Andrew Davis RIP

[lennygoran]

I see he conducted at the Met 129 times-his last time was The Merry Widow
Metropolitan Opera House, Sat, January 17, 2015 Matinee Telecast

https://slippedisc.com/2024/04/sudden-d ... h-maestro/

[maestrob]

I have many of his recordings. Very fine. R. I. P.

[Belle]

I'm very sad to learn about this. Davis was a man of warmth, intelligence and humour and we saw this in spades during this Prom years. That he died 'suddenly' whilst being treated for Leukaemia was a huge stroke for fortune for him. It's a dreadful, debilitating disease.

A life well lived. Thank you for the music. We all loved you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuy0FxlBfU0

[Lance]

I was very sad to learn this, too. Fortunately, have some great remembrances on discs of the man as a conductor and pianist. He was 80 - when I hear that number, I began to "tremble!" [as in Messiah] Anything can happen especially at that age or shortly thereafter. Nobody escapes.

[Belle]

Don't 'tremble'; enjoy every single minute, especially with music. It's our motto for every single day and and it works a treat. New intellectual pursuits, music and great films and lots of fabulous books. The occasional trip thrown in for good measure and after that a few decent friends who are still cognizant and not barking ideologues. Family too, of course. Gorgeous grand-children. No money worries. What's not to love? (I feel with so many positives something is soon to go wrong!!)

[maestrob]

Don't 'tremble'; enjoy every single minute, especially with music. It's our motto for every single day and and it works a treat. New intellectual pursuits, music and great films and lots of fabulous books. The occasional trip thrown in for good measure and after that a few decent friends who are still cognizant and not barking ideologues. Family too, of course. Gorgeous grand-children. No money worries. What's not to love? (I feel with so many positives something is soon to go wrong!!)

Agreed.

[barney]

Davis was chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for years; I've interviewed him. A gregarious and funny man, who got on really well with the musicians. They loved him, even while finding him occasionally irritating.

[Lance]

Of course, and good advice. Like you, I have no particular personal worries except worring about my friends who seem to be failing, as are some family members. I do worry about the situation in the world but try not to let it get personal. You're right: we have everything around us that we love ... people, books, music, visual entertainment, traveling, food, more than many people have who are living in deplorable conditions we don't even know about. Usually I am much more optimistic. And yes, I, too, think something BIG is to go wrong.

Don't 'tremble'; enjoy every single minute, especially with music. It's our motto for every single day and and it works a treat. New intellectual pursuits, music and great films and lots of fabulous books. The occasional trip thrown in for good measure and after that a few decent friends who are still cognizant and not barking ideologues. Family too, of course. Gorgeous grand-children. No money worries. What's not to love? (I feel with so many positives something is soon to go wrong!!)

[jserraglio]

Vaughan Williams: 5. Sinfonie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Sir Andrew Davis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsQGFlcqUmA

[Rach3]

Lebrecht's ode:

SIR ANDREW DAVIS AND THE SNOBS
Norman Lebrecht
April 22, 2024

The 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.

[Lance]

Lebrecht is right on! The "other" Davis ... too bad, and while I have more Colin Davis recordings, I didn't avoid Andrew and wondered, too, why he wasn't recording more for the Yellow label, or other major labels. It is obvious that music came first in his heart and the rest happened as fate would have it. I think he was a happy conductor (and pianist). Looking at his discography, there were many labels and much repertoire. I remember Andrew Davis warmly.

[Belle]

Lebrecht's ode:

SIR ANDREW DAVIS AND THE SNOBS
Norman Lebrecht
April 22, 2024

The 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.

This is an excellent valedictory. My spouse isn't a music connoisseur but he very much admired Andrew Davis, whom he knew from The Proms. Yesterday he expressed emotion when learning Davis had died and I showed him the "happy birthday" tribute from the Toronto Symphony which I'd posted here. A token of love from those musicians.

Like me, and many of my family members, Davis had contempt for the cognoscenti and self-regarding snobbery which passes for 'taste' these days. The 'house of lords'/'peerage' set of the 21st century. These types have always existed and individualists like me have resisted them for just as long.