# Christopher Hogwood 1941-2014



## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

The BBC is carrying the sad news that the conductor Christopher Hogwood died today at the age of 73. A very influential character in the HIP scene, he significantly raised the profile of 'early' music at a time when that included C18 and particularly of HIP through his work with many orchestras and festivals. His work on Oiseaux-Lyre with the Academy of Ancient Music will be fondly remembered by many of us


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

A great musician.
R I P Maestro.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I bought Hogwood's Mozart symphony set when it came out on cassette in the days of yesteryear. It's one of the things that got me hooked on HIP.

Though I learned to prefer the HIP performances of Trevor Pinnock, I had great respect for this giant of the HIP movement, steering the music of Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart in the right direction, revealing things in the music that modern performances didn't and couldn't.

A sad day for those of us at the forefront of HIP listening.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

His version of Haydn's Creation and Purcell's Dido remain as two of my most prized musical possessions. The world is poorer for his absence.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Most of the Handel that I love, I love because of Hogwood. He did a good service to the world. He recorded some fine Martinů as well.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Hope he died peacefully.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Sorry to get this news! RIP..

/ptr


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I love Hogwood's work on the Haydn symphonies and am sorry to hear that he passed. A great conductor.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2014)

Mr. Hogwood's recording of Handel's Op. 6 by itself makes him one of my top ten musical directors. I have dozens of discs of his loaded into iTunes and as long as I can listen to them he will remain very much alive.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

He had a wonderful performance of Handel's Messiah too.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

His website
http://www.hogwood.org/news/

He had an impressive collection of historic keyboards.
http://www.hogwood.org/instruments/


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

ArtMusic said:


> His website
> http://www.hogwood.org/news/
> 
> He had an impressive collection of historic keyboards.
> http://www.hogwood.org/instruments/


Interesting article about his work with Shirley Collins here.

http://www.hogwood.org/news/folk-rock-albums.html


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2014)

I'm going to put on my playlist 2 of my favorite discs from him - Beethoven's 3rd symphony, and Haydn's 94th and 96th symphonies.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Although he is best known as a conductor, I'll most remember Hogwood's infrequent keyboard recordings like Bach's French Suites and the harpsichord music of Louis Couperin (love that disc).


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Yes. He and Trevor Pinnock had that in common. Both great leaders of HIP orchestras and both terrific harpsichord virtuosos.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Some notable conductors lost this year, most recent first.

Christopher Hogwood, 73
Frank Shipway, 79
Lorin Maazel, 84
Julius Rudel, 93
Antony Hopkins, 93
Gerd Albrecht, 78
Claudio Abbado, 80
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, 80
Frans Brüggen, 79


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

I'm deeply saddend by this. A great artist - a scholar and a gentleman. Many of his impressive discography were my first, and ideal, introduction to much of the repertoire some years back.

I'll be playing a large number of his discs over the next few days, but here would like to make special mention of one towering achievement too often neglected, one wich Decca ought to hold up as one of the albums they're most proud of, but is all too often out of print: his performance of the complete William Byrd My Ladye Nevills Booke:


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

hpowders said:


> I bought Hogwood's Mozart symphony set when it came out on cassette in the days of yesteryear. It's one of the things that got me hooked on HIP.
> 
> Though I learned to prefer the HIP performances of Trevor Pinnock, I had great respect for this giant of the HIP movement, steering the music of Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart in the right direction, revealing things in the music that modern performances didn't and couldn't.
> 
> A sad day for those of us at the forefront of HIP listening.


His Beethoven Symphony set is excellent


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

KenOC said:


> Some notable conductors lost this year, most recent first.
> 
> Christopher Hogwood, 73
> Frank Shipway, 79
> ...


Bruggen.............


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Triplets said:


> His Beethoven Symphony set is excellent


Yes and just last week I bought a CD in which he was the conductor for the Mozart Horn Concertos.

