Sir Roger, over and out: Norrington bids a fond farewell with Haydn

Sir Roger Norrington conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia

Sir Roger Norrington bows out

Susan Gritton and Steven Devine

By Mark Pullinger, 19 November 2021

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“the period instrument revolutionary... departed with a twinkle – and perhaps a tear – in his eye”

Reviewed at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music: Sage One, Gateshead on 18 November 2021

Haydn, Symphony no. 103 in E flat major "Drumroll" (Paukenwirbel) (movements 1 & 2)

Haydn, Canzonettas, Hob XXVIa

Haydn, String Quartet no. 64 in D major, Op.76 no. 5, Hob III:79

Haydn, Symphony no. 103 in E flat major "Drumroll" (Paukenwirbel) (movements 3 & 4)

Haydn, March for the Prince of Wales (Marsch für den Prinzen von Wales) Hob VIII:3

Haydn, Set of English Canzonettas

Haydn, Symphony no. 101 in D major "The Clock"

Sir Roger Norrington, Conductor

Susan Gritton, Soprano

Steven Devine, Fortepiano

Royal Northern Sinfonia

Patriotic angst with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Thomas Zehetmair

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Patriotic Sibelius and early Mendelssohn are served up at the Glasshouse in Gateshead.

***11

A new light on Mendelssohn at the Glasshouse

Nick Butters, 6th March

Nil Venditti arrives like a small, joyful bomb at The Glasshouse and lights up a familiar Mendelssohn symphony with new insights.

****1

Sir Bryn Terfel charms Glasshouse audience in reimagined Schubert

Nick Butters, 21st November

Terfel’s charismatic account of Schubert songs orchestrated by a variety of composers, Sofia Gubaidulina’s meditation on his Impromtu and the composer’s own longest symphony make a varied and rewarding evening at The Glasshouse, Gateshead.

****1

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****1

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****1

Fire and ice: Víkingur Ólafsson performs at the Glasshouse

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A Finnish soundscape, fine detail in Bartók and deep understanding in Beethoven from the Royal Northern Sinfonia with Dinis Sousa and Víkingur Ólafsson.

*****

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.