The BBC has announced that Sir Andrew Davis, long-serving chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, has ‘withdrawn from Thursdy’s Prom due to ill health’.
He will be subbed by the present chief conductor Sakari Oramo, in Mahler 7th rather than 10th.
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AD always struck me as middle-of-the-road and competent, rather than inspired. Interpretations of some repertoire often reminiscent of others’ interpretations, as if he learned them from his LP/CD player rather than the score. Not sure Mahler was ever really his forte.
AD is a nice chap and fun to play for but not very inspiring
He’s an old and much-liked man who has played a major role in the nation’s musical life, and is now known to be seriously ill. A simple “hope he gets well soon” would have sufficed.
I’ve never had the chance to hear Davis live, so only know his ability from recordings. But based on those, her’s terrific. The Elgar box on Teldec is first-rate start to finish. I really enjoy his Dvorak cycle, too. His re-working of Messiah is fascinating and Davis clearly has a first-rate musical mind. Hope he gets well soon. Sure seems like there have been an awful lot of musician cancellations recently.
I think he’s underrated! His concert performances of Walkure and Gotterdamerung in the Edinburgh Festival a few years ago were some of the best I’ve ever heard.
Andrew Davis could sight read a complex score and play it on the piano immediately.
His ability is beyond normal.
A true musician.
Of course he isn’t perfect.
How can anyone be able to synthesise all composers.
I’ve seen him conduct Nielsen 3 with Cleveland Orchestra–a wonderful performance. On YouTube, there is a beautiful performance of AD conducting the Frankfurt Radio Symphony in Vaughan Williams 5–I don’t know of a more inspired reading.
If you are not sure Mahler was ever really his forte, are you also not sure Mahler was his piano?
Very good!
Kick a man while he’s down, why don’t you. Why would you take the notice that he is not appearing, due to illness, as an opportunity to criticise him? You say he’s ‘middle of the road’, well I say “You’re bottom of the barrel” when it comes to a little kindness. I say the same to all the unkind people who have chosen to do the same.
You are David Hurwitz and I claim my five pounds …
Thank you for your armchair insight. Musicians would disagree thankfully .
Well said!
Plenty of armchair critics on here!
How wrong you are, Simon – think you may have mistaken his modest lack of the usual conductor’s ego for middle-of-the-road ability.
Absurd that a supposedly major music festival in a supposedly world-class cultural city can‘t rustle up a half-decent conductor who knows Mahler 10…
On short notice?
There aren’t *that* many conductors who would know the Mahler 10th well, and I’d imagine the ones that do *and* already have UK work visas are already booked elsewhere. (Even for the Proms, I don’t think they cold get a work visa processed in three days.)
I can think of three excellent British M10 conductors off the top of my head; surely they weren’t all busy?
Really? Who?
Absolutely!
Yes plenty of half decent conductors around, it’s the decent ones that are in short supply.
The CBSO were able to do just that for Mahler 10 only a few months ago
did they not ask Robert Trevino? stood in for Mirga this season Superb concert.
Wishing him a speedy recovery…..At the concerts with the NYO of the USA in late July he was in good spirits…
Yes, they gave a very good concert – Davis led a Symphonie Fantastique that was just about perfect in every respect from my point of view. However – it was worth twice the price of admission to hear a wonderful principal oboe (Izaiah Cheeran) in the Barber Violin Concerto (slow movement), said player jumping to cor anglais for the Berlioz. Totally top class. A Curtis student who I am confident will go far. I’ve heard a lot less good from professional orchestras. Stunning he was.
His set of Borodin symphonies and orchestral works with the Toronto Symphony in 1976 is really excellent though. It still stands out today among other recordings made since.
I hope he gets better before he’s supposed to come to Baltimore at the beginning of the season.
Even if he’s not always the greatest, he can be really extraordinary when voices are involved.
@Simon: What utter crap you talk! Each to his own but you’re way off the mark!
