Listen to Sir Simon Rattle

WNYC's John Shaefer talks to the Berlin Philharmonic conductor during intermission at Thursday night's concert at Carnegie Hall

Alex Ross Review, Part 1
PT Host Fred Child talks to New Yorker music critic Alex Ross about Simon Rattle's impact on the Berlin Philharmonic

Alex Ross Review, Part 2
Is the Berlin Philharmonic the best orchestra in the world?

Nov. 14, 2003 -- "This is the most fun you can have standing up!" Sir Simon Rattle tells WNYC's John Shaefer about his music director post with the Berlin Philharmonic. After their first full year together, Rattle and the Berliners embark on their first U.S. tour, making a stop at Carnegie Hall for three programs of music ranging from Haydn to the U.S. premiere of a new work by Henri Deutilleux.

With this 120-year-old orchestra comes much tradition and a reputation for being an elegant, old world orchestra. Rattle admits that part of his job involves keeping this incredible tradition alive while taking the group into the 21st century by introducing more new repertory, and also bringing an element of period performance practice to some of their earlier repertory.

In an interview with PT host Fred Child, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross claims that Rattle has not had a huge, noticeable impact on the orchestra in just one year, though his lively personality is certainly felt in terms of how the orchestra plays, and how they approach and interpret the works.