Simon Rattle and 'prime minister Farage'

Mark Stratford says:

February 19, 2015 at 1:39 pm

LIgeti was a great composer but really this random, satirical stuff is a bit thin.

Reminds me of the Peter Cooke line about satire : “those wonderful Berlin cabarets, which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler and prevent the outbreak of the Second World War”

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SDReader says:

February 19, 2015 at 2:54 pm

Oh, for God’s sake!

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Ks. Christopher Robson says:

February 19, 2015 at 5:01 pm

You have to remember that it is a fragment from his opera “Le Grande Macabre” and so is naturally a bit hard to grasp out of context. (If I remember rightly, it is the big number for the Chief of the Secret Police – Gepopo).
I think this is an absolutely stunningly entertaining and accomplished performance by Ms Hannigan, Sir SR and the orchestra. And she looks amazing!! 🙂

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Anne says:

February 19, 2015 at 2:28 pm

Andre Previn demonstrated some command of comic timing on Morecambe and Wise over 40 years ago. Simon Rattle doesn’t, in my opinion.

Stick to what you know, Simon, there’s a good chap.

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Mark Stratford says:

February 19, 2015 at 2:43 pm

This concert last month was also at the Barbican hall as were dozens of other concerts Sir Simon has given there with CBSO, LSO, BPO since the venue was opened in 1982. Maybe this whole business of the Hall acoustic and the need for a brand new building is overdone ?

Sorry to be so stupid, but what exactly is supposed to be wrong with ths acoustics? I know people say RFH is ‘dry’ but have never understood about the Barbican. You don’t read reviews which says “Orch X were great but as usual the acoustics spoiled the night.” Never happens

The Royal Albert Hall was tinkered with for ages to stop the reverberation. Can’t something clever be done with the Barbican?

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John Kelly says:

February 19, 2015 at 2:53 pm

Probably not. They’ve tried to do something “clever” with Avery Fisher Hall (and are about to have another crack at it). Nothing much improved. It’s still acoustically wretched so that any loud orchestral piece pretty soon sounds as if you’re in a steel works and there are all kinds of bad “spots” in the hall.

The RFH is “dry” if you’re comparing it to Symphony Hall in Boston or any other “good” hall. The Barbican is just terrible. Dry and with all kinds of “damping” happening in the sound.

The Albert Hall shouldn’t even be mentioned. You’re better off listening on the radio.

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- Hilary says:
  
  February 19, 2015 at 10:29 pm
  
  When the RFH was closed for improvements orchestral concerts took place in the QEH (space permitting of course)… By serendipity this turned out to be the best hall in London for orchestral music. We don’t need a new hall in London. Composers (unless they’re Anderson et al) earn paltry sums from commissions if anything at all. That’s more of a priority along with many other things.
  
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  - Anne says:
    
    February 20, 2015 at 9:28 am
    
    “By serendipity this turned out to be the best hall in London for orchestral music.”
    
    But with only 900 seats.
    
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Doug says:

February 19, 2015 at 4:53 pm

I want my money back. She didn’t take all her clothes off.

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Shulamit Maneev says:

February 19, 2015 at 6:18 pm

Meshugane!

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Una says:

February 20, 2015 at 8:52 am

What a laugh. Takes the stuffiness out of classical music without a certain blond cross-over lady I could name – great stuff!

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Jaypee says:

February 20, 2015 at 9:49 am

Barbara Hannigan is one of the most interesting musicians in today’s classical music scene. It seems that she can do no wrong: saw her in Lulu in Brussels (now on DVD), in Written on Skin last year. Also saw this Ligeti’s composition in Berlin (she was wearing some sort of dominatrix attire…) and she is never less than amazing.
Has anyone here seen her Donna Anna?

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