Conductor Christopher Hogwood dies aged 73

[A Lark Ascending]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29347895

As someone who did not come naturally to earlier classical music, I owe him a great deal. Many of my 80s/90s recordings were under his leadership.

Noticed a few weeks back he was also on the Shirley and Dolly Collins folk classic, 'Anthems in Eden'.

[David Ayers]

Very sorry to learn of this.

[Chuck Nessa]

I was impressed with his Martinu series on Hyperion.

[king ubu]

I've heard this and that, but what really grabbed me most so far is the wonderful box with his recordings of Mozart's symphonies - very sad news.

[mikeweil]

He was so unpretentious, and very knowledgeable. I will miss him, he was a real important pioneer of period instrument performance.

[Spontooneous]

Chuck's right about Hogwood's Martinu series. Also, his Stravinsky "Pulcinella" disc is top-shelf.

[mjzee]

I've always loved and cherished this set (although I have it on LP, which has all 12 pieces). RIP.

[MomsMobley]

I was impressed with his Martinu series on Hyperion.

+ the earlier

http://www.amazon.com/Martinu-cuisine-Christmas-Sinfonietta-ricercari/dp/B00000E4XT

some of CH's baroque & classical period performances could be slightly bland in the Limey tradition but he could 'goose' it up when called for, inspired also. His William Byrd "My Ladye Nevelle's Books" is still valuable also.

The Mozart PC series with Robert Levin is especially fine, hard to believe-- pace another thread-- people still tolerate say the ultra-bland conducting of Murray Perahaia & numerous others compared to later Hogood (he actually got better, or at least more lively, as a conductor) and best German/French +++ "alte" masters.

I generally value CH most in lesser known middle-period Haydn symphonies but I wouldn't have walked outta this early--

Edited September 25, 2014 by MomsMobley

[Larry Kart]

FWIW, and IIRC according to bassist Barry Guy, who was in the orchestra, virtually all of Hogwood's Oiseau Lyre recordings were exercises in sight reading, e.g. the Mozart symphonies. Haven't heard all of them, of course, but those I did hear sounded that way to me. I agree with Moms that latter-day German, French (I would add Italian, especially in Vivaldi) "alte musik" ensembles are at their frequent best in another world altogether. Also, for me, in the Mozart symphonies it's such figures as Bohm, Klemperer, and Szell (in their various ways) who bring home the bacon. In particular, what I get from them is a simultaneous grasp of the music's horizontal and vertical factors.

[MomsMobley]

FWIW, and IIRC according to bassist Barry Guy, who was in the orchestra, virtually all of Hogwood's Oiseau Lyre recordings were exercises in sight reading, e.g. the Mozart symphonies. Haven't heard all of them, of course, but those I did hear sounded that way to me. I agree with Moms that latter-day German, French (I would add Italian, especially in Vivaldi) "alte musik" ensembles are at their frequent best in another world altogether. Also, for me, in the Mozart symphonies it's such figures as Bohm, Klemperer, and Szell (in their various ways) who bring home the bacon. In particular, what I get from them is a simultaneous grasp of the music's horizontal and vertical factors.

Definitely LK. The Hogwood Beethoven sounds nice and is mostly quiet good but... not quite good enough compared to best HIP or modern/HIP hybirds like Emmanuel Krivine. The Mozart & Vivaldi, most of the Handel & Bach etc... is "interesting" for the time but I don't think there's any question 1) Hogwood got better and 2) the whole movement got A LOT better.

It's a fair argument too who was "better," Hogwood or Neville Marriner, say, with ASMF but unless your English and have a lot invested in a vinyl classical collection, it's a fool's game to sort it out when dozens upon dozens of fantastic French/Italian/German groups have revivified SOUND and performance practice so brilliantly. (Plus some of Hogwood's singers in Handel, Haydn are tough to take; he's FAR from alone in that-- it ruined a generation of UK and US sourced baroque recordings but...)

some lesser known top notch Hogwood is his Gade series on Chandos btw; not saying everyone "needs" the music but if interests lead one to the period/place...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkDxfLH84mY