This year Liverpool is European Capital of Culture. Recently Sir Simon Rattle who was born in the City returned with the great Berlin Philharmonic.
Rattle has accepted the Freedom of the City and as also become 'Artist Laureate 2008'. On October 2, Rattle returns to conduct the Royal Liverpool P. O, an orchestra that he grew up with as a boy. The first ever symphony that Rattle ever conducted with this orchestra was the Fifth of Jean Sibelius, so it is fitting that along with works by Wagner and Brett Dean the concert which is sold out will close with Sibs mighty fifth.--kp

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Here is part of press review of Rattles concert.

The high point-and certainly the emotional apex of the concert was Rattles interpretation of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony, the piece which launched his meteoric career. Conducting without a score, Rattle drew out every last ounce of emotion from the RLPO. He bought a sense of urgency to the first movement and drew out some delicate woodwind sounds in the slow movement. But what a delightful last movement, every inch the proffesional, Rattle bonded perfectly with the RLPO.

It was interesting that Rattle conducted the symphony from memory. Can a conductor ever be so sure of the music?--kp

Very good conductors seem to conduct without scores a decent amount. Karajan certainly did a lot, Bernstein did so quite a bit... not many live conductors do that so much anymore. My youth orchestra's former conductor conducted every concert without the score (except the concerti) because he wanted it all to be more "interactive" than just his head being buried in the score and beating time. And I think it makes perfect sense.

Another level I once read about: Dmitri Mitropoulos, I think, conducted rehearsals without a score.

Rumour has it that Claudio Abbado can conduct Mahler rehearsals without a score, but apparently he doesn't stop and rehearse much anyway.

There are several pieces that I conduct in performance without a score, and for me it simply comes from having performed them numerous times. When I find that I really know what is coming at every point and am able to think bars and bars ahead of the orchestra, it's time to put the score away.

But I don't make a point of memorizing things, I find it just comes naturally with repeated performances. Doing it for its own sake is a bit showy and potentially dangerous. Also, having the score on the stand doesn't mean that one's head must be buried in it...

Most Finnish conductors that I've seen can at least manage Finlandia without a score! (But then often it's an encore anyway.)
In Lahti this year, J-P Saraste didn't use (or need) a score for the First Symphony either.

My wife Gywnneth is not a classical music buff but as my 'soul mate' over the years, she has got to know much Sibelius, her favourites being Finlandia and the Fifth Symphony.
She has commented to me at concerts 'the players hardly ever look at the conductor, is he really needed'?

I have tried to explain to her that most of the essential work is done during rehearsals and at the actual concert the maestro just goes through the motions!--kp

Kurkikohtaus wrote:

Also, having the score on the stand doesn't mean that one's head must be buried in it...

I know that, but maybe page turns and that might distract him or something, I don't know... I would certainly not want to have to be turning pages during Pohjola's Daughter every couple of seconds; that I would find distracting!