(29 April 18798 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.
Too much counterpoint; what is worse, Protestant counterpoint.
A musicologist is a man who can read music but can't hear it.
I found it as alluring as a wayward woman and determined to tame it.
The grand tune is the only thing in music that the great public really understands.
If I cannot sing a work, I cannot conduct it.
The musical equivalent of St Pancras Station
A city life for me!
No composer has written as much as 100 bars of worthwhile music since 1925.