Book Review
New Expanded edition of the best selling classic -
Beecham Stories
Anecdotes, sayings and impressions of Sir Thomas Beecham
compiled by Harold Atkins and Archie Newman with a Foreword by Yehudi Menuhin
Robson Books hardback 90 pages £10:95 ISBN 1-86105-393-2AmazonUK £8.76
This is a welcome return of an old favourite that must have been dipped into and thumbed through by thousands of music lovers, with a sense of humour, the world over.
Beecham’s colourful personality, his keen musicianship and his pithy witticisms have become legendary.
Just a few of his quick-witted razor sharp comments:-
On conductors:-
Von Karajan – a sort of musical Malcolm Sargent
Toscanini – A glorified Italian bandmaster
Sargent (on Beecham hearing he was conducting in Japan)
"Ah! Flash in Japan"
On opera singers:-
A soprano was rehearsing the dying Mimi in the last act of La Bohème with Beecham conducting. He called out: "I want more tone – I can’t hear you .
"Don’t you realise," she protested, "that one can’t give of one’s best when one is in a prone position?"
"I seem to recollect", he replied "that I have given some of my best performances in that position."
On orchestras:-
"There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn’t give a damn what goes on in between."
On audiences:-
"The English may not like music, but they absolutely love the noise it makes."
Always guaranteed to raise a smile.
Ian Lace
