Review: 18 CDs of Malcolm Sargent--Remember Him?

[@anttivirolainen8223]

13:10 A small piece of non-musical trivia that will mostly interest the most dedicated Sibelians or Sargent enthusiasts: In Finland, Sir Malcolm Sargent is remembered as the last conductor to have spoken with Sibelius. Sargent visited Helsinki in September 1957 and spoke with Sibelius over the phone about his Fifth Symphony, which he was scheduled to conduct the following day. On the day of the concert, Sibelius suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away in the evening, as the sonorities of the Fifth Symphony filled the concert hall under Sargent’s direction. Sargent received the news of what had happened during the post-concert dinner, and his quintessentially British composure was put to the test by the emotion of the moment.

[@raymondcox789]

I remember a newspaper headline the day after Sibelius died. It said "Sibelius dies after hearing Sargent conduct his Fifth Symphony."

[@anttivirolainen8223]

@@raymondcox789 That is an achingly beautiful thought, but according to biographies, Sibelius never fully regained consciousness after his stroke and was therefore unable to listen to Sargent’s performance of the Fifth Symphony on the radio.

[@dennischiapello7243]

@@anttivirolainen8223 Some jokes are good enough to stand up to factual corrections.

[@bernardley4540]

Beecham's secretary tried to obtain a hotel reservation for him. The manager said it was full. "But it's for Sir Thomas Beecham, the famous conductor" she said. "I don't care if it's Sir Malcolm Sargent himself. We're full" said the manager. Would love to have heard Beecham's reaction.

[@leedsleeds8091]

Beecham called Karajan a musical Malcolm Sargent.

[@MrBulky992]

If you had asked the man in the street in the UK in the 1960s to name an orchestral conductor - any conductor, the majority would, most likely, only have been able to name one and that conductor would have been Sir Malcolm Sargent (most probably from his association with the BBC Last Night of the Proms at which he was a permanent fixture in the years after the Second World War). His reputation has quickly faded since his death.

[@davidhowe6905]

Yes, I knew about him, as a child, even before becoming particularly interested in classical music, probably from seeing the Last Night of the Proms on TV, and I was quite saddened at the announcement of his death.

[@bikerpaul68]

Yes, I especially remember his final appearance at the Last Night of the Proms (which I saw on TV). He was seriously ill and had not conducted at the Proms that year, but at the end of the Last Night he was helped on to the stage by Colin Davis and made a short speech and he was as elegant and witty as ever. It must have been a huge effort for him, and he died shortly afterwards. The memory still brings tears to my eyes. I think you can still see the speech on KZbin.

[@andrewcondon4926]

Never heard him live but I certainly used to know a few people who had played for him in the early 1960s. Safe to say that audiences loved him - especially at the Proms - but players were generally less enthusiastic. Quite a difficult character. Only came across this anecdote a few days ago: on a big tour with one of the London orchestras in 1963 they fly into India and receive a rapturous welcome. Sargent lowers his head to receive a garland and flowers but they are not for him! They are actually for one of the violinists, Homi Kanga, returning to India to a huge welcome from friends and family. Sargent never forgave him!

[@martinhaub6828]

Charles Reid's biography reveals that Sargent was no talentless hack. Sargent's recorded legacy might not be as highly regarded as others, but the Elgar 2nd he did is among the finest ever. And for bringing us the Cowboy Carol he gets my deep gratitude. Flash Harry; we could use someone like him these days.

[@RModillo]

He was a real pro.

