BBC News thinks Simon Rattle has a job in Vienna

BBC News thinks Simon Rattle has a job in Vienna

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norman lebrecht

January 11, 2021

From the know-nothing website of BBC News

By Mark Savage, BBC music reporter:

Sir Simon Rattle, one of the world’s most renowned conductors, is leaving the London Symphony Orchestra to take up a new post in Germany….

He lives in Berlin with his third wife, the Czech-born singer Magdalena Kozena, and their three children, and is also the permanent guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic in neighbouring Austria…

He also appeared at the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, where he and the LSO were upstaged by Mr Bean while playing the theme to Chariots of Fire.

From Will Gompertz, arts editor: … from what he has said to me in the recent past, he thinks Germany is a more conducive place to make world class music.

Oh, ffff’s sake.

Public service broadcasting?

 

Comments

  • Rob says:

    He made a fantastic recording of Metamorphosen with them, but they’ve never invited him to do the New Years Days concerts! Warum?

    • sam says:

      Because they can’t play Metamorphosen for New Years.

      But if they WERE to play a dance from THIS Strauss, oh ho, I’d love to see them do Salomé’s dance of the seven veils for New Years!

    • Chris says:

      Rattle has a very varied repertoire but I don’t remember him ever conducting any music by the Strauss family so I don’t see why he would be invited to conduct these concerts.

      • George says:

        Since when has the VPO needed experts in the Strauss family to get them through a New Year’s Day concert? The conductor is only there to help shift units.

    • Jan Kaznowski says:

      >> they’ve never invited him to do the New Years Days

      How do you know ? Sir S has surely turned down loads of things. I’ll bet he’s been offered Last Night of the Proms – another thing he’s never appeared in

    • Arnolphe says:

      Would he even want to? Not exactly his style!

  • Bored Muso says:

    Jumping a sinking ship springs to mind…. or throwing his toys out of the pram ‘cos he didn’t get his concert hall…?

  • It is sad but very predictable,he is a musician of unbounded enthusiasm and energy.I predicted this over two years ago.No matter how we dress this up Britain is not,and never has been a freindly home for serious music lovers despite having half a dozen or so top orchestras.

  • sam says:

    1) “from what he has said to me in the recent past, he thinks Germany is a more conducive place to make world class music”

    That’s actually news, real reporting, a scoop, beyond merely reprinting the press releases of the respective parties.

    The BBC ought to be praised not mocked.

    2) “He also appeared at the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, where he and the LSO were upstaged by Mr Bean while playing the theme to Chariots of Fire.”

    Alas, if that’s the popular perception of Sir Simon in his (erstwhile) hometown and home country, alas, he is not wrong to disembark for Germany.

  • anon says:

    C’mon, for all the hype surrounding the LSO when Rattle was coming back, let’s admit it, the world knows the LSO as that orchestra that played Star Wars, Superman, and in countless other John Williams movies (mainly because they were cheaper than the LA Phil).

  • Frankster says:

    Vienna? BRSO is in Munich.

  • Anthony Sayer says:

    From LinkedIn:

    Experienced entertainment reporter with a 20 years experience (20!) in broadcast media. I’m currently the music reporter for BBC News – interviewing the likes of Madonna, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey; and covering industry news, including sales, trends, and ticketing. Skilled in copywriting, broadcasting, television and video editing.

    Nice to see this kind of coverage being given to experts in the classical field.

  • John says:

    OK, further to my previous comment: I think the BBC made a simple typo, perhaps it should have read “… and is also *a prominent* guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic in neighbouring Austria.” That’s all Norman, a simple error. Maybe try focusing on the bigger picture before you make a mountain out of a molehill….

  • V.Lind says:

    “…from what he has said to me in the recent past, he thinks Germany is a more conducive place to make world class music.”

    Reasons are cited. How is this the BBC’s fault?

  • James Fletcher says:

    I’ve alerted the reporter, Mark Savage, of this mistake. The article has now been amended.

  • Anonymous Bosch says:

    Has anyone thought of informing the Wiener Philharmoniker that they have a “permanent guest conductor”? Is the concept of a “permanent guest” derived from “The Man Who Came to Dinner”?

  • Maria says:

    It was announced on BBC Radio 4 yesterday that it was the Bavaria he was going to in 2023 – not Vienna– and would be conductor emeritus for the LSO. He lives in Berlin and has three kids of school age as well. Always a balancing act when you have a family that matter to you and want to keep them.

  • Bratsche brat says:

    “in neighbouring Austria”, thanks for the 8th grade geography lesson… 😛

  • Eduardo says:

    please stop this idiocy. He is not the Messiah…… let some new conductors conduct in a non Ego way…… forget him…

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