Every concert reviewed, exclusive to Slipped Disc
mainThe City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra begins its centenary season tomorrow.
Like all orchestras outside London (and most within), the CBSO gets minimal attention in the shrinking review space of the main so-called national newspapers and, sadder still, even in local newspapers.
We at slippedisc.com think it would be a crying scandal if the centennial of a major English institution went unnoticed. So we have arranged with the best critics in the West Midlands to file reviews of every CBSO concert all year long. Every concert, only on Slipped Disc.
Starting Friday with an epoch-making Child of Our Time.
Watch this space.
Sept 26: A Child of Our Time
Sept 28: Something unexpected
October 2: Mirga revives lost composer
October 17: Is anyone programming better?
October 22: The organ is strictly voluntary
October 30: A different woman takes the baton
November 3: Birmingham kids make Sacre seem so easy.
November 7: Elijah comes home
November 13: Spanish fly
November 28: Please can we have a concertmaster
December 5: Rename it Mendeltown
December 12: Sub conductor scores high
Full disclosure: Slipped Disc has no commercial relationship with the CBSO or any of its artists and partners.
The CBSO ia a major world orchestra – so this initiative is very welcome 🙂
12 imbeciles hate the work of the CBSO, I see? Nevermind – we’ll find some buskers to entertain the Cro-Magnons meantime.
Good move, Norman, I look forward to some insightful reviews. Thank you.
I’m just not hearing Mirga’s brilliance. But I am more than willing to continue listening, reading, and learning.
What brilliance?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7huSiJ2bKF0
What Debussy? Six minutes chopped off, superfluous images that have nothing to do with the original poem by Mallarmé, and dialogue that obscures the music. Why did Mirga allow this to be published by Arte TV?
We encounter this nonsense all the time. It is not Mirga’s exclusive “privilege” and is probably beyond her control.
Really? This video uses her image, conducting her orchestra. As music director, she has artistic control. If she does not, that is a much bigger problem than the poor representation of Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. At least they didn’t show a baby deer, but an ocean?
I totally agree. And the best learning is done when we consult mutiple sources, and avoid those with a track record of strong bias.
Would this include the CBSO Youth Orchestra also?
Yes indeed!
Splendid. I’m sure you’ll be remunerating them handsomely.
Yes, but why just newspapers? The BBC, with several in-house orchestras, is uniquely placed to raise the profile of orchestral music. However, apart from a handful of high-profile classical “ghettos” such as the Proms, it does relatively little.
I would have thought that its method of funding, not being dependent on sales, would make this relatively easy, but I get no sense from BBC TV’s regular output, including news and current affairs, that it considers the classical scene important. It leaves the viewer with no impression that the genre is worth investigating or that attending concerts might actually be a normal activity.
Then let your Auntie provide proper support. We are sick of them hoovering up money for doing nothing.
I’m not in a position to “let” Auntie do anything, that’s the problem.
An excellent use of this platform.
Thank you, Norman. Classical music in Birmingham needs all the help it can get. And yes, the BBC could do a lot more to help (though to be fair, tomorrow night’s season opener is on R3 next Tuesday – live might have been nicer!)
It is a fine idea to provide exposure/coverage of highly rated orchestras during their milestone years or for major events in their history. (Especially, as with CBSO, if there is minimal press attention).
These occasions don’t come along so often and it gives everyone a chance to see what is happening with other orchestras around the world.
An excellent initiative, Mr Lebrecht. I wonder: how many other British orchestras outside London are suffering from lack of adequate critical attention and deserve regular reportage at Slippedisc?
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Orchestra of Opera North
Halle
Royal Liverpool SO
to name only four…
Maybe you’ll get that long awaited Rubbra cycle that readers of Gramophone used to write in about nearly every single month.
Good for you.
Since this commendable initiative is about the CBSO, why not feature a photograph of the orchestra?There is a nice one at their Wikipedia entry. Their music director, pictured above, has already been featured in countless other SD posts. Why not be nice to those who actually play the notes?