A real jolt. 73 is not that old anymore.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

A very fine set.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

KenOC said:


> Some notable conductors lost this year, most recent first.
> 
> Christopher Hogwood, 73
> Frank Shipway, 79
> ...


Don't forget Franz Bruggen!


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

To use on that proverbial desert island.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

clavichorder said:


> Don't forget Franz Bruggen!


Thanks all! I've updated my list with two names, in the original post.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Sad news and a great loss


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I listened to some of the Hogwood Mozart Symphonies last night. I then played a disc of Mackerras conducting some of the same pieces. The Hogwood recordings were always the preferable ones. Tempos were swift but never sounded rushed, and the Music just sang. Mackerras by contrast sounded harried and three was no true legato. He kept calling attention to himself, and Mozart suffered.
Many of the HIPP conductors would pick tempos that just sound frantic. Hogwood, at least in the recordings in my possession, never is guilty of that. He truly enlivened the music without ruining it in the process. I don't think that I fully appreciated him.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Triplets said:


> I listened to some of the Hogwood Mozart Symphonies last night. I then played a disc of Mackerras conducting some of the same pieces. The Hogwood recordings were always the preferable ones. Tempos were swift but never sounded rushed, and the Music just sang. Mackerras by contrast sounded harried and three was no true legato. He kept calling attention to himself, and Mozart suffered.
> Many of the HIPP conductors would pick tempos that just sound frantic. Hogwood, at least in the recordings in my possession, never is guilty of that. He truly enlivened the music without ruining it in the process. I don't think that I fully appreciated him.


I think it's damning with faint praise to say that Hogwood's Mozart is better than Mackerras (Scottish) In fact I listened to the first movement of the Jupiter last night - Hogwood and Boehm/Dresden (1942) Is it unfair to compare those two? They certainly felt like incommensurables, with little in common apart from Mozart's score.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Triplets said:


> His Beethoven Symphony set is excellent


I turn to Hogwood's Beethoven quite often. It remains a special treasure among my many sets of Beethoven symphonies.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Mandryka said:


> I think it's damning with faint praise to say that Hogwood's Mozart is better than Mackerras (Scottish) In fact I listened to the first movement of the Jupiter last night - Hogwood and Boehm/Dresden (1942) Is it unfair to compare those two? They certainly felt like incommensurables, with little in common apart from Mozart's score.


Perhaps. I just happened to reach for the Mackerras disc after I listened to Hogwood. Mack at least had some HIP pretensions in his Mozart cycle. They sound quite poorly executed compared to Hogwood.
I have the later Bohm set that he made for DG. Very old fashioned Mozart. I like Klemperer in Mozart, however, and he was no speed demon.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Triplets said:


> Perhaps. I just happened to reach for the Mackerras disc after I listened to Hogwood. Mack at least had some HIP pretensions in his Mozart cycle. They sound quite poorly executed compared to Hogwood.
> I have the later Bohm set that he made for DG. Very old fashioned Mozart. I like Klemperer in Mozart, however, and he was no speed demon.


Hogwood had the "pure" HIP Academy of Ancient Music to work with; the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is a modern orchestra, so I prefer Hogwood simply because the AAM sounds so much more stylish.

I call Mackerras' Mozart, "Pseudo-HIP". Modern orchestra with a few HIP stylistic touches.

As for listening to Klemperer in Mozart, I'd rather be sent to a North Korean re-education camp.

Klemperer is very fine in Beethoven's Fidelio and Missa Solemnis, however.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

hpowders said:


> Hogwood had the "pure" HIP Academy of Ancient Music to work with; the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is a modern orchestra, so I prefer Hogwood simply because the AAM sounds so much more stylish.
> 
> I call Mackerras' Mozart, "Pseudo-HIP". Modern orchestra with a few HIP stylistic touches.
> 
> ...


