Conductor. A prolific maestro over a long career, he shall be remembered for presenting the works of Richard Wagner and Benjamin Britten. Taking to music early, he studied at the Royal College of Music and in 1929 became choirmaster of St. Alban's, Holborn. An unapologetic anti-Semite, as was Wagner, during the 1930s he openly advocated joining sides with Hitler and was a member of Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists; an assistant to Albert Coates at Covent Garden in the late 1930s, during World War II, he led the Wessex Philharmonic and in 1944 joined became Music Director of Sadler's Wells Opera (now, English National Opera), his undeniable ability landing him posts of ever increasing importance despite his quite public pro-German stance. Sir Reginald conducted the June 7, 1945 world premiere of Britten's "Peter Grimes" with Sir Peter Pears in the title lead and in 1947 became Associate Music Director of Covent Garden. During his time at Covent Garden, he also conducted at Glyndebourne, among his projects there a recording of Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia", his first effort for EMI. Sir Reginald maintained his artistic standing despite his assertion that the Holocaust was a "BBC Jewish fiction", though with time he had conflicts with and became overshadowed by Sir Georg Solti, the generation's other premier Wagnerian. Returning to Sadler's Wells in 1967, he hit his stride, producing and recording "Die Meistersinger" in 1968, then from 1970 to 1973 leading and recording an acclaimed English language presentation of "The Ring", his attention to detail praised even if his records were longer than those of some other conductors and his leading singers, primarily Rita Hunter and Alberto Remedios, lauded even if they were not as well known as those employed by Sir Georg in Vienna. In 1985 he was Knighted for Services to Music and that same year led an English presentation of "Tristan und Isolde" which received rave reviews, then in 1987 he last appeared in public when he conducted Act III of "Parsifal" at the Royal Albert Hall. Sir Reginald lived his last years essentially in seclusion; a large portion of his recorded legacy, including "The Ring", remains available on CD.
Conductor. A prolific maestro over a long career, he shall be remembered for presenting the works of Richard Wagner and Benjamin Britten. Taking to music early, he studied at the Royal College of Music and in 1929 became choirmaster of St. Alban's, Holborn. An unapologetic anti-Semite, as was Wagner, during the 1930s he openly advocated joining sides with Hitler and was a member of Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists; an assistant to Albert Coates at Covent Garden in the late 1930s, during World War II, he led the Wessex Philharmonic and in 1944 joined became Music Director of Sadler's Wells Opera (now, English National Opera), his undeniable ability landing him posts of ever increasing importance despite his quite public pro-German stance. Sir Reginald conducted the June 7, 1945 world premiere of Britten's "Peter Grimes" with Sir Peter Pears in the title lead and in 1947 became Associate Music Director of Covent Garden. During his time at Covent Garden, he also conducted at Glyndebourne, among his projects there a recording of Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia", his first effort for EMI. Sir Reginald maintained his artistic standing despite his assertion that the Holocaust was a "BBC Jewish fiction", though with time he had conflicts with and became overshadowed by Sir Georg Solti, the generation's other premier Wagnerian. Returning to Sadler's Wells in 1967, he hit his stride, producing and recording "Die Meistersinger" in 1968, then from 1970 to 1973 leading and recording an acclaimed English language presentation of "The Ring", his attention to detail praised even if his records were longer than those of some other conductors and his leading singers, primarily Rita Hunter and Alberto Remedios, lauded even if they were not as well known as those employed by Sir Georg in Vienna. In 1985 he was Knighted for Services to Music and that same year led an English presentation of "Tristan und Isolde" which received rave reviews, then in 1987 he last appeared in public when he conducted Act III of "Parsifal" at the Royal Albert Hall. Sir Reginald lived his last years essentially in seclusion; a large portion of his recorded legacy, including "The Ring", remains available on CD.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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