Sir Andrew Davis and the snobs
OrchestrasThe composer Michael Tippett referred to him as ‘the other Davis’ – that is, not Sir Colin.
Covent Garden never considered him a candidate to succeed his namesake.
He was not appointed Generalmusikdirektor of any holy German imperium.
I don’t think he ever conducted the Vienna Philharmonic.
The high places of classical music tended to look down on Andrew’s unabashed love for the things he did, his way of making things fun without sacrificing profundity.
Andrew, so far as I could tell, was never bothered that he did not get asked to make recordings for the yellow label, or get feted by the Manhattan super-rich, or get dressed by Boss. He was one of those few conductors who seemed perpetually happy with what he did, and he made others happy by doing so.
He made the late Queen Elizabeth laugh out loud, quite often. She was definitely amused.
He was always twice the conductor that the cognoscenti thought they knew. He conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra more than anyone except its founder, Sir Adrian Boult, another underrated master.
If anyone ever told him that he was underestimated by the establishment, Andrew would have given that blaring, cackling laugh and moved on to the next score. He loved music more than he cared for ‘music lovers’ of this world.
Should have been invited to conduct the New Years concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic. Missed opportunity.
That lot wouldn’t have understood his British humour!
You are so right Maria.
That would have been an inspired move, one I had never considered.
Problem is that the VPO usually invites only someone who has worked with them for years already. Though Dudamel was young enough that he might have been an exception. Any originality has probably been beaten out of them by that time.
Spot on Norman. Andrew never took himself too seriously. It was always about the music. I will particularly miss the thing he always did when someone played a phrase in a way he didn’t like. He would go “no no no no no….NO!!” Pronounced “nyo” of course.
He was a regular guest at the Philharmonia, but we saw rather less of him after he went to the BBCSO. He did return later on, but rather too infrequently. I shall for ever miss his Elgar performances: the symphonies and especially Gerontius, which he particularly loved. My last memory of playing for him was at the Edinburgh Festival in Caractacus. A neglected work, but he gave it his best, and I shall always remember the look that came over his face as we reached the beautiful final chorus. “At last, great Elgar!” he purred. RIP
Not that it makes a bit of difference to anyone, I very much like Elgar’s Caractacus.
It is true, he probably didnt get the recognition he deserved
Many folk don’t. Fact of life.
Unlike many conductors, neither recognition nor crowds of “groupies” were part of his ambitions, which were concerned with the music, the musicians and the audience. He was not what is commonly called a “schmoozer”.
I had the pleasure of reviewing several concerts that AD conducted, not least at the Proms. During one interval, the guy sitting next to me – having observed I was taking notes during the performance – leaned over and asked, “What do you think?” My response was along the lines of “Yes, enjoying it, and what do you think?”
That opened the floodgates. “He never seems to have anything original to say – always seems like he’s listened to some recording of the piece and just tries to copy it. He should have kept to organ playing in the provinces – he could have done that moderately well!”
“It’s a bit hard to listen to a recording if you’re conducting a new work”, I interjected, “and having seen one or two of AD’s working scores I know he prepares them thoroughly.”
I was slapped down, “so you’re a difficult one, I see….”
Undeterred, I continued, “So have you heard Sir Andrew Davis conduct much?”
“Oh yes, many times, in the hope he gets better – but he never does.”
“Could it be, perhaps, you don’t know the quality of what you are hearing?”
“How very dare you…. philistine.”
A few years later I found myself sitting next to the same person at the final London concert by Alfredo Kraus, at the Barbican. Our previous exchange was not forgotten. “Oh Jesus, you again!”, he mumbled with a withering look in my direction as he took his seat. Ever the consummate artist and faithful to the score, Kraus was dismissed by this knowledgeable music lover as “Not bad I suppose. All that lightweight Spanish stuff (zarzuelas), well I suppose it’s all he knows or is good at. He never really made it did he, not like those other two from the Costa del Sol!” (Presumably referring to Domingo and Carreras)
It’s moments like that that took the pleasure out of reviewing for me, as I always tried to focus on the positive. Music is the joy of life, after all, whatever genre you prefer. (I will as much listen to Taylor Swift as Tchaikovsky). Alas, some people just don’t get it.
exactly, Sally!
