Sir Adrian Boult - From Bach to Wagner

[gurnemanz]

Such a shame he wasn't allowed singers in the Ring chunks: "...I [Boult] wonder[ed] if 'they' would think one or two singers a good idea? If so I put Wotan's Farewell at the top of the list..."

I read somewhere that he blamed Beecham for keeping him out of the opera house.
There's an interesting Gramophone review by Trevor Harvey of one of the original LP issues in 1973. He tells us Boult liked to listen to Wagner operas at more than one sitting. One time he was sitting out an act at Bayreuth and went for supper, whereupon Bruno Walter arrived, saying "Oh, you also do this!"

http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/December%201973/131/763993/WAGNER.+ORCHESTRAL+OPERA+EXCEPTS.+London+Philharmonic+Orchestra+conducted+by+Sir+Adrian+Boult.+HMV+ASD2934+%28k2+28%29.#header-logo

[Pabmusic]

I read somewhere that he blamed Beecham for keeping him out of the opera house...

Beecham had a truly unpleasant side. He thought he should have been given the new BBC SO, and when it went to Boult, Beecham went off in a huff and founded the LPO as a rival.

[Parry1912]

There's an interesting Gramophone review by Trevor Harvey of one of the original LP issues in 1973. He tells us Boult liked to listen to Wagner operas at more than sitting. One time he was sitting out an act at Bayreuth and went for supper, whereupon Bruno Walter arrived, saying "Oh, you also do this!"
http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page...9.#header-logo

Interesting. Thanks for the link, G.

[salymap]

He could be quite fearsome when he lost his temper, very rarely. Once when either Bax or Bliss were standing beside him at a rehearsal they complained about something. He really lost it for amoment then quietly said something like " come on clarinets,we mustn't keep the composer waiting."

He was rather taken for granted by us all and it's good to see this thread.

[Tony Halstead]

There was an occasion when he could have very easily got very cross with me... but didn't!
Sir Adrian was conducting the BBC Scottish SO in about 1968, and it was the very first rehearsal/ read through of the 'Hebridean Symphony' by Granville Bantock on a Sunday morning. 'The lads' of the brass section, including myself, had downed large quantities of ale and Scotch the night before, and I had a very 'dry lip' ( unresponsive embouchure!). When we got to the 'big horn solo' in the first movement, after I had played the first two or three notes, 'horror of horrors' my lips just stopped worklng. Just nothing. No musical sound came out of the horn at all, just a sort of pathetic, pitchless wheezing.
Sir Adrian just carried on beating and called out to me "what's the matter, don't you LIKE this tune?"

[salymap]

There was an occasion when he could have very easily got very cross with me... but didn't!
Sir Adrian was conducting the BBC Scottish SO in about 1968, and it was the very first rehearsal/ read through of the 'Hebridean Symphony' by Granville Bantock on a Sunday morning. 'The lads' of the brass section, including myself, had downed large quantities of ale and Scotch the night before, and I had a very 'dry lip' ( unresponsive embouchure!). When we got to the 'big horn solo' in the first movement, after I had played the first two or three notes, 'horror of horrors' my lips just stopped worklng. Just nothing. No musical sound came out of the horn at all, just a sort of pathetic, pitchless wheezing.
Sir Adrian just carried on beating and called out to me "what's the matter, don't you LIKE this tune?"

He was always a gentleman, even when annoyed

[pastoralguy]

I once received a lovely email from Rodney Friend who had led the LPO for many years under Boult. He said that, for him, Boult represented a breed of conductors who were, alas, a thing of the past. No 'jet setting' for Boult - he simply got on with the job in hand.
He added that although he had recorded the Brahms symphonies many times it was the recordings with Boult that were his favourite.

He told me a wonderful story that Boult arrived for the recording session of Schubert 9 on a London bus with the score under his arm!

One of my all time fav. recordings of ANYTHING is Boult and the LPO playing the Tchaikovsky Third Suite. Just wonderful muic making.

[salymap]

I once received a lovely email from Rodney Friend who had led the LPO for many years under Boult. He said that, for him, Boult represented a breed of conductors who were, alas, a thing of the past. No 'jet setting' for Boult - he simply got on with the job in hand.
He added that although he had recorded the Brahms symphonies many times it was the recordings with Boult that were his favourite.

He told me a wonderful story that Boult arrived for the recording session of Schubert 9 on a London bus with the score under his arm!

One of my all time fav. rec ordings of ANYTHING is Boult and the LPO playing the Tchaikovsky Third Suite. Just wonderful muic making.

Yes another good story is when Boult chastised Sargent for always taking taxis. Sargent said he did it to make more room for Adrian on the bus.

I'm getting interested in this Boult box. Are the details on this thread somewhere please ?

[gurnemanz]

I'm getting interested in this Boult box. Are the details on this thread somewhere please ?

The research of board members pointed to Sainsbury's as cheapest - £15.99 post free. (Amazon £21). This where I bought it and it is certainly recommended.

http://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/en/Music/CD/Sir-Adrian-Boult/From-Bach-To-Wagner/product.html?product=E11106972

[salymap]

The research of board members pointed to Sainsbury's as cheapest - £15.99 post free. (Amazon £21). This where I bought it and it is certainly recommended.
http://www.sainsburysentertainment.c...duct=E11106972

Thanks a lot Gurnemanz

[Barbirollians]

It is just marvellous salymap - you won't regret it I am sure and the analogue recordings are splendidly full and warm.

The Brahms 2 brought a tear of joy to my eye this evening .

[Ferretfancy]

I've just taken delivery of the Boult box, and splendid it is too. I already have some of these issues on LP, but not the Brandenburgs or the Mozart symphonies. For those who haven't encountered them before, all the Wagner discs are beautiful. Incidentally, apart from the Wagner and one of the Brahms symphonies, everything in the box was engineered by the outstanding Christopher Parker, he was the equal of Decca's Wilkie in achievement and should not be forgotten.

[cloughie]

This thread has been a joy - who would have thought that Good Old Sir Adrian would have brought so much pleasure to so many people in the cynical 21st Century - good music well played and hardly a dissenting voice - and most of us bought it from a grocer!

[Barbirollians]

This thread has been a joy - who would have thought that Good Old Sir Adrian would have brought so much pleasure to so many people in the cynical 21st Century - good music well played and hardly a dissenting voice - and most of us bought it from a grocer!

I am just listening to Prelude to Act III of Meistersingers now - beautifully played .

[salymap]

I see this is Rob's Essential choice from Monday to Friday next week at 9am.