A brief sidestreet excursion, if I may. Mackerras may have been the most efficient of 'em all, squeeeezing everything he could out of middle-of-the-road interps. That said, I don't think I currently have a single rec. of his.:tiphat:


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Vaneyes said:


> A brief sidestreet excursion, if I may. Mackerras may have been the most efficient of 'em all, squeeeezing everything he could out of middle-of-the-road interps. That said, I don't think I currently have a single rec. of his.:tiphat:


What's frustrating about Mackerras is considering his elite stature, he rarely had a top of the line group to record with in Beethoven or Mozart symphonies-no Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, etc;


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2014)

Vaneyes said:


> A brief sidestreet excursion, if I may. Mackerras may have been the most efficient of 'em all, squeeeezing everything he could out of middle-of-the-road interps. That said, I don't think I currently have a single rec. of his.:tiphat:


Mackerras' Dvorak on Supraphon is excellent, though. As is his recording of the Brahms Serenades on Telarc.


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2014)

SONNET CLV said:


> I turn to Hogwood's Beethoven quite often. It remains a special treasure among my many sets of Beethoven symphonies.


I have Beethoven's 3rd by Hogwood. I enjoy it, but think that Gardiner is better with Beethoven. Hogwood was very good with the Baroque repertoire, and with Haydn and Mozart.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Mackerras is exactly what I don't like in HIP.
Play it fast and cold, repeats galore and fast minuets, ugghhh.
Gave it away long ago.

Klemperer's Mozart is wonderful.
mho :tiphat:


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

hpowders said:


> What's frustrating about Mackerras is considering his elite stature, he rarely had a top of the line group to record with in Beethoven or Mozart symphonies-no Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, etc;


In the golden era of conveyor-belt recording, he was probably restricted by his label alliances, such as Decca, EMI, Telarc. As well as his second tier persona.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

hpowders said:


> What's frustrating about Mackerras is considering his elite stature, he rarely had a top of the line group to record with in Beethoven or Mozart symphonies-no Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, etc;


When did period guy start getting to record with elite orchestras?

If any of the orchestras you mentioned records a Beethoven symphony set in 2015, would I be right to expect a period performance?

I'm genuinely curious because I don't know. But I feel like the big elite orchestras and period performance haven't really come together yet. It also seems like the period movement basically put an end to big elite orchestras recording anything earlier than Beethoven. Unless I'm really wrong about all this, I don't think we can fault a HIPPI conductor for not recording with an elite orchestra.


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2014)

I know Harnoncourt has recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic. So has Gardiner. Gardiner has also recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Of course, those have been on RCA and DG.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Vaneyes said:


> To use on that proverbial desert island.


That one is the chosen Hoogwood recording in my collection.


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

While using period techniques makes sense, I could never get used to the sound of gut strings. So I do not have any Hogwood recordings. Sorry.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

hpowders said:


> As for listening to Klemperer in Mozart, I'd rather be sent to a North Korean re-education camp.





Itullian said:


> Mackerras is exactly what I don't like in HIP.
> Play it fast and cold, repeats galore and fast minuets, ugghhh.
> Gave it away long ago.
> 
> ...


I was quite surprised to find such negative feelings about Klemperer's Mozart, I think the symphonies are real high points, especially the recordings on Testament. He was IMO a natural Mozartian except maybe at the end of his life (in Cosi)


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I like Klemperer in Beethoven's Fidelio and Missa Solemnis. He's one of the best.

In Mozart, I got spoiled by the delightfully stylish HIP movement.

No conductor gets everything right.

By the way, I find Klemperer's Haydn worse than his Mozart, completely anachronistic.

And last, but certainly not least, can we please get back to the topic, fond remembrances of Christopher Hogwood?


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2014)

I, too, have been spoiled by the HIP movement. But I still love Klemperer. His Magic Flute has ruined almost all others for me - his is the yardstick by which I measure the others. Lucia Popp IS the Queen of the Night. That doesn't mean I don't love the Jacobs recording as well.

