That’s Entertainment By Robert Paterson Impresario to the Stars By coincidence, when I was asked to write these But enough of what the Hall means to one words about my experiences at the Royal Albert promoter. It represents to the world quite Hall, I had just read, in a recent Compendium, another thing. It represents everything that is that many years ago when Yehudi Menuhin was good and best about British entertainment, driving to the airport his youngest son said to whether it be sport or music, Remembrance Day him, as they passed the august establishment or the Burma Star Reunion, Brass Band "Daddy, we are passing your home!". That really is competitions or Boy Scouts Reunions. It very much how I feel about the Royal Albert Hall. represents the epitome of Britain, which is why I This year marks fifteen years of putting on would like to mention some of those marvellous concerts there - concerts as diverse as Andy nights that I will never forget and some of the Williams and Viennese and Tchaikovsky nights, fantasies I planned that never happened, but which Paul Simon and Nana Mouskouri, Shirley Bassey naturally I planned only for the Royal Albert Hall. and Mahalia Jackson. During three generations of There are so many of those "great moments" and untiring and ever- helpful Royal Albert Hall since it is such a subjective matter, it inevitably managers, Chris Hopper, the late lamented Frank turns out to be extremely invidious to list just a Mundy and Tony Charlton, I have been constantly few. However, with trepidation I will do so, as astounded at the unbelievable effort that since I was a student either sitting on the floor at everybody makes towards ensuring that each the back of the arena during the Promenade evening is the resounding success that it usually is. concerts (where I learnt all my basic symphonic The Honorary Stewards, for example: so little is and concerto literature)' or today when I am written about them and yet behind each face at fortunate enough to be ushered to a slightly more every door in the stalls, the orchestra and the salubrious seat. I nevertheless in the last 25 years, balcony, there is always a character - a person have witnessed some of the greatest musical who maybe has a V.C. to his credit in World War experiences of my life right there in front of six II, maybe spends' all his daytime, working for thousand people. In the early sixties I remember some charity with unstinting dedication. Every so well the fiftieth anniversary performance of time I have stopped and talked to one, I have Stravinsky's "Sacre de Printemps" with the found one such as this. A truly remarkable and London Symphony Orchestra conducted by praiseworthy gathering of people, faceless to the Pierre Monteux. That happened to be the very public, but absolutely fundamental to the basic first moment in my life when I actually saw Igor nightly cause of fostering the public's interest and Stravinsky in the flesh. I remember rushing down enjoyment of the evening. And then one thinks of from the very top of the choir seats to behind the the facilities that a promoter gets offered. loggia from which Stravinsky walked out, down Those crazy nights when a Robert Paterson through the stalls and along to embrace Monteux rushes into the Hall with telephone calls from at the edge of the stage. It was one of the most New York, Los Angeles and Sydney pursuing him. moving moments of my life and I particularly How helpful the manager has always been to let remembered it with affection, because it was to one take those calls in his office. A discreet tap on be but a year later that I signed a management the door of grand tier 40 and one is ushered away contract with Maestro Stravinsky, and eventually into the privacy of an office within which one can brought him to London for his last concert here talk to one's heart's content. How few halls in September 1965. During those early student throughout the world in which I have presented days there are many other happy souvenirs. It was shows provide that kind of courtesy and probably in 1959, sitting again in the choir, that gentillesse. Henryk Szeryng made his debut performance in a 1
Promenade concert conducted by Sir Malcolm How faithful he was to the morendo in the last Sargent. I remember well that it was bars! Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and I am sure I was Six years later I found myself sitting between the the first on my feet to applaud this extraordinary now much older Jeremy Menuhin and David Frost Polish émigré on his first appearance in this at the televised Dvorak Cello Concerto with country. A year or two after there was an Slava and again his powers appeared [0 be totally unforgettable evening with the Stern-Rose- undiminished. I remember once discussing with Istomin Trio, which ended in a sublime him the extraordinary intellectual. mental and performance of the Beethoven Triple Concerto, physical problems that he must have faced when, but perhaps more significantly there was also a in the late sixties in New York, he played the performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto entire repertoire for cello and orchestra within a with Stern that reduced both him and Sargent to period of three weeks. "Oh no" he said, "It is very tears. The list could go on and on. May I plead simple. All I ever do is sit at my chair and to play indulgence and mention a few more? The night, music". How very simple indeed and yet why is it for example, that Julius Katchen played the that no-one, since possibly Casals at his very Brahms B Flat Concerto with Sir John Barbirolli greatest, has ever begun to produce such sounds and, after the very last chord of the fourth as Slava? Wc are very fortunate that he has now movement was struck, and Julius stood up to take taken his decision to live in the West and that we his applause, the back leg of the piano sheared off have the opportunity of hearing even more of him at its base and the whole instrument collapsed in than in the past. In the last year or two there are front of him, J.B. and the orchestra! I'll never a few landmarks that I would regret not forget the critics. “Katchen batters piano into mentioning. One was Riccardo Muti's Verdi submission" in The Telegraph ! It was all power for "Requiem" - a performance that set the Royal cause in those days. (I was lapping up Sir William Albert Hall alight and indeed possibly, and finally, Glock's menu at the Promenade concerts, paved the way for Muti to be rightly described as listening to David Oistrakh's magnificent the successor to Giulini and even lay claim to the performance, hearing the astounding debut of mantle of a latter day Toscanini. One of the Sviatoslav Richter's with the Dvorak Concerto annual events that has given me the most pleasure instantly followed up the next day b the two Liszt in recent years is the Schools Prom. Derek Jewell, Concerti and as an encore the "Totentanz". What Publishing Director of Times Newspapers, performances! After all in those days all we had to initiated the idea some three or four years ago go by about arguably the World’s greatest pianist, and when you actually dissociate the evening from was an extraordinary performance of the the popcorn and Coca-Cola, the harassed staff Schumann Piano Concerto, which had been dealing with a virtual St. Trinians' night out, you released some two years before. Then there was realise the depth and wealth of talent that lies Lenny Bernstein’s moving Memorial Concert to latent in this country. Some never discovered, Igor Stravinsky and, in particular, his performance never furthered, never given a chance. What a of “The Symphony of Psalms”. Shortly after that tragedy it is, but what pleasure the Schools Proms the Royal Albert Hall celebrated its centenary (this year now numbering three days) gives to all culminating with an unforgettable performance of those school-children, parents and the public at “Belshazzar’s Feast” with Sir William Walton, a large. More power to their elbow and long may frail figure, walking on to the podium and they flourish. conducting with such authority and grandeur. A moment during which one was proud to be Let me finish with a brief note of "the ones that British and indeed to be celebrating with the got away" - those concerts that I would love to Royal Albert Hall. A year later Rostropovich gave have presented, which circumstances regrettably his first Promenade concert. It was "Don prevented happening. The late Judy Garland. I Quixote" ,- an absolutely ravishing performance remember in the mid-sixties, lived near me in The from the world's greatest cellist. who certainly Boltons and, but for a matter of sadly appeared to be as equally moved as the audience. insurmountable insurance problems would have 2
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