Originally posted by salymap
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Sir Adrian Boult - From Bach to Wagner
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Originally posted by gurnemanz View PostToday's Oldie has an article about Neville Cardus which includes his cartoon of Sir Adrian with modestly proportioned angel's wings.
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Thanks for the link to the 'Thomas Russell Affair' paper; it certainly contains more than is in Michael Kennedy's book.
There's another musical 'scandal' concerning Boult. In 1962, he was engaged to record the soundtrack for Lawrence of Arabia with the LPO. It's not quite clear why he was engaged, as he'd never done any film work, ever, but it seems to have been part of a ruse by Columbia Pictures to secure British government funding by employing a certain number of notable British crew. Anyway, Boult was ill-at-ease with the recording, and Maurice Jarre (the composer) had to give him a quick tutorial about synchronising the recording with the film. Boult became perplexed and confessed that he'd never "conducted to a film before, and what's more had no intention of doing so! He explained to [Sam] Spiegel about his lack of experience at this kind of conducting and said 'This young chap you have here [indicating Jarre] seems to know how to do it.' From that point on Jarre conducted all the music". [From the soundtrack album note.]
Boult's name still appears in the film, though Jarre is given credit on the soundtrack album. Apparently, David Lean said it was the only time where credit was given on one of his films where it wasn't due! That's not quite fair, since I believe Boult actually conducts the Overture and Main Title (or perhaps just the Overture) on the soundtrack!Last edited by Pabmusic; 20-09-12, 08:36.
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Originally posted by mercia View Post
Whatever the truth behind the Russell affair and Kennedy is pretty plain that Boult having originally supported him - threw him over - you are not going to get it from such rubbish as this .It strikes me as the very opposite of a proper history
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Working my way through still and what a glorious performance of the Siegfried Idyll and the Parsifal music . There isn't a dud performance in this box of 11 CDs in my opinion.
I note that the booklet note refers to almost all of the 4 Wagner LPs being included . Anyone know what is missing ? I cannot think it can be a question of room at least one of the Wagner CDs is only 59 minutes long .
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Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post...I note that the booklet note refers to almost all of the 4 Wagner LPs being included . Anyone know what is missing ? I cannot think it can be a question of room at least one of the Wagner CDs is only 59 minutes long .
December 1971, New Philharmonia -
Mastersingers - Preludes, Acts 1 & 3; Lohengrin - Preludes, Acts 1 & 3; Tristan & Isolde - Prelude, Act 1; Tannhäuser - Overture
December 1972, LPO -
Siegfried - Forest Murmurs; Tristan & Isolde - Prelude, Act 3; Tannhäuser - Prelude, Act 3; Götterdämerung - Dawn & Siegfried's Rhine-journey; Siegfried's Funeral March; Die Walküre - Ride of the Valkyries
January 1974, LSO -
Siegfried Idyll; Parsifal - Act 1 Prelude & Transformation Music; Act 3 - Prelude & Good Friday Spell
January 1974, LPO -
Das Rheingold - Entry of the Gods into Valhalla; Flying Dutchman - Overture; Tannhäuser - Grand March; A Faust Overture; Rienzi - Overture
I do hope I’ve copied this correctly! He made one more Wagner recording – the June 1975 Wesendonck Lieder, with Janet Baker and the LPO. I’m not sure that this is in the present set.
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The Wagner LPs were very good, especially a couple I had in Electrola pressings, but I'm still very pleased to have the CD box. I found the Brandenburgs fascinating with their oddly old fashioned style, but they don't lack bounce for all that. I'm planning to hear the Jupiter and Haffner symphonies today.
One of my favourite Boult LPs is simply called " Bravo" it was a WRC issue including a sparkling performance of Saint-Saens Wedding Cake Caprice with Gwyneth Pryor, and Christopher Bunting playing Kol Nidrei. Lots of other items including Portsmouth Point. We sometimes forget how good Boult was when conducting lighter items. A rousing performance of the Dam Busters March rounded off his 80th Birthday Concert !
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