Unsung Composers

I learnt this morning of the death of Sir Colin Davis - a very sad event indeed. Although largely associated with the sung repertoire, it is worth remembering that, when he began his long advocacy of Berlioz, the great French composer's music was barely known, beyond one or two pieces. He was a great conductor: I caught part one of Les Troyens in London about a decade ago (the recording subsequently came out on LSO Live) and his conducting was both hugely exciting and involving.

Any more reminiscences of Sir Colin?

You are right;
(He also conducted recordings of Spohr concertos, on LP, back in the 1960s. ... ok, I wasn't aware he did that.)

(and there were, according to his recordings and his BBC broadcasts as per Cadensa, quite a few newer- not always, per Spohr 6, the Newest of the New, but recent- composers he kept up with too; Tippett of course, also Fricker- we have or had a Fricker premiere conducted by him in the downloads (uploads? :) ) that I downloaded and not listed to yet- maybe today, then!... - and others. And in a mixed (not so new/newer, that is) way, his LSO Live Elgar 3/Payne - an excellent recording, IMHO, the best of the three.)

You're spot on right, Alan. He was certainly a great conductor, and, yes, his performances were exciting and involving. Maybe it was because of the latter quality that he developed a tremendous popularity amongst students and young people in the 1960-70s. I never thought he was terribly good at talking about music - but he was hugely effective in somehow communicating his enthusiasm for great music (especially Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz and Sibelius) and affecting all those who witnessed his conducting. Eric is also right to remind us that Davis didn't dwell solely in the land of the great dead composers, but also kept up with contemporary ones (his conducting of Tippett, for example, was far superior to Tippett's own efforts with his own music!)

If expelled from the community for some misdemeanour I shall certainly take to the desert island my treasured recordings of Colin Davis conducting Mozart operas (strangely his is the only Mozart I can listen to!), Beethoven symphonies (over the years that glorious Philips boxed set is the only complete set of Beethoven symphonies I've retained - I think it is really distinguished), and the Sibelius symphonies (few have equalled him here).

But above all I shall forever associate Davis with Berlioz. Doesn't it now seem almost unbelievable that at the time when he commenced his Berlioz odyssey on Philips Berlioz was almost quite unsung - at least in the UK? I remember saving up (hard!) in my student days for those wonderful chunky Philips boxes (with illuminating notes by David Cairns - who of course went on to write that most splendid of all composer biographies on Berlioz). And once you acquired them you utterly treasured them and played them almost with a great reverence. In the history of recorded music the Davis Berlioz recordings will surely take their place beside the Solti Ring. Both were monumental undertakings, and landmarks in gramophone history.

Quite right. Peter. Well said.

QuoteIn the history of recorded music the Davis Berlioz recordings will surely take their place beside the Solti Ring. Both were monumental undertakings, and landmarks in gramophone history.

They certainly deserve to. I learned so much of Berlioz's music through Colin Davis' performances. I remember the first time he performed the Grande Messe des Morts at the Proms in the 1960s and being utterly bowled over by the piece.  But the work which made me realize his genius was Les Troyens, still, for me, one of the greatest of all operas. That it received a production at Covent Garden at all - one which I count myself very lucky to have seen - was because of Davis' advocacy. There is no doubt he will take his place in the pantheon of great British conductors - and to think he was not allowed to attend Malcolm Sargent's conducting classes because he didn't play the piano! Well, Berlioz didn't either.

I missed the news of his passing due to the coverage of the Boston Marathon situation...

Another titan departs...

We are all very concerned here about the Boston situation and send our condolences to friends in America in your collective sense of loss.

I unreservedly echo these sentiments - both in respect of the beloved Sir Colin, and the outrage in Boston.
It is also a tragedy that - almost simultaneously - 31 people have been killed and some 200 injured in a series of coordinated terrorist explosions in cities across Iraq. Pain and suffering knows no borders.  :(

I disagree with much that has been said.  He almost wrecked the Covent Garden orchestra and his time at the BBC was not successful either.  I would say his ambition outran his talent.  I would have been happy if he had stayed in Bamberg.

Did you hear anything conducted by him, Giles?

