Posted on 07/13/2014 11:30:51 AM PDT by ConorMacNessa
I am stricken to hear of the death today of Lorin Maazel at his home, Castleton Farms, Virginia, in the middle of the festival that he and his wife Dietlinde Turban-Maazel founded there, and that now continues without him.
He was 84 years old and had been suffering from what Nancy Gustafson, Castletons executive director, described as an unexplained illness following a kind of collapse from fatigue after spending much of the spring jetting back and forth between Asia, Europe and North America for various high-profile conducting gigs. The official cause of death was complications following pneumonia.
He had appeared on opening night of the Castleton Festival on June 28, looking frail and half-supporting himself on the walls as he made his gingerly way to the mike stand to address the audience before the opening of Madame Butterfly, which he was scheduled to, but did not, conduct. Instead, he spoke about the ability of opera to move past verisimilitude to present something true to its listeners. It may have been his last public appearance.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Oh wow. How sad. One of the greats.
Classical Music Ping.
RIP.
Lorin Maazel was a fine conductor. When I saw his name as conductor I knew the results would be a treat. RIP, Maestro.
Oh, man. Sorry to hear this.
Rest in Peace, Maestro. You leave behind a rich legacy.
ping
I have the DVD of the “Carmen” movie he did with Rosi as director back in 1984. It’s one of my Desert Island DVD’s. This is the one with Domingo as Don Jose and Julia Maginnis as Carmen.
RIP.
Classical Music Ping List Ping.
Sad - one of the few whiffs of civilization during my eighteen months on Okinawa back in the ‘60’s - beyond the building of the new R&W Rootbeer stand - was a visit by this young unheard of conductor named Loren Maazel and I think the Cincinnati Symphony - played Gershwin’s Concerto in F among other things I believe - RIP.....
Sad news, but the maestro lived a long life. Even though he was not one of my all time favorites, I did enjoy many of his recordings.
RIP, Maestro. His Wagner Ring without words was extraordinary.
I just came across some information about the Castleton Music Festival that he founded in Rappahannock County in northern Virginia. I had never heard about it before.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.