Yes Norman!
Quite right
There was another underrated conductor George Weldon born 1908, died 1963. It’s a shame that they haven’t issued a box set of his recordings. Died at the age of 55 when he was at the height of his powers.
It’s not me, just checkin.
Sally
No, not you – but me!
Brilliant, Sally! I guess many of us will have found ourselves in the company of that kind of person every now and then!
I should also add that I have also found myself with some wonderful concert seat-mates: national treasures including Pru Scales and Timothy West, or Tim and Sam West, David Attenborough…. I well remember another Prom when he leaned in my direction as the conductor walked down the tunnel toward the podium, and whispered, “And here, we see emerging from the undergrowth the rarely seen Conductoris Tyrannicus.” A wicked glint in his eye. Not afraid to show the lighter side of himself to a total stranger or take himself too seriously. If it were for that alone, I love the man.
Being stuck between Boris Johnson and David Mellor at the opera was something else: hilarious in a strange way, if rather vomit inducing. The music was a backdrop to their sideshow of thinly veiled carping, hatred and backstabbing.
Absolutely right. If only their listening skills were as strong as their opinions. And the artist concerned is invariably “brilliant at everything” or “wretched and overrated in everything.” No notion that they might be good at some things and not so good at others (like everyone)…….
Absolutely!
Poor you having to endure him twice. I enjoyed your account & would be honoured to sit next to you.
You deserve a medal!
Well said, Norman this is exactly right. He was not feted in the way that some were, which was 1) wrong because he was a bloody fine conductor; 2) something he didn’t care about because music was all that he did.
I have so many recollections of him from when Louise was GM at the BBCSO and they are full of top-class music-making, plus personal warmth and humanity.
I’m not sure either abounds so much these days…
Absolutely adored him and his conducting. A giant. And such a sweetheart. RIP dear Andrew.
Sir Andrew Davis never conducted the Vienna Philharmonic. Not that the other Davis, Sir, Colin, was a regular: 15 times between 1988 and 1994. Another Britton, not a Davis, Sir Simon, has already conducted the VPO 130 times.
It’s all easily traceable at https://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/en/konzert-archiv
Based on the archived record of the one artist whose VPO career I know intimately, that database is extraordinarily unreliable… All but useless, in fact.
For clarity, the Vienna and tour concert history is possibly correct. I’ll have to look more carefully. But the Salzburg stuff is an unholy mess.
Interesting. What can you share about the Salzburg mess?
Opera all mixed up with concerts, and spotty — a child could do it better.
He may not have conducted the Vienna Philharmonic but he did of course conduct widely elsewhere, and after having watched and heard him conduct Vaughan Williams’ 5th with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra convinced me that this was the best rendition of the piece I have ever witnessed. Just one splendid memory out of many…
Yes Sir Andrew should have conducted the Vienna Philharmonic. He may have done a New Year’s Day concert, had he pushed himself
What is also curious to me is that Sir Andrew’s contemporary Sir John Eliot Gardiner not only got to conduct the VPO but also to record with them.
An oversight by the VPO, IMO.
So what if he never did any of those things? If he had, would he still have been the same Andrew Davis that we all regarded so highly?
It might have affected his profile, not the respect he enjoyed from colleagues and his public.
Among my fondest memories of a great man. At the Halle Proms in 74 or 75: Marche from Suite Algerienne by S-Saens which I have never heard live since. 1975 Tippett’s piano concerto, Halle. Recently the moving ending of Elgar’s Starlight Express (First Nowell) and the A. Burgess settings of Raymond Yui. Several ‘Child of out Time’ concerts and Midsummer Marriage at the Proms. Would love to have seen his Chicago production of this but did hear him there in Rheingold and Gotterdammerung. For the latter we were on the front row and after a wonderful performance he relaxed back to his cheery demeanour with ‘well done chaps!’ etc to the orchestra. Sad not to hear a final L’Enfance du Christ’ scheduled for this December; he seemed to be working for as long as his illness allowed with no fuss. A very special man.
A little hard to judge Midsummer Marriage for those of us entirely nfamiliar with the score. Such a weird production took away from the attention needed to understand the music. Lots of plastic, David Daniels in too-tight costuming on a swing contraption, etc. The Ring cycle was fabulous, as noted.
