Barbirolli is remembered in Houston, not Manchester
OrchestrasIt’s pleasing to find that the Houston Symphony’s music director Juraj Valcuha is closing his inaugural season with a tribute concert to Sir John Barbirolli, its chief conductor from 1960 to 1967. It would be nice to see the Halle Orchestra keeping his memory alive a bit more.
JB conducted the Halle from 1943 to 1968.
Houston Symphony MD Juraj Valčuha will lead Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” Symphony in a special program celebrating the legacy of Sir John Barbirolli. Classy conductor. Great orchestra.
Hallé a shadow of the orchestra he once lead due to cutbacks. Don’t bother going when I am back in Manchester these days. He would be very sad.
On the other hand, you might want to catch the BBC Phil. while you still can. My friends in England tell me that Bridgewater Hall is the best in England for a full size symphony orchestra. On top of that, I’d like to mention that conductor Sir Mark Elder has done very good work with the Halle. I was very impressed with an online broadcast of Mahler 3 that Elder/Halle made a while back – one of the first large scale Mahler performances since the pandemic lockdown.
It is a finer orchestra now; JB’s genius was making the orchestra sound better than it was. Sir Mark has built a truly great orchestra, in itself a tribute to what JB aspired to do.
He spent more time as MD of the New York Philharmonic. I guess it has no celebration to mark his tenure.
He was there between Toscanini’s and Rodzinski’s time with the NY Phil. His tenure was problematic. He was young then – before he matured into the musician we now remember.
I doubt if even 5% of the population of Manchester even know of Barbirolli’s existence. Compared to many Continental countries the U.K. is somewhat of a cultural desert unless of course it’s pop culture then it leads the way.
I had tickets 67/68 through the University Music Club and sat in the Free Trade Hall wherever seats were available. I once sat almost underneath his baton. When he brought the musicians in forcefully he would grunt.
The leader then was Martin Milner, Sir William Walton’s son-in-law and I sat in the circle once near the composer as he listened to his violin concerto.Happy days.
Walton was childless as far as I know?
You’re right. Elizabeth Walton, no relation.
Next season Tom Ades has programmed JB’s Purcell Suite with Tippett’s wonderful TRIPLE concerto.
There is of course a large bust of Glorious John outside the new hall as well as Barbirolli Square and Barbirolli mall. And the hotel converted from the FREE TRADE HALL has a room named after him. Manchester concert goers have not forgotten him; I sat next to a lady last year (mid 90s) who told me of how concerts in Belle Vue were disturbed by the roaring of lions.