Lorin Maazel (1930-2014), Munich Philharmonic (2012-2014), New York Philharmonic (2002-2009), Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (1993-2002), Pittsburgh Symphony (1988-1996), Vienna State Opera (1982-1984), Cleveland Orchestra (1972-1982), Etc., Etc.

[DonRocks]

To Lorin Maazel

In the New York Times piece on his passing, it said, "He projected an image of an analytical intellectual "” he had studied mathematics and philosophy in college, was fluent in six languages (French, German, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, as well as English) and kept up with many subjects outside music "” and his performances could seem coolly fastidious and emotionally distant. Yet such performances were regularly offset by others that were fiery and intensely personalized."

My friends, Lorin Maazel was an intellect, but did not have an intellect's mindset. Certainly, he was well-aware of his prodigious talents, but from what I could see, he chose not to exploit them in front of the audience - in other words, he was not a show-off. 

Our own Gary Levinson wrote me and said he played underneath him in the New York Philharmonic, and I really want Gary to chime in because the best I can really do is guess as I pay tribute. One day, I will make separate threads for both Gary and his father, each of whom deserve one.

Gary, I do hope you'll give us an anecdote that won't be found anywhere else - something personal, maybe even something meaningless other than to you.

Maazel had so many positions that I could not list them all - I ran out of room in the title. There is plenty else that he did with his formidable life.

We're lucky to have been alive in a period that overlapped with his lifetime.

"Conductor Lorin Maazel, Who Brought America To The Podium, Dies" by Anastasia Tsioulcas on npr.com

"Conductor Lorin Maazel Dead At 84, Led New York Philharmonic" by Brendan O'Brien on reuters.com

"Lorin Maazel Dies At 84; Legendary Conductor Began As Child Prodigy" by Lauren Raab on latimes.com

"Former Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Director Lorin Maazel Dies At Age 84" by Elizabeth Bloom on post-gazette.com

"Lorin Maazel, Former Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra, Dies at 84." by Zachary Lewis on cleveland.com

"Acclaimed US Classical Conductor Lorin Maazel Dies" on bbc.com

"Maestro Lorin Maazel, 1930-2014" on castletonfestival.org

and so-on, and so-on, and so-on.