Sir Roger Norrington to retire

[Barbirollians]

In Newcastle on 18/11 . Happy retirement to a stimulating conductor albeit with some startling misfires .

His LCP Symphonie Fantastique my favourite of his recordings - the less said about that Mahler 9 …

[cloughie]

In Newcastle on 18/11 . Happy retirement to a stimulating conductor albeit with some startling misfires .

His LCP Symphonie Fantastique my favourite of his recordings - the less said about that Mahler 9 …

I like his LCP Mozart 38-41! Indeed I like many of his LCP stuff - not sure about some of his later recordings - His RVW on Decca with LPO also good.

[gurnemanz]

Anyone called Roger is OK by me whether conductor, tennis player or middle-distance runner.

His Beethoven Symphonies 1&6, 2&8 were ear openers for me. Also Mozart PCs K488 & 466 with Melvyn Tan.

[jayne lee wilson]

A vital part of my listening life for some decades....

Among many favourites are the SWR Stuttgart sets, most recorded live - the Beethoven cycle (all in a single week), the marvellous Haydn London Symphonies, Schubert Symphonies, a special one-off live series of Mozart Symphonies which lent a warm and rosy glow to a difficult Christmas.....and in top-class German Radio SWR/Hanssler sound...
There's a lovely tonal warmth, coloristic variety, instrumental individuality and rhythmic life and poise to it all.

HIs LCP 1873 Bruckner 3rd was a true groundbreaker, restoring colour, pace and pastoral to a composer too often monumentalised; but his SWR version is even better, and the 1874 4th revelatory - such flow and songfulness, the best out there until the recent Hrusa came along.....

Very fond too of his LCP Schubert, Haydn, Beethoven (which consistently gained the respect and admiration of Richard Osborne - not often a friend to the historically informed approach or its instrumental vintages...).... he's given us so, so much....
But - often overlooked - two oustanding Brahms Cycles, one with each of his close partnerships, SWR and LCP; among the sets of those adored works I most often revisit, the LCP especially, on a gorgeous Japanese remaster.......

"If I had to choose one"....
... those Mozart "Essential Symphonies" on Hanssler, which tried to recreate exactly the same instrumental forces used at their premieres, from a mere 18 players to much larger ensembles of over 40 for the later, grander works(***).
The various bands were drawn from the SWR, chosen for each individual concert; and this shows in the warmth, affection and sheer spontaneity of the performances, given in eight lunchtime concerts.
(Like other Norrington Cycles, this has just been rereleased as a boxset, but available on Qobuz in the separate volumes too)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Symp...rpt=ABIS_MUSIC.

(***)
Following research into a contemporary performance practice, in the last 4 symphonies only half the band play the "piano" dynamic levels, but the whole orchestra come in for the fortes. It makes a splendid effect!

[richardfinegold]

I mistakenly thought that he had passed away some years ago, so happy retirement, maestro.

[Bryn]

Now playing here, Wolfgang Rihm: Two other Movements (Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Roger Norrington).

"Two Other Movements is a composition commissioned by the New York
Philharmonic Orchestra that premiered under the baton of Lorin Maazel in New
York in March 2005. The title is intended to signify that every new work is, as it
were, a commentary on the one preceding it; the “two other movements”
therefore make up the continuation of those completed beforehand."

[Dave2002]

(Like other Norrington Cycles, this has just been rereleased as a boxset, but available on Qobuz in the separate volumes too)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Symp...rpt=ABIS_MUSIC.

(***)
Following research into a contemporary performance practice, in the last 4 symphonies only half the band play the "piano" dynamic levels, but the whole orchestra come in for the fortes. It makes a splendid effect!

Thanks for mentioning that Mozart box. I think it'll go on my Christmas present list. Looks a reasonable price.

[RichardB]

"The title is intended to signify that every new work is, as it were, a commentary on the one preceding it; the “two other movements” therefore make up the continuation of those completed beforehand."

Rihm is constantly recycling materials from one work to another; the trouble is, as far as I'm concerned, so little of it has sufficient character for it to be perceptible; after a while one expressionistic outburst sounds much the same as another.

We've discussed RN's Mahler 9 here before at great length... when I first heard it my first thought was to wonder what all the fuss was about. The mistake is to imagine that anyone (RN included) is supposed to think this is the way to perform Mahler; on the other hand it's certainly a way to do it, which I find quite enlightening in some ways. I don't have very many of his recordings though.

[bluestateprommer]

The November 18 concert from The Sage Gateshead with SRN and the Royal Northern Sinfonia is available for purchase of the concert stream, for £8:

https://sagegateshead.com/whats-on/rns-norringtons-haydn/

If the thread is really more about SRN's pending retirement from live performance, perhaps it's best to migrate this thread to "Talking About Music"? Just a thought....

[Bryn]

The November 18 concert from The Sage Gateshead with SRN and the Royal Northern Sinfonia is available for purchase of the concert stream, for £8:

https://sagegateshead.com/whats-on/rns-norringtons-haydn/

As far as I can see, no information is given regarding either the audio or video quality on offer. If it's as low as that offered by YouTube, or indeed anything less than lossless CD-quality audio and BBC standard quality video, I think I will give it a miss.

[MickyD]

I am very fond of his LCP disc of Early Romantic Overtures.

[Ein Heldenleben]

In Newcastle on 18/11 . Happy retirement to a stimulating conductor albeit with some startling misfires .

His LCP Symphonie Fantastique my favourite of his recordings - the less said about that Mahler 9 …

Do you know I went to his Prom performance of that and really enjoyed it …

[jayne lee wilson]

Here's the original thread from 25/07/11, where we discussed the Proms Mahler 9... and a very vigorous exchange of views it inevitably was.....

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?2660-Prom-14-Monday-25th-July-at-7-30-p-m-(Mahler-9)

Ed Seckerson's largely positive review of the recording is in Gramophone 5/2010....

[Barbirollians]

His Rossini overtures record was jolly good too.

[Bryn]

I have also much enjoyed his Mozart Opera recorings. I was quite surprised to find h had recorded the Rihm Two Other Movements.