A personal reflection on the world of classical music

by Paul Edmund Norman

I used to listen to Radio 3 quite a lot, though I don't like the way the presenters used to "talk down" to you - what it's like now I couldn't tell you, as I've gone over to the dark side of Classic FM! Purists denounce Classic FM as worse than useless, but even for me, with a broad range of classical music knowledge, it has widened my horizons and introduced me to people like Taverner, Gorecki, Barber, Karl Jenkins, and many more. I have to say that I don't like many of the so-called modern composers, like Glass, Nyman and Einaudi, and the station does have its faults, the biggest of which is its playing of music that clearly is not classical; and then there are its obsessions.

They "latch onto" a performer; take for example the Fron Male Voice Choir, who to me are probably the worst ever of all Welsh Male Voice Choirs, with turgid and undynamic singing, fit only for sending people to sleep, and they promote them to death. I don't think they should be in the top thirty classical music sales at all, let alone at position number one. Having said that, I love All Angels, and Katherine Jenkins, and the delightful Anna Netrebko, and the concept of the top 300 is simply inspired. They also play a great deal of film music, and I am of the opinion that composers like Howard Shore, John Williams, John Barry et al are the classical composers of the modern age. The presenters are approachable, comfortable, not at all like the Radio 3 presenters used to be. There is rarely anything I would want to listen to on Radio 3, as I have an extensive CD collection, and I generally discover new composers on Classic FM. If I want to listen to a classical piece in its entirety, I'll put on the CD. Classic FM is just right for casual listening, in my opinion, and it reaches ordinary people, whereas R3 is a little too highbrow for my tastes.

My introduction to classical music would have been at the early age of 2-3 years, when I would "Listen with Mother" and hear the familiar strains of Fauré's Dolly Suite as the programme started each weekday lunchtime. Classical music came into its own during the summer months, when my father would occasionally tune the radio to The Third Programme to listen to some of the Promenade Concerts, and there were occasional forays into light classical on various Home Programme broadcasts, such as Alfven's Swedish Rhapsody on Children's Favourites, and Sparky's Magic Piano - so the seeds were sown at an early age, and classical music remains the biggest musical passion in my life. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey opened my eyes to Richard Strauss, and I swiftly collected all of his tone poems, symphonies, and Der Rosenkavalier. I became entranced by Ligeti and Khachaturian.

Then, as late as the late 1970s I discovered Gustav Mahler and he remains my favourite composer, his eighth symphony, the Symphony of a Thousand being my absolute favourite piece. Later still in my long life, I discovered Shostakovich,and I now believe him to be the equivalent of Shakespeare in the classical music world. As late as 2000 I finally decided that I really liked a great deal of Benjamin Britten, and now have a slightly more open mind to modern classical than would have been the case a few years back. I'd still rather listen to Gotterdammerung than Britten, but mood has a lot play with it, of course. As far as interpretations are concerned, I'd always watch out for a Karajan, a Rattle, a Gergiev or a Previn. When it comes to instrumentalists, I believe Ann-Sophie Mutter to be the finest violinist of her generation, followed by Vengerov. As my daughter is a violinist, I tend to listen out for violinists. In the months that follow, I'll be talking about some of my favourite compositions in the preamble to the Great Conductors page, but I will just say this: of all the classical clarinettists there are, or have ever been, not one of them can hold a candle to the great Mr Acker Bilk when it comes to sound, and he will be the subject of a future feature.

Anyone who loves classical music will know that there are umpteen versions of everything - it's all about interpretation, and it's that which sets classical apart from all other musical forms. One gets to prefer a particular conductor's version. It was in the late 1970s, being about to leave a job at British Aerospace, to take up a civil service position that I saw adverts in the magazines for Karajan's new Beethoven cycle. Just the look of the man, the pose, hooked me, drew me in. I dropped heavy hints and, the day I left, I walked away with the 9-LP set of that fantastic treatment of Beethoven. Now I have Karajan's later cycle in CD format, but I still prefer that older version. With Karajan gone, I needed to find another conductor to be my preferred favourite, and when Sir Simon Rattle was elected to lead the BPO, I needed tolook no further. Having said that, I believe the greatest living conductor of Shostakovich to be Valery Gergiev. The mighty Seventh Symphony in his hands is a work of unparalleled triumph, and remains my favourite interpretation of this stupendous work.

