The famous Hungarian George Szell
Had a reputation of being a swell,
When provoked by the audience
He couldn’t care ten cents,
Around he would turn and give ’em hell…
A different kettle of fish
Was Christie. With nary a swish
He turned any choir
Into one to admire,
Fulfilling thus everyone’s wish-
Marin Alsop, among these strutting males,
Is a great talent who never fails
To bring out the best
And at her behest
The Baltimore is reaching the grails.
Seiji Ozawa comes from the Far East
A worthy heir, to say the least,
Of Boston’s best.
His was a quest
To make sure-
.that the public left pleased.
Not many conductors had Ormandy’s
Velvety touch. Was he Normandy’s
Gift to the US?
Enabling us thus
To enjoy his exquisite gourmandise?
Have you heard of Sir John Barbirolli?
He reputedly wasn’t very jolly.
But his tone was lush
There was always a hush
When he took up his baton (not his brolly!)
And then there’s curly old Rattle
Who was faced in Berlin with a battle.
The flautist a rumor?
We’ll take it with humour-
Let’s assume it was only some prattle.
The London Philharmonic’s Beecham
Would over and over beseech them,
And a super adagio
Without any bravaccio
He was finally able to teach them.
The Proms’ old favourite, Woods,
Never failed to deliver the goods.
With Mozart and Strauss
He brought down the house.
He knew all the musts and shoulds.
I want to do Klemperer Otto.
“Play it slower” was obviously his motto.
It took the spark
Right out of Mozart’s art.
You can tell he’s a bit staid from his photo.
Wilhelm F. of course is another
Whose work I would really rather
Not praise too highly.
I thought him very wily
Beethoven he thought of as his brother…
Stokowski was a veritable jewel
Who recommended a diet of gruel
To the folks in Philadelphia
Who grew so much healthier
By following his advice, although cruel….
Charles Munch was another who soared
And was everywhere greatly adored.
Schubert and Mozart
Played a major part
Of his extensive classical repertoire.
Sir Adrian Boult was a Brit
At whose concerts everyone would sit
As if in a trance
And given a chance
They would have stormed the orchestra pit-
The mercurial Loren Maazel
Very often at the orchestra did yell,
But with old age
He became a sage
And stopped altogether giving them hell.
Ferenc Fricsay died very young
Due to a cancer of the lung.
Fate’s bad toss
Was a sad loss
To music, his talent’s unsung.
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