On Wagner by Norman Lebrecht / July 26, 2000 An orchestral veteran was telling me in the Garrick the other day how Sir Thomas Beecham sent him to Bayreuth in 1934 to buy some heavy-metal instruments for a Ring at Covent Garden. The young visitor was adopted by Bayreuth’s principal hornist, who was so taken with his ‘kleiner Englander’ that, between acts, he rushed over to Winifred Wagner, the English-born festival director, and formally introduced him. Frau Wagner, in return, presented her companion for the evening – and that’s how my friend John became one the few English musicians to…

Long live the Russian revolution Amid scenes of wonderment the visit of the Kirov climaxed this week with an awe-inspiring War and Peace. For the third time this century Russian visitors have opened our eyes and set new standards in opera and ballet. by Norman Lebrecht / July 12, 2000 WITH the outbreak of War and Peace at Covent Garden, the last slab in the monumental Kirov season has been put in place, and it becomes possible to assess the project in its historic perspective – for historic is the only word. Three times in the 20th century the Russians…

Bucks Stop Here – The Biggest Need Not Be the Best by Norman Lebrecht / July 5, 2000 THE international concert circuit revolves around the assumption that there are three crack orchestras in Europe – in Berlin, Vienna and Amsterdam – and five in America, where the mighty handful are commonly known as the Big Five. The assumption is not founded on current form or conductor. In Europe, the pecking order was established long ago by the record industry which, dying, is now sowing confusion. In America, money speaks. The Big Five were supposedly the richest outfits, namely: Boston, Chicago,…

Sitting alone in a box at the opera can give rise to mild delusions. The Duke of Wellington used to imagine he was in his sitting room at home and would greet the singers on stage as arriving guests. ‘Good evening, Miss Lind,’ he’d call out to the Swedish Nightingale. ‘How are you tonight? All right, I hope.’ He was not at all bothered when she proceeded to go mad and die before his eyes as Donizetti’s Lucia. Myself, I like to kick off shoes and sip coffee, receiving a performance at two levels of immersion, wet and dry. In…

Noxious Crossover by Norman Lebrecht / June 14, 2000 ONE night last week, having despaired of finding anything more cultural on British television than saggy-bottomed naturists on Channel 5, I was zapping around the cable map when Italy, for once, came up trumps. Rai-Uno, the premier state channel, had cleared its schedules of sappy game shows and was relaying a live event entitled Luciano and Friends. The mighty Pavarotti was making music in his hometown of Modena for the benefit of Tibetan charities. The Dalai Lama, no less, was sitting in the front row of the arena and beside him…

On donations to the arts in Europe and America TIS the season to be giving. Something close to £12 million poured in last weekend to the BBC’s Children in Need appeal. Another record total is confidently expected for the annual Telegraph charity fund-raiser next Sunday. Manning the phones for The Telegraph, I never fail to be moved and humbled at the generosity of thousands of people who want to give others the chance of a better life. Never in human history has so much been freely given by so many in good causes – and I have the figures to…