Sir Andrew Davis is one of the nicest Conductors on the planet as well as being a real gentleman. Whenever I’ve met him he has always been very friendly, polite and encouraging. He has done much for British music and is a favourite at the Proms. I’m hoping he’s well enough to tackle Tippett’s A Child of our Time at this year’s Edinburgh Festival later in the month. Get well soon!
Yes, one of the nicest Ive worked with.
Andrew did the best last night of the Proms in 1992, never bettered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7jq_BA0QoE
Indeed, I remember it well and Tatyana was amazing…sadly she died a year later. Those were the days.
Agreed. A much younger me was there and enjoyed it tremendously! Thanks for reminding us of the grace, wit, fun and musicality that is Andrew Davis.
Absolutely so! He knows the tradition of it all and the culture, and gets the best out of the Promenaders. Most of all, he believes in it in the right way.
Best Vaughan Williams 5 I’ve heard on YT. Nonsense to say he’s derivative
many of his lyric opera performances were excellent, his leadership inspiring. we wish him well.
Yes, appreciated in Chicago more than in cynical England. Whatever abput the singers, a fine performance from the Lyric Opera Orchestra of Hansel and Gretel I just happened to see when on holiday in Chicago. So musical.
Why don’t they just hire a DJ like at other cheap “proms”?
That’s such a great shame and much loved by many of us who had the joy of working with him. Came in last year at the last minute to conduct a fine performance of Tippett’s 4th because of whovever having covid. He’s nearly 80 and time marches on. Really wish him well and a speedy recovery.
Excellent all-rounder. What’s to dislike?
Thoughts for Maestro Davis and hopes of a speedy recovery. I really only know him from The Proms, where his warmth and enjoyment shone through his conducting.
Just about the most talented musician I’ve ever met as well as the nicest. Sang solos for him when we were both at Cambridge and afterwards.
His teenage audition to be Organ Scholar at King’s is still talked about in awestruck tones – they chucked the hardest pieces at him and there was NOTHING he couldn’t sightread.
Ex-BBC? No, he’s still conductor laureate of the BBCSO and works with them regularly, and also much-loved President of the BBC Symphony Chorus.
Another silly and poorly edited clickbait SD piece – honestly, “…exits Proms”…
And just to add to the previous comments, SAD has always been utterly professional when I have worked with him and courteous when I have spoken to him.
In 1991 I sang in the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir with him on Haydn Creation. He was perfect for it. Made me love Haydn even more. I hope he feels better soon.
Sir Andrew is one of the nicest and very best of musicians/conductors, very much loved by all who have worked with him.
I have been at many of his concerts, he is a joy, and I wish him all the very best, he will be missed tonight……X
He is a wonderful musician who can tackle anything. I remember a superb Elgar Festival with the Philharmonia in 1979. I wish him a speedy recovery
Andrew Davis is without doubt one of our most able conductors – a friend of mine, who retired from the international opera scene a few years ago, recalls doing Berg’s Lulu with AD – he says he knew every note, could hear every note – if you know your Berg, you will realise that is in the stratospheric league for a start… Certainly get well soon …. I intended to go to Mahler 10, so went last night anyway, to be thrilled by an inspired reading of Mahler 7 from Oramo… he also knows his stuff… as a conductor myself of youth orchestras and occasional oratorios, you learn to appreciate just what incredible brains these maestri have, and indeed the concentration required by all the musicians on display last night was awesome…
It was a thrilling performance of Mahler 7 and the third movement of the Berg violin concerto was profoundly sad.
His consistent, and almost single-handed, championing of the music of Hugh Wood throughout that composer’s career (until his death in August 2021) was a testament to Andrew Davis’s loyalty to the music he believed in and the friendships he held dear.
I struggle to know any finer Belshazzar’s Feast than his Proms concert. And his Elgar recordings for Teldec – on the whole, a referential achievement. His Delius disc is the best in market.