Raymond Leppard

[Barbirollians]

Sad news - a fine musician he came across well in Bridcut’s Janet Baker film.

My favourite records of his are the Das Lied mentioned above and an excellent Beethoven Ninth Symphony on Tring with the RPO.

[richardfinegold]

Excellent obit, thank you bsp.

I hadn’t really followed his career after he moved to Indianapolis. I remember wondering why someone of his stature—he seemed to be issuing at least one recording a month—would work in such a backwater. The obituary fills in some of the gaps.
The Indianapolis Symphony was conducted for many years by Flavian Savitsky. He was the nephew of Serge Koussevitsky, and his prominent uncle had arm twisted him to change his name to avoid confusion between them. Savitsky and the Orchestra made many trail blazing recordings

[richardfinegold]

Some people wondered why Andrew Davis went off to Toronto. It didn't seem to do his career any harm.

Toronto is three times the size of Indianapolis. It is also a diverse, intellectually vibrant town, easily the Cultural Capital of Canada. Indianapolis is Indianapolis.

[Once Was 4]

It has just been announced that Raymond Leppard has passed away. 11-8-1927 - 22-10-2019

Let us not forget his years with the (then) BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra in Manchester where he was known to the players as 'tiger'. He was conducting them for my first ever chance to play at the Proms (a Tippett programme and I was called in to play 6th horn in the Praeludium for Brass, Bells and Percussion). Later in Manchester I was in again as an extra under his stick for Mahler 6 and another couple of things. I can remember an occasion when their then tuba player was bemoaning the lax stick technique of some maestro or other in a contemporary work and commenting that "for something like this we need a clear beat - we would have got it from tiger!"

[Master Jacques]

A pity he didn't record more of the later repertories - for me, there is where his "staying power" is for me. Also available is a rather wonderful Live Das Lied von der Erde with Jon Mitcheson, Janet Baker, and the BBCNSO.

I am very saddened by the news ('twas I who was listening to his Tippett 3rd with the BBC SO and Josephine Barstow on Monday afternoon). I'd also highlight his powerful understanding of another British composer - Arnold Bax. Leppard's important LP recordings of the 5th Symphony and 7th Symphony - both bankrolled by Ken Russell, on Lyrita - brought two superb works into the record catalogue for the first time. And both retain their place on CD with vibrant mastery.

[doversoul1]

With a 1971 performance of Cavalli’s La Calisto, with Janet Baker and Ileana Cotrubas, conducted by Raymond Leppard

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/25/raymond-leppard-obituary

[Dave2002]

With a 1971 performance of Cavalli’s La Calisto, with Janet Baker and Ileana Cotrubas, conducted by Raymond Leppard
https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...ppard-obituary

Interesing article. I do wonder if I hear him conduct those operas which Glyndebourne put on in the 1960s and early 1970s. It wouldn't have been at Glyndebourne, but did those tour? I feel that some may have done - and with Janet Baker too. I can't remember now.

[Belgrove]

Interesing article. I do wonder if I hear him conduct those operas which Glyndebourne put on in the 1960s and early 1970s. It wouldn't have been at Glyndebourne, but did those tour? I feel that some may have done - and with Janet Baker too. I can't remember now.

Dave, La Calisto was performed at the Proms in 1971, with Baker as Diana. It also received a TV broadcast in the same year.

[MickyD]

Dave, La Calisto was performed at the Proms in 1971, with Baker as Diana. It also received a TV broadcast in the same year.

Bizarre to think that at this period, Southern Television recorded quite a few of the Glyndebourne operas for broadcast complete on ITV. Unthinkable now!

[CGR]

Sorry to say that, for me, the name Raymond Leppard will always be linked to his thoroughly reactionary stance re. unions, especially the MU. and his extreme disdain for the UK Government led by Harold Wilson (and later, James Callaghan).

Nothing to do with the music. Many of us felt the same way back then and now !!!

[Orphical]

I agree!
RIP.
The first concert I attended. SNO, Edinburgh Usher Hall. Shostakovich Violin Concerto followed by Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony
Raymond Leppard conducted.
Mid seventies I think!

[Once Was 4]

Sorry to say that, for me, the name Raymond Leppard will always be linked to his thoroughly reactionary stance re. unions, especially the MU. and his extreme disdain for the UK Government led by Harold Wilson (and later, James Callaghan).

Not unique amongst conductors. I recall the first time that I played for a certain, now deceased, Scottish maestro who very much regarded himself as one of the boys, went golfing with players etc (so no, not a Mcnight of the baton!) and was well liked personally. He saw a young player at the back of the 2nd violins yawn in a rehearsal, threw down his stick and started a rant which could be roughly paraphrased as "I know that your ag'i'n mi' - your all in that damn union - I hate unions!" I thought that he was joking and started to laugh but the horn player next to me muttered "shut up, shut up!" Fortunately said maestro did not notice me as he was led out by a member of the management - not the first or the last time by all accounts.

[Tony Halstead]

As the principal horn of the English Chamber Orchestra 1972-1986 I played for Raymond Leppard many times, with great pleasure.
My most enduring memory (maybe the very last time I played for him) is of the BBC Prom in 1981 on 24th August, when he conducted Wagner's Siegfried Idyll, Mozart's finest (IMV) piano concerto, played by Alicia de Larrocha (K 482) and the Jupiter Symphony.
Maybe my memory is somehow 'clouded' by the fact that my 'wife-to-be' was sitting in the audience..? But I tried my best to play 'as well as I could' in the Wagner.
I did in fact write to Raymond the very next day but I didn't receive a reply. 'Happy memories'!

[jonfan]

I was involved with performances he conducted of the Berlioz Te Deum and Brahms Requiem when he directed the BBCNSO, both superbly done with a feeling for the long view of each piece. The Berlioz was particularly spectacular especially with Maurice Murphy in the principal trumpet chair, and televised too. He could be slightly caustic if things were not going too well - ‘We’ll go from H for Hopeful!’ RIP.

[Richard Tarleton]

Fascinating if belated obit in today's Times (and before anyone says anything, you can view an article or two without paying, I believe) - lots of anecdotes which I haven't seen before - first copy of Il Ritorno destroyed by fire....he declined a lift from Dennis Brain that night in August 1957.....