Bernard Haitink

Early life

Haitink was born on 4 March 1929 in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink, a civil servant who later became director of the Amsterdam electricity board, and Anna Clara (Verschaffelt), who worked for Alliance française. He studied the violin and conducting, with Felix Hupka, who conducted the school's orchestra, at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He then played the violin in orchestras before taking courses in conducting under Ferdinand Leitner in 1954 and 1955.

Career

Haitink conducted his first concert on 19 July 1954 with the Netherlands Radio Union Orchestra (later the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra [RFO]). He became second conductor of the orchestra in 1955 and chief conductor in 1957. His conducting debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra was on 7 November 1956, substituting for Carlo Maria Giulini. After the sudden death of Eduard van Beinum, Haitink was named first conductor of the Concertgebouw on 1 September 1959. He became principal conductor in 1961, sharing that position with Eugen Jochum until 1963, when Haitink became sole principal conductor. With the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Haitink made many recordings for the Philips label, and later for Decca and EMI Classics. He toured widely with the orchestra.

In the early 1980s, Haitink threatened to resign his Concertgebouw post in protest at threatened reductions to its subsidy from the Dutch government, which could have led to the dismissal of 23 musicians from the orchestra. The financial situation was eventually settled, and Haitink remained chief conductor until 1988. In 1999, he was named the honorary conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In December 2012, following his advocacy for the RFO in the wake of proposed budget cuts to the orchestra and Dutch music in general, Haitink accepted the title of patron of the RFO. In March 2014, Haitink told the Dutch newspaper Het Parool that he wished to renounce the title of RCO conductor laureate and to no longer guest-conduct the orchestra in protest of the orchestra's administrative management. In September 2015, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra announced a rapprochement with Haitink, with a scheduled guest-conducting engagement with the orchestra in the 2016–17 season.

Haitink was principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1967 to 1979. He was also music director at Glyndebourne Opera in England from 1978 to 1988. He was music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 1987 to 2002, where his musicianship was praised, though he also received criticism for his degree of attachment to the organisation as a whole.

From 2002 to 2004, Haitink was chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. His original contract with Dresden ran to 2006, but he resigned in 2004 over disputes with the Staatskapelle's Intendant, Gerd Uecker, over the orchestra's choice of successor.

Haitink was principal guest conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2004, when he took on the new title of conductor emeritus. In addition, he appeared with l'Orchestre National de France and the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). In the early 2000s, he recorded the complete Beethoven and Brahms symphony cycles with the LSO for the LSO Live label. Haitink was an honorary member of the Berlin Philharmonic.

In April 2006, after an acclaimed two-week engagement in March 2006 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), the CSO appointed Haitink to the newly created position of principal conductor, effective from the 2006–07 season. The contract's duration was four years. Haitink had declined the CSO's offer to be music director, citing his age. Of this contract, Haitink said, "every conductor, including myself, has a sell-by date." He concluded his Chicago principal conductorship in June 2010 with a series of concerts of the complete Beethoven symphonies and was awarded the Theodore Thomas Medallion by the orchestra.

In 2004, Haitink said he would no longer conduct opera, but he made exceptions in 2007, directing three performances of Parsifal in Zürich in March and April and five of Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande in Paris (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées) in June. Also in 2004 he said he did not plan to conduct again at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, but he returned to the Royal Opera in December 2007, with the same Zurich production of Parsifal.

Haitink led master classes for young conductors in Lucerne for several years. In June 2015, the European Union Youth Orchestra announced his appointment as its conductor laureate, effective immediately.

In June 2019, Haitink said in an interview with the Dutch daily De Volkskrant that his final concert as conductor was to be in September 2019, formalising his previously announced sabbatical into retirement. His final concert

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra: 30 October 2018
• Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam: 27 January 2019 -- with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra was on 15 June 2019. His final UK concert was at The Proms in London on 3 September, 2019, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. His last concert was in Lucerne at the KKL on 6 September 2019, with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Personal life

Haitink had five children with Marjolein Snijder, his first wife. Their marriage ended in the 1970s. Two further marriages, both to musicians, also ended in divorce. In 1994 Haitink married his fourth wife, Patricia (née Bloomfield), a barrister who was formerly a viola player in the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. They lived in West London.