Admittedly, I haven't heard Klemp's Mozart beyond the Magic Flute, or his Haydn. But I have recordings by him of Beethoven's Fidelio and Missa Solemnis, as well as the other symphonies, and love them all.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

with all due respect, colleagues ... please can we keep this thread for the memory of Christopher Hogwood and start a new thread for a debate about the merits of other conductors? 

I'm sorry to be stroppy over this, but I have a real affection for Hogwood's work


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

hpowders said:


> Hogwood had the "pure" HIP Academy of Ancient Music to work with; the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is a modern orchestra, so I prefer Hogwood simply because the AAM sounds so much more stylish.
> 
> I call Mackerras' Mozart, "Pseudo-HIP". Modern orchestra with a few HIP stylistic touches.
> 
> ...


Agree with the part about MacKerras. I call it " HIP Lite" when a Conductor such as him or Rattle attempts to use HIP techniques with modern instruments. With Mac the rubato and flow of the music just didn't sound natural. ACcelerations seem arbitrary, phrase endings abruptly clipped...Hogwood much more musical.
Klemperer was my first exposure to the late Mozart Symphonies. I fell in love with the music but hadn't heard his versions for years. I am aware that he can be rhythmically stiff and sometimes glacially slow, but he still makes the music sing. I'd prefer Klemperer over Bohm, who seems to stuff Mozart with sacher tortes. However, I think Hogwood may be my favorite Mozart Conductor, with Neville Marriner coming in second.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Triplets said:


> Agree with the part about MacKerras. I call it " HIP Lite" when a Conductor such as him or Rattle attempts to use HIP techniques with modern instruments. With Mac the rubato and flow of the music just didn't sound natural. ACcelerations seem arbitrary, phrase endings abruptly clipped...Hogwood much more musical.
> Klemperer was my first exposure to the late Mozart Symphonies. I fell in love with the music but hadn't heard his versions for years. I am aware that he can be rhythmically stiff and sometimes glacially slow, but he still makes the music sing. I'd prefer Klemperer over Bohm, who seems to stuff Mozart with sacher tortes. However, I think Hogwood may be my favorite Mozart Conductor, with Neville Marriner coming in second.


I'll just mention what was interesting about that 1942 Dresden Jupiter from Boehm that I heard last night was that it was extremely dark and tragic, quite unlike what I was expecting in fact. I can't help think that the war had somehow effected the music making.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Triplets said:


> Agree with the part about MacKerras. I call it " HIP Lite" when a Conductor such as him or Rattle attempts to use HIP techniques with modern instruments. With Mac the rubato and flow of the music just didn't sound natural. ACcelerations seem arbitrary, phrase endings abruptly clipped...Hogwood much more musical.
> Klemperer was my first exposure to the late Mozart Symphonies. I fell in love with the music but hadn't heard his versions for years. I am aware that he can be rhythmically stiff and sometimes glacially slow, but he still makes the music sing. I'd prefer Klemperer over Bohm, who seems to stuff Mozart with sacher tortes. However, I think Hogwood may be my favorite Mozart Conductor, with Neville Marriner coming in second.


Hogwood's recordings of early Mozart Symphonies is truly delightful. It was the first time I had even heard many of these symphonies and I prefer some of them to some of Mozart's later efforts, believe it or not.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

R.I.P., Hogwood made some awesome recordings (and a film) of Haydn's Creation (and I think he also planned to record all of Haydn's symphonies, not sure if he finished the project):


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

hpowders said:


> As for listening to Klemperer in Mozart, I'd rather be sent to a North Korean re-education camp.
> 
> Klemperer is very fine in Beethoven's Fidelio and Missa Solemnis, however.


:lol: A much needed laugh, thanks hpowders.

Considering all the praise Hogwood has received in this thread for his Mozart, consider it one of my next purchases! I've been looking for a great Mozart HIP recording for a while now. Thanks for all of your posts.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

So were his recordings of the Beethoven symphonies on period instruments.


