Roger Norrington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger Norrington
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Norrington conducting at rehearsal
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Roger Arthur Carver Norrington |
| Born | 16 March 1934 Oxford, Oxfordshire, England |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Conductor, advisor |
| Years active | 1962–2021 |
Sir Roger Norrington (born March 16, 1934) is an English conductor. He is famous for playing old music in a way that sounds like it did when it was first written. This includes music from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic music periods. He stopped conducting in November 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Roger Norrington was born in Oxford, England. His father was Sir Arthur Norrington. Roger studied music at several places. These included The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the Royal College of Music in London. He learned from famous teachers like Adrian Boult.
Norrington played the violin when he was younger. He also sang as a tenor in the 1960s. In 1962, he started his first musical group. It was called the Schütz Choir, which later became the Schütz Choir of London.
His Journey as a Conductor
Roger Norrington led many different musical groups. From 1969 to 1984, he was the music director for Kent Opera. In 1978, he started his own orchestra, the London Classical Players. He led this group until 1997.
He also worked with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta from 1985 to 1989. In the United States, he led the Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1990 to 1994. Roger also helped start the Early Opera Project in 1984. This project performed old operas in their original style.
Leading Orchestras in Europe
Norrington also conducted many orchestras in Europe. He was the main conductor for the Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006. He also led the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011. In 2016, he conducted their final concert in London.
He was a guest conductor for groups like the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. He also led the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011 to 2016. Roger Norrington has conducted over 50 brand new pieces of music. He has also worked with top orchestras around the world. These include the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic.
Playing Music in an Old Style
Roger Norrington is best known for "historically informed performances." This means he tries to play music exactly as it would have sounded when it was first written. He is part of a movement that studies how music was played in the past.
One of his ideas is to use very little or no vibrato when playing string instruments. Vibrato is a slight trembling sound that makes notes richer. He believed that older music was played with less vibrato. This idea has received both praise and criticism.
He also followed Beethoven's original speed markings for his symphonies. Many people thought these markings were too fast. But Norrington believed they were correct. He has recorded music by famous composers like Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. He used both old and modern instruments for these recordings.
With the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Norrington created a special sound. It was called the Stuttgart Sound. This sound combined old ways of playing with a modern orchestra.
TV Appearances
In 2008, Roger Norrington was a judge on a British TV show called Maestro. This show helped people learn to conduct. He also conducted the opening and closing concerts of The Proms in London.
Personal Life
Roger Norrington has been married twice. He and his second wife, Kay Lawrence, have a son named Tom.
Awards and Honours
Roger Norrington has received many awards for his work.
- He was made an Officer of the OBE in 1980.
- He became a Commander of the CBE in 1990.
- He was made a Knight Bachelor in 1997. This means he can be called "Sir."
He also has honorary degrees from several universities.
See also
In Spanish: Roger Norrington para niños
- The Rossini Bicentennial Birthday Gala
