Breaking: London orchestra studio goes on sale
NewsThe BBC studios in Maida Vale were put on the propert market today with a guidance price of £10.5 million.
The BBC orchestras are moving to new accommodation in East London, ahead of their threatened diminution.
The studios should have been sold years ago, rather than now, at the start of a property slump. This is BBC mismanagement on the usual scale.
The studios opened in 1934, four years after Abbey Road (which is eight minutes’ walk up the hill). They have hosted some memorable performances and recordings. The one I shall always cherish is the world premiere of Harrison Birtwistle’s masterpiece Earth Dances in March 1986, with some BBC players cursing under their breath at its complexities.
It has since been performed triumphantly by the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and other world beaters.
The world premiere of Earth Dances was at the Royal Festival Hall (14 March 1986: I still have the programme).
Then I must have been at the studio premiere for broadcast earlier that week.
Many memorable performances before “invited audiences” especially following the arrival of Antal Dorati at the BBCSO in the 1960s, to be followed by Pierre Boulez.
One special recollection: a heartfelt Elgar 2 conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent on the night of the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill, when the originally programmed Shostakovich 11 was substituted.
Type the words ‘asbestos’ and ‘bbc’ into Google.
Goodbye orchestral institutions, hello luxury rental properties!
An enchanting name to conjure with, as I flip through my BBC Legends CDs.
Do I detect a hint that somehow the BBC orchestras are not ‘world beating’? Another bit of BBC bashing by SD? I’m disappointed in you Norman – I always had you down as being a bit more fair-minded!!
First broadcast of the Leningrad Symphony by Shostakovich in Britain was from here too. It had two concert performances prior to that one being a Prom.
A shame. ‘Though I’ve not been to any concerts at Maida Vale myself (living in Oxford, I tend to gravitate to central London), I hear (no pun intended) that the acoustics are good compared with other concert venues in London and its environs. I also believe it houses the capitol’s largest recording studio.
Such a sad loss.
I recorded there with Welsh Guards Band, as must have many other bands.
Good riddance
https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/11/musicians-widow-sues-bbc-over-his-exposure-to-asbestos-in-studio
September 7 2001 The Chicago Symphony and Daniel Barenboim were to rehearse here before performing at Royal Albert Hall.
The Trucks with their equipment showed up at 9:45am for a 10:00am start.
It was quite the scramble .
quickly seemed unimportant a few days later.