André Previn: The Warner Edition - Complete HMV & Teldec Recordings

Conductor, pianist, composer and media personality, André Previn excelled in a diversity of musical genres and idioms. A child prodigy in his native Berlin, he moved to the USA in 1939 and made his early career in Hollywood, winning four Academy Awards. His time as Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (1968-1979) established him as a major interpreter of symphonic repertoire, particularly Russian, French and British music – “The very definition of good conducting,” wrote Gramophone of his celebrated LSO version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. The scope of Previn’s relationship with the LSO is duly reflected in this 95CD set, comprising his entire EMI and Teldec discographies, as is his special rapport with such orchestras as the Pittsburgh Symphony, Chicago Symphony and the Vienna Philharmonic. The collection also showcases his talents as a pianist, in both classical and jazz mode, and offers insights into his character and art with an audio documentary, André Previn – A Memoir.

The 8 CD premieres in the set are:

CD 2 An American in Paris/rehearsal (Track 6)

CD 4 L.S.O. GALA CONCERT

CD 21 Mozart Concerto No. 17 & 24

CD 38 ANDRÉ PREVIN’S MUSIC NIGHT

CD 43 Haydn Symphonies Nos. 88 & 96

CD 44 Tchaikovsky/Liszt Piano Concertos No. 1 with Horacio Gutiérrez

CD 49 ANDRÉ PREVIN’S MUSIC NIGHT II

CD 64 Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 + Overtures

CONTENTS OF CD 17 73.03

The Dicky bird & the Owl: Victorian Songs and Ballads

1 The Dicky bird & the Owl (Arthur Sullivan, Margaret A. Sinclair) 4.08

2 The Trumpeter (J. Airlie Dix, J. Francis Barron) 3.53

3 Annabelle Lee (Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Leslie) 3.14

4 Cigarette (from The Catch of the Seasons, 1904) (Charles H. Taylor, Herbert E. Haines) 3.57

5 Tom Bowling (Charles Dibdin) 4.15

6 Saved from the Deep (Arthur Chapman, Arthur W. Marchant) 3.37

7 The moon hath raised her lamp above (The Lily of Killarney, Act I) (Duet) [with piano] (John Oxendorf, Julius Benedict) 3.42

8 Excelsior! (Duet) (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Michael William Balfe) 6.03

9 Come into the garden, Maud (Lord Alfred Tennyson, Michael William Balfe) 4.07

10 The Arab’s Farewell to his Steed [with spoken intro] (Caroline Norton, John Blockley) 5.25

11 The lark now leaves his wat’ry nest (John Liptrot Hatton, William Davenant) 3.27

12 The Death of Nelson (John Braham, Samuel J. Arnold) 5.35

13 Gendarmes’ Duet (from Geneviève de Brabant) (Jacques Offenbach, Henry Brougham Farnie) 2.20

14 Watchman! What of the night? (Duet) (anon. 19^th-century English, James Sarjeant) 6.47

15 Home! Sweet Home! (Henry Rowley Bishop, John Howard Payne) 3.34

16 The Snowy-Breasted Pearl (Traditional Irish) 2.48

17 I’ll sing thee songs of Araby (Frédéric Clay, William Gorman Wills) 3.11

18 The Wee Cooper o’Fife (Traditional Scottish) 1.53

Robert Tear tenor (1, 3, 5, 7-9, 11-18)

Benjamin Luxon baritone (1-2, 4, 6-8, 10, 13-14, 18)

André Previn piano

Recorded: 9-10.V.1973 , No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

DISC 38, TRACK 1:

1 André Previn’s Music Night Signature Tune

(ANDRÉ PREVIN’S MUSIC NIGHT -A concert of favourite music featured in the BBC TV series with the LSO)

CONTENTS OF DISC 76:

ANDRÉ PREVIN 1929-2019

‘A DIFFERENT KIND OF BLUES’

1 Look At Him Go 3.50

2 Little Face 4.11

3 Who Reads Reviews 4.11

4 Night Thoughts 6.18

5 A Different Kind of Blues 6.20

6 Chocolate Apricot 5.00

7 The Five of Us 2.51

8 Make Up Your Mind 3.51

Itzhak Perlman violin

André Previn piano

Shelly Manne drums

Jim Hall guitar

Red Mitchell bass

CONTENTS OF DISC 78:

ANDRÉ PREVIN 1929-2019

‘IT’S A BREEZE’

1 It’s a breeze 3.32

2 Rain in My Head 6.34

3 Catgut Your Tongue 6.10

4 It’s About Time 3.12

5 Quiet Didding 5.04

6 A Tune for Heather 7.40

7 Bowing and Scraping 5.00

8 The Red Bar 5.23

Itzhak Perlman violin

André Previn piano

Shelly Manne drums

Jim Hall guitar

Red Mitchell bass

CONTENTS OF DISC 95: (Bonus CD)

Documentary ‘André Previn – A Memoir’

Presented and produced by Jon Tolansky

1 Introduction and Overview 5.22

Extracts from Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (March) - Commentary from André Previn, Sir Tom Stoppard, Thomas Martin, Carolyn Woods, Denis Wick, Robin Brightman

2 BBC Television Series 7.55

Signature Music for André Previn’s Music Night - Commentary from James Holland, Gerald Newson, Thomas Martin - Extracts from Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (IV)

3 Background preceding career as conductor, and early conducting career 6.19

Commentary from Gerald Newson - Extracts from Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No 1. (III) – with Kyung-Wa Chung (violin) and Paul Tortelier (cello)

Commentary from Robin Brightman - Extracts from Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem (Dies Irae)

4 Appointment as Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra 10.04

Commentary from Denis Wick, Gerald Newson - Extracts from Gershwin: An American in Paris (Rehearsal – Performance)

Commentary from Denis Wick - Extracts from Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 – André Previn (piano), Sir Adrian Boult (conductor)

Commentary from André Previn - Extracts from Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem (Lacrymosa)

5 Qualities and achievement as Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra 14.56

Extracts from Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem (Lacrymosa)* - Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé (opening scene - Daphnis and Chloé mime the story of Pan and Syrinx)**

Commentary from *Denis Wick - ** André Previn

6 Classical and Jazz Pianist 6.16

Extracts from Ravel: Piano Trio (I) with Yong Uck Kim (violin) and Ralph Kirshbaum (cello)

Previn: ‘It’s a Breeze’ with Itzhak Perlman (violin), Shelly Manne (drums), Jim Hall (guitar), Red Mitchell (Bass)

Commentary from Michael Gray - Extracts from Joplin: The Easy Winners – with Itzhak Perlman

7 Composer for Theatre and Television Drama 10.19

Commentary from Sir Tom Stoppard, Robin Brightman - Previn: Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill (Signature Music)

8 Breadth of Orchestral Repertoire9.40

Commentary from Robin Brightman - Extracts from Haydn: Symphony No. 88 (I)

Commentary from Gerald Newson - Extracts from Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast (Then Sing Aloud To God Our Strength) – Goldmark: Rustic Wedding Symphony (V)

9 Public Following, Personality, Legacy, and Conclusion 6.48

Commentary from Robin Brightman, Carolyn Woods, Ray Northcott - Extracts from Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (IV)

Commentary from Sir Tom Stoppard - Extracts from Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (IV)