Misunderstood/neglected/ignored conductors

[cloughie]

There've always been good, reliable, seemingly uncomplaining conductors, who should have better recognition. Basil Cameron, George Weldon and Lawrence Collingwood; Dan Godfrey and Landon Ronald (these latter two were knighted, but left very few recordings).

Downes, Pritchard, Groves and Gibson did get knighthoods, of course. Pritchard and Gibson (and Norman del Mar) just died too young.

...and Bryden Thomson.

[cloughie]

It's always interesting to get feedback from musicians who have played under the maestro in question. What you say about Wordsworth is almost a recommendation in comparison with what Philharmonia players have said about Sinopoli!!

...and look how Welser-Most was treated by the LPO, but seems to have fared better since, may be LPO was his finishing school!

[salymap]

Thanks mercia and Beefy. I had no idea he died so young as my life has been disrupted by various things and I hadn't thought about him for years.

This one will 'fox' you! What happened to Frederick Marshall - conductor of something called 'London Hospitals orchestra',I believe, studied conducting a the RCM a long time ago.

[Pabmusic]

...and Bryden Thomson.

Yes - and a very fine conductor. I enjoy his set of the Martinu symphonies and have so far resisted the hype about the Belohlavek ones.

Does anyone recall Maurice Miles?

[Nick Armstrong]

Ok, but get some coffee down yer gullet and be ready by 9.00!

Ammy, you may not get a better offer than that today...

[mercia]

What happened to Frederick Marshall - conductor of something called 'London Hospitals orchestra',I believe, studied conducting a the RCM a long time ago.

I've found a Frederick Marshall conducting the Lavenham Sinfonia, but he could well not be your FM

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This one will 'fox' you! What happened to Frederick Marshall - conductor of something called 'London Hospitals orchestra',I believe, studied conducting a the RCM a long time ago.

Definitely foxed me, sals!

Do yoy remember Stanley Popr at all? Made a couple of records in the early '60s (or late '50s) and looked as if he modelled his appearence on the young Beecham.

[Nick Armstrong]

Do yoy remember Stanley Popr at all?

Stanley Pooper? Never 'eard of 'im...

[cloughie]

I've found a Frederick Marshall conducting the Lavenham Sinfonia, but he could well not be your FM

You've been googling AA clues too long!

[Hornspieler]

Bazza Wordsworth ? Never heard an inspired performance from him.

Give us some examples, Beefy ...

Barry Wordsworth is a typical example of a Leader turned Conductor (or Gamekeeper turned Poacher, if Ariosto prefers)
He is accurate, competent and does what is required to keep the players together, but, I would suggest, little more than that.

Manoug Parikian is another example of the species.

The fact that the Cleveland applauded Wyn Morris does not surprise me. They would have gone out of their way to applaud anyone who was not Georg Szell. He was nicknamed "The Iceberg" by his players and there is a story that when he was indisposed one day, the orchestra manager is quoted as telling the orchestra " ...Mr Szell will not be conducting today. He has a fever and I am told his temperature has risen as high as forty degrees (fahrenheit)!" - but Szell was a fine conductor for all his unpleasantness towards his players.

John Hollingsworth was principally a conductor at Covent Garden - and a very good one, but most of his work would have been unlikely to find its way onto disks, although I'm sure there must be some recordings of his work with Joan Sutherland?

HS

[salymap]

I've found a Frederick Marshall conducting the Lavenham Sinfonia, but he could well not be your FM

Thanks mercia, I couldn't see anything about him anywhere. He would be 80 ish so....He studied conducting at the RCM with Sargent, who advised him to attend his rehearsals. He was a regular with a group of us in the late 1940s to 50s, I think his other subject was a brass instrument. He already had a few engagements then and was obviously keen on conducting. The Hospitals Orchestra reference was seen some years ago.

[cloughie]

The fact that the Cleveland applauded Wyn Morris does not surprise me.
John Hollingsworth was principally a conductor at Covent Garden - and a very good one, but most of his work would have been unlikely to find its way onto disks

...and Welser-Most seems to have been a success there!

Hollingsworth had recordings of extened excerpts from the Tchaikovsky Ballets on World Record Club LPs way back. Very good too. Also I have a Dutton CD of Scandinavian music from the 50s, conducted by him.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scandinavian-Favourites-Alfven-Svendsen-Grie/dp/B000005CZY/ref=sr_1_19?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1339229449&sr=1-19

[Tony Halstead]

'Stanley Popr' was surely STANLEY POPE who was - I believe - the assistant conductor at the CBSO back in the days of Hugo Rignold.
I played for H.Rignold a couple of times in the 1960s, but never for S. Pope.

[Pabmusic]

'Stanley Popr' was surely STANLEY POPE who was - I believe - the assistant conductor at the CBSO back in the days of Hugo Rignold.
I played for H.Rignold a couple of times in the 1960s, but never for S. Pope.

One of my early records was of Stanley Pope conducting four of the P & C Marches (he left out No. 3). I think there was also a record of him doing 1812.

[cloughie]

'Stanley Popr' was surely STANLEY POPE who was - I believe - the assistant conductor at the CBSO back in the days of Hugo Rignold.
I played for H.Rignold a couple of times in the 1960s, but never for S. Pope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30vdJW7_9M