Richard Hickox Has Died!

[vandermolen]

I played my double Chandos sampler "Richard Hickox CBE, A Celebration" last night in memoriam. Perhaps the extract from Howells's wonderful Hymnus Paradisi was the most moving section.

My favourite Hickox recordings (there are so many) include the 1913 Vaughan Williams London Symphony, Hymnus Paradisi, Rubbra Symphony No 4 etc etc etc.

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

What a sad year for all admirers of british music. RIP - Like you vandermolen, the 1913 London Symphony is very important for me. Also the RVW Christmas songs conducted by him (with "Fantasia on Christmas Carols" - a beauty).

[vandermolen]

What a sad year for all admirers of british music. RIP - Like you vandermolen, the 1913 London Symphony is very important for me. Also the RVW Christmas songs conducted by him (with "Fantasia on Christmas Carols" a beauty).

Yes, I have that CD too and will certainly be playing it this year.

[Guido]

Terrible news. Will listen to the Leighton String CD again (especially the Symphony for Strings) in memoriam.

[Christo]

I missed the news, and only read it in the Vaughan Williams thread. I'll be playing two of his cherished RVW recordings in memoriam: the Christmas music that I played last year and contains two discoveries (for me) and also the Fifth Symphony with accompanying pieces `adding' to the whole concept that for me is the highlight in his (incomplete) RVW Symphonies cycle:

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Christo, yeah, the Christmas Carols was a major discovery for me this year. Get always stuck there Haven't listened to the "First Nowell" / "On Christmas Night" properly yet... Also bought the Chandos/Hickox Pligrim's Progress yesterday...

[Grazioso]

This is terrible news, especially on top of the death of Vernon Handley; a double disaster for British music. 

Too true, but let's look on the bright side: consider the doors they opened and how the music still has its great champions like Lloyd-Jones, and labels like Lyrita, Chandos, Hyperion, Naxos, etc. all doing great service to the music of the sceptered isle.

[Christo]

Get always stuck there Haven't listened to the "First Nowell" / "On Christmas Night" properly yet...

These are the two "discoveries" I was referring at ...    Nothing wrong at all with the earlier Fantasia on Christmas Carols, but for me that's a lifelong classic, heard in more than a handful performances (and twice live too, BTW).

I better follow your exampjle and order for Hickox' reading of the Pilgrim's Progress, as I still have to come to terms with it (I'm not fond of operas, generally speaking, cannot stand the typical operatic voice ...  ) But for RVW, I always make an exception (and he didn't call it an opera, but rather a "Morality".  0:)

[Dundonnell]

These are the two "discoveries" I was referring at ...    Nothing wrong at all with the earlier Fantasia on Christmas Carols, but for me that's a lifelong classic, heard in more than a handful performances (and twice live too, BTW).

I better follow your exampjle and order for Hickox' reading of the Pilgrim's Progress, as I still have to come to terms with it (I'm not fond of operas, generally speaking, cannot stand the typical operatic voice ...  ) But for RVW, I always make an exception (and he didn't call it an opera, but rather a "Morality".  0:)

I am not an opera fan either, Johan but I do make exceptions for 'The Pilgrim's Progress' and 'Riders to the Sea' (and also for Wagner on account of the glorious music ). These two VW 'operas' contain such movingly beautiful music

[Dundonnell]

Too true, but let's look on the bright side: consider the doors they opened and how the music still has its great champions like Lloyd-Jones, and labels like Lyrita, Chandos, Hyperion, Naxos, etc. all doing great service to the music of the sceptered isle.

You are quite correct to focus on the legacy of conductors like Handley and Hickox in 'opening doors' as you put it And yes, there are still, of course, these established record labels. It is so very sad, however, to reflect on the fact that Hickox was only 60-the age at which so many great conductors
come to maturity. Everyone assumed that he had another 10-20 years ahead of him to further develop his own repertoire and international reputation

You mention a conductor like David Lloyd-Jones. I am a great admirer of Lloyd-Jones. He is proving in the recording studio to be a conductor we have underestimated in the past but he is 74 years old now. The torch must pass to a younger generation soon. There are younger conductors who have shown an interest in British music-people like Paul Daniels, Martyn Brabbins(who recorded the Cyril Scott cycle for Chandos), Edward Gardner at the English National Opera Company, Rumon Gamba. I devoutly hope that record companies will give them the opportunity to continue the cause

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I appreciated his Rubbra symphonic cycle. But tonight I think I'll listen to his VW Sancta Civitas (appropriately solemn) and follow with his Martinu Sinfonia concertante for a positive note.