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

HaydnBearstheClock said:


> he also planned to record all of Haydn's symphonies, not sure if he finished the project


Sadly, no. But numbers 1-75 are complete, so at least we get to enjoy the less familiar works.










http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4806900

(and thanks for reminding me to play his recording of The Creation again!)


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

DiesIraeVIX said:


> :lol: A much needed laugh, thanks hpowders.
> 
> Considering all the praise Hogwood has received in this thread for his Mozart, consider it one of my next purchases! I've been looking for a great Mozart HIP recording for a while now. Thanks for all of your posts.


Thanks. It's what I do.

Try to hear Hogwood's early Mozart symphony set. I can't imagine a more delightful set!


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

Another great dead before his time. I have many of his recordings. At the moment, I am listening to his set of Bach 'Brandenburg Concertos' that he recorded back in 1985. (L'Oiseau-Lyre 414 187-2) Splendidly HIP.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Too bad Hogwood didn't begin recording the Haydn symphonies in reverse order.


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## Declined (Apr 8, 2014)

He has contributed greatly to the world. May he rest in peace.


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2014)

SimonNZ said:


> Sadly, no. But numbers 1-75 are complete, so at least we get to enjoy the less familiar works.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





hpowders said:


> Too bad Hogwood didn't begin recording the Haydn symphonies in reverse order.


Well, I don't know how many of the last ones he did, but he didn't stop at 75, because I have this recording of the 94th and 96th:


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

Apart from 1-75 and the disc you mention there is only this:










They're all listed in the link I provided to the box


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

Has anyone here read his book on Handel?










I've actually owned a copy for years, but ashamed to say never gotten around to it - much as I'd like to take it up now, but there's a few other things currently on the go.


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

I remembered I did hear one of his Mozart recordings on the clavichord for free several years ago back when everyone still used Myspace. It was very good, and introduced me to a couple pieces of Mozart I hadn't heard before:









RIP


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

SimonNZ said:


> Apart from 1-75 and the disc you mention there is only this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This has been one of the most frequently played discs in my collection over the last 15 or so years.


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2014)

SimonNZ said:


> Apart from 1-75 and the disc you mention there is only this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


According to the back of that box set (I found an image of it on Amazon), he also apparently recorded symphonies 107 and 108. Those, along with 94, 96, 100, and 104, are also included in the box set, not just 1-75.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

I've just noticed SimonNZ and Jeff W (among others) saying on the 'Current Listening' thread how much they have enjoyed listening to the Hogwood disc on their shelves ... yet so many of us have overlooked his work.

Isn't it a shame that it takes the death of an artist to remind us of how wonderful he/she is?


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2014)

Christopher Hogwood was a great conductor and I like to emphasize that he mostly let to speak the music for itself.He was a really fresh wind.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

^^^^Thanks for that!!! 

A vigorous tempo, but HIP groups can pull it off!!!

Astonishing virtuosity!!


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2014)

To be quite honest, I have listened to a lot of Hogwood, but own only two albums. When first exploring classical music, I went to the library A LOT, and Hogwood was highly represented. So a lot of my introduction to baroque and classical repertoire, as well as to HIP performances, came from both Hogwood and Pinnock. To a lesser extent, Harnoncourt. So Hogwood was highly influential to me in my appreciation of those works, and the HIP style. As I started to purchase music, I was very selective (funds not being unlimited), and found other conductors that I preferred. So my lack of Hogwood in my collection doesn't reflect a lack of respect, so much as having to be highly selective with my limited funds.


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2014)

I did some more digging through my external hard drive (I had to back up all my music some time back as I switched computers, and not all the music got put on the new computer) and I found 3 more Hogwood recordings - Mozart's Requiem and Eine kleine Nachtmusik, as well as a recording of Vivaldi Oboe Concertos. I guess I'll have to add them to my list for listening.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I spent a couple of days with the following music:































I had had these discs on my shelf for a while; three were still in shrink wrap. I thought it a good way to explore the work of two masters, Martinu and Hogwood, and I was well rewarded.

