Andrew Parrott

Last updated

Andrew Parrott, 2008 Andrew Parrott 2008.jpg
Andrew Parrott, 2008

Andrew Parrott (born 10 March 1947) is a British conductor, perhaps best known for his pioneering "historically informed performances" of pre-classical music. He conducts a wide range of repertoire, including contemporary music. He conducted the premiere of Judith Weir's A Night at the Chinese Opera (as well as its first recording). He has also recorded new music by other modern British composers (including John Tavener), and by Vladimír Godár.

Contents

In 1973 he founded the Taverner Choir, Consort and Players, a "period instruments" ensemble based in London. Towards the end of 1973 he began conducting the early music group Musica Reservata, also based in London, after John Beckett left. [1] He was music director of the London Mozart Players for several years until September 2006. From 2001 to 2010 Parrott was music director of the New York Collegium in New York City, New York.

Parrott has published several articles on Bach, Monteverdi and Purcell, is co-editor of the New Oxford Book of Carols and author of The Essential Bach Choir, which was informed by his work with Joshua Rifkin on one-voice-per-part performance of Bach's vocal works. This approach significantly reduces the forces employed in a performance of Bach's choral work, as it essentially removes the choir. [2]

He is a Patron of Bampton Classical Opera.

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Eliot Gardiner</span> English conductor (born 1943)

Sir John Eliot Gardiner is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000, performing Bach's church cantatas in liturgical order in churches all over Europe, and New York City, with the Monteverdi Choir, and recording them at the locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Norrington</span> British conductor (born 1934)

Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington is an English conductor. He is known for historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Hogwood</span> English conductor and musicologist (1941–2014)

Christopher Jarvis Haley Hogwood was an English conductor, harpsichordist, writer, and musicologist. Founder of the early music ensemble the Academy of Ancient Music, he was an authority on historically informed performance and a leading figure in the early music revival of the late 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helmuth Rilling</span> German choral conductor (born 1933)

Helmuth Rilling is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970), the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart (1981) and other Bach Academies worldwide, as well as the "Festival Ensemble Stuttgart" (2001) and the "Junges Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble" (2011). He taught choral conducting at the Frankfurt Musikhochschule from 1965 to 1989 and led the Frankfurter Kantorei from 1969 to 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Kirkby</span> English soprano (born 1949)

Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taverner Consort and Players</span> British music ensemble

The Taverner Choir, Consort and Players is a British music ensemble which specialises in the performance of Early and Baroque music. The ensemble is made up of a Baroque orchestra, a vocal consort and a Choir. Performers place emphasis on a historically informed performance practice and players work with restored or replicated period instruments.

The English Concert is a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments based in London. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket. Nadja Zwiener has been orchestra leader (concertmaster) since September 2007.

Joshua Rifkin is an American conductor, pianist, and musicologist; he is currently a professor of music at Boston University. As a performer he has recorded music by composers from Antoine Busnois to Silvestre Revueltas, and as a scholar has published research on composers from the Renaissance to the 20th century.

John Stewart Beckett was an Irish musician, composer and conductor; cousin of the famous writer and playwright Samuel Beckett.

Charles Daniels is an English tenor, particularly noted for his performances of baroque music. He is a frequent soloist with The King's Consort, and has made over 25 recordings with the ensemble on the Hyperion label.

Ruth Holton is an English soprano singer.

The Münchener Bach-Orchester is a classical music ensemble based in Munich, Germany, which specialises in the performance of works by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was founded in 1954 by the conductor Karl Richter. It works closely with its partner vocal ensemble, the Münchener Bach-Chor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Kobow</span> German classical tenor

Jan Kobow is a German classical tenor in concert, Lied, and Baroque opera.

Christopher Stephen Varcoe is an English classical bass-baritone singer, appearing internationally in opera and concert, known for Baroque and contemporary music and a notable singer of Lieder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Parry (musician)</span> British musician, composer, conductor, singer, arranger and producer

Ben Parry is a British musician, composer, conductor, singer, arranger and producer in both classical and light music fields. He is the Director of London Voices and was formally Artistic Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frieder Bernius</span> German conductor

Frieder Bernius is a German conductor, the founder and director of the chamber choir Kammerchor Stuttgart, founded in 1968. They became leaders for historically informed performances. He founded the Stuttgart festival of Baroque music, "Internationale Festtage Alter Musik", in 1987, and is a recipient of the Edison Award (1990), Diapason d'Or (1990) and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1993).

Rachel Nicholls is an English soprano in opera and concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Wilson-Dickson</span> British composer (born 1946)

Andrew Wilson-Dickson is a British composer, pianist and an authority on early music practice.

Bach composed Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1, as chorale cantata for the Marian feast of the Annunciation, for a first performance in a church service in Leipzig on 25 March 1725. The cantata, for soprano, tenor and bass soloists, four-part choir and Baroque orchestra, takes around 25 minutes to perform.

References

  1. Gannon, Charles: John S. Beckett - The Man and the Music, p. 245. (Dublin: 2016, The Lilliput Press) ISBN   9781843516651.
  2. Fenton, James (26 April 2003). "One for all". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 June 2013.