Some great orchestras you won’t hear in Britain any time soon
NewsThe Lucerne Festival this morning released outline plans for next summer’s event.
In addition to the resident festival orchestra under Riccardo Chailly’s direction, the festival includes visits or residencies by the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the Royal Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Oslo Philharmonic and Staatskapelle Dresden.
Conductors include Maxim Emelyanychev, Daniel Harding, Jakub Hrůša, Klaus Mäkelä, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Lahav Shani and Ilan Volkov.
On current form, it is unrealistic to expect more than two or three of these ensembles to land in Heathrow in the forseeable future. The South Bank no longer accommodates foreign guest orchestras, the Barbican is limited to 3-4 regulars and the BBC Proms sweeps up whatever comes cheap from fellow-radio stations.
While it is commendable that orchestras save carbon-burn and reduce their time in the air, a principal casualty of Covid and the ensuing recession is London’s status as a magnet for world-class music.
With Brexit as a contrbutory factor, London pride in its musical status will not be seen again for years.
(And with the falling pound, not many will be able to afford Lucerne.)
The Concertgebouw was in London literally last week. Oslo Philharmonic played at the Barbican five months ago, the Leipzig Gewandhaus has a Barbican residency in May, with the Czech Philharmonic not long before that; the Berlin Philharmonic was at the Proms eight weeks ago, as was the Philadelphia Orchestra. Budapest Festival Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Met Orchestra, Orchestre national de Paris, Les Siecles and Iceland Symphony are all scheduled in London in the near future.
So this is all a bit silly, really, isn’t it?
Our UK orchestras are magnificent: in the last few days, battling train strikes with 5 hour coach journeys, I heard a wonderful MANFRED with the RLPO; the RSNO (perhaps the finest bassoon player in the UK) and the amazing LPO in Lutoslawski’s greatest work, the 4th symphony. Rattle talked of his ‘red wine’ Sibelius in Berlin and ‘white wine’ CBSO: I only drink white or rose and prefer the CBSO in Sibelius. I was at KARAJAN’S last London concert with the BPO: an enormous sound but almost inhuman.
To write ‘London pride in its musical status will not be seen again for years.’ is insulting to our great musicians.
Interesting. I was also at Karajan’s last London concert and I’d agree for the Brahms 1. I enjoyed Verklärte Nacht very much.
Yes it was well worth the long wait for them to get up from Dover wasn’t it.
yes I agree the VN was remarkable: should have said that but comment was getting too long…
“Brexit as a contributory factor” – oh, rather more than a contributory factor, along with the “falling pound” – thank you for that, tory inepts – but conveniently sneaking under the cover of Covid and other distractions.
The Concertgebouw played in London last week.The Oslo and Berlin Phils played at this years proms….The Gewandhaus comes to London next year.
Are you sure The Gewandhaus visits London next year?
I would be interested to know when and what they are performing.
The Montreal symphony was in South Bank Center no later than 2 weeks ago