[knight66]

Early this morning I put onto my iPod the Hickox version of Britten's War requiem; a really impressive performance. I think it was possibly the final recordings for Heather Harper and John Shirley-Quirk, both of whom sound as fresh and capable as when young. Hickox has a different approach to the Latin text areas of the work to that which Britten conveyed in his recorded performance. Whereas in the earlier recording, they are hieratic, Hickox finds the beseeching and sadness, the terror and the pathos in the words.

Mike

[Guido]

I just attended the Queens college (Cambridge) memorial service - he was one of their most famous and brilliant alumni. Queens choir (not one of the more prestigious Cambridge choirs) sang their absolute best in four numbers, conducted by that other British veteran conductor Sir David Willcocks (who must now be 88).

This was what they sang during the service:
Farrant - Call to remembrance
Harris - Faire is the heaven
Balfour Gardiner - Evening Hymn
Tavener - Svyati

The Tavener and Harris were the most moving items - the former being the second best thing that Tavener has ever done in my opinion (after The Protecting Veil).

[Dundonnell]

Thank you for telling us about the service. Glad that you were able to attend.

Yes, Willcocks is indeed 88!

[vandermolen]

These are the two "discoveries" I was referring at ...    Nothing wrong at all with the earlier Fantasia on Christmas Carols, but for me that's a lifelong classic, heard in more than a handful performances (and twice live too, BTW).

I better follow your exampjle and order for Hickox' reading of the Pilgrim's Progress, as I still have to come to terms with it (I'm not fond of operas, generally speaking, cannot stand the typical operatic voice ...  ) But for RVW, I always make an exception (and he didn't call it an opera, but rather a "Morality".  0:)

My feelings are exactly the same Johan.  Opera has always been a blind spot for me too. The exceptions are Boris Gudonov and Pilgrim's Progress and Riders to the Sea. I am sorry that I can't go tonight to the performancer of Riders to the Sea in London which was to have been conducted by Richard Hickox and is now a memorial tribute.

[Christo]

My feelings are exactly the same Johan.  Opera has always been a blind spot for me too. The exceptions are Boris Gudonov and Pilgrim's Progress and Riders to the Sea. I am sorry that I can't go tonight to the performancer of Riders to the Sea in London which was to have been conducted by Richard Hickox and is now a memorial tribute.

Yes, the whole lot of us, so-called Braga Santos experts, seems to be more inspired by symphonic music ...  Yet, I do love Riders to the Sea. And I do know a handful op operas that I learnt to appreciate and even more. Among them a lot of Janáček (esp. Jenůfa and From the House of the Dead), the later Respighi (esp. Maria Egiziaca, La fiamma, and Lucrezia), but also Wagner's esnpirited Swan Song, Parsifal. At the same time, I attended at least four of Puccini's operas and found them all boring and often much worse. Sorry to the fans, here! 

The point seems to be, that we are looking for music between the almost always horrible opera scenes - an interest not that common with some opera fans, perhaps.   

[springrite]

The point seems to be, that we are looking for music between the almost always horrible opera scenes - an interest not that common with some opera fans, perhaps.   

That is why I do not listen to operas in English and I do not like to have the libretto. Not knowing what is allegedly going on is often an advantage. 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Yes, the whole lot of us, so-called Braga Santos experts, seems to be more inspired by symphonic music ... 

Indeed. This BSE (Braga Santos Expert) prefers orchestral music, and likes his operas rather symphonic (Wagner, Strauss, Debussy)...

[Dundonnell]

Indeed. This BSE (Braga Santos Expert) prefers orchestral music, and likes his operas rather symphonic (Wagner, Strauss, Debussy)...

I think we have consensus

[springrite]

I think we have consensus

I sense a cult forming...