[@iankemp1131]

Sargent had a strong reputation with audiences, for orchestral as well as choral music. Most of it was performed live, particularly at the BBC Proms, so is now lost. But my father tape-recorded a good number of his performances with the BBC SO off the radio, and I find the interpretations generally stand comparison with other classic recordings though the sound is mono. Unfortunately nobody else can hear them! He was an expressive conductor and communicated well to the audience, centring on the classical and romantic repertoire. Beecham's famous quote on Sargent in choral music was "He makes the buggers sing like blazes!" And his Huddersfield Choral performances of Messiah for me have an emotional impact (both in loud and quiet moments) that is unmatched by any modern "authentic" performances; it felt as if the choir were also emotionally committed to the work and the message it conveyed. One of my favourite performances of his is of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 (K453) with Andor Foldes as a very expressive soloist; a relatively large orchestra in the Albert Hall acoustic, but it worked fine! Similarly Handel's Organ Concerto No.10 in D minor; you would never hear it played that way now, but it's a pity, as it sounds great. I think Mozart, Haydn and Handel would actually have enjoyed hearing them played that way. After all, Handel used huge choirs himself for Messiah, and a massive wind band for the Fireworks music! Good Beethoven and Brahms, and fine Dvorak 7th and 9th symphonies; recordings that helped me learn and love these pieces.

[@Delius1958]

His recording of Delius‘ Cello Concerto with du Pré and the RPO is just wonderful. And I like his Ma Vlast. You even hear the trumpets at the end of Moldau. And good sound, too! - Thanks for the video.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Sargent was references on the old British series "Upstairs Downstairs". Richard Bellamy mentions going to hear that "new conductor Malcolm Sargent".

[@Bucky55]

Thanks for getting to the review of this box set glad I got when I could. Most if you see them get em because they don't stay around long. The Coleridge-Taylor Hiawatha disc I totally enjoyed.

[@lionelharrison4117]

I don't think that Sargent's recording of Hiawatha's Wedding Feast was ever out of the catalogue and quite rightly so too. When SC-T was almost totally forgotten, this recording helped keep his name alive. In particular, Richard Lewis's rendition of Onaway! Awake, beloved! has never been improved upon and still brings tears to my eyes on every hearing.

[@gavingriffiths2633]

Beecham was always quite rude about him, describing Herbert von Karajan as 'a sort of musical Malcolm Sargent'....double whammy.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Actually, Beecham was very complimentary about his skills as a choral conductor.

[@geertdecoster5301]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Yes, as well as Toscanini, and something that needs to be stressed, but I think that he stayed mainly a figure of his time and culture. He joined his local amateur operatic society as a teenager, and was able later on to instil into singers both a life and efficiency they never dreamed of either

[@gavingriffiths2633]

​But that is rather a backhanded compliment, I suspect......@@DavesClassicalGuide

[@dr2549]

Oh yes! I was looking for this delicious quote - one of the wittiest, double-edged insults ever! This alone will grant Sargent immortality!

[@pianomaly9]

Recalls Sir T's remarks about conductors and soloists quoted in Schonberg's "The Great Conductors". He described Seattle as "an esthetic dustbin" in the 40's, I think it was. I've lived in the Greater Seattle area for nearly 30 years, what he would say of it now would probably be unprintable........

[@steveschwartz8944]

I usually liked Sargent a lot and still consider his Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 with Schnabel one of my favorites, despite the "historical" sound. And his Messiah with the Huddersfield is a classic of Big British Choral Singing. And of course I second Dave's endorsement of Sargent's G & S. Fun Fact: Sargent led the disastrous premiere of Vaughan Williams's Hugh the Drover. VW did not blame Sargent and remarked that the conductor "kept pulling chestnuts out of the fire."

[@bbailey7818]

Sargent recorded extensive excerpts from Hugh in an acoustic set that was once issued on Pearl.

[@steveschwartz8944]

@bbailey7818 It's now available from Albion, I believe. I owned the Pearl LP, because at the time, it was my only option. However, although I'm a VW headbanger, I much prefer Groves on EMI. The singing, playing, and sound leave the rather grotty Sargent in the historical dust. I think the Sargent important to scholars, but it's not a recording for people who want to have a decent idea of the score or "just listeners" like me.

[@bbailey7818]

@@steveschwartz8944 I agree, but the Sargent does preserve the original version of which I would love to see a modern recording.

[@djquinn4212]

A shame Sargent never did a full Sibelius cycle, then we wouldn’t have to keep hearing the British press’s nostalgic comparisons to Anthony Collins.

