John Ogdon: Views?

[Op. XXXIX]

Virtuoso? No names, no pack-drill, but I did once hear someone ruefully remark that it deserves a place on the bookshelves next to Testimony...

That's rather jarring in light of my earlier post. One thing that really impressed me about that book was its mention of all the 'off the path' repertoire Ogdon played.

[ahinton]

That's rather jarring in light of my earlier post. One thing that really impressed me about that book was its mention of all the 'off the path' repertoire Ogdon played.

Records of John Ogdon's repertoire are quite widely reported elsewhere. No offence to you, of course, but the book is what it is...

[Roehre]

Thanks for your very informative posting #45 Alistair, very much appreciated

[Op. XXXIX]

No offence to you, of course, but the book is what it is...

No offence taken, and thanks for the long post which I found very informative as did Roehre. I do not have the background you do, but I did find it interesting that the author of the book got very defensive at several points. That did raise a red flag or two, and I wonder if someday there will be a major bio of Ogdon. (Or would there not be sufficient interest to market it?)

[ahinton]

No offence taken, and thanks for the long post which I found very informative as did Roehre. I do not have the background you do, but I did find it interesting that the author of the book got very defensive at several points. That did raise a red flag or two, and I wonder if someday there will be a major bio of Ogdon. (Or would there not be sufficient interest to market it?)

There will indeed - and soon. I don't know if it will now be out in time for the 75th anniversary in a few weeks' time as originally intended but your reminder has prompted me to email the author to ask; I'll get back with what I find about its current state of progress.

[johnb]

I haven't read the book but vividly remember the BBC film, which I thought was extremely moving. Although the film had the same title as the book, the film sometimes portrayed one of the co-authors of that book in a less that flattering light.

It still makes me feel uncomfortable that, in JO's later years, the Steinway given to JO by JP Getty was elegantly situated in BL's drawing room while JO used an upright in his basement flat.

[ahinton]

I haven't read the book but vividly remember the BBC film, which I thought was extremely moving. Although the film had the same title as the book, the film sometimes portrayed one of the co-authors of that book in a less that flattering light.

It still makes me feel uncomfortable that, in JO's later years, the Steinway given to JO by JP Getty was elegantly situated in BL's drawing room while JO used an upright in his basement flat.

It still makes me uncomfortable, too - all the more so for having turned pages for John playing music near the end of Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum on it in said basement for the TV programme. Likewise, it makes me even more uncomfortable to remember the upright (I'd sooner call it downright) piano that was in his own apartment until his last few months when ...

Well, that's as much as feel that I can write here about that.

[Dave2002]

Iremember how he made 'Islamay' seem easy and his recording of the Busoni Piano Concerto. I saw him once in Oxford Street, unmistakable with his jutting black beard, clearing a path through the crowds with arms outstretched. A flawed genius, in some ways.

I saw him perform the Busoni Piano Concerto, and also, I think, a concerto by George Lloyd.
I also heard/saw him play the Bartok sonata for two pianos and percussion with Brenda Lucas.

He sometimes used to read the score - not a popular practice these days. Sometimes he had someone turn over the pages for him, and I heard that the page turners were often surprised to discover that he wanted the pages turned several pages ahead of what he was actually playing. His sight reading was, allegedly, phenomenal.

A remarkable pianist.

PS: Just noted the postings by ahinton. Are my observations about page turners correct? I only heard these from others.

[ahinton]

I saw him perform the Busoni Piano Concerto, and also, I think, a concerto by George Lloyd.
I also heard/saw him play the Bartok sonata for two pianos and percussion with Brenda Lucas.

He sometimes used to read the score - not a popular practice these days. Sometimes he had someone turn over the pages for him, and I heard that the page turners were often surprised to discover that he wanted the pages turned several pages ahead of what he was actually playing. His sight reading was, allegedly, phenomenal.

A remarkable pianist.

PS: Just noted the postings by ahinton. Are my observations about page turners correct? I only heard these from others.

Quite possibly. The only direct experience that I had of this was perhaps even more remarkable still; in a break at a recording session he was shown a short piece by Stevenson that we knew he could not have seen previously and he thunbed trhough it for a couple of minutes or so with obvious intgerest and then sat down to play it more or less at sight; not only did what he played sound like a considered interpretation rather than a mere sight-playing traversal, I deliberately turned two pages together at one point yet he continued to play the piece as is. His memory - or at least his musical memory - was not only phenomenal but photographic.

[clive heath]

A forum member was kind enough to point out on the "Sir Charles Groves" thread on the "Performance" forum that you can find on my site
" a taped recording of Messiaen, Turangalila Symphony: BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Groves with John Ogdon (Piano) and Jeanne Loriod (Ondes Martenot). Broadcast from the Albert Hall, Wednesday 6 August 1969"

http://www.cliveheathmusic.co.uk/tapes.php

[Panjandrum]

Do we really want this forum to become a spammer's paradise?

[french frank]

I believe Clive's contributions have been much appreciated to date. As there is no commercial aspect, merely a shared interest in the music, I would not dismiss this as spam. I recommend an investigation of the music archive which he is offering on his website. As he says, it is for personal and educational use only.

[PJPJ]

I believe Clive's contributions have been much appreciated to date. As there is no commercial aspect, merely a shared interest in the music, I would not dismiss this as spam. I recommend an investigation of the music archive which he is offering on his website. As he says, it is for personal and educational use only.

I also recommend browsing the archive - there are some excellent transfers of Schnabel, Furtwangler, Goodman and Waller for a start!

[amateur51]

Do we really want this forum to become a spammer's paradise? I'm a glass half empty kind of guy: landlord, I need filling up.

For a thoughtless remark like that, I'd say you need filling in

[Colonel Danby]

I do have Ogdon's 'Fantasy Waltzes' composed by William Alwyn on Chandos, not sure if it is still available, but he recorded very little compared with other pianists of his generation. But certainly a great artist, if plagued with those demons which often afflict those who are gifted with genius...