In 2019, Bärenreiter published the book Dirigieren ist ein Rätsel (Conducting is a Mystery), a collaboration between Haitink and the journalists Peter Hagmann and Erich Singer that includes personal reflections by Haitink on his life and career.

Haitink died on 21 October 2021, aged 92, at his home in London.

Awards and honours

National

• Kilyeni Medal of Honor, Bruckner Society of America (US, 1970)
• Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France, 1972)
• Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (UK, 1977)
• Officer of the Order of the Crown (Belgium, 1977)
• Honorary medal for Arts and Science of the Order of the House of Orange (Netherlands, 2000)
• Honorary Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (UK, 2002)
• Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Netherlands, 2017)

Music industry and cultural

• Gold Medal of the Vienna
• Gramophone Awards for his recordings in 1980 (Debussy orchestral works), 1985 (Mozart's Don Giovanni), 1986 and 1990 (Vaughan Williams symphonies)
• Erasmus Prize (Netherlands, 1991)
• Musical America "Musician of the Year" (USA, 2007)
• Grammy Awards (USA, 2003 and 2008)
• Echo Klassik (Germany, 2013) for his recording of Mahler's Ninth Symphony (BR-KLASSIK)
• Gramophone Awards Lifetime Achievement Award (United Kingdom, 2015)
• BBC Music Magazine 2018 "Recording of the Year" / "Orchestral Winner" Award for his recording of Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (BR-KLASSIK)
• Honorary member of the Wiener Philharmoniker (2019)

Recordings

Main article: Bernard Haitink discography

Haitink recorded with several orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He focused on classical symphonies and other orchestral works, conducting cycles of the complete symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Bruckner, Mahler, Vaughan Williams and Shostakovich. Haitink recorded the complete five piano concertos of Beethoven and the two piano concertos by Brahms with Claudio Arrau. Other recordings include the complete orchestral works of Debussy, and the two symphonies of Elgar. In the field of opera, he conducted the three Mozart/Da Ponte operas, and Wagner's Tannhäuser and Der Ring des Nibelungen.

• Johannes Brahms: Symphonies 1–4, Piano Concertos 1–2 with Claudio Arrau (Philips)
• Anton Bruckner: Symphonies 0–9 (Philips)
• Claude Debussy: Orchestral Works (Philips, 1976–79)
• Gustav Mahler
  • Symphonies 1–9 (Philips)
  • Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection", Elly Ameling, Aafje Heynis, Netherlands Radio Chorus, (Philips 1968).
  • Symphony No. 5 (remastered PENTATONE)
  • Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" (remastered PENTATONE)
  • Symphonies Nos. 1–5, 7, 9 (Kerstmatinee/Christmas Matinee; Philips)
  • Symphony No. 4 (RCO Live SACD)
• Maurice Ravel
  • Orchestral Works (Philips 1971–77)
  • Daphnis et Chloé Suites & Ma mère l'oye (remastered PENTATONE)
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 1–6 & Manfred (Philips, 1979)
• Dmitri Shostakovich:
  • Symphony No. 8 (Decca, 1983)
  • Symphony No. 15 (RCO live 2012).
• Robert Schumann: Symphony No.3 in E flat "Rhenish" (Philips 411 104-1, 1983)
• Symphony Edition box set of RCO recordings of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Schumann, Tchaikovsky (36 CDs – Decca, 2014)

Boston Symphony Orchestra:

• Johannes Brahms
  • Symphony No. 1, Nanie with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus (Philips, 1994)
  • Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Tragic Overture (Philips, 1990)
  • Symphony No. 3, Alto Rhapsody with Jard Van Nes with the men of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus (Philips, 1993)
  • Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Haydn Variations (Philips, 1992)
  • Piano Concerto No. 2, with Emanuel Ax (Sony, 1997)
• Maurice Ravel
  • Daphnis and Chloe with Tanglewood Festival Chorus (Philips, 1989)
  • Ma Mere l'Oye, Menuet antique, Rapsodie espagnole, La Valse (Philips, 1995)
  • Alborada del Gracioso, Bolero, Le tombeau de Couperin, Valses nobles et sentimentales (Philips, 1996)