[@ericnagamine7742]

Supposedly, his recordings weren't selling well, so EMI, cancelled it.

[@cwm5001]

Us older Brits will remember Sargent’s involvement with the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts in London. From the late 50’s the rather jingoistic last night was televised and included Parry’s Jerusalem and Arne’s Rule Britannia, followed by a semi-humorous speech given by Sir Malcolm. I remember his very last emotional appearance before he died in 1967.

[@oakwoodian4465]

I was lucky enough to see Sargent on a few occasions at the Proms and elsewhere in my callow youth. He was a talented conductor with quite a wide repertory but no one would cast him as a leading exponent of the major classical symphonies. He was an excellent accompanist - Heifetz always used him for his concerto recordings made in England after he had parted company with Barbirolli. The story always was that orchestras did not like him over some remarks he had made about permanent memberships of musicians in orchestras. Despite that he had a long career and was a crowd pleaser and "personality". Walton always used him for launching new works, not always well as was the case with Troilus & Cressida. Being British of course we always backed our leading conductors of which Sargent was undoubtedly one. It would be interesting to know how foreign orchestras got on with him - I know Toscanini invited him to conduct the NBC during, or just after, the war.

[@bbailey7818]

He did four NBC Symphony concerts in February and March, 1945. One has the Elgar Vln Cto with Menuhin, but with cuts. Another has the Walton Viola concerto with Primrose, excellent; also with music by Ireland and Holst. The middle concert has a first rate Sibelius 1st symphony. (Edit to add the first concert of four, not three, Cockaigne Overture and the Dvorak 7th back when it was much less well known than it is today. Also a fine performance. NBC had only played it once before under Steinberg.)

[@oakwoodian4465]

@@bbailey7818 Thanks for your helpful response Mr Bailey. I see some of these concerts are on KZbin but I thought Pristine Classical had also made these available but I might be wrong about that. At one Prom in 1965 he and Jacqueline Du Pre performed the Elgar Cello Concerto and in 1966 I heard him conduct the VW "London" Symphony. I can't remember what else was played without reference to the programme I have somewhere but the performances were excellent. I seem to remember someone opining that they thought Sargent had it in him to be the best British conductor of his generation, which means better than Beecham, Boult and Barbirolli. Who knows, perhaps he could have been.

[@bbailey7818]

@@oakwoodian4465 I checked Pristine, none of the NBC concerts are listed but they do have the original Walton Troilus WP, very valuable. I get the impression that Boult, Barbirolli and Sargent played a wider range of British music than did Beecham. As to conductors in general, I always think of Beecham wondering why the UK imported so many 3rd rate continental conductors "when we have plenty of second raters of our own." Or words to that effect.

[@oakwoodian4465]

Thanks again Mr Bailey for your detective work. Interestingly Pristine has the concerts Adrian Boult gave with the NBC S.O. available which are extremely good. I wonder why Boult only conducted them on the one occasion since he and Toscanini had something of a mutual admiration society. I will listen to the Sargent NBC concerts on KZbin and see what they're like.

[@leitfie3579]

In tgher 50s and 60s, there were four knighted condictors who were prominent in British musical life - Sir Malcom Sargent, Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Adrian Bout and Sir John Barbirolli. They were very different from each other. In an interview, Hugh Bean, the distinguished leader of the Philharmonia Orchestra for many years, gave his opinion that Beecham, Boult and Barbirolli were generally trusted by orchestral players because ' you always knew they were on your side', but in Sargent they did not have that confidence.

[@ruramikael]

Sargent's interpretation of VW9 is my favourite VW9.

[@danielo.masson353]

I cannot forget a line in a famous Stephen Frears movie where Malcolm Sargent is mentioned as an alternative in some form of consumer choice. Like well the Má Vlast you mention.

[@robkeeleycomposer]

Joe Orion and Kenneth Halliwell. I remember that scene vividly…..

[@dr2549]

Well put - "Some form of consumer choice" - LOL... (Seen in "Prick Up Your Ears" to be believed what "choice" was preferred by Orton to an evening at the Proms ...)

