Christopher Hogwood has died

[verismissimo]

Christopher Hogwood was an enormously inspirational conductor. Restrained in gesture and economical with words, nevertheless his performances and recordings always felt instinctively 'right' and deeply-felt musically. I had the honour and privilege of playing for him in The Academy of Ancient Music from 1983 to 2009, some of the most enjoyable music-making of my life.
He wore his immense scholarship lightly, and his concerts and rehearsals were always musically enlightening and 'fun'. There was no sense of personal 'ego' with Chris and although he had a lovely, dignified authority it never ever became authoritarian.
The musical world will be a much poorer place without Christopher Hogwood.
R.I.P.

As Caliban says - perfect tribute, Tony. Thanks.
I particularly love those revelatory Mozart symphony recordings.

[Roehre]

A lovely personality, and a great researcher and interpretor - Mozart symphonies never can be played anymore the way they were player before his late1970s/early 1980s pionering recordings (with Neil Zaslaw at his side for the in-debt-research).
Decca is now for ever to blame for curtailing the Haydn series, based on the same scholarly points of departure as the Mozart series.
But I love his Stravinsky just as much
The world is a poorer place without him indeed.

Met him and his partner a couple of times- Mrs R and I will miss him terribly.

RIP

[Barbirollians]

Very sad news indeed . Time for that Coronation Mass . RIP

[EdgeleyRob]

Such a sad loss.
Mozart Great C Minor Mass here.
RIP.

[kea]

I've always enjoyed the AAM sound, and consider myself fortunate to have his sadly incomplete Haydn series.

Now playing some of Martinů's complete music for violin and orchestra—I'd forgotten that he conducted so much 20th century music as well.

[richardfinegold]

He was one of my favorite Conductors, H.I.P. Or otherwise. I was listening to his Beethoven Symphony cycle just last week. I saw him lead the AAM on tour years ago in Boston. A great loss.

[MickyD]

This is dreadful news. I count myself as one of his greatest fans, going to concerts throughout the halycon days of the AAM, and being very proud to have helped organise the AAM's Friends Society back in the 80s and writing their newsletter.

Christopher's scholarliness was matched by his boundless enthusiasm - history truly came alive in his performances and writings.

As someone has already said, it is unthinkable that we will have no more of his discs - and the non-completion of that fine Haydn cycle is now even more tragic.

[ardcarp]

Very, very sad. And may I add my own thanks for all his work in the early days of Early Music Consort with David Munrow, Olly Brooks and James Bowman. I saw them regularly and they were a huge influence on me and countless others in the way Medieval and Renaissance music could be brought to life.

[Dave2002]

Very sad to hear this news yesterday. I never did get to see/hear him, but I have many of his recordings. I particularly like the Beethoven set, but I also have other sets, such as the Haydn symphonies, which I've not managed to listen right through yet. His recordings include more 20th century works than one might imagine, and he also recorded some Swiss organ concertos, and Niels Gade's symphonies. A great and early loss. RIP.

[HighlandDougie]

Very sad news indeed. His LP recordings of the Queen Anne Birthday Ode/Anthem for the Foundling Hospital and of Purcell Theatre Music were my introduction to baroque music proper - and I love them to this day. The recent Oiseau Lyre 'The Baroque Era' box has been a wonderful opportunity for reacquaintance and discovery, mostly due to CH's enterprise. More personally, years ago in Edinburgh during the Festival, he was in a group of musicians/music-lovers who somehow ended up in my flat. The poor man had had no chance to eat supper and was starving. So I cooked spaghetti alla carbonara for him, which seemed the very least one could do for someone who had provided so much musical pleasure over the years. He was very kind about my cooking (he was very hungry) and then didn't mind being bombarded with all sorts of questions about harpsichords, performance practice in 18th century London/Naples/Mannheim, Emma Kirkby and so on. A delightful end to an evening with an immensely nice man.

[richardfinegold]

Very sad news indeed. His LP recordings of the Queen Anne Birthday Ode/Anthem for the Foundling Hospital and of Purcell Theatre Music were my introduction to baroque music proper - and I love them to this day. The recent Oiseau Lyre 'The Baroque Era' box has been a wonderful opportunity for reacquaintance and discovery, mostly due to CH's enterprise. More personally, years ago in Edinburgh during the Festival, he was in a group of musicians/music-lovers who somehow ended up in my flat. The poor man had had no chance to eat supper and was starving. So I cooked spaghetti alla carbonara for him, which seemed the very least one could do for someone who had provided so much musical pleasure over the years. He was very kind about my cooking (he was very hungry) and then didn't mind being bombarded with all sorts of questions about harpsichords, performance practice in 18th century London/Naples/Mannheim, Emma Kirkby and so on. A delightful end to an evening with an immensely nice man.

Nice story.

[Bryn]

Very sad to hear this news yesterday. I never did get to see/hear him, but I have many of his recordings. I particularly like the Beethoven set, but I also have other sets, such as the Haydn symphonies, which I've not managed to listen right through yet. His recordings include more 20th century works than one might imagine, and he also recorded some Swiss organ concertos, and Niels Gade's symphonies. A great and early loss. RIP.

Agreed. I have not by any means yet listened to all the Haydn symphonies he recorded. I note that the Decca set has more than doubled in price at amazon.co.uk since I bought it in March. His Stravinsky, Martinu, etc., are well worth hearing. He will be much missed.

[Krystal]

Christopher Hogwood was an enormously inspirational conductor. Restrained in gesture and economical with words, nevertheless his performances and recordings always felt instinctively 'right' and deeply-felt musically. I had the honour and privilege of playing for him in The Academy of Ancient Music from 1983 to 2009, some of the most enjoyable music-making of my life.
He wore his immense scholarship lightly, and his concerts and rehearsals were always musically enlightening and 'fun'. There was no sense of personal 'ego' with Chris and although he had a lovely, dignified authority it never ever became authoritarian.
The musical world will be a much poorer place without Christopher Hogwood.
R.I.P.

This is a beautiful tribute to Christopher Hogwood and thank you for it. He was indeed a pioneer and a gentle, classy and passionate musician.

He'll be much missed. I'm thinking of Keats:

"Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter;
Therefore, ye soft pipes, play on.."

[Alain Maréchal]

France Musique broadcast a tribute last Friday, including recordings of performances with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. The programme is available for the next four weeks.

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/les-vendredis-du-philhar/2014-2015/festival-d-automne-paris-luigi-nono-et-franz-liszt-10-03-2014-13-33

[Nick Armstrong]

France Musique broadcast a tribute last Friday, including recordings of performances with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. The programme is available for the next four weeks.

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission...-03-2014-13-33

How interesting you mention that, Alain - I've just returned from a road trip and used the journeys to catch up with some France Musique podcasts of La Tribune des Critiques... including the one on Dido & Aeneas. The selected version that (anonymously) gained the critics approval throughout the various extracts played turned out to be the Hogwood recording (I think the programme was transmitted before the recent sad news).

In particular, our dear Forumista Catherine Bott was a stunning Dido - her performance of When I am laid in earth absolutely wonderful - havent heard it before, nearly had to pull over and stop the car!!