Plenty of healthy disagreement on the forum, Giles, and I for one welcome it since it helps us develop our views and learn from each other.

However I cannot refrain from saying that I'm quite astonished by your claim, and the timing of it. Everything that I've ever read, together with talking to those who worked with Colin Davis, suggests a quite unanimous view of him as an exceptional musician, wholly committed to making music rather than advancing himself, and as being a remarkably kind and supportive man to singers and orchestral players.

No option but to agree to disagree with you. Might I also suggest that we perhaps defer at the present time any discussion of your reasons for your view? It may be that there is some point to the latter, although that to me would seem very unlikely indeed. However I know a good number of people are hugely saddened by his departure from life, and in these circumstances I think it quite inappropriate that we should embark on discussion of any shortcomings in this wonderful man's abilities, contributions to the musical world, and enrichment of the lives and experiences of others.

If there are genuine reasons for holding a negative view of Sir Colin Davis, I think they should be heard - provided, of course, they are expressed with the appropriate restraint and sensitivity.

Early in his career he was a bit of a hot-head, but he calmed quite a bit after his life settled down, and became a well-respected musician in the ensuing years.  Perhaps the early part of his career is what Giles is referring to, no?

QuoteHe almost wrecked the Covent Garden orchestra

Much as I admired his championing, and conducting, of Berlioz, I have to admit that his effect on the Covent Garden orchestra (acknowledged as one of the finest in the world when Solti was in charge), was deleterious. I attended a performance of Das Rheingold under his baton and was dismayed by the very mediocre playing of the orchestra on that occasion.
Still, de mortuis nil nisi bonum... at least, until a decent time has elapsed.

Of the three recordings of the reconstructed Elgar 3rd, I find his the best (as one particular example, as I think either Payne, or a friend, or both, noted, the very opening to the finale needs pointing, both as left by the composer, and even, I think from what I saw in the published score, in the reconstruction; in his recording those chords are least neutral, which seems to be a matter of - balance of orchestration? some changes in dynamics? directions to players?... - there's some noticeable difference from Daniel's recording, for instance, even if I'm not positive how it's created...)

This Bostonian didn't realize that mourning the death of Sir Colin Davis wasn't going to be the lowlight of the week.  Still, I have many fond memories of his tenure as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra back in the 1970's.  There was plenty of Berlioz, of course, much of it already familiar to an orchestra whose music director had been Charles Munch, to my mind the other great Berlioz conductor of the 20th century.  But there was also a good deal of Tippett, including the world premiere of The Mask of Time and the American premiere of the Third Symphony.  In those days, I used to go backstage regularly after the concerts to speak to the performers.  In this case, in addition to getting Tippett's autograph (I remember he was extremely shortsighted and held his eyes a couple of inches over the program), I managed to make a fool of myself by asking Heather Harper not "Was that very difficult to learn?" (as I had intended to) but "Did you really enjoy singing that?"  She gave me a look of appalled amusement and said, "Do you think I would I have sung it if I didn't?"  Sir Colin also led two extraordinarily exciting and inspiring performances of a couple of English symphonies that I, in my twenties, had never heard:  Walton's First and Vaughan Williams's Fourth.  Davis himself was invariably a pleasure to talk to in the green room; he was often to be found perched, feet dangling, on top of the piano and sipping from a large glass of Scotch whisky, and his responses were invariably insightful and pungently funny.  I never had a chance to sing under his baton, but I have many good friends who did, and they adored him.  A few years after his tenure as Principal Guest Conductor, he returned to conduct a stunning performance of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius.  The last time I saw him conduct was two years ago.  I was vacationing in London and heard him lead the LSO in a Beethoven piano concerto with Mitsuko Uchida and a splendid performance of Carl Nielsen's Sixth Symphony, which I had never heard live.  The tone of some of his obituaries (not to mention some of the entries on this site) I find a little bemusing.  He caught me young, I guess; but to me he'll always be one of the great conductors.

Thank you Colin Davis for wakening my ears to Sibelius; the Boston cycle is still one of my favorites. Thanks for being one of the few (only?) major conductors to take on the Elgar-ish 3rd. You gave us a solid, beautiful Brahms cycle - vastly underrated IMO. And bless you for being one of the few major conductors who made it to the top despite not being a pianist!

