Gergiev and the LSO

Jessica Duchen responds to critics who dispute her comment that "Gergiev is simply head and shoulders above most other conductors of his generation". Her experience is no doubt greater than mine and I enjoy reading her blog (and I've just about forgiven her for the "greedy windbags" crack), so I'm happy that I agree with her.

I personally find Gergiev pretty erratic, but the moments that everything gels are something truly special. The first act of this spring's Met Walküre was one of the greatest single acts of opera that I've ever heard (ok, Domingo and Dalayman helped). Unfortunately the inspiration decreased markedly in the following acts. A Prokofiev concert I heard in London last year (with the LSO) was a similar experience (but in reverse). The Fourth Symphony which opened the program was perfectly acceptable reading, but the Fifth that followed the interval was thrilling and about as exciting playing one might hear. Other performances I've been to (mostly opera) were edge-of-the-seat exciting, but sometimes because you thought it was going to fall apart any minute (although it never did).

I do hope to hear what Gergiev does with this great orchestra.