Sir Andrew Davis RIP

[oliver sudden]

Some time around the turn of the century I was doing a little bit of press for one of my new music ensembles in Melbourne, an interview with one of the local radio presenters. There was another guest, namely Sir Andrew. The presenter was not particularly new music friendly and asked a few…challenging questions. I played a straight bat to them but then in chimed Sir Andrew to say how important new music was and the host was a bit nonplussed, having expected the notable conductor to be the old music person. It was very lovely.

[Roslynmuse]

That is a shock and very sad news, I saw him conduct Tippett‘s Rose Lake and Beethoven 8 only last December, the Beethoven was exceptional as was a VW 9 a few years ago, the BBC Philharmonic really responded on both occasions.

I was at that Bridgewater Hall concert too. He was seated but there was absolutely no lack of vitality. The excerpts from Hansel and Gretel that came between the Tippett and Beethoven were done with real affection and joy too.

[parkepr]

Such sad news.... He looks like he was a conductor who was well liked by the orchestras he conducted. I saw him a few times in the 90's at the RFH with the BBCSO. I recall a particularly fine Planets coupled with a lovely RVW Fantasia on Christmas Carols.... I'm guessing the BBCSO will dedicate concert to him and there will some sort of celebration/remembrance at the Proms this year as he was so closely associated with the Proms.

[DracoM]

<< A great contributor to British musical life for many many many years, and recordings of British music and a wider repertoire, and he coducted many a Prom.
RIP Sir Andrew.>>

[jonfan]

Very sad news indeed. I collected Teldec’s British Line CDs in the early 90s, beautifully performed and produced of VW, Elgar and Britten recorded in St Augustine’s Kilburn. Played Elgar 2 from that set in his memory. RIP.

[HighlandDougie]

I saw him quite recently and he seemed like a palish shadow of his former self. So much to be grateful for - the Tippett performances spring immediately to mind but his recent Stravinsky Chandos CDs have been really good. A huge loss of talent of someone whom I always thought was under-estimated in the UK. RIP

[Cockney Sparrow]

Here he is conducting the Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis - the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Gloucester Cathedral at night time, no audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihx5LCF1yJY

How I wish the BBC would broadcast again the TV programme in which it featured - I can't find the details at the moment but it was a series of British or English composers and their music. The Elgar programmes was published as (IIRC) a video tape - but not the Vaughan Williams (The performance audio was issued as a BBC music magazine CD (labelled Belshazzar's Feast with a photo of Leeds Town Hall on the cover).

[edashtav]

Very sad news. I share Pulcinella's frustration about the Tippett recording review especially as AD could usually be relied upon to give a good account of almost anything and was a fine advocate of Tippett (I have an especial memory of a Proms Mask of Time).

Sir Andrew conducted the first Prom I ever attended In 1978 (Mahler 5) and I met him once after one of his very best Last Nights in 1991.

I think he'll be best remembered as the finest Last Night conductor since Sargent and for his sterling advocacy of British music in both performance and recordings.

RIP Sir Andrew.

Agreed.
A great conductor and a vivacious and charming man to meet.
A great loss to British music.

[akiralx]

Here is Vaughan Williams' Fifth Symphony from 8 years ago when he looked in fine form, with the HR Sinfonieorchester (formerly the Frankfurt Radio SO) - well filmed as their concerts always are:

Vaughan Williams: 5. Sinfonie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Sir Andrew Davis (youtube.com)

[LMcD]

Here he is conducting the Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis - the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Gloucester Cathedral at night time, no audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihx5LCF1yJY

How I wish the BBC would broadcast again the TV programme in which it featured - I can't find the details at the moment but it was a series of British or English composers and their music. The Elgar programmes was published as (IIRC) a video tape - but not the Vaughan Williams (The performance audio was issued as a BBC music magazine CD (labelled Belshazzar's Feast with a photo of Leeds Town Hall on the cover).

A very special performance of a work which I first heard over 50 years ago when it featured in Barry Cockcroft's award-winning documentary 'Too Long A Winter'. It has long been the Desert Island Choice that I would rescue from the waves. Only 'Nimrod' equals it in my affections.

[Pulcinella]

Times obituary here:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/1c12820a-6a33-41ea-bb4c-660bfa34fcd6?shareToken=97804b7820a2e5b045462a684662281b

And a Times2 article by Richard Morrison here:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/89fb2b79-55aa-465f-af46-2eeec07169d6?shareToken=8a6f042379419458b9e15b6e9d93848c

[bluestateprommer]

Tributes from Chicago:
(a) Chicago Tribune:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/21/conductor-andrew-davis-music-director-emeritus-of-lyric-opera-dies-at-80/

(b) Lyric Opera of Chicago:

https://www.lyricopera.org/about/press-room/2024/statement-on-sir-andrew-davis/

Saw him conduct at Lyric Opera several times, such as The Midsummer Marriage, and once at Santa Fe Opera, Albert Herring. Also was lucky enough to attend Prom 54 in 2008, the RVW commemorative Prom. When I cadged his autograph in the Prom program some time later in America, he was genuinely shocked when he realized that the program booklet was of the RVW Prom, and talked excitedly and off-the-cuff about what a special occasion that Prom was for him.

[smittims]

Cockney Sparrow's film of the Tallis Fantasia was one of a series of , I think , BBC2 programmes called Performance. I have this one on a VHS tape. It was interesting in that they experimented with placing the various string groups in diffrent parts of the nave, though in the end they discovered, as Michael Kennedy pointed out years ago, that the sense of space is actually scored into the music.

The premise of the series was to play works in buildings associated with their premiere, thus Belshazzar's Feast was in Leeds Town Hall. (what a pity they couldn't do Elgar's symphonies!) . It was, of course, a world away from BBC TV's attitude to classical music today.

Does anyone know what Andrew Davis' first recording was? I guess maybe the Argo Tallis LP with David Willcocks, in which AD played the organ. He also features in some Marriner discs from the 1960s.

[Barbirollians]

He was not my favourite conductor and I am afraid i rather disliiked his Proms speeches but he was undoubtedly one of the most important British conductors of the last fifty years and made many fine recordings. RIP

I am glad to see that his passing has at least been reported on the BBC with trubites from those who worked with him unlike other recent deaths of great musicians Ozawa and Pollini whom the BBC website ignored. The BBC reports that he died from leukaemia.

[Quarky]

There was a tribute to him on France Musique this morning, including a stirring rendition of Land of 'Ope and Glorie.
I gather the Proms programme will be announced this week - hope this is not a bad omen......