I wrote a reply this morning and then accidentally erased it...most frustrating...so let me try again.

"...He almost wrecked the Covent Garden orchestra and his time at the BBC was not successful either..."

Unfortunately, not all fine interpretive musicians are also fine orchestra builders, or administrators, or diplomats.  Leonard Bernstein, a much-loved man of considerable and wide-ranging musical gifts, left the NY Phil in truly ramshackle condition when he left.  It took years and the hard work of a conductor seldom mentioned among the titans, Zubin Mehta, to replace the clinkers and whip the ensemble back into shape.  But who considers this now when judging Bernstein's legacy?

On the opposite side you find Fritz Reiner, a poisonous man hated by many of his Chicago players...but what an orchestra he left!  Do we still care how horrible he was in rehearsal? 

Years from now, when we are gone and all the orchestra players of the day and their griefs are forgotten, only the recorded legacy will remain.  For me, Sir Colin's recordings are formidable.  Especially fine, and seldom mentioned on anyone's shortlist, are his Haydn London symphonies.  What a set!  The Concertgebouw plays marvelously and the music has never sounded more perfectly balanced between invention, humor and drama.  Rhythms sprung, beautifully judged tempos, the perfect weight...not Beethovenian, not flighty.  Terrific.

Oh, and all that Berlioz, too...;)

David

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/colin-davis (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/colin-davis)

And, don't miss the interview from May 2001!  ;)

As to the ROHCG, the following excerpts from their website suggest that his time with them was inspiring. Sir John Tooley, General Administrator (later General Director) from 1970 to 1988
says:
'Colin's early days at Music Director at the Royal Opera House were not easy for him, as they had not been for his predecessor, Sir Georg Solti. There were some doubts that he could deliver and that he could begin to match some of the world's greatest conductors. In all of this, the doubters were wrong and proved to be wrong by Colin as he widened his repertory and excelled in much of what he undertook. One of his biggest challenges was the new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen from 1973 to 1976, in which he collaborated with director Götz Friedrich. Not an easy relationship, but one that nevertheless flourished and resulted in some remarkable performances.'

Thomas Allen says:
'He was Music Director of The Royal Opera at the most crucial stage of the Company's history and development, one that happened to coincide with my own arrival in WC2. Led by him, I will always remember the strength of the Company in visits to La Scala, Milan, South Korea and Tokyo and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, key moments in creating and establishing the international standards for which the company is renowned. Colin Davis led The Royal Opera through all of that vital period.'

Opera director David McVicar worked with Sir Colin when Sir Colin conducted his Royal Opera productions of Die Zauberflöte (2003 and 2011) and Le Nozze di Figaro (2006 and 2011) and his new production of La Clemenza di Tito (for Aix-en-Provence, 2012):

'When I first started listening to opera and especially listening to Mozart, it was Sir Colin's recordings I first listened to. So when it came to working with Sir Colin on Die Zauberflöte, Le Nozze di Figaro and La Clemenza di Tito, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to me. He was completely inspiring to work with, gentle and wise and he didn't give a damn about following fashion in Mozart. He followed his own heart and belief. His way with Mozart was the way I learned Mozart – and the most natural way to work on these operas. Everyone who worked on these productions benefitted from all his wisdom and experience: it was magical and very special.'

I have been to about 15 operas/concerts over the years, conducted by him and I have only heard run of the mill performances under him.  While he was at Covent Garden it was he who got me out of the habit of seeing most of their productions, something I have never returned to doing.  At the BBC I only saw him conducting at the proms. and can't say he inspired the audience much, an audience which is usually very receptive to anything.  I have also seen him at the Barbican where again he could have been any jobbing conductor.

...which just shows how different the experiences of different people can be.

Alan, you haven't said what good performances you have seen him in.?

Quote from: giles.enders on Tuesday 23 April 2013, 10:50
Alan, you haven't said what good performances you have seen him in.?

Please see my initial post. I have never experienced anything that has surpassed that performance.