The Recordings of Andre Previn

[pastoralguy]

I agree absolutely marvellous and he did a pretty good job in the same works for Shaham many years later .

And not forgetting the work with his ex-wife, Ms. Mutter!

[rauschwerk]

You have reminded me of one of my all-time favourite LPs. Janet Baker is more emotionally attuned to these Duparc songs even than native chanteuse - the incomparably fine mezzo, very well accompanied by Preview and the brilliant LSO of those days.

Janet Baker clearly loved working with Previn, and paid a most generous tribute to his personal qualities and his musicianship in Michael Freedland's biography. It seems that he wrote a song cycle for her on texts by Philip Larkin. Has anyone heard it?

[Pabmusic]

I too was bowled over by his TV programmes, but I think my first encounter with his name was as orchestrator/conductor of My Fair Lady, or else as composer and conductor of Bad Day at Black Rock.

[rauschwerk]

I first heard Previn's name around 1960 when I Could Have Danced All Night, from the My Fair Lady album he made with Shelly Manne and Leroy Vinnegar, was broadcast. This was recorded in 1956 and was the first jazz LP to sell a million copies. When he recorded Shostakovich 5 I rushed out and bought it in spite of a lukewarm review in Gramophone.

[aeolium]

Andre Previn was also a marvellous chamber music collaborator, as witness the lovely record he made of the Ravel Piano Trio c/w Shostakovitch PianoTrio No. 2, with Ralph Kirshbaum and Yong Uck Kim (EMI HQS 1330) - my introduction (at undergrad age) to these sublime masterpieces of chamber music.

Yes, indeed, and his recording of the Mozart piano quartets with members of the Musikverein Quartet is excellent. He was also a very fine soloist in Mozart piano concertos, e.g. his recording of no K491 with the VPO. I see also that there is a recording of Mozart concertos with Previn as the soloist and the LSO conducted by Boult - has anyone heard this?

[Pabmusic]

Yes, indeed, and his recording of the Mozart piano quartets with members of the Musikverein Quartet is excellent. He was also a very fine soloist in Mozart piano concertos, e.g. his recording of no K491 with the VPO. I see also that there is a recording of Mozart concertos with Previn as the soloist and the LSO conducted by Boult - has anyone heard this?

Yes, I have it - it was reissued on a Royal Classics disc. It's very good (big orchestra, but typically lively speeds).

This is it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Piano-Concertos-Nos-17/dp/B000027TH3/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359365607&sr=8-2

[amateur51]

Andre Previn was also a marvellous chamber music collaborator, as witness the lovely record he made of the Ravel Piano Trio c/w Shostakovitch PianoTrio No. 2, with Ralph Kirshbaum and Yong Uck Kim (EMI HQS 1330) - my introduction (at undergrad age) to these sublime masterpieces of chamber music.

I had a similar experience with the Previn recording of these works Keraulophone - did those performances ever make it to CD, I wonder?

[hafod]

His Alexander Nevsky is also a scorcher.

[BBMmk2]

I also remember attending a Philip Jones brass /ensemble concert. I think it was at The /siuthbank Centre, and AP wrote a quinbtet for them and he just sat down with us uadience and was quite ordinary.

[rauschwerk]

Andre Previn was also a marvellous chamber music collaborator, as witness the lovely record he made of the Ravel Piano Trio c/w Shostakovitch PianoTrio No. 2, with Ralph Kirshbaum and Yong Uck Kim (EMI HQS 1330) - my introduction (at undergrad age) to these sublime masterpieces of chamber music.

He was introduced to chamber music by Joseph Szigeti, who could not believe that such a brilliant pianist and sight reader simply didn't know the Beethoven trios. Later he formed the Pacific Arts Trio with Israel Baker and Edgar Lustgarten. He was nothing if not thorough. When they could not believe the metronome marks printed in the Shostakovich trio score, Previn simply decided to call the composer, undeterred by scathing comments from his colleagues about the practicability of the idea.

[amateur51]

He was introduced to chamber music by Joseph Szigeti, who could not believe that such a brilliant pianist and sight reader simply didn't know the Beethoven trios. Later he formed the Pacific Arts Trio with Israel Baker and Edgar Lustgarten. He was nothing if not thorough. When they could not believe the metronome marks printed in the Shostakovich trio score, Previn simply decided to call the composer, undeterred by scathing comments from his colleagues about the practicability of the idea.

Many thanks for these stories, rauschwerk - what an extraordinary musician he is!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

His Alexander Nevsky is also a scorcher.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

He was nothing if not thorough. When they could not believe the metronome marks printed in the Shostakovich trio score, Previn simply decided to call the composer, undeterred by scathing comments from his colleagues about the practicability of the idea.

That's the way to do it!

[amateur51]

That's the way to do it!

[Bryn]

His Alexander Nevsky is also a scorcher.

Ah, but which one, that with the LSO or the LAPO? I only know the latter.