Classical Obituaries
-
Nikolai Girshevich Kapustin (1937-2020)
6th Jul 2020
Nikolai Kapustin, pianist-composer known for fusing jazz with classical idioms in works of incredible virtuosic showmanship, has died aged 82.
-
Ida Haendel (1928-2020)
1st Jul 2020
Ida Haendel, the Polish-born child prodigy who became known as the 'grande dame of the violin', has died aged 91.
-
Dame Vera Lynn (1917-2020)
18th Jun 2020
The 'Forces' Sweetheart', whose wartime hits We'll Meet Again and The White Cliffs of Dover proved an enduring source of comfort for several generations, has died aged 103.
Featured product
We'll Meet Again: The Very Best Of Vera Lynn
Sailors, Soldiers & Airmen of Her Majesty's Forces, Roland Shaw & His Orchestra, The Glen Somers Orchestra, Vera Lynn (vocalist), Arthur Young (keyboards), Charles Smart (organ), Woolf Phillips And His Orchestra, The Stargazers, The Clubmen, Mike Sammes Singers, Eric Rogers and his Orchestra
More products from this article -
Mady Mesplé (1931-2020)
31st May 2020
The French coloratura soprano, who excelled as Delibes's Lakmé and in operetta, has died aged 89.
Featured product
Delibes: Lakmé
Mady Mesplé (Lakmé), Danielle Millet (Mallika), Charles Burles (Gérald), Roger Soyer (Nilakantha) & Jean-Christophe Benoit (Frédéric), Bernadette Antoine (Ellen), Monique Linval (Rose), Agnès Disney (Mrs Bentson) & Joseph Peyron (Hadji) Chœurs et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra-Comique, Alain Lombard
More products from this article -
Gabriel Bacquier (1924-2020)
14th May 2020
The French baritone, who excelled in his native repertoire and as Scarpia and Iago, has died aged 95.
Featured product
Rossini: Guillaume Tell
Gabriel Bacquier (Guillaume Tell), Montserrat Caballé (Mathilde), Nicolai Gedda (Arnaud), Jocelyne Taillon (Hedwige), Mady Mesplé (Jemmy), Gwynne Howell (Melchtal), Louis Hendriks (Gesler), Kolos Kovacs (Walter Furst) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli
More products from this article -
Lynn Harrell (1944-2020)
29th Apr 2020
The American cellist, who won two Grammys for his piano trio recordings with Vladimir Ashkenazy and Itzhak Perlman, has died aged 76.
-
Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)
29th Mar 2020
The Polish composer, whose talent for creating uncanny sonorities inspired film-directors including Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese, has died aged 86.
Featured product
Penderecki: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, Symphony No. 1, Cello Concerto No. 1
Wanda Wilkomirska (violin), Siegfried Palm (cello), Felicja Blumental (harpsichord), Sabine Meyer (clarinet) & Alfons Kontarsky (piano) London Symphony Orchestra, Krakow Philharmonic Chorus, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Krzysztof Penderecki
More products from this article -
Hamish Milne (1939-2020)
18th Feb 2020
The British pianist, who was particularly associated with the music of Nikolai Medtner, has died aged 80.
-
Reinbert de Leeuw (1938-2020)
17th Feb 2020
The Dutch pianist, conductor and composer has died aged 81.
Featured product
Kurtág: Complete Works for Ensemble and Choir
Netherlands Radio Choir (chorus), Natalia Zagorinskaya (soprano), Gerrie de Vries (mezzo-soprano), Yves Saelens (tenor), Harry van der Kamp (bass), Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello), Elliott Simpson (guitar), Tamara Stefanovich (piano), Csaba Király (pianino, spoken word) Asko | Schoenberg Ensemble, Reinbert de Leeuw
More products from this article -
Nello Santi (1931-2020)
10th Feb 2020
The Italian opera conductor, who was one of the finest Verdi and Puccini interpreters of the twentieth century, has died aged 88.
