André Previn

Is there nothing musical this man can't do?

André Previn, composer, pianist (as adept in the classical repertoire as in jazz), conductor, broadcaster … the man's talents have no bounds. An integral part of British life from his associations with both the LSO and RPO, Previn was a true advocate of classical music in his TV programme, and must have turned many people into the classical music from the late 1960s into the '80s. His musical sympathies are extraordinarily broad ranging from colourful Russian and French scores to the 'core' classical symphonic repertoire (he is a fine Brahms interpreter, for example), not to mention countless recordings of British music, for which he showed remarkable sympathy. And as a pianist he has frequently performed chamber music with some very high-profile colleagues.  

Timeline

1929 (April 6) Born to a Jewish family in Berlin, he emigrated to the United States in 1939 to escape the Nazi regime.

1943 He became a naturalised citizen of the United States, having grown up in Los Angeles.

1950s Previn tours and records as a jazz and revue pianist.

1958 Gigi wins nine Academy Awards, including ‘Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture’ for Previn. This is the first of his four Oscars (‘58, ’59, ’63, ’64) and one of thirteen nominations. The film also wins Previn the first of his 10 Grammy Awards. 

1967 Previn becomes Musical Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He stays just two years.

1968 Previn becomes Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, a post he held until 1979. During this time, he appeared on television in the programme André Previn’s Music Night.

1971 An appearance on the BBC's Morecambe and Wise Show, in which he partook in a sketch based around the Grieg Piano Concerto, ensured his nationwide fame and popularity. It is still voted as among the funniest sketches of all-time.

1976 Previn begins his eight-year tenure at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, fronting another television series, Previn and the Pittsburgh.

1979 Previn picks up two Gramophone awards for his CD of Debussy orchestral works with the LSO.

1985 Previn takes over the reins at the Los Angeles and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. His time at Los Angeles was a musically productive period, although was overshadowed by disputes with Ernest Fleischmann, the Executive VP and General Manager, notably over the role of his successor, Esa-Pekka Salonen. He eventually resigned under a cloud in 1989, but remained with the RPO until 1992.

1996 Previn is knighted, although, as he is not a citizen of the Commonwealth Realm, he is not allowed to use the title “Sir”. Instead he is entitled to use the post-nominal letters KBE.

1998 The San Francisco Opera premiere Previn’s first opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, which goes on to win the Grand Prix du Disque. He also receives the Kennedy Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

2002 Previn marries his fifth wife, the violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, which ends in divorce in 2006. During their marriage he writes a violin concerto for her, the recording of which, couple with Bernstein’s Serenade, receives a Grammy award. In 2002, he also became Musical Director of the Oslo Philharmonic, a post held until 2006.

2006 He receives the Glenn Gould Prize in Toronto.

2008 Presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the LSO and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Classic FM Gramophone Awards

 

André Previn in Gramophone

June 1968 – Previn talks to Roger Wimbush about writing musical about Coco Chanel, and about recording Rachmaninov's Second Symphony

November 1971 – Previn talks to Susan Regan about his career so far

June 1974 – Previn talks to Alan Blyth about his new recording of "Peter and the Wolf" with Mia Farrow

June 1978 – Previn talks to Michael Oliver about his life post-LSO as he prepares to work with the Pittsburgh Symphony

July 2002 – Previn answers questions from Gramophone readers

 

Essential Discography

Previn has recorded extensively on Telarc, EMI and Deutsche Grammophon. His Telarc period includes him playing jazz, and orchestral works with the LA Phil, Vienna Phil and RPO. With Deutsche Grammophon he has recorded several discs with Anne-Sophie Mutter and numerous orchestras, notably the VPO, LSO and Boston SO.

 

Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem Price; Ramey; Ambrosian Singers; RPO

Teldec Read original review

 

Debussy Images. Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune LSO

EMI Classics Read original review

Gramophone Award Winner 1979 for Orchestral and Sound Engineering Categories

 

Korngold The Sea Hawk; The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex; Captain Blood; The Prince and the Pauper LSO

DG 471 347-2

Grammy Award Winner 2003: Best Classical Crossover Album

Cannes Classical Award Winner 2003

CD Compact, Barcelona Award Winner 2002

 

Orff Carmina Burana Armstrong; English; Allen; LSC; LSO

EMI 566899-2 Read original review

 

Previn Violin Concerto Bernstein Serenade Anne-Sophie Mutter; Boston SO

DG 474 500-2

Grammy Award Winner: Best Instrumental Soloist 2005

 

Previn A Streetcar Named Desire With Renée Fleming; San Francisco Opera Orchestra

DG 459 366-2

Echo Award Winner 1999

 

Walton Symphony No 1 LSO

RCA 74321 92575-2 Read the "Gramophone Classics" article on this recording

 

Walton  Belshazzar’s Feast John Shirley-Quirk, LSO Chorus, LSO

EMI Classics 764723 4 Read original review

Grammy Award Winner: Best Choral Performance 1974

 

Forthcoming Events

 

February 19 – New York

Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall Buy ticket

Jazz Performance with David Finck double-bass

 

February 25 – San Francisco

Herbst Theater, San Francisco Buy ticket

Recital with Barbara Bonney soprano

Songs by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Previn and R Strauss

 

March 22 – Boston

Jordan Hall, Boston Buy ticket

Boston Symphony Chamber Players

Previn Trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano Debussy Sonata for flute, viola, and harp

Poulenc Sextet for piano and winds Brahms String Quintet No. 2 in G

 

April 2, 3 & 4 – Philadelphia

Verizon Hall, Kimell Center Buy ticket

Philadelphia Orchestra
 / André Previn piano

Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K491 R Strauss Symphonia domestica

 

April 7 – New York

Carnegie Hall Buy ticket

Philadelphia Orchestra
 / André Previn piano

Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K491 R Strauss Symphonia domestica

 

April 22  – New York

Carnegie Hall Buy ticket

Trio Performance with Anne-Sophie Mutter violin and Lynn Harrell cello

Mozart Piano Trio K. 502 Previn Cadenza from Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass (Roman Patkoló, double bass). Piano Trio Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 1 

 

April 26 – New York

Carnegie Hall Buy ticket

Renée Fleming soprano Anne-Sophie Mutter violin Yuri Bashmet  viola 

Orchestra of St Luke's / André Previn piano

Previn Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. Two songs from "A Streetcar Named Desire". "The Giraffes Go to Hamburg". Violin Concerto, "Anne-Sophie" 

 

June 11 & 12 – Leipzig

Gewandhaus Buy ticket 

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Mozart Symphonies Nos. 29, 39 & 40

 

June 16 – Essen

Philharmonie

Trio Performance with Anne-Sophie Mutter violin and Lynn Harrell cello

Mozart Piano Trio, K502 Previn Trio Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 1

 

June 16 – Ludwigsburg

Theatersaal Forum am Schlosspark

Trio Performance with Anne-Sophie Mutter violin and Lynn Harrell cello

Mozart Piano Trio, K502 Previn Trio Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 1

 

August 12 – Tanglewood, Lennox, MA

Ozawa Hall Buy ticket

Boston Symphony Chamber Players

Villa-Lobos Quintette en forme de chôros, for wind quintet Previn New work (2009) Brahms:
Piano Quintet

 

August 15 – Tanglewood, Lennox, MA

Koussevitsky Music Shed Buy ticket 

Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano Boston Symphony Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven Symphony No 4 Liszt Piano Concerto No 2 Ravel La Valse

 

August 16 – Tanglewood, Lennox, MA

Koussevitsky Music Shed Buy ticket

Jazz Performance with David Finck double-bass

 

 

 

 

Essential discography

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