Now to Sir Simon Rattle, the subject of this month's Great Conductors...

In 1991 I'd rushed home from work to watch the inauguration concert of the Birmingham Symphony Hall, at which Rattle conducted Mahler's mighty Second Symphony, The Resurrection and well and truly christened that fantastic concert hall, which we've visited several times in person since. Now I have his complete Mahler cycle boxed set, his later Symphony No. 8 and a DVD of Mahler 5 in my collection, and they are highly-prized. Sir Simon Rattle has the distinction, like Karajan, of being a character, someone out of the ordinary, and his musical credentials make him one of the world's greatest, wiith a series of breathtaking recordings all receiving rave reviews from critics and the public alike. The article that follows comes from the ubiquitous Wikipedia. All I can say is that I now make a point of seeking out Rattle recordings to compliment my already considerable collection of Karajan and Bernstein CDs/DVDs. Next month I shall take a look at Bernstein as conductor, and then in March it will be Karajan himself. If you're a classical music enthusiast, you'll know why I've saved him till March...

Sir Simon Rattle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE, FRSA, (born January 19,1955) is an English conductor. He rose to prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and is currently principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic (BPO).

Biography

Early life

Rattle was born in Liverpool, the son of Pauline Lila Violet (Greening) and Denis Guttridge Rattle, a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves. He studied at Liverpool College. He learned the piano and violin, but his early work with orchestras was as a percussionist. He entered the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1971. There, his teachers included John Carewe. In 1974, his graduation year, Rattle won the John Player Conductor Competition. After organising and conducting a performance of Mahler's Second Symphony whilst still at the Academy, he was talent-spotted by the music agent Martin Campell-White, of Harold Holt Ltd. (now Askonas Holt Ltd.), who has since managed Rattle's career.He spent the academic year 1980/81 at St Anne's College, Oxford studying English Language and Literature.He had been attracted to the college by the reputation of Dorothy Bednarowska, Fellow and Tutor in English.He was elected an Honorary Fellow of St Anne's in 1991. He was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Music honoris causa of the University of Oxford in 1999.

UK career

In 1974, he was made assistant conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and in 1977 assistant conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

His time with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) from 1980 to 1998 drew him to the attention of critics and the public. In 1980, Rattle became the CBSO's Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser, and in 1990, Music Director. Rattle increased both his profile and that of the orchestra over his tenure. One of his long-term concert projects was the series of concerts of 20th century music titled "Towards the Millennium". One other major achievement during his time was the move of the CBSO from its former venue, the Town Hall, to a newly built concert hall, Symphony Hall, in 1991. The BBC commissioned film director Jaine Green to follow him in his final year with the CBSO to make Simon Rattle — Moving On.

Rattle was awarded a CBE in 1987 and made a Knight Bachelor in 1994. In 1992, Rattle was named a Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), along with Frans Brüggen. Rattle now has the title of Principal Artist with the OAE. In 2001, Rattle conducted the OAE at Glyndebourne in their first production of Fidelio with a period-instrument orchestra.

In May 2006 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Arts.

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Rattle made his conducting debut with the Berlin Philharmonic (BPO) in 1987, in a performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6. In 1999, Rattle was appointed as successor to Claudio Abbado as the orchestra's principal conductor. The appointment, decided on in a June 23 vote by the orchestra's members, was somewhat controversial, as several members of the orchestra were earlier reported to have preferred Daniel Barenboim for the post. Nevertheless, Rattle won the post and proceeded to win over his detractors by refusing to sign the contract until he had ensured that every member of the orchestra was paid fairly, and also that the orchestra would gain artistic independence from the Berlin Senate.

Before leaving for Germany and on his arrival, Rattle controversially attacked the British attitude to culture in general, and in particular the artists of the Britart movement, together with the state funding of culture in the UK. He was attacked in return for his poor understanding of conceptual and visual art.

