|
|
|
| last
updated15 November 2012 |
![[W3C HTML 4.01]](http://www.w3.org/Icons/valid-html401) |
|
Eduard van Beinum
(1901-1959)
It is over 50 years since the untimely death
of the distinguished Dutch conductor Eduard van Beinum at the early age
of 58. In the ensuing decade after World War II he quickly became
recognised as one of the most significant of the emerging new group of
international conductors. Not only was he Principal Conductor of the
Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, but following an unexpected and
sudden début in 1945 for an indisposed Albert Coates, van Beinum became
a most welcome and respected visitor to the British capital where he
conducted the London Philharmonic regularly, even becoming their chief
conductor for two seasons in 1949, before ill health forced his earlier
resignation. In 1956 he was musical director of the Los Angeles
Philharmonic for a single season. His health, never particularly robust
in his last years, must have contributed to his early death.
Born in Arnhem on 3rd September 1901, van Beinum became a viola player
in the town¹s orchestra at the age of 16 but the following year
enrolled at the Amsterdam Conservatory. Aged just 20 he became
conductor of the Toonkunst Choir at Schiedam, a position he was to hold
for nine years, followed later by a concurrent appointment in Zutphen.
His qualities were further recognised with elevation to conductor of
the Haarlem Orchestra. A successful début with the country's most
distinguished ensemble - the Concertgebouw Orchestra - on 30th June
1929, eventually resulted in van Beinum being appointed second
conductor to the legendary Willen Mengelberg with effect from 1st
September 1931 and associate conductor on 10th January 1938. Following
the dismissal of Mengelberg by Dutch authorities in 1945, Eduard van
Beinum assumed sole conductorship of the orchestra, a position he would
hold until his sudden death from a heart attack on 13th April 1959
whilst rehearsing Brahms' First Symphony.
Van Beinum's repertoire basically covered the mainstream of Viennese
composers but omitted serialism. As a result of the political situation
in Holland under the Nazi occupation his range was at that time
restricted. It was not until 1945 that he took up Mahler, a composer of
whom he later became an admired interpreter, whereas his Bruckner had
been long admired. In the area of the 20th-century music he conducted
much Bartók, Debussy, Kodály, Ravel and Stravinsky as well as a most
positive commitment to contemporary Dutch composers. His performers
were never flamboyant, thereby unjustly giving the impression of
understatement but he conveyed firm discipline at all times, allied to
a lucid clarity of texture and shape, sustained tension and awareness
of the music's pulse. Ultimately he was was seen as a players'
conductor who treated his musicians as equals.
In the field of British music Eduard van Beinum did much to help the
emerging Malcolm Arnold (then the LPO's principal trumpet) by
performing and later recording the colourful and exuberant Beckus the
Dandipratt, in addition to two recordings of the Sea Interludes
from Britten's Peter Grimes which have remained the benchmark for all
subsequent versions. It was, however, with the music of Elgar that van
Beinum displayed a particular affinity.
Extra Tracks
Below are tracks from our library that
never
made it onto one of our compact discs. They can be downloaded here as
high quality 320kbs AAC encoded (MP3) files.
Purchasers of tracks have unlimted personal use
but
must not pass or sell on to third parties nor broadcast without prior
permission from PPL
"The balance between piano and
orchestra, the
clean, sensitive style of playing, the actual size of the orchestra,
are all so right, so completely Mozartian in proportion that this
recording can be held up as a model. All in all, this is one of the
most satisfying performances I have heard for some time." Gramophone
March 1949
The items below are adverts that will
take
you
away from this site 
|
|
|
We're
backing Britain