Chicago Symphony Orchestra:

• Gustav Mahler
  • Symphony No. 2 (2009)
  • Symphony No. 3 (2007)
  • Symphony No. 6 (2008)
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 (2008)
• Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (with Anton Webern: Im Sommerwind) (2010)

London Philharmonic Orchestra:

• Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Piano Concertos Nos 1–5 / Choral Fantasy – Alfred Brendel, piano (Philips)
  • Symphonies Nos 1–9 (Philips)
  • Triple Concerto – Beaux Arts Trio (Philips)
• Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations
• Franz Liszt: Complete Symphonic Poems (Philips)
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade – Rodney Friend, violin solo – (Philips 6500410, 1970s)
• Dmitri Shostakovich
  • Symphonies Nos. 1–4, 7, 9, 10, 15 (Decca)
  • Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93 – (LPO 0034) Recorded in 1986, Released in 2009
• Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies 1–9 (EMI)
• Various: Glyndebourne Festival Opera: a Gala Evening (1992, Arthaus DVD, 100–432)

London Symphony Orchestra:

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies Nos 1–9 (LSO Live)
• Johannes Brahms: Symphonies Nos 1-4/Double Concerto/Serenade No 2 (LSO Live)
• Anton Bruckner: Symphony No 4; Symphony No 9 (LSO Live)
• Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie – (LSO Live LSO0689) Recorded in 2008, Released in 2010

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra:

• Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (BR-KLASSIK 900109)
• Gustav Mahler: Symphony Nos. 3 and 9 (BR-KLASSIK 900149 and 900113)
• Joseph Haydn: The Creation (BR-KLASSIK 900125)
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Missa Solemnis (BR-KLASSIK 900130)
• Richard Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen (EMI)--

References

References

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2. Schweitzer, Vivien. (21 October 2021). "Bernard Haitink, Conductor Who Let Music Speak for Itself, Dies at 92". The New York Times.
3. Wroe, Nicholas. (14 October 2000). "Master of the House". The Guardian.
4. Roe, Elizabeth Joy. (27 June 2012). "Bernard Haitink: A Personal Approach".
5. "Schenker Documents Online".
6. Geoffrey Norris. (9 March 2004). "It was all egos". The Daily Telegraph.
7. [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ferdinand-Leitner Ferdinand Leitner] {{Webarchive. link. (22 October 2021 britannica.com)
8. (20 December 2012). "Haitink patron of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra". Radio Filharmonisch Orkest.
9. (12 May 1967). "The Diffident Dutchman".
10. The orchestra's own website gives 1963 as the date when Haitink became sole principal conductor.
11. Patmore, David. "Bernard Haitink". [[Naxos Records]].
12. James R. Oestreich. (10 March 2002). "An Eminently Rational Man in an Irrational Profession". The New York Times.
13. "Haitink nooit meer bij Concertgebouworkest". ''[[Het Parool]]'', 4 March 2014, (in Dutch)
14. (2 September 2015). "Press Statement – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Bernard Haitink". Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
15. Guido van Oorschot. (3 September 2015). "Concertgebouw toont zich de wijste in kwestie-Haitink". De Volksrant.
16. Brug, Manuel. (22 October 2021). "Der reservierte Holländer". [[Die Welt]].
17. Nicholas Kenyon. (2 June 1991). "For a Reluctant Maestro, Relief, No Regrets, in Berlin". The New York Times.
18. Andrew Clements. (21 June 2002). "A great musician – but that was not enough". The Guardian.
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31. (10 April 2007). "Breaking News: Next Royal Opera Season Promises Minotaur Premiere, New Salome, Voigt as Ariadne". [[Opera News]].
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35. Guido van Oorschot. (12 June 2019). "Dirigent Bernard Haitink zet na 65 jaar een punt achter zijn carrière". De Volksrant.
36. Lint, Peter van der. (16 June 2019). "Het afscheid van Haitink was geen gewoon concert, maar het einde van een tijdperk". Trouw.
37. Erica Jeal. (4 September 2019). "Prom 60: Vienna Phil/Ax/Haitink review – a beautiful, masterful farewell". The Guardian.
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58. (1973). "Mahler: The Complete Symphonies". Musical Times Publications Ltd..
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