OT: death of Richard Hickox

[akiralx]

I know he wasn't known as a conductor of Mahler, but it's sad to report Richard Hickox's death after a recording session in Wales.  He was 60 and had a suspected heart attack.

[Don]

I have a Das Klagende Lied conducted by him from Bournemouth on Chandos, not a bad performance at all. It seems to have been discontinued and is the only Mahler I know he did.

A great loss to the music world at large and to British music especially.

[Amphissa]

He recorded a nice set of Max Bruch -- each disc paired a symphony with a violin concerto. Good audio on Chandos featuring Lydia Mordkovich. His recordings of the original version of RVW's London Symphony (No. 2) was insightful, and his recording of the Pastoral Symphony (No. 3) was among the better post-Boult.

[sbugala]

I got to see him conduct the SLSO once in a program that included the Enigma Variations.  Saint Louis audiences are thankful, especially so on concertos and almost anything that ends the night. However, this was before intermission.  He seemed heartened to see the Elgar get a standing ovation.  Sadly, I bailed after the first half, as I'm not the biggest Walton Balthazar's Feast fan.  Still, I thought it was nice to see him conduct.  I had hoped he would return to do another British program.  He did a great job with the Elgar.

I have mixed thoughts on his RVW cycle.  His 4 and 5 are superb, in my book.  His London Symphony is great for what it is...but I'm still not sold on it.  Still, I guess it needed to be heard, I think he genuinely believed in it. Does anyone know what else has been recorded in that cycle that hasn't yet been released?

Steve

[Don]

I think only 7 and 9 remained. I do not know if they "are in the can" waiting to be released.

[Matthew]

It's such a shame, I saw Hickox conduct a superb VW 1 & 7 at the RFH in London last May, the first concert in his recent VW series with the Philharmonia. It's a great loss to British music, and very sad indeed for his family. I'll cherish his recordings even more now -- as well as the outstanding recordings of British composers, his recordings with Collegium Musicum 90, especially the Haydn mass series, which I love. I listened yesterday to his Schubert E-flat Mass recording in his memory.

[barry guerrero]

The best item that I know involving Hickox is Britten's "War Requiem" for Chandos. It also comes with Britten's rather sombre "Sinfonia da Requiem" as well as the rather Shostakovich sounding "Ballad Of Heros". It's a great 2 cd set.

Barry

[Dave H]

I think working for Chandos is a pretty sure guarantee of an early and sudden death--think of Thomson and Handley as well. I know, sick thought, but seriously, my colleague in Montreal, Christophe Huss, pointed out that while Simon Rattle gets most of the press and accolades, there really isn't a single recording by him that is generally regarded as among the best in its repertoire, while the supposed "second tier" of British conductors has done outstanding work--Barry already mentioned the War Requiem, but there's also Elgar's choral music, some of the Haydn masses, and a whole host of other discs of British and non-British music by Hickox that are outstanding (though I think his RVW has largely been terrible). I would single out Tippet's First Symphony and Piano Concerto as a particularly worthy examplar of his best work.

Dave H