[@marksebastianjordan1985]

There's a wonderful Vaughan Williams 2nd in one of the boxes that the Chicago Symphony put out. It's a moving performance. It was only a few months later that Sargent died.

[@dankravetz]

In 1954, Sargent recorded Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music as part of a 3-LP recording of the play by the Old Vic company. It has been released on 2 CDs by Pristine Classics.

[@bbailey7818]

I vividly remember when we were studying the Shakespeare MSND in middle school, 7th grade, that was the recording they played. That was my introduction to both Shakespeare and Mendelssohn.

[@johnd1442]

Another little anecdote about Sargent. He was about to start a rehearsal with the London Symphony at the London Proms when he announced they had a VIP guest that morning - the band leader Ted Heath. Heath was very popular on radio and I assume many private functions. So, said Sargent, let us show "the b-a-n-d leader Mr. Heath" what we can do with the overture. "All ready? Excellent! uh-1. uh-2, uh-1, 2, 3, 4!"

[@normanmeharry58]

I associate Sir Malcolm with the Planets Suite as it was almost the first classical piece I knew in detail from that vinyl copy of the BBC Symph & chorus. It had a big gold sticker on the cover announcing stereophonic recording & reproduction. with the rider in the notes (written by Sergeant himself) that it could be also played on suitable mono equipment. We only had a Dansette. My sister & I played it to death, in the dark, in our parlour throughout those innocent early 1960s. In the cover notes, he claimed Holst as a personal friend.

[@johnmarchington3146]

Thanks, David, for discussing the Sargent box. From memory, I only have his "Planets" - and only on LP.

[@HassoBenSoba]

Sargent was indeed a force in mid-century British music, but rarely rose above mediocrity. That said, his "Gondoliers" is THE one to have, IMO, since the singing is "legit", as well as wonderfully character-ful. His "Planets" on Capitol (EMI) was our introduction to the work. Also, remember his Respighi Pines & Fountains in crazy technicolor stereo on EVERST, with the LSO (including the elephantine oom-pah of the organ pedals at the end of "Pines")? Where's the EVEREST classical re-issue box, I wonder? Full disclosure: I bought Sargent's "Ma Vlast" in 1973, upgraded to CD, and refuse to get rid of it. I'm not sure why, but I am very fond of it, in spite of its "underplayed" qualities.....especially #4- "Bohemia's Forests and Fields", one of the few performances to effectively gauge all of the changing tempi; he really nails it. LR

[@geraldmartin7703]

I'm careful not to talk about it; but I like his Everest recordings of Lt. Kije and the Shostakovich #9.

[@HassoBenSoba]

@@geraldmartin7703 This might be the perfect opportunity for us Sargent admirers to come out of the closet...musically speaking.

[@dr2549]

@@HassoBenSoba.... And us, Everest Records listeners of old - on which I first heard my first notes of Wagner ever in a record shop, and Joseph Krips' Beethoven 7th... they had a hissy kind of charm......

[@HassoBenSoba]

@@dr2549 I wonder if the Krips Beethoven was one of those AWFUL late 60's "re-channeled" licensed things that Everest did--including the Mitropoulos/Salzburg Mahler 8, the Wynn Morris Das Klagende Lied, the Ancerl Martinu 5th, etc. Just horrible. I'm hoping to see the original Harry Belock (1958) recordings, which were outstanding in many ways.

[@dr2549]

@@HassoBenSoba Horrible they might have been - but my record player at that time was no less "horribler" - so they suited each other fine...

[@AlexMadorsky]

Several Malcolm Sargent recordings have been engineered into sonically wonderful, audiophile-grade LPs over the last few years. The arguable problem, naturally, is that these are still Malcolm Sargent recordings. No matter, I think they are great, even if Sargent was far from the greatest talent to ever wield a baton.

[@orenlurie6422]

Dave, Sargent in English choral works, some of the old school French recordings like the Pelleas with Desormiere, do you have other recommendations along those lines for authentic styles of performance that have declined but were caught on record? (I realize this could be an entire video series...) Thanks as always for your many videos!!

