Vernon Handley RIP

[Christo]

Only once in my life did I see Vernon Handley conducting. It was in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, about ten years ago. But somehow I cannot recall which orchestra - but not the Concertgebouw Orchestra, I think - or even worse: which music.

Was it in Bax, Springfire? Was it the Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninov?? I apparently lost the programme, and all specific memories of the occasion. Sic transit gloria mundi. Requiescat in pace.

[sound67]

For a while, Handley was chief conductor of the "Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra" (now called Netherlands Philharmonic).

Thomas

[Christo]

For a while, Handley was chief conductor of the "Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra" (now called Netherlands Philharmonic). Thomas

Good that you tell us, I didn't know. But at the time I saw Handley, this Amsterdam SO had long since disappeared (somewhere in the 1980s, I went to some of their concerts in the early eighties). I might have heard the Netherlands Philharmonic under Handley, however, and perhaps he still had some ties with them? (I still can't remember any details of the occasion  ).

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Should be the Amsterdam Philharmonic, an orchestra I saw a lot of in the 70s and 80s, often with their chief conductor Anton Kersjes. (His surname means 'little cherries', and his cheeks were among the reddest I have ever seen...)

[sound67]

Right! There's also an Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra (http://www.amsterdamsymphony.com/), but Handley was in charge of the Philharmonic. Confused the two because the concertmaster of the ASO bough a violin from me a few months ago. 

Thomas

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Right! There's also an Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra (http://www.amsterdamsymphony.com/), but Handley was in charge of the Philharmonic. Confused the two because the concertmaster of the ASO bough a violin from me a few months ago.

I forgive you.    But - are you a violin maker?!

[Christo]

One reason to thank Vernon Handley is, for me at least, his championship of the music of Eugene Goossens. I treasure the 3 CDs he made for the Australian ABC label, containing both of Goossens' symphonies and much more.

Somehow, they never made it to the UK - I think I recall plans to have him record them for a British company, though I never heard about these anymore - but nowadays these ABC recordings are at least available, in the Northern hemisphere.

               

[sound67]

One reason to thank Vernon Handley is, for me at least, his championship of the music of Eugene Goossens. I treasure the 3 CDs he made for the Australian ABC label, containing both of Goossens' symphonies and much more.

Somehow, they never made it to the UK -

Actually, they did: http://www.crotchet.co.uk/ABC4767632.html

It's where I got my copy.

@Jezetha: Not a violin maker, "just" a violin seller.

Thomas

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

@Jezetha: Not a violin maker, "just" a violin seller.

Interesting! And with customers from all over the world...

[vandermolen]

One reason to thank Vernon Handley is, for me at least, his championship of the music of Eugene Goossens. I treasure the 3 CDs he made for the Australian ABC label, containing both of Goossens' symphonies and much more.

Somehow, they never made it to the UK - I think I recall plans to have him record them for a British company, though I never heard about these anymore - but nowadays these ABC recordings are at least available, in the Northern hemisphere.

               

I have the two Goossens symphonies, both excellent, purchased in the UK. I wish that Regis would reissue the old David Measham Unicorn version of Symphony No 1.

[Sean]

Handley's fine English sensitivity isn't best served by the likes of Simpson and Goossens, with their more continental architecture, bold but undistinguished melody and statements, and straightforward tonal developments (I know the Goossens Second and Oboe concerto, and listening to the Simpson Ninth now, after several others of his...).

[sound67]

In the Guardian.uk obit, more light is shed on Handley's difficult rapport with the BBC powers-that-be:

He could always find a quick answer, although he did not always advance his career by answering back somebody in power who he felt was unsympathetic. When he met William Glock for the first time, the BBC head of music and boss of the Proms spoke deprecatingly of Tod's predilection for the music of Vaughan Williams, Delius and Bax. Quick as a flash, Tod said, "Hum me the tunes you don't like." There were no more Proms for him until Glock retired in 1972

Thomas

[Dundonnell]

In the Guardian.uk obit, more light is shed on Handley's difficult rapport with the BBC powers-that-be:



Thomas

Oh dear! How sadly typical of the Glock regime

Interestingly, Handley got one 'Last Night' -in 1985-although I don't actually remember it.

Other conductors who got a solitary 'Last Night' include Sir Charles Mackerras(1980), Raymond Leppard(1986), Sir John Pritchard(1989), Barry Wordsworth(1993), and, more recently, Paul Daniel(2005), Jiri Belohlavek(2007) and Norrington this year.

No 'Last Night'' for Sir Edward Downes, Richard Hickox, David Atherton or(astoundingly?) Sir Simon Rattle.

[Dundonnell]

Handley's fine English sensitivity isn't best served by the likes of Simpson and Goossens, with their more continental architecture, bold but undistinguished melody and statements, and straightforward tonal developments (I know the Goossens Second and Oboe concerto, and listening to the Simpson Ninth now, after several others of his...).

I am sorry that you should feel this way. Handley had a tremendous admiration for the music of Robert Simpson and Simpson fully reciprocated this, dedicating his 10th Symphony to Handley. Handley's enthusiasm for the Simpson symphonies shines through the ten he recorded and earned enormous praise for the set. Handley was extremely proud of his achievement and, I believe, rightly so.

[Sean]

Yes, Handley makes the best of the Simpson Ninth that anyone is ever going to. It's just that his efforts could have been better placed: just a few works of Simpson indeed are enough to establish the strict limits on his aesthetic insights.

The one exception I'd suggest is that really remarkable slow movement from (I think it is) the Tenth string quartet, I bought in the Delme quartet recording.

[karlhenning]

Okay, for those interested - I captured a BBC stream last year, when Radio Three was devoting several programmes to Simpson's symphonic canon. Here is - not in top quality, but still - Simpson's Ninth, Vernon Handley with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Thanks, Johan, I finally downloaded . . . will give a listen tomorrow.

[Sean]

No, Simpson is a dry and dull composer. The symphonies are close to Rubbra's, tonally conservative, no bad thing, but also covering old ground in only occasionally interesting ways.

[karlhenning]

Well, that's already superior to your participation in this forum, Sean, for you only cover old ground in seldom interesting ways.

[Dundonnell]

No, Simpson is a dry and dull composer. The symphonies are close to Rubbra's, tonally conservative, no bad thing, but also covering old ground in only occasionally interesting ways.

Dear dear! Vernon Handley's own "fine English sensitivity" to which you referred earlier would surely have baulked at such a maladroit comparison

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

What Sean misses in Simpson is sensuality, I think. But why look for what he can't give?