Romeo and Juliet - a Five Star experience

[Flosshilde]

Berlioz was so personally invested in this work - from his coup de foudre seeing Harriet Smithson as Juliet all those years before [1827?] -

Careful, vinteul, you'll incur ventilhorn's displeasure if you introduce discussion of the composer's romantic feelings

I'm afraid this will be yet another interesting concert I'll have missed - no chance of hearing it on the iPlayer.

[Estelle]

Flosshilde,
This performance of Roméo et Juliette is still available on the iPlayer, "Performance on 3" for 15.04.11.

[Ventilhorn]

Careful, vinteul, you'll incur ventilhorn's displeasure if you introduce discussion of the composer's romantic feelings

Ventilhorn admits defeat and leaves this thread for the non-Radio 3 listeners to take where they will.

Talk about the Royal Wedding if you like.

I'm out'a here.

[Flosshilde]

Thanks, Estelle, but my experiences with iPlayer (mentioned elsewhere) discourage me from using it. & I'm also rather busy at the moment cake decorating & then I'm away for a week.

[Flosshilde]

Talk about the Royal Wedding if you like.

That seems to be one topic we haven't covered on the board.

Long may it last

[Curalach]

That seems to be one topic we haven't covered on the board.

Long may it last

Didn't last long!

[3rd Viennese School]

I think that's the first time i've heard it.
well, last half.

That must be the first Romeo and Juliet to be composed.
3VS

[Flosshilde]

That must be the first Romeo and Juliet to be composed.

Bellini beat Berlioz by 9 years - I Capuleti e i Montecchi first perfromed in 1830, Berloz's in 1839, although Bellini's version was probably not based on Shakespeare, but on the original source that was also Sheakespeare's inspiration

[Chris Newman]

I am just in the process of catching up with this splendid rendition of Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette on iPlayer. It is a priceless performance under Thierry Fischer. The BBC has several wonderful orchestras: I think the BBCNOW is usurping the BBCPO as the best French orchestra in Britain. The luxury of having Jean-Paul Fouchecourt! I can put up with Jonathan Lemalu's wobble for the rest of the symphony. Sadly it will be too long to make it a BBCMM disc. Has anyone recorded it off air? If you have I am interested in coming to an arrangement for a copy: feel free to contact me via PM.

[salymap]

Morning Chris, iPlayer is very quiet and not behaving well recently so have still to hear this performance properly. Could the BBCMM not issue it in two parts or something, it would be good to have it?

[Chris Newman]

Could the BBCMM not issue it in two parts or something, it would be good to have it?

That would be great if they did, salymap. They did a similar thing many years ago with Messiah, but I fear they worry about losing those "casual" customers on the second month who do not like a work. Of course there are contracting details with soloists. It would be grand if they pushed the boat out occasionally.

The performance was very beautiful and very exciting. I presume Martin Handley, the presenter, got caught up in the rehearsal excitement as his introductions and finish were delightfully animated.

[Curalach]

Chris, I have sent you a PM re your request.
Iain

[DracoM]

I presume you intended this smirking, toxic little response, sidney-grew, despite the expressed innocent disingenousness.

[Ventilhorn]

Romeo and Juliet - a rare opportunity

I think that's the first time i've heard it.
well, last half.

3VS and others

Today is your last chance to Listen Again Until 7 pm

Don't miss this splendid (and rare) opportunity to hear one of Berlioz master compositions.

VH

[Sydney Grew]

One more word about this Romeo Symphony: upon examining the score one finds does one not that it is dedicated to Nicolò Paganini the flamboyant Genoan violinist and one wonders why? The answer is that it was all to do with money. It was a continual struggle for Berlioz to keep the pot boiling, and he managed it only through his literary work. But his genius and need were recognized in other quarters. He gave a concert in which he conducted his Childe Harold Symphony and achieved much success. After the concert, when he had sat down to rest, there came to him a tall, dark man, thin as a skeleton, who, kneeling down before the whole orchestra, kissed Berlioz's hand. It was the notorious Paganini !

The next morning Paganini's son (by Antonia Bianchi I think but he had many liaisons) brought to Berlioz a letter, saying, "Papa wants you not to read this letter until you are alone," and then the little fellow vanished! When Berlioz opened the letter he found it to be from Paganini, saying that, Beethoven being dead, Berlioz alone could revive him, and asked Berlioz to accept the enclosure as Paganini's homage to his greatness. The enclosure was an order on the firm of Rothschild for 20,000 francs. Berlioz was delighted with this princely gift, and wrote and tore up four letters before he could get one that would sufficiently express his thanks. The eight hundred pounds served him a good turn, even if he never found out that it was not out of Paganini's own pocket-book. He had the money and the violinist the credit of giving it. - So it looks as though this Romeo should in the end more properly have been dedicated to one or other of the jolly old Rothschilds does not it!