Some splendid music here.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Wow! Strange bedfellows? I never had any idea Hogwood recorded this!


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

hpowders said:


> Wow! Strange bedfellows? I never had any idea Hogwood recorded this!


Volume 2 offers a good place to start with this music. It features the _Concerto da camera _(for violin, str orch, with piano and percussion) in three "modernistic" movements, the _Concerto for Violin, Piano, and Orchestra_, and the delightful _Czech Rhapsody._

The music is idiomatically Martinu, which means it sounds like no one else. And it is surprising to see Hogwood's name attached to the recordings. We do tend to think of him in terms of older music and period performances, but his "period performances" (that is, modern performances) of Martinu remain stellar.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

SONNET CLV said:


> Volume 2 offers a good place to start with this music. It features the _Concerto da camera _(for violin, str orch, with piano and percussion) in three "modernistic" movements, the _Concerto for Violin, Piano, and Orchestra_, and the delightful _Czech Rhapsody._
> 
> The music is idiomatically Martinu, which means it sounds like no one else. And it is surprising to see Hogwood's name attached to the recordings. We do tend to think of him in terms of older music and period performances, but his "period performances" (that is, modern performances) of Martinu remain stellar.


I wonder though, why Martinu? Unless there's another Christopher Hogwood!


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

I'd completely forgotten about his martinu! Thanks for the reminder! Will play one tonight.

Re-listening to his Beethoven Symphony cycle over the last few days has been extremely rewarding. Still no idea why I was initially lukewarm about it.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

DrMike said:


> I did some more digging through my external hard drive (I had to back up all my music some time back as I switched computers, and not all the music got put on the new computer) and I found 3 more Hogwood recordings - Mozart's Requiem and Eine kleine Nachtmusik, as well as a recording of Vivaldi Oboe Concertos. I guess I'll have to add them to my list for listening.


I have Requiem on lp. It's a very exciting performance but a very brief timing. If memory serves there isn't a single note of Sussmayr in it. The attempt was to confine the recording to music that experts are certain is uncontaminated Mozart.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

SimonNZ said:


> I'd completely forgotten about his martinu! Thanks for the reminder! Will play one tonight.
> 
> Re-listening to his Beethoven Symphony cycle over the last few days has been extremely rewarding. Still no idea why I was initially lukewarm about it.


I had picked it up very cheap second hand many years ago and didn't like it at all. It was probably my first HIP Beethoven. I grew to love it but it does take some calibration of expectations on the part of the listener.


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

Triplets said:


> I had picked it up very cheap second hand many years ago and didn't like it at all. It was probably my first HIP Beethoven. *I grew to love it but it does take some calibration of expectations on the part of the listener.*


Yeah, I was grinning from ear to ear listening to "Eroica" a couple of nights ago, as it confounded pretty much every expectation of how I thought the work should sound, and what it should "say". Still a wonderful performance, in its own unique way.

Hogwood's always been great for having you hear an over-familiar work as if for the first time.

Another interesting aspect of his discography, which I don't believe has been mentioned yet is his work on fortepiano. I was playing his albums of Schubert Violin Sonatas with Jaap Schroder and also his CPE Bach Keyboard Sonatas. Both are superb - if you can find them. Here's a taste from Youtube:











Apparently there's also a disc of Schubert's Trout Quintet he performs with members of the AAM, but I've never once found a physical copy of that. Anyone heard it?


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Hogwood also made an English sung version of Haydn's Creation (using a huge orchestra as per original forces in London directed by Haydn according to reports). One of my favorites.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Too bad it was in English. That really should never happen. That's like performing Handel's Messiah in German!


