Rattle Takes Carnegie

Anthony Tommasini reports that Simon Rattle’s first appearance with the Berlin Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall was a big success. “Judging by the smiles on the faces of the cellists as they plucked some pizzicato bass line in the slow movement, the way the violinists kept rising off their chairs as they dug into the rustic theme of the scherzo and the overall energy of the playing, it’s clear that the Berlin Philharmonic musicians are excited by their new conductor. So were the audiences at Carnegie Hall.”