Vernon Handley RIP

[knight66]

I somehow missed this entire thread, so it has made a very interesting read. Thanks for the various links folks. For some reason the writings about him are more insightful than the usual obit pieces.

I will look out for some Bax, a hole in my musical listening.

Mike

[71 dB]

RIP

I have only 2 works conducted by Handley:

Elgar - King Olaf
Elgar - The Starlight Express

[vandermolen]

Paul Daniel, too.

Thomas

And Martin Yates (of Arnell cycle fame).

[Dundonnell]

Agreed. I should certainly have included Paul Daniel. He has done some good Walton for Naxos. The poor chap's miserable time at English National Opera must have hurt though

Martin Yates? Well, yes his Arnell is excellent and it would be interesting to hear him in other repertoire.

And what has happened to Andrew Penney> His Arnold cycle for Naxos was excellent and showed a conductor of insight and great promise.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

To Whom It May Concern - my internet conection has become unstable due to lightning a few weeks ago in Delft. I lost my connection the past 12 hours and now it's suddenly back. So - if I am not here, it is not through lack of interest. (I shall have to do something to repair it.)

All the best!

Johan

[karlhenning]

Good luck, Johan! Hope to see you back in form as rapidly as possibly!

[drogulus]

     Lebrecht mentions the American requirement that conductors be "all rounders", perhaps to explain Handley's comparative lack of international acclaim. Is this right? Isn't Gerard Schwarz something of a Handley-like figure for American music?

[Dundonnell]

It is difficult to say just how good a conductor is Gerard Schwarz. He has done a great deal for American composers-more so than any other conductor of a major American orchestra in recent times(since Bernstein, I suppose). I am thinking of his recordings of William Schuman, David Diamond, Walter Piston and Paul Creston, for example. It is a pity that-with the apparent demise of the Delos label-he has not been able to continue the flow

He is obviously a highly successful principal conductor in Seattle(since 1985) but there are stories of deep antagonism between him and his orchestra-
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/arts/music/16waki.html?_r=1&st=cse&sq=seattle+symphony&scp=3&oref=slogin

His term at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic was not a great success! Handley was certainly more popular with the orchestras he conducted!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

[I had a tiny window of Internet opportunity this afternoon, that's why I posted my earlier post as quickly as I could here, slightly OT. My wireless connection is still broken. So I'm wired and well sitting in the living room with my desktop computer, helped by a friend. He's coming again Tuesday to pinpoint exactly where the problem lies...]

[vandermolen]

[I had a tiny window of Internet opportunity this afternoon, that's why I posted my earlier post as quickly as I could here, slightly OT. My wireless connection is still broken. So I'm wired and well sitting in the living room with my desktop computer, helped by a friend. He's coming again Tuesday to pinpoint exactly where the problem lies...]

Good luck Johan with the repairs. If nothing else works you will just have to communicate with the rest of us by carrier pigeon 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Good luck Johan with the repairs. If nothing else works you will just have to communicate with the rest of us by carrier pigeon 

"Very droll, Minister." 

[Lethevich]

[I had a tiny window of Internet opportunity this afternoon, that's why I posted my earlier post as quickly as I could here, slightly OT. My wireless connection is still broken. So I'm wired and well sitting in the living room with my desktop computer, helped by a friend. He's coming again Tuesday to pinpoint exactly where the problem lies...]

Treat it as some bonus time for music listening

[vandermolen]

"Very droll, Minister." 

Smoke signals are an alternative way of communicating with us 

[drogulus]

     Included in the Bax/Handley symphonic cycle I recently DL'd is an hour-long interview with the conductor, which is very interesting on the subject of Bax as a symphonist and touches on other subjects.

     Interview with Vernon Handley on the symphonies of Arnold Bax.

[Catison]

I will look out for some Bax, a hole in my musical listening.

No need to be so concerned about Bax coming your way.  As far as I know, he wasn't an a-hole.

[knight66]

More drollery....all helps to make my day.

Mike