Charlie Rose

REMant  12/10/2012 12:12 PM Report

Dudamel is certainly the one of the oddest musical personalities to come on the conducting scene. He and his no-longer-so-youthful Venezuelan orchestra, were signed, I'm guessing, on the recommendation of Rattle, by Deutsche Gramophon, rather to the astonishment of most everyone. It is difficult to judge him from his recordings, however. While some are highly regarded, much of the rest are concerts for various special occasions, leaving really very little made with the professional orchestras he's been associated with as well for some years now. Even a prodigy by this time in his career, I'd think, would've embarked on more ambitious fare, tho I realize this is like criticizing an instructor for teaching rather publishing. But, like Rattle, he's been all over the map - literally - as well. I can't help thinking LA took him on more for his celebrity than anything else, except perhaps that he is Hispanic. Despite Guilini and Mehta, the LA, like, unfortunately, a lot of the American orchestras, doesn't have a great recording pedigree. It will be interesting, however, to see if he ends up there a while, and what the relationship produces.