Lost Barenboim tapes to be aired over Christmas

Lost Barenboim tapes to be aired over Christmas

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norman lebrecht

December 02, 2020

The UK’s Channel 4 has laid hands on a 13-part series that Daniel Barenboim made for Granada TV in 1969 for Beethoven’s 200th anniversary.

At the time only six episodes were shown on Granada North West. Shot at London’s Roundhouse Theatre, the series features Barenboim in his late twenties, working with the New Philharmonia Orchestra and the venerable Sir Adrian Boult.

The production was by Allegro Films, Christopher Nupen’s company.

 

Comments

  • Alexander T says:

    That’s a relief. There is real shortage of Barenboim documentaries, CDs, DVDs, interviews etc….
    A very under-exposed musician if ever there was one.

    • sam says:

      Right. Do we really need a record of Barenboim’s early attempts at Beethoven? He is no iconic Beethoven interpreter today, there is no reason to chart his evolution from his early 20’s (as opposed to say, Furtwangler, who did become a visionary Beethoven interpreter, so it’d be interesting to see if germs of his late Beethoven were present in his youthful Beethoven).

      Indeed, if most conductors were writers, their early stuff would be included in their unpublished and unpublishable youthful sketches that more modest writers would have thrown out a lot time ago.

      • LeakySchubert says:

        actually his Beethoven (and Mozart) was much more interesting when he was starting out than the ponderous versions he puts out nowadays.
        His Beethoven sonata and Mozart concertos made in his twenties were really something

      • sam says:

        Right. Do we really need sam’s opinion of early Barenboim? He is no iconic commentator, there’s is no need to regards to his opinion.

      • Anita says:

        I couldn’t, as a pianist disagree with you more, Sam – but then it’s a matter of taste.

    • Evan Tucker says:

      hahahahahahahahaha

  • George says:

    Great find!

  • For the people who speak french there’s also this archive interisting of him cooking in his kitchen in Paris https://www.ina.fr/video/CAA7600517901/daniel-barenboim-video.html

  • pianoguy says:

    In recent years, I haven’t been too impressed with Barenboim, but I shall watch these as this peaks my interest – not least in the hope of seeing Sir Adrian in action (his handbook on the art of conducting is still an interesting read as an antidote to the flamboyant antics of today’s youthful podium peacocks)

  • Gustavo says:

    Can we also expect incriminating footage from his body-cam to be revealed?

    https://slippedisc.com/2019/09/daniel-barenboim-needs-to-wear-a-body-com-at-work/

  • Stweart says:

    Perhaps some worthwhile Christmas TV viewing at last.

  • Graham says:

    Love to see ,iworked with him early 1970’s in Sydney Symphony Orchestra , and Jackilyn de Pray
    , was fantastic

  • Stephen says:

    I have a VHS tape of the Barenboim/Boult piano concerto, and the original broadcast was played sharp by almost a semitone. This one certainly was recorded on film at 24 frames per secon and broadcast at 25, as usually happens with film on UK TV. So it’s likely they will all be the the same, and will all play too sharp and too fast. It’s possible to record it and to adjust the speed afterwards.

  • Julius Bannister says:

    I’m happy just to see old colleagues and friends in the background, playing in the orchestra (never been a big fan of Barnboim Beethoven v.v love his Mozart ECO Piano Concertos

  • Malcolm says:

    Does anyone know whey they are to be broadcast and are they on More 4 ie on the TV???

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