Richard Hickox Has Died!

[Christo]

Chandos has announced the release in February of Richard Hickox's last recording. It is Sir Eugene Goossens's Symphony No.1 and the Phantasy Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. The soloist is Howard Shelley with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Chandos/CHSA5068

Although I already have the Goossens Symphony in the recording by Vernon Handley I shall certainly buy this cd both for the concerto and in grateful thanks for Hickox's towering achievements in the recording studio

I cherish the ABC three CD set with both symphonies and a variety of orchestral pieces by Goossens, but it is still very incomplete. I also cherish the old Unicorn-Kanchana LP with David Measham conducting the First Symphony - in many ways a more spontaneous and concentrated version, even with a less accomplished orchestra. Some 25 years ago, it made me fall in love with this neglected composer, especially since I fell in love with his little Oboe concerto at first hearing too. 

A more complete Goossens cycle would have been very, very welcome. Another sign of the tremendous loss the premature death of Richard Hickox is to "his" music. 

[vandermolen]

I cherish the ABC three CD set with both symphonies and a variety of orchestral pieces by Goossens, but it is still very incomplete. I also cherish the old Unicorn-Kanchana LP with David Measham conducting the First Symphony - in many ways a more spontaneous and concentrated version, even with a less accomplished orchestra. Some 25 years ago, it made me fall in love with this neglected composer, especially since I fell in love with his little Oboe concerto at first hearing too. 

A more complete Goossens cycle would have been very, very welcome. Another sign of the tremendous loss the premature death of Richard Hickox is to "his" music. 

My thoughts exactly. I will certainly buy this CD. I have the Goossens symphonies on two ABC CDs and the old Unicorn LP of Symphony No 1. A fine composer.

[vandermolen]

I listened to the Goossens Symphony No 1 yesterday (ABC). What a great score although, unlike Rob Barnett in his review, I prefer the old David Measham, Adelaide SO LP.

I wonder if the excellent conductor Rumon Gamba (who went to the school down the road) will pick up the torch of British music from Vernon Handley and Richard Hickox. He has already finished the Chandos Arnold Cycle begun by R Hickox and recorded some fine Vaughan Williams film music CDs. I wonder if he might complete the Vaughan Williams symphony cycle on Chandos too.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I listened to the Goossens Symphony No 1 yesterday (ABC). What a great score although, unlike Rob Barnett in his review, I prefer the old David Measham, Adelaide SO LP.

I got the ABC Goossens First from Christo at our historic meeting in Leiden. I really must give it a spin this weekend...

[vandermolen]

I got the ABC Goossens First from Christo at our historic meeting in Leiden. I really must give it a spin this weekend...

Oh yes, Johan. I'm sure you will like it. Very Baxian in a way and very much, I think, a product of it's time. No 2 is different but just as good. I've already ordered the new Chandos Hickox recording of Symphony No 1 (Hickox's last CD sadly).

[Dundonnell]

I listened to the Goossens Symphony No 1 yesterday (ABC). What a great score although, unlike Rob Barnett in his review, I prefer the old David Measham, Adelaide SO LP.

I wonder if the excellent conductor Rumon Gamba (who went to the school down the road) will pick up the torch of British music from Vernon Handley and Richard Hickox. He has already finished the Chandos Arnold Cycle begun by R Hickox and recorded some fine Vaughan Williams film music CDs. I wonder if he might complete the Vaughan Williams symphony cycle on Chandos too.

There is an obituary of Hickox in this month's 'Gramophone' magazine which suggests that his death has knocked the stuffing out of Chandos as a company!

I think that this would be a singular dishonour to the memory of a great conductor. What is important now is to continue his work, particularly(though not, of course, exclusively) on behalf of British music.

Hickox recorded the first in a projected 4 cd set of Holst's orchestral music and the first in a projected set of the music of Eugene Goossens. There is absolutely no reason why Chandos cannot find another conductor-as Jeffrey suggests-to continue the work begun. To abandon these projects would be quite appalling, in my judgment, and certainly not what Hickox himself would have wanted!

[Christo]

I listened to the Goossens Symphony No 1 yesterday (ABC). What a great score although, unlike Rob Barnett in his review, I prefer the old David Measham, Adelaide SO LP.

That was what I was trying to say: Measham's version is preferable, more hot on the heels. Let's see how Hickox compares.

[jchen]

I don't know him at all but that is very bad news 

[Harry]

I don't know him at all but that is very bad news 

Well there are so many recordings with him, no doubt you will in the near future listen to music conducted by him.

[Dundonnell]

Glad to say that my fears about the future of Chandos without Hickox have been substantially allayed after reading this interview-

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Jan09/chandos_interview.htm

It is clear that the company will be pressing on with conductors like Edward Gardner(of the ENO), Rumon Gamba and Sir Andrew Davis(the last in a British project!).

