Louis Frémaux RIP

[PJPJ]

I was very sorry to learn today that Louis Frémaux died a few days ago at the grand age of 95.

On An Overgrown Path

http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/Loir-et-Cher/Actualite/24-Heures/n/Contenus/Articles/2017/03/25/Louis-Fremaux-chef-d-orchestre-3045223

This, just posted by the Monte Carlo Orchestra

Nous avons appris la disparition, à l'age de 95 ans, du grand chef d'orchestre français Louis Fremaux, qui dirigea très souvent l'Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, dans la fosse et sur la scène de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo, dans la cour d'honneur du Palais Princier de Monaco et en tournée avec l'orchestre. Bien qu'il ne fut jamais directeur musical de l'orchestre, il l'a accompagné de nombreuses années et a contribué à son essor, son rayonnement et sa réputation internationale.

[cloughie]

Not always appreciated in Birmingham but made some stunning recordings eg Les Biches and his old Monte Carlo recordings had Gallic charm.
RIP Louis

[pastoralguy]

[Dave2002]

Sorry to hear about this. His recording of Saint-Saëns "organ" symphony has been a favourite of mine for a long while.

RIP LF

[Stunsworth]

Sorry to hear about this. His recording of Saint-Saëns "organ" symphony has been a favourite of mine for a long while

Mine too. Bought it on EMI Greensleves around 1976 or 77 from a classical record shop in Leeds. I'll try to dig out the LP tomorrow.

[Petrushka]

I saw Fremaux a few times in Birmingham with the CBSO, most notably when he conducted a performance of Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust in, I think, 1975.

[BBMmk2]

We've just lost another good conductor. RIP

[gurnemanz]

I have some enjoyable Ibert pieces on EMI. I see an Icon box is upcoming, coincidentally very well timed.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have some enjoyable Ibert pieces on EMI. I see an Icon box is upcoming, coincidentally very well timed.

Well, except for Fremaux himself - but that is a very inviting box, gurne a fine reminder and tribute to an excellent conductor.

[Once Was 4]

We've just lost another good conductor. RIP

Also an amusing man: he came to Leeds a couple of times to conduct concerts (never opera) and used to bring a camper van in which he stayed the night on the car park of our rehearsal venue (not in the most salubrious part of Leeds). I well remember a rehearsal in which there was little for 4th horn that was exposed. Suddenly he said "4th horn - let me hear that muted pedal C". There was nothing 'bullying' or offensive about it - he just wanted to know that it was there so I played it. End of story!

[mahlerei]

His was the first Berlioz Requiem I ever heard (EMI Angel). Not sure it ever appeared on CD though...

Edit: i see it did. A snip at £131...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berlioz-Faur%C3%A9-Requiems-Hector-x/dp/B000024E0W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1490540004&sr=8-3&keywords=fremaux+berlioz

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

His was the first Berlioz Requiem I ever heard (EMI Angel). Not sure it ever appeared on CD though...

Edit: i see it did. A snip at £131...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berlioz-Fau...remaux+berlioz

Pride of place in the new ICON box, Mahlerei - which costs a tenth of that!

[Nimrod]

How strange, I was playing recordings of his (Walton) to a friend only last week and praising him. I saw his first concert in Birmingham and then several seasons of concerts afterwards; Berlioz Requiem and Walton's Feast , the Organ Symphony and many more are fond memories. He lifted the orchestra out of the trough of mundanity that Hugo Rignold, his predecessor, never seemed able to and prepared the ground for Rattle to fertilise. RIP Louis and Thank you.
Nimrod

[Richard Tarleton]

He came up in BAL the other week - conductor on the best of John Williams's various versions of the Concierto de Aranjuez, which I have.

[Roslynmuse]

He was quite a frequent visitor to Liverpool after the CBSO years and I saw him quite a few times, usually in French or Russian music, and occasionally British music too. I had the impression he had a relatively small repertoire but he excelled in them. I might be doing him an injustice - I'd like to see the repertoire he brought to Birmingham. I played for a choir rehearsal he took in the early 90s and found him charming and gentle - Poulenc Gloria, Daphnis 2nd Suite and Debussy Nocturnes; I remember him trying to get the ladies to sound more seductive sirens - even at 70 he made them melt with a single 'venez à Louis!' I wonder whether the difficulties at the end of his Brum years contributed to him being rather underrated?

His CBSO recordings were favourites - the Berlioz and Fauré Requiems, Poulenc Gloria and Les Biches, Ibert Divertissement (a riot!), Honegger Pacific 231, the Satie Gymnopédies, a Berlioz disc of overtures and much more; and he was able to put down a few discs with the LSO (Ravel, Walton, Rimsky-Korsakov etc) later. His earlier recordings in Monte Carlo for DG make more difficult listening now because of the poor audio quality, but it would be nice if a few more off-air recordings appeared. RIP M Frémaux - thank you for all the music.