David Daniels was not in the Chicago production of Midsummer Marriage.
there is no countertenor in the opera……
I well remember him conducting a Pension Fund concert for the NYPO. The chief protagonist was PDQ Bach and the concert was entirely of PDQ’s music. Sir Andrew was having the time of his life conducting the music as if it were the greatest in the world and chuckling and occasionally laughing out loud as he went along. The orchestra were enjoying themselves too. The perfect man for the job.
Hewas very much loved in Australia
I worked with Sir Andrew many times. I have to say, Norman, I’ve never agreed with you more. Sir Andrew was a joy to work with and an excellent musician. He performed and guided for the very reason any musician should want to do so. For joy.
Davis was a guest much loved by audiences of the Philadelphia Orchestra and staff (though he hadn’t been her for a few years). How he was never considered for MD is beyond me, especially in an era where we wound up with Christoph Eschenbach.
He performed countless times in Toronto and was consistency reliable. A fantastic Strauss conductor. Never saw a bad performance he did. A huge loss.
He was the chief conductor of the TSO for many years. He embraced Canada and very much loved Georgian Bay north of the city. A real charmer and fine musician.
Quite honestly, A. Davis’ recording of “The Planets” from Toronto is my very favorite of any (and I’ve listened to pretty much every one of them).
I see the Edinburgh Festival has not yet caught up with his death as he is still billed as conducting the closing concert. All the more poignant as it is Capriccio the first opera he ever conducted.
Sir Andrew did an absolutely wonderful Ring cycle with the RSNO over a few years.
Nice one.
Snobbery, the bain of British life. Sir Andrew Davis…the angels will get it!
And German and Austrian, apparently.
Against the snobs, Sir Andrew won (if
“winning” was even important to him).
I only met him in person once at the Met. I told him of the many memorable times I heard his wife at NYCO. He just beamed.
I know you can’t judge a book by its cover, but first impressions are telling.
RIP and thank you.
Last evening I dug out a 20 year old DVD of Davis explaining the Elgar Enigma Variations with a complete performance. It was clear from watching him that he truly loved and understood the work so much. Wonderful video; he was a great communicator. Highly recommended.
Yes I remember that enlightening TV documentary. Hopefully they’ll put it up on the BBC iPlayer.
“He was always twice the conductor that the cognoscenti thought they knew.”
A devastatingly accurate comment. Bravo, Norman.
I went back stage and shook his hand after a truly splendid performance of the Enigma Variations with the Boston Symphony in 1999. He was a charming man.
Yes him and Bramwell Tovey were my favorite ‘second tier’ British conductors.
Clearly the Glyndebourne “snobs” didn’t mind as he was Festival Music Director from 1989 to 2000.
Living in the Chicago area I had the pleasure of hearing seeing and hearing him conduct more opera performances than I can count-and there was never an unsatisfactory one. I also met him many times when he was conducting master classes for the Lyric Opera. He was so down to earth as a person and so humorous that he was clearly someone you would want to know better than just as a performer. We will miss him greatly!
He may not have conducted the Berlin or Vienna Phils, but he conducted the CSO about 30 times over the years and most/all of the other big North American orchestras.
Also impressive that even after he left Toronto, he still seemed to come back as an elder statesman any number of times.
I only saw him one – in Washington with the Melbourne Symphony a couple years ago. Fine orchestra, lovely show. And smart man – getting to make good music while spending a few months each year in one of the world’s loveliest cities. And here’s a nice tribute to him from some of their musicians. https://www.mso.com.au/media-centre/press-releases/sir-andrew-davis-1944-2024
So he’s a solid, middle of the road maestro. What is wrong with that?
Once, when I was playing as an extra with one of the regional orchestras, Sir Andrew stopped a rehearsal of ‘The Rite of Spring’ with the comment “we will have to do that section again; you played it brilliantly but my conducting was dreadful’”
He was Music Director at Glyndebourne for many years! That’s prestigious! From time to time, their seasons are actually better than those of the Royal Opera.
