Simon Rattle: ‘I’ve got the only homeless top orchestra’

The conductor continues his agitation for a new concert hall in Munich with a greeting to his orchestra on its 75th anniversary.

I wish the BRSO that they play for at least another 75 years with the emotional depth and passion they always had. We all love this orchestra, it is an extraordinary ensemble. This despite having to work under very difficult circumstances. It is the only homeless top orchestra in the world, the only top orchestra that does not have a permanent home in its own city. You travel back and forth between the concert halls. And yet they managed to reach this extraordinary level and have a feeling for music like few others. This is truly remarkable. Of course, I also wish you happy GurreLieder on your 75th. This work by Arnold Schoenberg is particularly closely linked to the BRSO: Kubelik’s interpretation, which was very unusual for the time, showed the world what a masterpiece it was. People tend to forget that Schoenberg was only in his early twenties when he wrote this. He was a composer who knew who he was.  

Meaning?

Schoenberg said to himself: ‘This musical heritage that I can access, from Austria, Germany, from Brahms, Schumann, Wagner especially, and to a certain extent from Mahler – I can do that too. Greater. Better. Further. I can do it!’ This work was his liberation. According to the motto: ‘OK, Wagner. You have your Hagen, who calls for his men in the twilight of the gods. I can do that too – and with a lot more people. Simply more!’ Everything Schoenberg does is like a greeting to the past, an ‘I am here’. And if it weren’t such an incredibly beautiful and endearing piece of work, you’d have to give him a slap on the ass for behaving in such an impossible way. You can’t just perform this piece like that. I actually discovered this as a child because I was basically living in the music archive in Liverpool at the time. I was so impressed by the score, which was as big as myself. I couldn’t believe what he was asking an orchestra to do. There was a recording of it in the archive, which I took home with me, and the work has been part of my life ever since. I have always loved the piece. Especially if you love epic romantic music, there’s nothing that can beat this. And yet you can already feel how it is getting closer to today.

image: BR/Astrid Ackermann