[@bbailey7818]

Speaking of the Greatest Recordings EVAHHH, his EMI "Trial by Jury" may be the greatest single G&S ever made! The 'Pirates' runs it close. Some of the others tend to soggy pacing. My first Messiah was Sargent's stereo set released on Seraphim. I never really liked it, muzzy sound and staunchly Edwardian if not Victorian in approach. Nothing like Beecham's stereo spectacular which goes with real schwung. Sargent's 78 rpm set was actually livelier than his stereo set. I am happy to have that Icon box. I love the Elijah for the soloists and also the Gerontius. I'm a big fan of his Sibelius.

[@MrKurtank]

I've always enjoyed his En Saga. Thank you for another important review.

[@timyork6150]

Yes, I remember him. Dr (then) Malcolm Sargent was chief conductor of our local orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, when I first awakened to classical music. He was held in high regard by my mother and she compared all his successors unfavourably with him. For me he is associated with massive choral works; he undoubtedly did them well in a massive style which even in my early days before "historically informed" did not particularly appeal to me. I don't think I have many of his recordings in my collection; perhaps I should chose one of his renderings which you recommend to re-evaluate him. My only fairly close contact with him was in an airport bus at Le Bourget. He was impeccably turned out and was being fawned on by an air hostess; he had a shining leather brief case with "Sir Malcolm Sargent" embossed on it. The overall impression was of a smarmy and vain guy.

[@barryguerrero6480]

I like some of his Everest stuff, particularly the Tchaikovsky "Manfred" and "The Rite of Spring".

[@bigg2988]

I had the good fortune to get this EMI box for a good price just as they were getting rid of the last copies, I believe, and what do you know - it was a good purchase! Solid throughout, and enjoyable in most of the rich variety of works presented. Props to Sir Malcolm Sargent for really trying his hand at such a wide span of repertoire. The best thing (and hardly faint praise!) is that there are no actual bad recordings, interpretation-wise or technically, and none that could be called ill-advised choices. I believe this much can be gathered from David's review also. If Sargent did Beethoven and Co., he was on top of the task (it is just that the competition there always was impossible). When he went for the rarities (Dohnanyi, wow!) - he did them justice. And did not stick mainly to the British / choral favorites viewed as his forte, although he would probably have been pressed to consider just that for career reasons, had the man had a mighty record company behind him. :) Overall variety in this box warrants against getting bored, and you will be in for a few positive surprises at least - in my case, it was the "Ma Vlast" cycle that just really got me emotionally engaged, with some really sensitive direction from Sargent especially in the difficult last couple symphonic poems, where the Hussite themes get repeated and then need to gel with the main themes from the beginning. Was it but a perfect coalescence of the moment and personal mood to engage with that particular piece that did the trick? No definite answer, but at least the universality and taste of this conductor was reaffirmed for me!

[@matthewwalther1904]

Dave's passing remarks about English music critics remind me of a copy of the old Penguin Stereo Record Guide that I happened upon a few years ago. The disdain heaped upon so many American recordings from the late 50s and early 60s (esp Mercury and RCA stereo extravaganzas) now rightly regarded as classics is almost as amusing as the insistence that people like Barbirolli and Sargent (whatever their virtues) were first-rate interpreters of much of the standard repertoire. A window into a vanished world.

[@geertdecoster5301]

Flash Harry. Enough said for some like Arthur Butterworth, who played under him as member of the Hallé Orchestra: "He seemed to look down on orchestral players as socially inferior". One could indeed write a quite interesting paper on whether Sargent actually succeeded in attracting the masses to classical music by being a gloriously snobbish but knowledgeable showman. Perhaps that observation sticks well when one considers his story so typically English after having worked himself up from being just a church organist whilst also having constructed a social image of himself which many found deeply off-putting. But yes, indeed, how about that 1946 recording of Messiah also to weigh in?