The planned recording of York Bowen's 1st and 2nd symphonies with Vernon Handley will now be conducted by Gamba.

Chandos plans to record the Bax Phantasy for Viola and Orchestra-the big missing piece in the Bax discography

....and, Jeffrey take note, they hope to complete the Hickox RVW series by getting hold of the BBC tapes of the performances he did with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra of the missing two(the Sinfonia Antartica and the 9th)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Excellent news, Colin! I'll read the interview tomorrow, but there seems to be a future for British music on CD after all...

[vandermolen]

Glad to say that my fears about the future of Chandos without Hickox have been substantially allayed after reading this interview-

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Jan09/chandos_interview.htm

It is clear that the company will be pressing on with conductors like Edward Gardner(of the ENO), Rumon Gamba and Sir Andrew Davis(the last in a British project!).

The planned recording of York Bowen's 1st and 2nd symphonies with Vernon Handley will now be conducted by Gamba.

Chandos plans to record the Bax Phantasy for Viola and Orchestra-the big missing piece in the Bax discography

....and, Jeffrey take note, they hope to complete the Hickox RVW series by getting hold of the BBC tapes of the performances he did with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra of the missing two(the Sinfonia Antartica and the 9th)

Thanks very much Colin for the interesting link. Very good news about VW but a pity that they didn't record the Festival Hall concerts of both works which Richard Hickox conducted just before his death. I have already pre-ordred the Goossens (the article mentioned Symphony No 2 but surely it is No 1?). Not sure that I'll be rushing out to buy the York Bowen symphonies (I wish they did Stanly Bate instead) but I might buy the Holst as I love the middle movement of The Perfect Fool ballet suite.

[Dundonnell]

Yes it is the Goossens No.1 which is being released next month rather than the 2nd.

I wonder why companies make decisions like this one? The Goossens symphonies have already been recorded by Handley. Do we really need another version? How many people who had bought the Handley will now invest in the Hickox as well? Oh yes...you do get the Phantasy Concerto for Piano and Orchestra on the Chandos and (oh yes again) we will buy the Hickox but it does seem a slightly odd commercial decision. It must be something to do with Goossens' Australian connections- Melbourne making up for Sydney's mistreatment??

Don't get me going about York Bowen again I think that Dutton is now a better bet for the Stanley Bate 3rd.

With regard to the Holst, I have the old Hyperion cd(now no longer available apparently) of Hilary Davan Wetton conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra in the two Choral Ballets 'The Golden Goose' and 'The Morning of the Year' and the choral Ballad 'King Estmere'. Not Holst at his best, I think. So I will give the Chandos Holst cd a miss

[vandermolen]

Yes it is the Goossens No.1 which is being released next month rather than the 2nd.

I wonder why companies make decisions like this one? The Goossens symphonies have already been recorded by Handley. Do we really need another version? How many people who had bought the Handley will now invest in the Hickox as well? Oh yes...you do get the Phantasy Concerto for Piano and Orchestra on the Chandos and (oh yes again) we will buy the Hickox but it does seem a slightly odd commercial decision. It must be something to do with Goossens' Australian connections- Melbourne making up for Sydney's mistreatment??

Don't get me going about York Bowen again I think that Dutton is now a better bet for the Stanley Bate 3rd.

With regard to the Holst, I have the old Hyperion cd(now no longer available apparently) of Hilary Davan Wetton conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra in the two Choral Ballets 'The Golden Goose' and 'The Morning of the Year' and the choral Ballad 'King Estmere'. Not Holst at his best, I think. So I will give the Chandos Holst cd a miss

I heard a fine performance of The Perfect Fool on the radio this morning. I thought that it must be the new Hickox but was wrong. The conductor was Charles Mackerras, so I have ordered his version at a fraction of the cost of the new Chandos recording.

[Christo]

With regard to the Holst, I have the old Hyperion cd(now no longer available apparently) of Hilary Davan Wetton conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra in the two Choral Ballets 'The Golden Goose' and 'The Morning of the Year' and the choral Ballad 'King Estmere'. Not Holst at his best, I think. So I will give the Chandos Holst cd a miss

Well, I own that Hyperion cd too and you are right: it is small beer. BUT - the new cd is also offering a new version of The Lure (1921), and that's much more comparable to The Perfect Fool ballet. And that pirece is only to be found on the Lyrita cd with David Atherton conducting the LSO and LPhO in a series of Holst rarities, AFAIK.

But I would really have looked forward to a Hickox' reading of the [First] Choral Symphony - in his hands it might have sounded as the masterpiece I sometimes think it is.