Adieu, Maestro

Ingo Metzmacher, the dynamic conductor of Berlin's Deutsches Symphonie Orchester (DSO) will be making his last appearance with the orchestra this June. After a stormy showdown with the orchestra's four shareholders last year, Metzmacher made a surprise announcement of his departure. Even now, a year later,  you can hear the anger and frustration in his voice on the rare occasions on which he speaks publicly about his decision.

photo: copyright, Mathias Bothor

The strong bond between Metzmacher and his orchestra is so palpable in a live performance it can make your skin tingle. The DSO has had great conductors before (Kent Nagano was the last), but Metzmacher, the young orchestra's first German conductor, has done the most to bring novel ideas into the concert hall. He offers fresh, intriguing programming (one season was devoted to a musical exploration of "the German Soul"), and his trademark Casual Concerts are almost always sold out. At Casual Concerts orchestra members perform in jeans and T-Shirts, and Metzmacher often interrupts them to address the audience, mixing musical analysis and historical perspective with flashes of wry humor. All seats go for a flat 15 Euro, giving the audience profile a shake-up.

A year ago, it seemed as though nothing could stop the DSO and Ingo Metzmacher: they were on a roll. What happened next shows how closely -- and sometimes, disastrously --  politics, business and culture are interlinked in Berlin.

The four shareholders, including two public radio stations, the city of Berlin and the federal government, agreed to an additional subsidy of six million Euros from 2010-12 for the ROC (Rundfunkorchester und-chöre), the four-member ensemble to which the DSO is tied. Now, this level of public financial support for music is extraordinary for most parts of the world. Just ask any leading American orchestra.

The conditions attached to the subsidy, however, were unpalatable for Metzmacher. A disproportionate chunk went to the second orchestra in the ensemble, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB), although last year's numbers show that the DSO pulled in twice as many concertgoers and raised twice the amount of revenue. While the RSB was allowed to expand, positions in the DSO (114 requested) were frozen at 103. Just last season, the orchestra lost three prized members to orchestras in Leipzig, Vienna and Munich, which could offer more secure and better paid positions.

The shadow of the Wall falls across the negotiations: in divided Berlin, the DSO was the RIAS Orchestra, (Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor), the leading orchestra in the West. And, yes, you might have guessed -- its arch rival, the RSB, was East Berlin's top orchestra.

The show must go on. DSO will perform with guest conductors till they find the right man for the job, and season ticket-holders will probably remain true in Fall 2010. But Metzmacher's departure will recalibrate the sound of this vibrant, young orchestra, and the competition with Berlin's six other major orchestras will be tougher than ever. Adieu, maestro. You -- and the DSO -- deserved better.

photo: copyright, Mathias Bothor

Ingo Metzmacher's final performance with the DSO in Berlin will be on Monday, June 14, at 20:00, at the Philharmonie, Berlin. The DSO, with Ingo Metzmacher, then launches into its busy summer schedule,  performing in several European cities including London, at the BBC Proms. For more information go to www.dso-berlin.de