BaL 16.05.15 - Mozart: Horn Concertos

[Barbirollians]

Also I am reminded of Gerald Moore in Am I too loud when he said he didn't really get on personally with Szigeti or Ida Haendel but enjoyed playing with them .

[MrGongGong]

... god, each new Beecham quip I hear makes me think him a smaller and more dislikeable man than I had previously thought.

I'm with you on this
When I watched the BBC4 documentary about Delius my dislike for this pompous ass increased enormously
what a shame that Delius had to rely on this idiot

[visualnickmos]

It was Beecham's slagging off of St Pancras station that did it for me! I cant forgive that level of insult to one of London's finest buildings.

[Tony Halstead]

this pompous ass

gave 'paid employment' to hundreds if not thousands of free-lance musicians, orchestral players and soloists alike, over a period of nearly 50 years, founding the LPO and subsequently the RPO, spending his money on 'music' generally to the extent that he was bankrupted one or more times.
RE. DELIUS : He had no option but to extensively if not ruthlessly 'edit' Delius's scores since they hardly contained any dynamic instructions at all.
'Pompous ass or not' we have Beecham to thank for the fact that during the period 1915 to about 1961 ( the year of Beecham's death) he single-handedly kept the name of Delius in the public concert-going domain and of course performed that composer's works with the greatest affection, dedication and devotion.

NB With apologies that this has strayed so very far from the 'Mozart horn concertos' thread!
I have no personal 'axe to grind' here as I sadly never had the chance to play for Beecham, being only 16 when he died in 1961 ( on the same day as my maternal grandfather); perhaps Hornspieler could give us some more 'Beecham anecdotes'?

[verismissimo]

And aside from the LPO and RPO, he kept opera alive through several decades.

[Nick Armstrong]

NB With apologies that this has strayed so very far from the 'Mozart horn concertos' thread!

I think we will allow you of all people a generous amount of rubato... on this thread of all threads...!!

[MrGongGong]

And aside from the LPO and RPO, he kept opera alive through several decades.

Single handed ?
How did he manage to paint the sets, sing all the parts as well as conduct?

I'm too young to have been around then
but i'm with Vints on this
the supposed "wit" seems more crass the more I hear of it

(and not just the ignorant Stockhausen quote )

[Tony Halstead]

Single handed ?
How did he manage to paint the sets, sing all the parts as well as conduct?

I'm too young to have been around then
but i'm with Vints on this
the supposed "wit" seems more crass the more I hear of it

(and not just the ignorant Stockhausen quote )

Err...ummm.... nobody on this board has alleged that he single-handedly kept opera alive through several decades.

I was referring to DELIUS when I wrote:

he single-handedly kept the name of Delius in the public concert-going domain

and verismissimo's posting said - with no mention of single-handedness:

aside from the LPO and RPO, he kept opera alive through several decades

[MrGongGong]

I wasn't being entirely serious Tony

And (like I said) i'm too young to have been around
but the way some folks talk about him always grates

that's all

(Jon Rees has done an interview in http://www.thebrassherald.com with Pip Eastop about the Mozart recording)

[Tony Halstead]

Jon Rees has done an interview in http://www.thebrassherald.com with Pip Eastop about the Mozart recording

Great!
Thanks for the link. I'll look at it straight away!

[MrGongGong]

Great!
Thanks for the link. I'll look at it straight away!

Ooops a bit premature there

It's going to be in the August edition
so summer reading

[Tony Halstead]

OK, I see... I wondered why I couldn't find it!

[Hornspieler]

I think we will allow you of all people a generous amount of rubato... on this thread of all threads...!!

Yes, I've always liked a soloist to indulge in a little (but not too much) rubato.

So here is a little extract from my memoires concerning Sir Thomas Beecham:

It was in my second year at the Royal Academy of Music that, as I was coming out of the
students' canteen, I met my professor; who was just leaving the telephone kiosk opposite.
He was obviously relieved to see me. Our conversation was as follows --

“Have you got your instrument with you?”

“Of course, sir. You're giving me a lesson at four o'clock.”

“Am I? Oh yes, well forget about that. I've just been talking to Dennis and there's a problem.

Their third horn's gone sick and there's an important session coming up. Could you get to
Abbey Road Studios by two o'clock?”

“Yes, it's only ten minutes on the tube from Baker Street.”

“Right then. Off you go. I'll call Dennis back and let him know that you're on your way.
Good luck!”

My professor was, of course, Aubrey Brain; the finest player of his own generation and his son
Dennis was generally acknowledged to be the best player in the world. The orchestra was
the Royal Philharmonic and the conductor? Sir Thomas Beecham!
I have related this episode in full for two reasons. First, it explains how I came to be `in the business' at an early and impressionable age and secondly because it gives me an ideal excuse for retailing a typical `Beecham Story'.

Nothing was said when I took my place for the start of rehearsal and it seemed that Sir
Thomas was not even aware of my presence. It was during the tea break, when I considered it
advisable to stay in my seat and study the music still to come, that I heard Sir Thomas address
the orchestra manager in a stage whisper that could have been heard back in Baker Street
station.

“Who is the young man playing third horn?” he bellowed.

The orchestra manager, who was facing towards me, was clearly embarrassed on my behalf
and whispered something into the maestro's ear.

“Oh, is that so? Well I hope Mr. Brain knows what he is about!”
Not a situation to inspire confidence, but I managed to get by without undue incident, and to
my utter astonishment and delight, I was immediately engaged for more sessions in the following
week. So, by a stroke of coincidence, I had been in the right place at the right time and was now in the right company.

So many stories about Sir Thomas Beecham have been circulated throughout the years that it
is unnecessary to repeat them here. I am content to relate just one, which I know to be true
because I was present on that particular morning.

Sir Thomas appeared to be preoccupied and not in the best of moods. We kept our heads
down and so did he, not looking up from his score. After about fifteen minutes, he suddenly
roared, without raising his head, “Second bassoon! Too loud!”

The principal flautist immediately jumped to his feet. “Excuse me, Sir Thomas. The second
bassoon hasn't arrived yet. He sent a message that his car has broken down.”

Was there the suggestion of a triumphant smirk on the speaker's face?

Sir Thomas, quite unabashed, regarded his informant for a few seconds before replying.

“Thank you very much for letting us all know. Perhaps you would be good enough to convey
my comments to the gentleman in question when he does get here?”

The entire orchestra dissolved into loud guffaws. Tommie's head came up wearing a huge grin. We all settled down to work.

So much for nostalgia. As the man said ..."Nostalgia isn't what it used to be."

Back to those Mozart concertos and my apologies for the distraction.

Hornspieler

[visualnickmos]

Wow! What fabulous stories. I would love to read a book about Beecham. He surely was one THE leading lights and characters in the history of music and performance in Britain during the 20th century..... any recommendations gratefully accepted

I think he did huge amounts of work to increase the profile of Sibelius?

Now - back to topic! A pity that CfP's record with James Brown - (not that one!) was never put on CD.... especially as it is well recorded. My well-worn vinyl still sounds excellent.

[richardfinegold]

Keep those stories coming, HS!