Featured product
Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana & Leoncavallo: Pagliacci
Eileen Farrell (Santuzza), Richard Tucker (Turiddu), Cesare Bardelli (Alfio), Mildred Miller (Lola), Lili Chookasian (Mamma Lucia), Franco Corelli (Canio), Lucine Amara (Nedda), Anselmo Colzani (Tonio), Franco Ghitti (Beppe), Calvin Marsh (Silvio) Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, Nello Santi
More products from this article -
Mirella Freni (1935-2020)
10th Feb 2020
The Italian soprano, who was widely recognised as one of the finest Verdi and Puccini singers of the twentieth century, has died aged 84.
Featured product
Puccini: La Bohème
Mirella Freni (Mimi), Luciano Pavarotti (Rodolfo), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Colline), Elizabeth Harwood (Musetta), Rolando Panerai (Marcello), Gianni Maffeo (Schaunard), Michel Sénéchal (Alcindoro/Benoit), Gernot Pietsch (Parpignol) Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
More products from this article -
Peter Serkin (1947-2020)
6th Feb 2020
The American pianist, who was as renowned for his work with contemporary composers as for his period-instrument performances of Mozart and Beethoven, has died aged 72.
-
Franz Mazura (1924-2020)
25th Jan 2020
The Austrian bass-baritone, who was especially renowned for his Wagner roles and made his final appearance in Die Meistersinger only last April, has died aged 95.
Featured product
Berg: Lulu
Teresa Stratas (Lulu), Yvonne Minton (Gräfin Geschwitz), Franz Mazura (Dr Schön), Kenneth Riegel (Alwa), Toni Blankenheim (Schigolch/Der Medizinalrat/Ein Polizeikommissär), Robert Tear (Der Maler/Der Neger) Orchestre de l'Opéra de Paris, Pierre Boulez
More products from this article -
Barry Tuckwell (1931-2020)
17th Jan 2020
The Australian horn player and conductor has died at the age of 88.
-
2019 Goodbyes
2nd Jan 2020
A short video tribute remembering some of the musicians who passed away during 2019.
-
Peter Schreier (1935-2019)
28th Dec 2019
The German lyric tenor and conductor, who was particularly acclaimed for his interpretations of Schubert lieder and the Bach Passions, has died aged 84.
-
Mariss Jansons (1943 - 2019)
1st Dec 2019
The Latvian conductor, who held posts with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, has died aged 76 following a long struggle with a heart condition.
Featured product
Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame
Misha Didyk (Herman), Tatiana Serjan (Lisa), Larissa Diadkova (Countess), Alexey Shishlyaev (Tomskij and Plutus), Alexey Markov (Yeletzki) Kinderchor der Bayerischen Staatsoper & Chor and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
More products from this article -
Sir Stephen Cleobury (1948-2019)
23rd Nov 2019
The English organist and conductor, who was Director of Music at King’s College Cambridge for almost four decades, has died aged 70.
-
Rolando Panerai (1924-2019)
24th Oct 2019
The Italian baritone, who sang major roles on many of the greatest opera recordings of the mid-twentieth century, has died aged 95.
-
Raymond Leppard (1927-2019)
23rd Oct 2019
The British conductor, harpsichordist and musicologist, who spearheaded the revival of Monteverdi’s and Cavalli’s operas in the 1960s and 70s, has died aged 92.
Featured product
Cavalli: La Calisto
James Bowman (countertenor), Janet Hughes (soprano), Peter Gottlieb (baritone), Teresa Cahill (soprano), Teresa Kubiak (soprano), Owen Brannigan (bass), Ugo Trama (bass), Ileana Cotrubas (soprano), Dame Janet Baker (mezzo-soprano), Hugues Cuénod (tenor), Marjorie Biggar (mezzo-soprano), Federico Davia (bass), Enid Hartle (mezzo-soprano), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, Raymond Leppard
More products from this article
