Thomas Beecham

Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, CH (29 April 1879 – 8 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras. From the early 20th century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to the BBC, was Britain's first international conductor.

Born to a rich industrial family, Beecham began his career as a conductor in 1899. He used his access to the family fortune to finance opera from the 1910s until the start of the Second World War, staging seasons at Covent Garden, Drury Lane and His Majesty's Theatre with international stars, his own orchestra and a wide repertoire. Among the works he introduced to England were Richard Strauss's Elektra, Salome and Der Rosenkavalier and three operas by Frederick Delius.

Together with his younger colleague Malcolm Sargent, Beecham founded the London Philharmonic, and he conducted its first performance at the Queen's Hall in 1932. In the 1940s he worked for three years in the United States where he was music director of the Seattle Symphony and conducted at the Metropolitan Opera. After his return to Britain, he founded the Royal Philharmonic in 1946 and conducted it until his death in 1961.

Beecham's repertoire was eclectic, sometimes favouring lesser-known composers over famous ones. His specialities included composers whose works were neglected in Britain before he became their advocate, such as Delius and Berlioz. Other composers with whose music he was frequently associated were Haydn, Schubert, Sibelius and the composer he revered above all others, Mozart.
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Thomas Beecham

Thomas Beecham

Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, CH (29 April 1879 – 8 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras. From the early 20th century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to the BBC, was Britain's first int...
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46 albums
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BEECHAM at the Royal Festival Hall, Volume 1: Haydn, Lalo, Debussy
BEECHAM at the Royal Festival Hall, Volume 2: Mendelssohn, Ghedini, Dvořák
BEECHAM at the Royal Festival Hall, Volume 3: Addison, Beethoven, Saint-Saëns, Gounod

Recorded live in 1959

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

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HAYDN Symphony No. 101, "Clock"
LALO Symphony in G minor
DEBUSSY Cortège & Air de Danse from L'enfant prodigue

Recorded live in 1959
Total duration: 58:42

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

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MENDELSSOHN Overture: The Fair Melusine
GHEDINI Musica da Concerto per Viola ed Archi
DVOŘÁK  Symphony No. 8

Recorded live in 1959
Total duration: 70:43

Frederick Riddle, viola
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

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ADDISON Ballet Suite, Carte Blanche
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7
SAINT-SAËNS Dance of the Priestesses (Samson & Delilah)
GOUNOD Juliet's Dream (Romeo and Juliet)

Recorded live in 1959
Total duration: 56:49

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

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BERLIOZ Grande Messe des Morts (Requiem)

Live broadcast recording, 1959
Total duration:  78:48

Richard Lewis, tenor
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus   
conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

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BIZET Carmen

Live broadcast performance, 1943
Total duration: 2hr 32:32

Carmen - Lily Djanel
Don José - Raoul Jobin
Micaëla - Licia Albanese
Escamillo - Leonard Warren

Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera
conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham