in Royal Festival Hall - the 1950's

from Southbank Centre Archive:

I was a youngster in the 1950s and my parents took me to my first classical concert at the Royal Festival Hall. It featured Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and we sat in the third row of the stalls. (Very close to Beecham!) I was amazed to hear him speak to his orchestra in critical terms but then the most unforgettable event occurred. There was a piano concerto (I cannot remember the name of the composer or soloist) but Beecham was obviously dissatisfied with the pianist's tempo and throughout one movement banged on the piano lid with his baton to make the pianist …   more >>

cite as

Southbank Centre (ed.), Southbank Centre Archive. In Southbank Centre Archive. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1447172439578 accessed: 29 March, 2024 (Southbank Centre Archive, http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/about-us/history-and-archive/southbank-centre-archive)

location of experience: Royal Festival Hall

Listening to

hide composers
Various performed by Sir Thomas Beecham, London Philharmonic Orchestra

Experience Information

Date/Time the 1950's
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, indoors, in public

Originally submitted by Liz Ford on Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:20:39 +0000
Approved on Thu, 21 Jan 2016 15:30:56 +0000