Also, as Chief Condiuctor of BBCSO from 1989 to 2000 (the longest post holder since Adrian Boult), to audiences around the world who tune in to Last Night- he is THE face of Britsh conducting and orchestral music. Most German orchestras don’t get audiences of many millions. Who’s to say that it wasn’t Sir Andrew who turned down Vienna Philharmonic? (“Sorry, those dates clash with several Proms concerts”, “Sorry, I’m busy with Glyndebourne” etc).
He was a legend, and those of us who got to see and hear his work were very fortunate.
..And he was good friends, with very many (coughs) viola players.
Taken from us way too early.
When I was in college, he was on tour with the BBCSO. The entire concert was a thrill. Perhaps the most memorable moment was how he waited after the concert to greet many of the attendees, taking time to thank them for coming! I was absolutely enthralled by this simple yet powerful act. Not only did he shake my hand, he engaged me in discussion. He was truly a first-rate musician and impressive human being.
Thank you for posting this tribute.
Sir Andrew appeared 132 times at the Proms (ten short of Sir Colin). I attended several of those in the 70s and 80s, and greatly enjoyed them. Later, I found his boisterous bonhomie at the Last Night a bit tiresome, and marked him down as a buffoon.
HOWEVER, during lockdown I discovered his documentary about the Enigma Variations, and totally revised my opinion. Such insight, such clarity, and such affection for the man and his work!
Great tribute! By the way, Andrew Davis did record the two Chopin concertos with Yundi Li for DG.
Actually, he made a recording for the yellow label:
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/yundi-chopin-liszt-piano-concertos-10160
He certainly got the recognition with me and that’s all I care about.
Absolute drivel, once again. Andrew conducted almost every major orchestra and was beloved by musicians and audiences alike. He had an enviable career and walked among giants.
I’m so grateful to read your article. I worked with Sir Andrew Davis, and I admired and respected not only his tremendous talent and knowledge, but his wonderful personality and warmth. Few could equal him when it came to telling a story or an anecdote. Fabulous sense of humor, always down to earth and kind. He’s the only conductor I have known who never made a single marking in his scores, while his colleagues turn their partituras into coloring books. Confident, very musical, super-clear beat. He always had or made time to speak with the music staff and the singers. Gregarious, energetic… It’s so true that he didn’t politic around trying to be ‘in’ or popular. He simply made music. So refreshing to see a maestro with his ego so in place. He conducted Salome at the Met: he beat the entire score in one… not sure how he did it, but it worked?! He will be missed.
Brilliantly succinct homage to a great conductor and musician. His name on a recording was often enough for me.
In my view good enough for anywhere, especially when one considers the rent-a-batons as conductors and ‘musical directors’ so commonplace now.
Too many performances and recordings to name but his BBC 4 programme on the Tallis Fantasia was rather special and I still cherish his Borodin with the Toronto SO from the 1970s.
He was the only conductor I saw/heard conduct an Arnold Bax symphony, as distinct from a symphonic poem, live; NO 7 at the RFH in 87 (?). Helped persuade me of Bax’s stature as a symphonist
I hardly ever agree with you. But, about Sir Andrew I can only agree. He was a wonderful man and great conductor. Versatile too – cannot think of a finer live Stravinsky performance than his Rakes Progress at the RFH.
We were so fortunate that he led the Toronto Symphony so capably and with such vitality.He was also a superb organist. Good days for which we will always be most grateful.
I think some of this has to do with hype. Andrew Davis seemed to be content to let his work speak for itself. He was a solid performer, never terribly flashy or imperious but always seemed to be enjoying himself. I saw him last fall in Baltimore. Falstaff, The Walk to Paradise Garden and a concerto. He seemed in the pink. So sad it should come to such a sudden end. So many other conductors seem to have a publicity machine behind them and the net effect is often disappointment that they don’t measure up to their hype in concert. Rattle is a fine performer but I never understood what the hype was about as the results were often just OK. Solti’s reputation tanked after he died. Maybe Davis should have done more Mahler or another Beethoven cycle or everything Brahms ever wrote in new editions. These offerings seem to lend themselves to the PR machinery in music and recoding today. A lot of great English music got performed abroad because of Andrew Davis’s advocacy. I also recall a great Elgar 2nd Symphony in Philadelphia. Who will fill this gap?