Beecham Night 2.5.11

[amateur51]

Am51, not that old thing again. You could always save my messages for yourself if you wanted to. Don't embarrass me again about this rubbish There are some musicians on the boards who might take up your offer perhaps?

Sorry peeps, I did try

[Chris Newman]

Oh dear, I listened to Victoria and the Sixteen (Yum). Now, a day late, I have switched on Tommy. I have heard Sibelius "Tapiola", Delius "Country Garden", Mozart "Magic Flute" with Gerhardt Husch, Strauss "Ariadne", "Tristan und Isolde" with Melchior and Flagstadt, Haydn Symphony No 100... when will I get to bed? It is divine music making. I loved the "on air" snarl about Hitler made by TB to the leader of the BPO as the orchestra and audience waited for for him to arrive "The old bugger's late!"

[aeolium]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good biography of Beecham? I see there is the recent John Lucas one - is this the best or are there other good ones?

[salymap]

I have Alan Jefferson'centenary tribute published in 1979 My favourite Beecham book is his early autobiography, 'A Mingled Chime' which is still a good read, altnhough it stops in the 1920s.it is full of stories about his Covent Garden days and the Russian opera.

[Chris Newman]

I am listening to the second half of the Beecham evening. What a superb Mendelssohn Italian (pace the cougher)!! The best I have heard on record were Mario Rossi and an Italian Radio band, Abbado and the LSO and the famous one from Peter Maag (1960 LSO again although his recent Madrid one is also good) but this Beecham one has a lovely sunny glow. My loveliest live performances were Rossi again with the BBC CO at Maida Vale (having heard his record how could I resist?) and the Orchestre de Bretagne under Stefan Sanderling in Salisbury (with an audience of 30...the promoters made a cock-up) where both the orchestras played their hearts out. Tommy is pretty close here and I must look the live performance recording up.

The closing Bizet...the Adagietto from Bizet's L'Arlesienne... makes one wish Beecham had discovered Mahler but we are indebted for his rediscovery of Mozart and reintroducing him to audiences.

[StephenO]

The closing Bizet...the Adagietto from Bizet's L'Arlesienne... makes one wish Beecham had discovered Mahler but we are indebted for his rediscovery of Mozart and reintroducing him to audiences.

Beecham and Mahler? Hmm, now that would have been an interesting combination. Somehow I think the Seventh would have been particularly to Tommy's taste. Just imagine what he could have made of the last movement!

[BBMmk2]

That's one thing imo, was Beecham's worst choice!