Barbirolli Briefs

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In the early 1960s, JB was conducting a concert ending with The Planets. However, the second item in the first half was Alban Berg's Concerto for Violin, Piano and 13 Wind Instruments. The Halle audience at the time was, in Sir John's opinion, not ready for this music, so he gave a talk to the audience before beginning, ending his speech with the words: "This IS music".

[amateur51]

My fiddle teacher told me a wonderful Story about Sir John...

A wind player in the Halle was having a fling with a young singer half his age. His wife was, understandably, distraught at this turn of events. She decided to talk to Sir John and ask if he could intervene.

She was invited round to speak to him during the interval of a concert at the Free Trade Hall. Sir John was enjoying his interval whisky and soda as she unburdened herself to him. He patted her hand and said "My dear, you have nothing to worry about. He's playing better than ever...!"

Poor woman

[Hornspieler]

Sir Hamilton Harty was loved and revered by the members of the Hallé orchestra and the arrival of any other conductor, with new ideas and methods was bound to promote the feeling, muttered sotto voce, "... it would never have done for Sir 'amilton" among some of the older members;

They were rehearsing in The Free Trade Hall, which has a very high platform, and there was no guard rail behind the rostrum. In one excitable moment, JB stepped backwards and disappeared with a loud crash.

Pat Ryan (1st clarinet) turned to Charlie Cracknell (1st bassoon)

"Charlie" he said "I think its t'end ot regime."

Then a hand appeared on the edge of the stage - then, another hand, followed by a familiar face!

"Yer can wipe those grins off yer faces. I ain't dead yet!

HS

[AjAjAjH]

Barbirolli was pivotal in my love of live classical music.

As a 17 year old, I was on holiday in Bridlington. On 12th September 1962, JB and the Halle Orchestra gave a concert there.

The programme: Wagner: 'Die Meistersinger' Overture.
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6. (Pathetique)
R. Strauss. Der Rosencavalier Waltzes.

From that day I was hooked on concert going. The last 41 years listening to the Halle Orchestra.

One of the greats. I often listen to his reminiscences at the BBC legends CD of Mahler's 3rd Symphony.

[Nick Armstrong]

Barbirolli was pivotal in my love of live classical music.

As a 17 year old, I was on holiday in Bridlington. On 12th September 1962, JB and the Halle Orchestra gave a concert there.

The programme: Wagner: 'Die Meistersinger' Overture.
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6. (Pathetique)
R. Strauss. Der Rosencavalier Waltzes.

From that day I was hooked on concert going. The last 41 years listening to the Halle Orchestra.

One of the greats. I often listen to his reminiscences at the BBC legends CD of Mahler's 3rd Symphony.

Brilliant to read that, Aj !

Though sad to think that it's probably a while since a 17 year old on his hols in Bridlington caught the bug in such circumstances....

[hafod]

http://www.northtrek.plus.com/john_barbirolli.htm

Particularly the last section entitled 'On himself and others'

[amateur51]

http://www.northtrek.plus.com/john_barbirolli.htm

Particularly the last section entitled 'On himself and others'

Oh what treasure hafod - many thanks indeed

[gradus]

Much enjoyed, many thanks for posting it hafod.

[Nimrod]

I have not long joined this site and was interested to find this thread....I was lucky enough to have attended a pre-concert rehearsal of JB and the Halle, and saw him rehearse Delius's Appalachia and The Planets Suite. At the point where the baritone entered singing 'O honey, I am going down the river in the morning....' with a very 'English' style of singing, JB stopped him ( I cannot recall who was singing this part without digging out the programme) and said No No, sing it like an American!! JB then, much to the amusement of orchestra and chorus, proceeded to sing this line with a gravelly American accent that Paul Robeson would have been proud of!!

[rauschwerk]

Not an anecdote, but a tribute from someone who once played for him (Michael Nutt of the LAPO):

"I get very cross when I hear talk about the wonderful LA string playing. You see, my other orchestral experience was in the Hallé under Barbirolli. And our LA string sections are nowhere near that for discipline and ensemble.. In LA individual players could run rings around the Hallé players, no doubt about that. But as a string section, no." (Orchestra, ed. Previn, 1979).

[Alain Maréchal]

The first movement of a symphony was much interrupted by a bronchial cough from somewhere in the stalls. Before the second movement JB produced an enormous handkerchief, folded it, coughed into it in elaborate mime and returned it to his waistcoat. The hint was taken.

[AjAjAjH]

The first movement of a symphony was much interrupted by a bronchial cough from somewhere in the stalls. Before the second movement JB produced an enormous handkerchief, folded it, coughed into it in elaborate mime and returned it to his waistcoat. The hint was taken.

[akiralx]

There's a great story told by Barbirolli in an interview included in the Dutton CD set 'Glorious John'

In the early days he was auditioning players for the Halle, and a humble cellist appeared before him. He was asked to play a very high passage, and asked "Oop there? I've never been 'oop there! "

It was actually a double-bassist who was first asked to play the rapid passage from scherzo of Beethoven's Fifth - which he proceeded to bow superbly, but always playing the same note, without moving his left hand at all... An amused Sir John then asked him to play the high leap from Verdi's Otello, which the man failed miserably several times. When Sir John took the instrument and demonstrated the passage, the response was the famous 'Oop there? Never been oop there before...'.