Sir Neville Marriner at 90

[EdgeleyRob]

Faves.
Mozart Symphonies.
Wonderful RVW Lark (Iona Brown).
Tchaikovsky and Dvorak Serenades for strings.

Happy birthday Nev !

[gustav5]

Listened with interest to In the South this morning on EC. RC championed a benchmark recording. Mmmmmm methinks not. Plenty of salt in the air during the opening, but it all became rather listless and the final bars were a real damp squib. JB live....... now there's a benchmark recording!

Sir NM is a bit of a journeyman: recorded more music than any other conductor, apparently. But essential classics, perhaps not. Happy birthday though.

[Barbirollians]

I'm trying to work out which work to listen to celebrate!

So little to choose from...!

Exactly - though Alan Loveday's Four Seasons just scrapes through !

[pastoralguy]

Ended up listening to the early Mendelssohn piano concerto with The great John Ogdon. Superb music making.

[Barbirollians]

Ended up listening to the early Mendelssohn piano concerto with The great John Ogdon. Superb music making.

Good choice - so many not to choose from though . I recall a Sorcerer's Apprentice where everyone seemed to be asleep .

[pastoralguy]

Good choice - so many not to choose from though . I recall a Sorcerer's Apprentice where everyone seemed to be asleep .

I always felt his best work was with the Academy. He never really seemed at home in 'big' works.

[richardfinegold]

I thought he was 90 in 1960! Time must stand still ...

You are a naughty boy

[richardfinegold]

Listened with interest to In the South this morning on EC. RC championed a benchmark recording. Mmmmmm methinks not. Plenty of salt in the air during the opening, but it all became rather listless and the final bars were a real damp squib. JB live....... now there's a benchmark recording!

Sir NM is a bit of a journeyman: recorded more music than any other conductor, apparently. But essential classics, perhaps not. Happy birthday though.

I also learned much of what is now considered the standard Baroque repetoire through his ASMF recordings. I remember being really excited when he guest conducted the Detroit SO when I was in College in The Planets. Unfortunately, the performance was awful, with many mistimed entrances and very poor balances and scathing evues. According to a friend of mine who was a recent hire as a second violin the Orchestra thought he looked like a traffic cop on the podium instead of a musician.

[Ariosto]

You are a naughty boy

I know ... Regarding Alan Loveday, he also played in the ASMF in his later years. Players would ask him for fingering and the best way to approach difficult passages. A great player, and very underestimated. A very nice guy as well.

[pastoralguy]

I know ... Regarding Alan Loveday, he also played in the ASMF in his later years. Players would ask him for fingering and the best way to approach difficult passages. A great player, and very underestimated. A very nice guy as well.

Yes, a wonderful player. There's a lovely performance of Scherherezade with the RPO under, I think, Kempfe, where you can hear he has the most gorgeous sound. He did make some Lps in the 60's but I don't suppose they'll ever make it to cd. I do have one of two Beethoven sonatas.

[aeolium]

I always felt his best work was with the Academy. He never really seemed at home in 'big' works.

Yes. I have a lot of affection for him and the ASMF as I had a great deal of pleasure listening to their performances and recordings in the 1970s and early 1980s, not least because of the quality of the players in the ASMF: Kenneth Sillito, Alan Loveday, Iona Brown, Malcolm Latchem etc etc.

Anyway, I had a listen to the Act 1 finale of this yesterday (lovely ensemble playing and a fine cast):

http://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/89801/Rossini_-_Il_barbiere_di_Siviglia.htm

[Keraulophone]

Malcolm Latchem still regularly leads local orchestras in Cornwall/Devon. His solo contribution to Erbarme dich in Truro Cathedral last Sunday was much appreciated.

[Rolmill]

I always felt his best work was with the Academy. He never really seemed at home in 'big' works.

Yes, that's my feeling too.

I also think the sheer volume of recordings leads to his dismissal in some eyes as prolific but hum-drum, middle-of-the-road, unexciting. My two favourite recordings of his counter this view (IMV): sparkling, makes-me-smile performances of Rossini's string sonatas and Bizet's symphony in C (the Argo recording).

[Barbirollians]

Yes, that's my feeling too.

I also think the sheer volume of recordings leads to his dismissal in some eyes as prolific but hum-drum, middle-of-the-road, unexciting. My two favourite recordings of his counter this view (IMV): sparkling, makes-me-smile performances of Rossini's string sonatas and Bizet's symphony in C (the Argo recording).

There were a goo deal of humdrum records - his Enigma for a start.

[mercia]

there was a half hour Radio 4 programme about Sir Neville this morning

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b042jhl5