One day after the report of the death of conductor Jiří Bělohlávek, Sir Jeffrey Tate has passed. Tate, who was knighted only last month, collapsed of a heart attack at an art gallery in Bergamo. Despite having been born with spina bifida, which caused paralysis in his left leg, Tate lived a remarkably productive life. He merely conducted while seated on a tall stool.

At the time of his death, Tate was chief conductor of the Hamburg Symphony. He had also been principal conductor of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic.

He was a sensitive Mozart interpreter, as evidenced by a series of acclaimed recordings of the concertos with Mitsuko Uchida; he had a talent for opera, with which, apparently, he had a love/hate relationship; and I have in my possession a very lovely disc he conducted of English pastoral music.

He claimed that he took up conducting purely by accident.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40140053

Tate was 74 years-old. Here he is rehearsing with the English Chamber Orchestra.

PHOTO: Tate and Uchida with the ECO in 1984