Classical and Jazz: Latest News > March 24
Published: 24 March, 2011
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
THE hottest tickets in town in summer 2012 won’t be for the Olympics, they’ll be for concerts conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. His recent concerts at the Barbican and Royal Festival Hall sold out months beforehand.
Those fortunate enough to have a ticket were rewarded by glorious musical evenings given top five-star ratings by virtually all the musical scribblers.
Now, the Rattle groupies are buying up tickets for his London concerts next year and it may not be long before they’re sold out, unlike the Olympics.
One concert in particular is already exciting Rattle fans. He’s conducting the Vienna Philharmonic at the Barbican on June 17 next year, the programme being Brahms’ Symphony No 3, Webern’s Six Pieces for Orchestra and Schumann’s “Rhenish” Symphony No 3.
There’s only one other Rattle concert in London next year – with the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment at the Royal Festival Hall on June 10. The programme of French romantic music is quite delightful: Fauré, Ravel and Debussy. Oddly enough, there are lots of tickets still available for the June 10 concert. Admittedly, the OAE is not the Vienna Phil. But for my money it could well turn out to be the more enthralling Rattle concert of the two. Rattle/La Mer, what dreams should be made of!