Sir Thomas Beecham

Fülszöveg

SIR THOMAS
BEECHAM
Memoirs and anecdotes of Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) abound, but no complete account of his life's work has been written until now.
The last great amateur, Beecham was also a charismatic and autocratic impresario and conductor of a kind that could hardly exist today. With his supreme gifts, his flair and his energy, backed by an inherited fortune, he gained a central position in British musical life which he was to hold for nearly sixty years. During this time, he created four orchestras, two of them of world class, formed opera companies, worked closely yith the Diaghilev Opera and Ballet company, and was artistic director at Covent Garden from 1932 until the outbreak of war. Abroad, too, his influence was strong, with his activities bringing him into contact with nearly every great musical figure of his times.
Beecham vigorously championed the music of Mozart, being largely responsible for the revival of interest in him after long years of neglect. He... Tovább

Fülszöveg

SIR THOMAS
BEECHAM
Memoirs and anecdotes of Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) abound, but no complete account of his life's work has been written until now.
The last great amateur, Beecham was also a charismatic and autocratic impresario and conductor of a kind that could hardly exist today. With his supreme gifts, his flair and his energy, backed by an inherited fortune, he gained a central position in British musical life which he was to hold for nearly sixty years. During this time, he created four orchestras, two of them of world class, formed opera companies, worked closely yith the Diaghilev Opera and Ballet company, and was artistic director at Covent Garden from 1932 until the outbreak of war. Abroad, too, his influence was strong, with his activities bringing him into contact with nearly every great musical figure of his times.
Beecham vigorously championed the music of Mozart, being largely responsible for the revival of interest in him after long years of neglect. He performed a similar service for Handel and Berlioz. Among his contemporaries he promoted the music of Richard Strauss, starting in 1910 with the sensational British premieres of Elektra and Salome, and of Sibelius. And he provided endless support for the musical genius of Frederick Delius, forging close ties of friendship with him along the way.
A man who knew how to enjoy life - his characteristic huge cigar exemplifying his sense of style - Beecham above all communicated in his performances his immense pleasure in music-making. This detailed chronicle of his career confirms his commanding place in British musical life, and also reveals the big part he played on the international scene through so much of this turbulent century. Vissza