Obituary,
Lorin Maazel (1930-2014)
The American conductor Lorin Maazel has died at the age of 84. Born in France but educated in the United States, Maazel was a rare example of a genuine child prodigy; he began studying conducting at the age of seven and made his debut at eight, followed by a radio appearance guest-conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra at only eleven, and by his early teens he had conducted major orchestras all over the United States as well as performing as a violinist.
Much of his career was divided between American and German/Austrian orchestras - after a period with the Gershwin Concert Orchestra in cooperation with Ira Gershwin, he was the first American to conduct at Bayreuth and led several Berlin orchestras in the 1960s and 70s; during the 1980s he was at the helm of the Vienna State Opera and conducted the New Year's Concert many times, as well as making the first complete recording of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, with an African-American cast.
Maazel's performances appear not only on audio recordings but on film - he was the conductor for film versions of Don Giovanni (Joseph Losey's award-winning adaptation, mentioned below), Carmen and Franco Zeffirelli's interpretation of Otello.
Although primarily known as a conductor, Maazel was no stranger to composition himself, arranging material from Wagner's Ring Cycle into a 75-minute suite, The Ring Without Words, and composing an opera based on George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four; and as if this were not enough, he was also an accomplished violinist (see below for a recording of his performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons).
Most recently, he became known for his involvement in a groundbreaking piece of artistic diplomacy; during a relatively warm period in US-North Korean relations, Maazel took the New York Philharmonic to Pyongyang to present a programme of American (and American-themed) classics such as Gershwin's An American in Paris and Dvorak's New World Symphony.
Maazel was blessed with a prodigious, almost photographic memory that enabled him to conduct a diverse repertoire without the need for a score; perhaps as a result of this approach to conducting, he gained a reputation as a perfectionist, making high demands of his players in the pursuit of the standard he sought. Be that as it may, his legacy is clear; an enormous discography and a considerable trophy-cabinet of awards and plaudits are testament to his musicianship.
Lorin Maazel - ten significant recordings
With this 1960 performance of Lohengrin (featuring such legendary singers as Wolfgang Windgassen and Astrid Varnay), Maazel became not only the first American to conduct at Bayreuth, but also the first Jewish conductor to do so since the Second World War.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
As well as being an established composer, Maazel was also a very fine violinist, as this 1984 recording of The Four Seasons with members of the Orchestre de France (directed from the violin) testifies.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
Maazel's Sibelius was admired even by those who found his approach cool and analytical in other repertoire; this boxed set with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra includes the first five symphonies, the Violin Concerto and some of the great programme-music.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
In 1975, Maazel conducted the Cleveland Orchestra in the first-ever complete account of Porgy & Bess on disc, with Willard White and Leona Mitchell in the title-roles; the recording was described by the Penguin Guide as 'above all Maazel's triumph, a tremendous first recording with dazzling playing'.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
Maazel fell in love with Mahler as a student, when his music was generally far less fashionable than it would become; his interpretations certainly polarised opinion, but this 2011 account of the Sixth Symphony with the Philharmonia Orchestra (commemorating the centenary of Mahler's death) even won over several of his detractors and was described by The Guardian as 'a cosmic experience'.
Available Formats: 4 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
One of Maazel's last recordings, taken from the annual open-air 'Sommernachtskonzert' at Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace. The programme commemorates the bicentenaries of Verdi and Wagner, with Maazel conducting the Vienna Philharmonic - an orchestra with whom he collaborated regularly during his last years.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive
