ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Orchestra Chose Its Hollywood Conductor

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31656, 17 April 1968, Page 15

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Orchestra Chose Its Hollywood Conductor

By EDWARD GREENFIELD A man from “Time” magazine has, thia month, been assiduously consulting members of the London Symphony Orchestra: why waa it, he wanted to know, that the orchestra had chosen for its new principal conductor a young American, Andre Previn, known best for his work in the pop fleld, a writer of Hollywood film scores, of musicals, and a jaaz pianist? He was not the only one asking that question. Previn has come to the fore as a conductor remarkably quickly. Some argue that his powers have still not been sufficiently tested for him to take on the mantle of Hans Richter and others who have directed the London Symphony Orchestra. We shall see about that in coming seasons, but there is no doubt whatever of the affection and respect which the orchestra feels for him. Previn made his first contact with the L.S.O. during recording sessions in 1964. He conducted two Russian symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s No. 2 and Rachmaninov’s No. 2, and the orchestra, prepared to be sceptical, was won over. Since then he has made many more records, Including several of English music, Walton’s First Symphony and the first issues of a projected cycle of Vaughan Williams. What endeared Previn to the orchestra from the start was his complete professionalism in rehearsal. “The best part of music," as he sees it, “is to take it apart in an atmosphere of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual fun." He consciously works the players hard, but is convinced that things go faster if everyone has fun as well.

Beecham is one of his idols—though he feels the famous recorded rehearsal of Haydn with its cup-tie stories is “a little self-indulgent"— and he sees his own work as following the persuasive style of Furtwangler rather than the military discipline of a Toscanini. * * •

Understandably, he gets Irritated when people point to his early pop success and then assume his ambition to change fields came on him suddenly. He has wanted to be a conductor as long as he can remember. Born in Berlin in 1929, he was brought up in a highly musical family, for his father, a lawyer and amateur pianist, organised regular chamber concerts. At these Previn would sit “literally under the piano,” and by the time the family emigrated to the United States in 1939 he was ready for serious musical training. Several years studying privately with Mario Castel-nuovo-Tedesco in Los Angeles led to early success in the film studios. He was only 16 when he orchestrated his first film-score and only 19 when he composed one complete. These early efforts, he confesses, are liable nowadays to make him “hide behind the furniture,” when they reappear on television. This training could hardly have been more intense or beneficial. As he explains: “I don’t care how many professors study a score and say, ‘Look, young man, this won’t sound,' this isn't as good as actually hearing it ‘not

sound.' ” He had to work very fast, and everything he wrote he heard within the week. This practical experience has helped him more recently to develop as a conductor. * * w

When about 1960 be began to feel his film work was a waste of time, be put it around that be wanted to conduct seriously. He had many flattering offers, but those that came from big orchestras were not flattering in the way he wanted. They ail assumed he would conduct pop nights, and he had no desire to do concerts of soup-ed-up Jerome Kern.

Instead, with the enthusiastic support of his wife, he stuck out for serious conducting. At first this meant working in small towns and with "community orchestras” (semi-pro-fessional bodies organised in the cultural suburbs), but quickly the cities got bigger and the orchestra better. HiS pop work was left behind. His recordings for R.C.A. Victor brought a breakthrough. for they gave him a better chance than before to be judged dispassionately, and it did not take critics long—those in Britain were among the first—-to realise that Previn’s was far from being a bubble reputation. When just over a year ago his recording of Walton’s First Symphony appeared in the same month as a rival version from the symphony’s first exponent. Sir Malcolm Sargent, Previn came out of the inevitable comparisons not just with merit but real honour. * * *

He loves making records for the same reasons as he loves rehearsing, and unlike many recording artists he never gets nervous in the studio. “After all,” he says, “I’ve been on recording stages for my entire adult life."

So far his records have concentrated on the romantic side of the repertory, but that is largely accidental, and he claims that like most of his colleagues he conducts Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert and Brahms more regularly than any other composer. He has ideas for including much more French and American music in his L.S.O. programmes as well as Haydn symphonies (still not regarded as box-office). But with his training in a field which cares for little but the box-office, his programme-building is not likely to be unrealistic. Already he has had fair experience in drawing up his first season’s programmes with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, where last autumn he succeeded Sir John Barbirolli.

His love of English music, which he has bean “crazy about” since he was a student, has cemented his relationship with the L. 5.0., and in the

autumn be evea plans to record some Elgar. To Britten he pays perhaps the highest compliment Britten, more than anyone, has influenced his own serious compositions. "If I were to be honest about it,” he admits, “I try to steal as much from Benjamin Britten as possible.” Previn’s recent Cello Concerto, already performed in Houston, will be heard in London next season, and be is now at work on ah orchestral song-cycle for the American soprano, Judith Raskin. He is also anxious to write a special work for the L.S.O.’s > principal horn-player, Barry iTuekwell. Just how he will manage to write anything over the coming year is hard to say. The L.S.O. appointment has taken him by surprise, so that next season will involve even more flying in and out than usual, what with engagements in Berlin, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh as well as Houston and London. After that he wants to make London his firm base. What attracts him specially is "the camaraderie of the young musicians here,” and he lists some of them—Barenboim, Ashkenazy, Perlman, Bishop, Argerich, Du Pre. “A helluva colony, and I think they all want the others to be good.” He Was devoting his one free night of the week to going to Ashkenazy’s concert, when other Invitations were there to tempt him on all sides. Previn is eager to keep in touch with young listeners and young musicians. Too many, he feels, are nowadays put off concerts by the formality of atmosphere and dress. It is essential, be feels, to build up young audiences as the best answer to those who feel the concert-hall and symphony orchestra are in decay. If anyone can do it, Andre Previn will.—From the “Guardian,” by arrangement

Twenty-five paintings in the Ned Kelly series by the Australian artist Sidney Nolan will be shown in the Canter bury Society of Arts gallery in Gloucester Street next week-end. The paintings are much earlier than the Kelly “Riverbend” The society’s annual autumn show will also open at the week-end. The picture shows Gilbert Docking, director of the Auckland City Art Gallery, with one of the Nolan works, “The Trial,” of Kelly in his bullet-proof helmet.