“Sir Roger Norrington, leader of the historical performance practice movement both abroad and Stateside for the last half-century, has announced that he will conduct his final concert on November 18, leading the Royal Northern Sinfonia at [the U.K.’s] Sage Gateshead,” writes Susan Elliott in Tuesday’s (11/9) Musical America (subscription required). “Norrington, who is 87, will oversee ‘Dr. Haydn’s London Academy,’ a recreation of an 18th-century evening of mixed orchestral, solo, and chamber music by Haydn. Included are movements of Symphony No. 103 broken up by canzonettas, a string quartet, and other pieces. Soprano Susan Gritton and fortepianist Steven Devine are also on the bill. ‘I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world,’ said Norrington. ‘The time has come to step off the podium and I am thrilled to spend my last concert as conductor celebrating Haydn with Royal Northern Sinfonia.’ RNS Director Thorben Dittes said, … ‘To have him leading this personally curated recreation of a concert as an audience in London would have experienced it in the 1790s is the perfect culmination of 70 years of music making.’ ”
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