Music and Vinyl: André Previn R.I.P. - "The Wasps" by Vaughan Williams

André Previn died in New York on February 28th 2019 aged 89.

One of the foremost conductors of his generation he was also a composer and accomplished pianist and jazz musician. First coming to public attention by composing and arranging film scores, Previn's musical ambitions outgrew Hollywood and an enlightened London Symphony Orchestra engaged him as their principal conductor and he never looked back. Many column inches have been written in the few days since his death, such as this tribute in The Guardian, and Previn's remarkably full life has been explored in detail.

For British listeners - and viewers - Previn was the popular face of classical music on television and his "André Previn's Music Night" programmes had an enormous audience in the mid-70s. But it was possibly his appearance on the "Morecambe & Wise" show that cemented Previn into the hearts of the British audience - see the priceless clip below! At a time when classical music had a stuffy image, and appeared to take itself very seriously "Andy Preview" was a breath of fresh air.

The music in the video is Vaughan Williams' overture The Wasps. It was written in 1905 for a Cambridge University production of Aristophanes' play of the same name, and though part of a suite it's the only piece that has a regular place in the repertory. André Previn conducted a cycle of Vaughan Williams' Symphonies for RCA, at around the same time EMI were recording a cycle with Sir Adrian Boult. To have the choice of two such impressive cycles at the same time was almost an embarrassment of riches!

Aside from Vaughan Williams, Previn was also drawn to the music of William Walton, and his 1966 recording of Walton's First Symphony stands (in my mind at least) as the best version to this day. Previn had Walton's idiom off to a tee, and his 1974 recording of Walton's oratorio Belshazzar's Feast won a Grammy award for best choral performance.

Previn will be sorely missed, as these tributes show . . .