R.I.P. Sir Roger Norrington - 91 years old

[Scion7]

Audiences owed much to this man.

[brewski]

Though much has happened since his revolutionary Beethoven cycle, he was the conductor who showed me that those symphonies can be conducted in a different way, with a different sound. Others have built on his ideas — and the HIP movement has come a long way — but he got the ball rolling.

[Karl Henning]

Though much has happened since his revolutionary Beethoven cycle, he was the conductor who showed me that those symphonies can be conducted in a different way, with a different sound. Others have built on his ideas — and the HIP movement has come a long way — but he got the ball rolling.

Yes. It's a little funny to think of it now, when I almost never hear a recording of Symphonie fantastique that I don't like, but back in my grad school days I had grown a bit jaded to it, and Norrington's account of the piece reopened my ears to it.

[DavidW]

His recording of Beethoven's symphonies with the London Classical Players was rough-hewn, bold, and exciting. Even though Norrington has enjoyed a long, illustrious career with both the period style and modern style performances, I think that this work with the London Classical Players is his true legacy.

[Scion7]

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[SimonNZ]

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Where is that from? I thought it might be from Inside Early Music: Conversations With Performers - his interview in that changed the way I heard the Eroica.

Just recently I was playing a Monteverdi recording he put out on the Argo label in the early 70s and thought it held up really well.

[JBS]

I thought he was about 10 years younger than that!

I actually prefer the 19th century Romantic repertoire he recorded with Stuttgart/SWR to his HIP recordings. I need to pull out the Erato set I got last year and see what I like best in there.

[Scion7]

Liz Haddon's book, Making music in Britain : interviews with those behind the notes

[vandermolen]

RIP but I thought that his (incomplete) VW symphonies cycle was very disappointing. In trying to make Vaughan Williams sound 'International' all he achieved was in making the music unidiomatic. Of the few recorded I thought that No.3 (A Pastoral Symphony) was the best. I can think of more deserving conductors who were never Knighted.

[Karl Henning]

RIP but I thought that his (incomplete) VW symphonies cycle was very disappointing. In trying to make Vaughan Williams sound 'International' all he achieved was in making the music unidiomatic. Of the few recorded I thought that No.3 (A Pastoral Symphony) was the best. I can think of more deserving conductors who were never Knighted.

The endeavor feels fundamentally misguided. Indeed, it nearly provokes the q. What was he thinking? But, how many prominent artists would suffer, if they were judged by their poorest work?

[vandermolen]

The endeavor feels fundamentally misguided. Indeed, it nearly provokes the q. What was he thinking? But, how many prominent artists would suffer, if they were judged by their poorest work?

Good point Karl

[DavidW]

But, how many prominent artists would suffer, if they were judged by their poorest work?

Have you heard Wellington's Victory? Beethoven is such a hack!

[DavidW]

RIP but I thought that his (incomplete) VW symphonies cycle was very disappointing. In trying to make Vaughan Williams sound 'International' all he achieved was in making the music unidiomatic. Of the few recorded I thought that No.3 (A Pastoral Symphony) was the best. I can think of more deserving conductors who were never Knighted.

I'll be honest, he is not one of my favorite conductors. That is why I chose to focus on where his music-making was at least important.

[Roasted Swan]

RIP but I thought that his (incomplete) VW symphonies cycle was very disappointing. In trying to make Vaughan Williams sound 'International' all he achieved was in making the music unidiomatic. Of the few recorded I thought that No.3 (A Pastoral Symphony) was the best. I can think of more deserving conductors who were never Knighted.

I must admit I am not a fan of much of Norrington's recorded legacy but actually I think his RVW discs are rather good.  Helped by fine Decca recording and polished LPO playing.  Norrington had a long-standing respect and admiration for RVW including (as I recall) singing in a performance the composer attended towards the end of his life.  Also, these are not performances where Norrington tries to impose HIP ideas on the music.  I'm not suggesting they are the 'best' that's ever been but actually they are better than many by my reckoning.  His Serenade to Music (not a work Jeffrey enjoys I know) might well be considered the best ever....

[JBS]

I don't think I've ever heard his RVW, or even knew he recorded any RVW.

The one recording where I think he fell down on the job is Mahler 2; it's only one of three M2 recordings I actively dislike*. But it's been perhaps 12 or 15 years since I listened to it.

*FTR the other two are Abbado/Vienna and Abbado/Luzern. Ironically Abbado/Chicago is one of my favorites.

[Daverz]

I think I had one of his Beethoven recordings from that initial cycle (the 9th, I think).  Didn't keep it and haven't been tempted since.  It was a good lesson about hype, I suppose.

Apart from recordings in big compendiums, I've only kept one Norrington CD: the Weber Symphonies.  But there the music itself is disappointing.  I only kept the CD to fill a discographic hole.

[SimonNZ]

There's a particularly assholish obituary from the asshole David Hurwitz. I wont link to it but its out there.

edit: and now I see that Norrington hate has been a recurring theme in his broadcasts. And what a devoted fan base DH has out there in the comments sections to applaud his wit every time he says something as un-elucidating as "musical guano".

playing now to get that bad taste out of my mouth:



and following it with 87 from this:



must be something wrong with my ears because this sounds perfectly fine to me

[Irons]

RIP but I thought that his (incomplete) VW symphonies cycle was very disappointing. In trying to make Vaughan Williams sound 'International' all he achieved was in making the music unidiomatic. Of the few recorded I thought that No.3 (A Pastoral Symphony) was the best. I can think of more deserving conductors who were never Knighted.

I have not heard a note of Norrington's RVW cycle Jeffrey, but quite surprised that his recording of the 5th Symphony was liked on a recent broadcast of 'Building a Library' of the 5th.  Marriner, Barbirolli and Boult (Decca) also won plaudits. Outright top recommendation went to Hickox. 

[vandermolen]

I have not heard a note of Norrington's RVW cycle Jeffrey, but quite surprised that his recording of the 5th Symphony was liked on a recent broadcast of 'Building a Library' of the 5th.  Marriner, Barbirolli and Boult (Decca) also won plaudits. Outright top recommendation went to Hickox. 

Interesting Lol as Hickox gets quite a lot of criticism in relation to his VW symphonies recordings, although the 1913 A London Symphony is one of the great VW recordings. I rather enjoyed his set although, sadly he never lived to complete it. I saw him conduct the 9th Symphony not long before his premature death and am sorry that it was not recorded.

[Kalevala]

I haven't listened to any of his recordings in ages as what I'd heard (and granted it wasn't much) didn't resonate with me.  As @brewski pointed out though, he did help to get the HIP movement going.  I must admit that early HIP recordings don't do anything for me.   

K