| Birth: | Nov. 17, 1925
Schenectady
Schenectady County
New York, USA | | Death: | Jul. 14, 2010
London
Greater London, England | 
Conductor. From a long and varied career, he shall probably be remembered as the leading exponent of the operas of Czech composer Leos Janacek. Raised in Sydney, Australia, he manifested his musical talent as a youth and later developed an affinity for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan that were regularly staged at his Sydney Grammar School. Pursuing a musical career against familial opposition, he studied the oboe at Sydney's NSW Conservatorium of Music, then landed a job with the ABC Sydney Orchestra. Mackerras moved to London where he was an obosit with the Sadler's Wells Opera, before earning a scholarship to study conducting in Prague with Vaclav Talich who introduced him to the music of Janacek while preparing a performance of "Katia Kabanova", of which Mackerras was to give the British premiere at Sadler's Wells in 1951. Returning to England in 1948, he made his operatic conducting bow with Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" while continuing a lifelong association with Sadler's Wells (now, English National Opera) where he was to establish himself as an authority on the operas of both Mozart and Sir Arthur Sullivan. (His 1951 ballet "Pineapple Poll", based on music by Sullivan, is still performed occasionally). Over the years, he was both principal and guest conductor of numerous operatic and symphonic ensembles, in the process making Western audiences familiar with Janacek. His 1964 debut work at Covent Garden, London, was Dimitri Shostakovich's "Katarina Ismailova", while at New York's Metropolitan Opera he bowed in 1972 with Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice". Mackerras made a significant contribution to music scholarship by researching the original orchestrations of operas by Handel and Mozart long before "period performance" became popular, and was especially praised for a 1959 recording of Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" and for Sadler's Wells' 1965 production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro". In 1975 he conducted during D'Oyly Carte's centenary season at the Savoy and in 1980 he became the first non-Briton to conduct the Last Night of the Proms; his honors were many, including the Janacek Medal for contributions to Czech music in 1978 and knighthood in 1979. Though ill with cancer for some time, he essentially never retired, giving a performance of Mozart's "Cosi fan tutti" at Glyndenourne shortly before his death. Sir Charles left a massive recorded legacy going back to the 78rpm era, much of which remains in print. (bio by: Bob Hufford)
Search Amazon for Charles Mackerras | | | Burial:
St Pauls Churchyard
London
Greater London, England |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Bob Hufford
Record added: Jul 19, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 55147704 |
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Added by:
Bob Hufford
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