Classic Ross Amico

Tag: London Symphony Orchestra

Sibelius Birthday Post: Bernstein’s Fifth

Longtime followers of this page know that I tend to go a little berserk around the time of Sibelius’ birthday. In fact, for the past few years, I’ve honored “Eight Days of Sibelius,” from the start of the month to December 8 – conveniently, the actual anniversary.

Well, this year, somehow, it slipped by the wayside. I always have Sibelius’ birthday firmly in mind, but I forgot all about the “Eight Days.” Which is why you may have gotten slammed yesterday by multiple Sibelius posts, which I hope at least you found interesting or informative. There’s just so much Sibelius material to share, and I’m always setting it aside, making a mental note to save it for December. Trouble is, the memory isn’t so well-oiled as it used to be!

With that in mind, I hope you won’t turn up your nose at a little leftover birthday cake. I mentioned in one of my posts yesterday that Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony is a personal favorite. I haven’t always found Leonard Bernstein to be the ideal interpreter of Sibelius’ symphonies, but I still can’t pass up a live performance. I saw Bernstein conduct it at Carnegie Hall once, back in the 1980s, and it was a fabulous occasion, to be able to hear Lenny work his magic like some grizzled Kalevala wizard.

Here he is, with the London Symphony Orchestra, in 1966:

A sublime, ennobling start to any day – even if the interpretation may not always be my particular glass of vodka.

December 9, 2021
Osian Ellis Welsh Harpist Dies at 92

Alas, Osian Ellis now plays his instrument on another plane.

The Welsh harpist, principal of the London Symphony Orchestra and founding member of the Melos Ensemble, has died at the age of 92.

Ellis was a superstar in his field. Many works were written for him by major composers – he was a frequent collaborator of Benjamin Britten, for one – and he contributed a number of pieces to the harp literature himself, including arrangements of music from his native land. His performances and recordings have enriched and enchanted listeners for over 60 years.

R.I.P.

Fauré, Impromptu

Ravel, Introduction and Allegro

Britten, Suite for Harp (composed for Ellis)

William Mathias, Harp Concerto (composed for Ellis)

Songs with Harp, played and sung by Ellis

Welsh Folk Music

January 17, 2021
Remembering Barry Tuckwell on The Classical Network

This afternoon on The Classical Network, we’ll remember Barry Tuckwell. Tuckwell, one of the greatest hornists of his generation, died yesterday at the age of 88. He was one-time principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra, who splintered off to record widely as a soloist.

We’ll begin the 4:00 hour today, with some samples of his artistry (Telemann, Knussen and Strauss). Then we’ll observe the anniversaries of the birthdays of Wilhelm Kienzl, François-Joseph Gossec, Ulysses Kay, and Afro-Cuban violinist José Silvestre White y Lafitte.

At 6:00, it’s an hour of dystopian visions on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, including selections from “Fahrenheit 451” (Bernard Herrmann), “WALL-E” (Thomas Newman), “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (John Williams), and “Metropolis” (Gottfried Huppertz).

That should be enough to wet your whistle. Music is our valve, as we celebrate Tuckwell and company, from 4 to 7 p.m. EST time, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

January 17, 2020
Barry Tuckwell Legendary Hornist Dies at 88

Legendary hornist Barry Tuckwell has died. Tuckwell was principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra and a widely recorded soloist.

Born in Melbourne in 1931, he didn’t discover the horn until the age of 13. Following lackluster studies on the piano, organ and violin, he embraced the instrument as if it were love at first sight. Within six months, he was playing professionally. In two years, he was appointed principal horn with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Soon after, he became principal of the Sydney Symphony.

When Dennis Brain was killed in an automobile accident in 1957, Tuckwell became, incontestably, Britain’s foremost hornist at the age of 24. He had been appointed first horn with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1955, playing alongside other rising young players Neville Marriner and Gervase de Peyer. He remained with the LSO for 13 years.

Following his departure, he became one of the rare hornists to make a career as a soloist. He would be nominated for a Grammy Award three times.

His farewell appearance was in Oliver Knussen’s Horn Concerto, a piece written for him, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, in 1997. By that time, he had already established a parallel career as a conductor.

Tuckwell left behind over 50 recordings. His repertoire spanned the Baroque to the present, including acclaimed recordings of Mozart and Strauss and many contemporary composers.

He cited Tommy Dorsey as a principal influence. On one occasion, he recollected, he was approached by an awestruck Japanese fan, who stammered, “You, God of Horn.” Thereafter, Tuckwell wryly appended the letters GoH to his personal email.

Tuckwell died yesterday at the age of 88.

https://www.abc.net.au/classic/read-and-watch/news/vale-barry-tuckwell/11876484

January 17, 2020
Gervase de Peyer Clarinet Legend Dies at 90

Gervase de Peyer, longtime principal clarinetist of the London Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of the Melos Ensemble, has died at the age of 90. He also contributed to the founding of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

http://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/clarinet/features/gervase-de-peyer-dies/

A full biography, representative discography, and reminiscences available here:

https://gervasedepeyercom.ipage.com/index.html

February 5, 2017

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