Celebrating Simon Rattle: 1995 Beethoven Symphony Cycle

[Petrushka]

Rattle's Beethoven 9th is more of a known quantity than the rest (I've been to three live performances) and there were therefore fewer surprises here.

However, what a wonderful week Radio 3 has given us! It will long live in the memory and Rattle's LvB cycle is a formidable achievement now realising its true greatness 20 years late. Shame on the BBC of yesteryear (Drummond?) for rejecting it for broadcast in 1995. Well done to Roger Wright for finally bringing it to the airwaves and thanks to Tom Service for his excellent presentation this week. Thanks also to Stephen Maddock and Ed Smith of the CBSO for having the courage of their convictions and recording it in the first place.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Shame on the BBC of yesteryear (Drummond?) for rejecting it for broadcast in 1995.

Kenyon. (Drummond left in 1992)

Well done to Roger Wright for finally bringing it to the airwaves and thanks to Tom Service for his excellent presentation this week. Thanks also to Stephen Maddock and Ed Smith of the CBSO for having the courage of their convictions and recording it in the first place.

[Alison]

Praise for Tommy Service? Yes his unique brand of enthusiastic incoherence did add something to the week.

Fascinating conversation between Sir Jonathan Swain and Tom on SSR's time in Berlin.

[MLF]

While very much enjoying the symphonies this week (so far as family commitments permitted - have just listened again to Number 2 in iplayer) I was also rather taken by what was presented as the Leonora suite. I do hope that this be included in any commercial release of the cycle.

[Petrushka]

Kenyon. (Drummond left in 1992)

Now that is a surprise! As Rattle's biographer one might have expected Kenyon to have been most enthusiastic about the project. Perhaps there were pressures of which we know nothing.

[aeolium]

However, what a wonderful week Radio 3 has given us! It will long live in the memory and Rattle's LvB cycle is a formidable achievement now realising its true greatness 20 years late.

I completely agree, Petrushka. I greatly enjoyed listening to the whole cycle and it reminded me what a wonderful relationship Rattle had with that orchestra. For some reason, I found myself particularly impressed with the performances of the even-numbered symphonies, especially nos 2, 4 and 8, though the performance of every symphony was well worth hearing. My thanks also to Stephen Maddock and Ed Smith of the CBSO, and for R3 for letting us hear these 20-year old concert recordings.

And now I shall give the LvB symphonies a moratorium at least until the summer (barring next week's CD Review of course)....

[Nick Armstrong]

the extreme, staggering brilliance of the Beethoven 4th finale in this live Rattle/CBSO cycle... how often in a lifetime does one hear an orchestra playing this well? Goodness...

I only heard nos. 4 and (most of) 9 - both struck me as completely riveting performances, alive and dynamic without being 'brusque and hectoring' (to borrow ferney's phrase about a recent LvB performance on the BaL thread) in the manner of too many 'clean' modern performances, and also without the micro-faffing Berlinoiserie too often apparent to my ears from Sir Simon (Schumann, anyone? ). I shall be listening to as many of the others as time permits. Really great music making.

this live Rattle/CBSO cycle... simply must be offered as a commercial release. A CD Box, yes, but - oh go on, why not 24-bit downloads too...

I couldn't agree more - with the additional benefit of not having the burblings and eructations of Service intruding through the applause after a couple of seconds.....

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... micro-faffing Berlinoiserie ...

You are very welcome to "brusque and hectoring", Cali - cos I'm nicking this!

[Nick Armstrong]

You are very welcome to "brusque and hectoring", Cali - cos I'm nicking this!

Fair's fair, old sport!

[Petrushka]

I'm not usually keen on Tom Service and his 'burblings and eructations' as a rule but he caught the right mood for his presentation of this Beethoven cycle for which his evident enthusiasm was most infectious.

[EdgeleyRob]

I'm not usually keen on Tom Service and his 'burblings and eructations' as a rule but he caught the right mood for his presentation of this Beethoven cycle for which his evident enthusiasm was most infectious.

I managed to catch 1,3,7 and 9,I'm no LvB expert but they sounded terrific .
Had my fingers in my ears and shouted 'ner ner nee ner ner,can't hear you Tom' at the radio until the music started,maybe I missed some of his better moments.

[Zucchini]

Article/Interview in The Times today by Richard Morrison with Rattle which gives some insights into the BPO and moans about London concert halls. RM says he's certain for LSO job, Rattle non-committalish. Not very interesting.

[muzzer]

Isn't the sticking point the venue......?

[ARBurton]

I managed to catch 1,3,7 and 9,I'm no LvB expert but they sounded terrific .
Had my fingers in my ears and shouted 'ner ner nee ner ner,can't hear you Tom' at the radio until the music started,maybe I missed some of his better moments.

I`m not sure that Tom Service is any better or any worse than most other R3 presenters. Their biggest failing, without doubt, is the fact that they all seem to assume that we need - nay, are desperate for - nay, are clamouring for - nay, our very lives depend upon - their utterances within a couple of seconds of the applause beginning. This has been a failing of R3 for years. They all should be locked in a classroom for a week and forced (without interruption) to listen to announcers from Bayern 4 Klassik until they learn. Think the indoctirnation scene from A Clockwork Orange. Then they should be required to sit a robust exam (with a very high passmark) until they gain access to the airwaves.

All IMHO, of course!

[Petrushka]

I`m not sure that Tom Service is any better or any worse than most other R3 presenters. Their biggest failing, without doubt, is the fact that they all seem to assume that we need - nay, are desperate for - nay, are clamouring for - nay, our very lives depend upon - their utterances within a couple of seconds of the applause beginning. This has been a failing of R3 for years. They all should be locked in a classroom for a week and forced (without interruption) to listen to announcers from Bayern 4 Klassik until they learn. Think the indoctirnation scene from A Clockwork Orange. Then they should be required to sit a robust exam (with a very high passmark) until they gain access to the airwaves.

All IMHO, of course!

I'm sure I read somewhere, many years ago, possibly in one of the old Prom Guides, that Radio 3's usual practise with applause at the conclusion of a live concert was to let it go on for 30 seconds before the presenter came in. Back in the late 1970s/early 1980s (Radio 3's Golden Age) I used to time it on the odd occasion and 30 seconds it was.

Just listened again to what happened after last night's relay of the Verdi Requiem: Martin Handley came in 24 seconds after the applause started with the fade-down two seconds before that. Listening live I didn't think this was by any means unreasonable. Contrast that with the concluding applause in the television relay of the New Year's Day Concert which was cut off with unseemly haste (it was never usually so) and that was a direct relay from Austrian television.

I've not heard a live concert on Bayern 4 Klassik; what is there usual practise?

Perhaps R3 are concerned that listeners turn off their sets rather than stay tuned for the next programme?

I stand by my comment that Tom Service's presentation of the Rattle Beethoven concerts was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and pitched about right.