Wolfgang Sawallisch RIP

[gurnemanz]

But as others here have pointed out, some of his finest recordings are of the Schubert masses and other church music, so maybe his ‘timidity/modesty’ was misplaced in this case.

This box is a great bargain, also including many little-known items to investigate - from devotional pieces to drinking songs.

[Mandryka]

Also some great Hindemith and obscure Wagner recorded late in the day with the Philadelphians.

A great conservative conductor.

[aeolium]

That looks a very interesting box set, gurnemanz. I wonder why so few of Schubert's choral works - apart from the A flat and E flat masses - are broadcast or on concert programmes (although I suppose you could say the same of Haydn's Masses).

It was good to see the Guardian obit mention the great Sawallisch recording of Mozart's piano concertos K467 and K482 with Annie Fischer and the Philharmonia, still one of my favourite recordings of those concertos.

[Gordon]

....It was good to see the Guardian obit mention the great Sawallisch recording of Mozart's piano concertos K467 and K482 with Annie Fischer and the Philharmonia, still one of my favourite recordings of those concertos.

Got that and although a bit old it's stylish and very musical. She did a couple more [20 + 23] with Boult about the same time.

[Colonel Danby]

I've got the double CD of the Carl Orff's 'Die Kluge Frau' and 'Der Mond' with the Philharmonia under Sawallisch which despite their 50s origin still sound very well. And I've also got 'Frau ohne Schatten' (Kollo/Studer/Schwarz) which is very good as well: maybe not not as stellar as the Solti million dollar version with Domingo but a fine account notwithstanding.

Sawallisch was a wonderful conductor in the conservative mode, and he will be sadly missed by his many admirers.

RIP maestro.

[AmpH]

A very sad loss indeed.

His Mendelssohn symphony cycle with the New Philharmonia Orchestra has long been a favourite of mine - currently available in one of those bargain Brilliant Classics boxes.

[Petrushka]

How is the Beethoven symphony cycle with the Concertgebouw regarded these days? I nearly bought the bargain Brilliant box when it was practically being given away at a HMV sale a year or so ago but I seemed to recall some negative reviews so didn't bother.

[Karafan]

His Mendelssohn symphony cycle with the New Philharmonia Orchestra has long been a favourite of mine - currently available in one of those bargain Brilliant Classics boxes.

Had completely overlooked that set, AmpH - thanks for the timely reminder!

K.

[gurnemanz]

Mr Lebrecht's appreciation of Sawallisch includes the following which has some current significance: "The death of Wolfgang Sawallisch’s wife Mechthild in 1998 was a major blow. The couple had been close friends with Cardinal Ratzinger, who always attended Sawallisch’s regular concerts at Santa Cecilia in Rome. Indeed, Ratzinger came to Munich at his own expense to conduct the Requiem Mass in Mechthild’s honour. After her death, Sawallisch became a lonely figure and when his health no longer permitted public performance, retired to his estate in Bavaria."

Inidentally, there is a good Sawallisch recording of Schumann's neglected Requiem which is well worth a listen (with Marjana Lipovsek's surname bizarrely misspelled on the cover).

[verismissimo]

Ratzinger came to Munich at his own expense to conduct the Requiem Mass in Mechthild’s honour.

Presumably this did not involve baton-waving. :)

[Nick Armstrong]

Presumably this did not involve baton-waving. :)

[JFLL]

Mr Lebrecht's appreciation of Sawallisch includes the following which has some current significance: "The death of Wolfgang Sawallisch’s wife Mechthild in 1998 was a major blow. The couple had been close friends with Cardinal Ratzinger, who always attended Sawallisch’s regular concerts at Santa Cecilia in Rome. Indeed, Ratzinger came to Munich at his own expense to conduct the Requiem Mass in Mechthild’s honour.

I thought first there might have been some confusion here with the Pope's brother, Georg Ratzinger. I have a vinyl recording by him of the Missa Papae Marcelli with the Regensburger Domspatzen. But I suppose you can 'conduct' a mass in more ways than one.