Simon Rattle laments Liverpool loss

Simon Rattle laments Liverpool loss

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norman lebrecht

May 27, 2018

This pic is doing the social media rounds.

It shows red-shirted Sir Simon Rattle, outgoing chief of the Berlin Phil, sharing a moment with one of the orchestra’s violists, Joaquin Riquelme, a Real Madrid supporter.

 

Comments

  • barry guerrero says:

    I was pulling for Liverpool since it’s sort of an underdog city. Then again, it has a great symphony orchestra and was the home of Mersey-beat, not to mention the ‘Fab Four’. I still love Gerry and the Pacemakers.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-lCIM2uRuk

    But I have to respect Real Madrid.

    • Carmen says:

      As a side note – since you mention Liverpool’s excellent orchestra, their acclaimed music director, Vasily Petrenko, enjoys close collaborations with the top Spanish orchestras!

      Petrenko 1st came to attn. in Spain when he won the Cadaques Conducting Competition in Barcelona – long before he was appointed to Liverpool. He speaks Spanish, he knows Spanish culture, and he works regularly in Spain. That speaks highly for him and the Spanish orchestral scene, I think! 🙂

  • barry guerrero says:

    Perhaps it’s a carry-over from the Franco days, but they have really good military bands in Spain. Here’s an excerpt from a big military band festival in Madrid. Go to 2:37 to see/hear a bit of de Falla.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4vRg_OhrAk

    I have no idea what the symphony orchestra scene is like there.

    • Carmen says:

      OMG. Not even sure where to begin with this comment!

      Spain has 26 full time professional symphony orchestras and 3 major opera houses. Top level, with Spanish musicians like Berlin’s Joaquin Riquelme in the pic above, rapidly moving into the best orchestras worldwide: Berlin, NYPhil, Paris, Concertgebouw, etc.

      Spanish maestri Fruhbeck de Burgos & Jesus Lopez Cobos set the stage for the next generation of great Spanish conductors which includes Pablo Heras Casado & Juanjo Mena.

      Spain’s symphonic scene is sophisticated and well-supported financially both publicly and privately. It’s very accesible to all and it’s a fundamental part of Spanish culture.

      For the record, Franco was not a music lover. Spanish orchestras have thrived despite him. Franco was pretty much the reason Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos left Spain to establish an international career. Long interesting story there.

      When Franco died, combined with new EU arts funding a few yrs. later in Spain, the Spanish orchestral scene took off like wildfire! It’s been increasing & improving exponentially since then. Now Spanish orchs. are on a par with the best in Europe.

      Regarding Spain’s band tradition – the true Spanish band tradition is from the south of Spain, from the region of Valencia, where children are given band instruments practically when they learn to walk and band music is an integral part of life in every pueblo. These wind players go on to become some of the best in the world. The musicians in the military band vid you shared are probably from Valencia.

  • Mercurius Londiniensis says:

    “Former chief” is proleptic. Rattle is in post until the end of June, and will be leading the BPO in a European tour (London this week) followed by valedictory concerts in Berlin, culminating in the orchestra’s end-of-season concert at the Waldbuhne.

  • Fred says:

    what do you expect from a coach who loves hard rock….Klopp is to blame and not the unfortunate Karius

  • SUGGERITORE says:

    Former chief????? Outgoing if you will, but he is not done yet. This season he has had 2 orchestras!

  • David says:

    I see this photo and think about how incredible and personable Sir Simon seems to be. He gets outstanding results from the Phil and yet is able to have some fun with the members.

    I hope that this impression is true…

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