Since his appointment, Rattle has reorganized the Berlin Philharmonic into a foundation, meaning its activities are more under the control of the members rather than politicians. He has also ensured that orchestra members' wages have increased quite dramatically, having fallen over the past few years. He gave his first concert as principal conductor of the BPO on September 7, 2002, leading performances of Thomas Adčs' Asyla and Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5, performances which received rave reviews from the press worldwide and were recorded for CD and DVD release by EMI. Early collaborative projects in the Berlin community with Rattle and the BPO involved a choreographed performance of Stravinsky's Le sacre du printemps and a film project with Mark-Anthony Turnage's Blood on the Floor. He has also continued to champion contemporary music in Berlin.

Criticism of Rattle's tenure with the Berlin Philharmonic began to appear after their first season together, and continued in their second season. The German critic Klaus Geitel was reported in 2004 to have described Rattle as "the weakest musical director of the Berlin Philharmonic he's ever seen". Rattle himself stated in 2005 that his relationship with the BPO musicians could sometimes be "turbulent", but also "never destructively so".

In 2006, a new controversy began in the German press as to the quality of Rattle's concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic, with criticism from the German critic Manuel Brug in Die Welt. One musician who wrote to the press to defend Rattle was the pianist Alfred Brendel. In 2007, the BPO/Rattle recording of Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem received the Classic FM Gramophone best choral disc award.

UNICEF appointed Rattle and the BPO as Goodwill Ambassadors in November 2007.

Conducting in North America

Rattle made his North American conducting debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LAP) in 1979, and was their Principal Guest Conductor from 1981-1994. He also guest-conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Boston Symphony Orchestra. His New York City debut was with the LAP in 1985.

In 1993, Rattle made his conducting debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He returned for guest conducting engagements in 1999, 2000, 2005, and will return in late 2007 to conduct Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri. The musical relationship between Rattle and The Philadelphia Orchestra was reported to be such that Philadelphia wanted to hire Rattle as its next music director after Wolfgang Sawallisch, but Rattle declined. However, Rattle continues to guest-conduct with The Philadelphia Orchestra in what is currently his sole North American guest-conducting engagement.

Musical styles and recordings

Rattle has conducted a wide variety of music, including some with period instruments (musical instruments contemporary with the music being played), but he is best known for his interpretations of early 20th century composers such as Mahler, with a recording of Mahler's Second Symphony winning several awards on its release and being regarded by some as Rattle's finest recording to date. He has also championed much contemporary music, including the tv series Leaving Home, where he presents a 7-part survey of musical styles and conductors with excerpts recorded by the Birmingham Symphony. His meticulous realization of some of the great Romantic works has forged a somewhat intense style. This is exemplified in his new cycle of the Beethoven Symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic – although the orchestral playing is recognisably Viennese, there is a noticeable "period-instrument" quality to the sound. His newest recordings with the Berlin orchestra (as of 2006) have, on the whole, been favourably received, notably his recordings of the Dvorak tone poems and Debussy's La Mer. The Gramophone Magazine praised the latter as a "magnificent disc" and drew favourable comparisons with interpretations of the piece by Rattle's immediate predecessors, Claudio Abbado and Herbert von Karajan. He has also worked with the world famous Toronto Children's Chorus. Recently Rattle and the BPO recorded Holst's Planets (EMI), which was the BBC Music Magazine Orchestra Choice. In addition, Rattle's complete 1989 recording of George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess was used as the soundtrack for the 1993 television production of the work. It was the first made-for-television production of Porgy and Bess ever presented. Rattle's 2007 recording of Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem received praise from BBC Music Magazine, as "Disc of the Month" for April 2007, "as probably the best new version of the Requiem I've heard in quite some years." Rattle and the BPO recently released Bruckner's Fourth Symphony, Romantic, and Haydn's Symphonies Nos. 88-92 and sinfonia concertante.

Personal life

Rattle's first marriage was to Elise Ross, an American soprano, with whom he had two sons. They were divorced in 1995 after 15 years of marriage. His second wife was Candace Allen, a Boston-born writer. This second marriage ended after Rattle and the Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená began a relationship. Kožená and Rattle have a son, Jonas.