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

hpowders said:


> Too bad it was in English. That really should never happen. That's like performing Handel's Messiah in German!


hehe...speaking of which, Hogwood recorded a German version of Handel's Alexander's Feast, it was arranged by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Well the Germans have been shamelessly translating all the Italian operas into German for years.

Hearing German when the music was specifically written for the Italian speech patterns gives me a migraine!


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## George O (Sep 29, 2014)

My favorite Christopher Hogwood recording is William Byrd: My Ladye Nevells Booke. On it, he plays the virginal, Flemish harpsichord, Italian harpsichord, and chamber organ.

4-LP box set on the Lyre Bird label from 1976. I rate it 5 out of 5.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Sounds good!


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## George O (Sep 29, 2014)

Sorry, SimonNZ, I missed that you had already mentioned _My Ladye Nevells Booke_ in an earlier post.


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

No apologies necessary! The more recommendations for that glorious set, the better!


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

SimonNZ -


> Apparently there's also a disc of Schubert's Trout Quintet he performs with members of the AAM, but I've never once found a physical copy of that. Anyone heard it?


Hogwood's Trout is here

and indeed here

I have it on mp3. It's a lovely performance. Quite restrained if I remember. Been a while, so I may give it a spin (or however you describe mp3 listening) a little later.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

hpowders said:


> Too bad it was in English. That really should never happen. That's like performing Handel's Messiah in German!


Not Quite apparently. I read this on Amazon. Obviously I can't vouch for the accuracy of this, but I'm intrigued to discover more. 


> The libretto of "The Creation" comes primarily from Genesis Chapter 1, Milton's Paradise Lost and the book of Psalms. Haydn was given a copy of this libretto written in English by an anonymous author while in London on one of his trips. (This libretto has however unfortunately been lost). It was re-written by Baron Gottfried van Swieten, the same man who was instrumental in having Mozart arrange some of the works of Handel. Haydn actually originally wanted to disseminate this work in both an English and in a German version. Sweiten translated the libretto from English into German and later back translated the German into English and further adapted the English prose to Haydn's musical setting. The original score of "The Creation" was originally published in a bilingual version with however a problematic English text ( which kept the work from being performed in English most of the time). The English was written in above the German version in the original score. *According to Haydn's original intentions the work should have been performed in English for English speaking audiences.* And Haydn's original intentions are now finally realized and really pay off in this splendid completely re-edited English text version by McCreesh. The emotional word-painting and the triumphant sublimity of the work come across brilliantly in McCreesh's revision of the text and interpretation of the musical score, for any English speaking listener. The pastoral emotionalism and all the invocations in music of nature's creatures finally have seemed to come fully alive for me (one who doesn't speak German and usually has to follow with difficulty the sung text in the German versions with the English translations).


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

My wife is going to get me this for xmas. It has over 30 discs of Hogwood goodness on it.


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## George O (Sep 29, 2014)

MagneticGhost said:


> View attachment 52332
> 
> 
> My wife is going to get me this for xmas. It has over 30 discs of Hogwood goodness on it.


Forget about it in the meantime and it will be a wonderful surprise.


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## George O (Sep 29, 2014)

Keyboard Music on Authentic Instruments

pieces by
John Bull (1562 or 1563-1628)
Peter Philips (1560-1628)
Giles Farnaby (1565-1640)
Edward Johnson (fl. 1572-1601)
William Byrd (1540 or 1543-1623)
Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)
C. P. E. Bach (1714-1788)
Thomas Arne (1710-1778)

Christopher Hogwood, organs, harpsichords, virginals, spinet, fortepiano, clavichord

on l'Oiseau-Lyre (London), from 1983


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

^^^^Yes. That's one to get!


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## Esterhazy (Oct 4, 2014)

Christopher Hogwood recorded much music by Henry Purcell too.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Yes. Hogwood's repertoire was staggering.


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## George O (Sep 29, 2014)

Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)

Keyboard Music

Christopher Hogwood, harpsichords

double album on l'Oiseau-Lyre (London), from 1982

yet another terrific set


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