[@bikerpaul68]

Sargent's father was a clerk and his mother a matron at a girls' school; Sir Malcolm's talent won him scholarships to a local school and a degree in music from Durham University. In the class-ridden society of early 20th century England he was a product of the middle class, and not very high up in it. So a certain amount of snobbishness and self-promotion may well have been necessary to succeed among the products of Eton and Oxbridge. Maybe that explains his popularity with the everyday concert-goer.

[@geertdecoster5301]

@@bikerpaul68 I'm sure you're mostly right for I'm not really knowledgeable of those social cultures. Have you listened to the Martin Bronstein interview towards the end of Sargent's life? He talked then about his beginnings. After turning eighteen his father refused him to give any more money because of his career choice

[@bikerpaul68]

@@geertdecoster5301 I've just listened to the interview - thanks, it's fascinating. Yes, Sir Malcolm says that his family "didn't have much money".

[@paullewis2413]

I only heard Sargent in a live performance once and that was when he was guest conductor of the Melbourne, (Australia) S.O. The only work I can remember is Hindemith’s Concert Music for Brass and Strings because it made quite an impression on a 17 year old. In recent years I discovered his recording of Walton’s 1st symphony and it’s excellent almost as good as my all time favourite with Previn and the LSO.

[@johnanderton4200]

I recall Sir Thomas Beecham's description of the young Herbert von Karajan as "a sort of musical Sir Malcolm Sargent."

[@vaughanjones209]

For me, this is where the reality of the quality of some of these recordings collides with my childhood memories of Sir Malcolm performing in a provincial city in England which at the time did not have a professional orchestra; not just the music but also his "act" (which in reality was him being immaculately turned out and wearing a buttonhole). He was for a long time principal conductor of the BBCSO and so was often to be heard on the radio in the UK. I have this set and do revisit some of its content now and then, and (in fairness to the late Sir Malcolm) my enjoyment is not based solely on nostalgia. Dave, are there any conductors or musicians who may not be from the top echelon but for whom you have a soft spot?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Sure. I’ve talked about many of them.

[@pianomaly9]

I had his LP Elijah and a (later?) Messiah as a teen, some time around the mid-80's got his Tchaikovsky #5 on a budget bin CD - it was the limpest performance of it that I've ever heard. Tea-table passions.

[@violadamore2-bu2ch]

Just who or what could we petition for re-issues of recordings. The companies are all subsidiaries of holding companies and corporations aren't they?

[@stnicolastaplow4096]

14:26 I was an engineer on this recording! Sargent made some great recordings, as you’ve mentioned, and he was hugely popular in The Proms - but he was not very well-liked, at least among orchestral players. Flash Harry was his nickname, as he was always immaculately turned out, always dressed in a morning suit (black jacket and pin-stripe trousers) and a white carnation in his button-hole, and his hair glossily Brylcreem’ed (for US readers, Brylcreem was a greasy, perfumed hair dressing). He was very vain, and a complete snob - there was a real cringe-making moment while he was recording in Abbey Road (the session I was on), when he discovered that those hairy young rebels The Beatles were in the studio nextdoor. He summoned them to come and be presented to the great conductor- they were completely underwhelmed as he granted them an audience. I was told by several orchestral players that after he passed, they would make the pilgrimage to his grave - after the long journey, they would have to relieve themselves… on Sir Malcolm 😂

[@bbailey7818]

Poor Sir Malcolm! By the way, we had Brylcreem in the US, too. "A little dab'll do ya."

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

We had Brylcream. We called it “greasy kid stuff.”

[@dennischiapello7243]

@@DavesClassicalGuide It was the ad men at Vitalis who prompted you to call it greasy kid stuff! 👨

[@garyengler165]

You had me at horn dog.

[@robertbangkok]

My personal experience with him here in the US was not good. OK, it was very, very bad. He came to conduct a MESSIAH performance at Philharmonic Hall in the 1960s. Putting aside his "interpretation", that man did not know how to conduct a crescendo! During rehearsals, when he wanted a crescendo, he became animated and conducted faster. So everybody went faster. Then he yelled about it, and he did the same thing again. Imagine a conductor of international stature who can't conduct a crescendo without increasing the tempo! OY.