he still wants to act,” he added.
“Even if, for whatever reason, he doesn’t return to the stage, he is already the most legendary musician alive today,” she added. “There is no one like him.”
When Barenboim arrived in Salzburg, where he was to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in a program that included the second act of Wagner’s “Parsifal”his condition had worsened. He was visibly fatigued and appeared to be having difficulty conducting the orchestra, based on concert reviews by European critics in late August.
A week later, he announced he was pulling out of a new production of Wagner’s “Ring” in Berlin, which was to be a defining project of his management, something that had been planned by and for him. He later said he was “deeply sorry”but that he had to prioritize his health and “focus on my full recovery”.
His retirement disappointed the musicians of the Staatskapelle and raised concerns about when he might return. Barenboim recently sent private letters to the musicians expressing regret that they had to cancel.
Jiyoon Lee, concertmaster of the Staatskapelle, said the orchestra hoped Barenboim would return soon.
“It’s like thirty years of marriage,” she said. “We are very loyal to him. We know he is not a replaceable person”.
Barenboim’s allies seem willing to give him time to recover, although some commentators suggest it may be time for the State Opera to consider a change in management. Germany’s cultural authorities, which play a key role in managing the work, did not respond to requests for comment.
It’s not the first time Barenboim has faced questions about his leadership skills. In 2019, at a press conference announcing a contract extension with the club, he downplayed concerns about his age, saying he was in good health and would continue as long as he felt well. (He will be 85 the year his contract expires).
Matthias Schulz, director general of the State Opera, called Barenboim a revolutionary figure who had transformed the Staatskapelle into one of the best ensembles in the world.
For now, he said, the company could manage the uncertainty of his disease by tapping into a network of reputable administrators. But she warned that such a strategy could prove difficult in the long run, given the planning and preparation that the project requires.
“It’s not at all clear whether or not he will be able to return,” he said.. “We are aware of it. We have to be aware of it. And Daniel also expects us to be aware of it.”
Over the past few days, Barenboim has welcomed a number of visitors to his home, including Pappano, Gehry and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. In his conversations he is lively and forthright, his friends say, recalling his encounters with the eminent pianist Arthur Rubinstein or passionately explaining the rhythmic styles of Chopin’s music.
“He always says that music is not a job for him otherwise he would have left it a long time ago”he murmured. “It’s his life. He is music. And expressing yourself through music is second nature.”
Barenboim maintained a keen interest in the ‘Ring’, speaking to colleagues at the State Opera about the progress of rehearsals before opening night and subsequent performances. He too can’t wait to get back on stage.o: Your next engagement is playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the New Year’s Concert at the Staatskapelle.
“He tells me, ‘Everyone tells me I have to be patient, but I’m not'”said Christian Thielemann, one of the conductors who replaced him in this fall’s production of “Ring” and who has been cited as a possible successor at the State Opera.
Barenboim, according to Thielemann, is used to “doing three things at once” and being in control of his own life. “He’s not in a good mood,” she added, “and I can understand that.”.
In the summer, when he was feeling a little better and was looking forward to his birthday, Barenboim wrote some recollections of his beginnings: his childhood in Argentina, his first concert at the age of 7 and his crush on the piano.
“Music is not a profession, it’s a lifestyle”he wrote. “That’s how I’ve lived my whole life: in and through music”.
Translation: Elisa Carnelli
Source: Clarin
