I am very sorry to learn that David (a former music director of Opera North) has left us. I had the pleasure of interviewing him at his London home, more than a decade ago, for Fanfare magazine. An English gentleman, when the clock struck noon David said: “Ah midday, would you like a sherry?”. We kept in touch, and I was wondering why he hadn’t replied to my email of a few weeks ago. One of his big wishes was to record Tchaikovsky’s four Suites, which I don’t believe happened. A shame. However, he leaves a distinguished discography. RIP David.
https://www.naxos.com/person/David_Lloyd_Jones/31759.htm
And here is David’s recording of Night on Bare Mountain in Mussorgsky’s original version (before Rimsky-Korsakov ‘revised’ it, albeit it with good intentions):
With thanks to Edward Johnson for finding this YT post, and also to Edward for confirming that DLJ’s was indeed the first recording of this score (*see second Comment).
I’m sorry to hear this. He always seemed a very charming man. He also recorded a lot of Rawsthorne, including the three symphonies.
Certainly charming, Monica. Although David’s recordings have a bias towards British music, the Russian repertoire was just as important to him. His LPO/Philips recording of Night on Bare Mountain may well have been the first of Mussorgsky’s original version*; he conducted operas such as Boris Godunov and (Prokofiev’s) War & Peace, and he made English translations of Russian-language librettos. Among David’s friends was Gennadi Rozhdestvensky. Whenever GR came to London he would stay with David (rather like Celibidache being regularly hosted by Neville Marriner) and he would discuss literature and painting, as well as music, with David and Mrs Lloyd-Jones well into the night. Whether in English or Russian I know not, but I do know DLJ was admiring of Rozhdestvensky’s prowess in a range of subjects.
DLJ will be missed. Our paths crossed in the recording studio only a handful of times, but when they did, the occasions were invariably enjoyable and goodnatured affairs. Socially he was a delightful source of anecdote and insight about musicians he knew in the concert, operatic and ballet world. It’s a shame that the range of the man and musician – not only as a conductor but as a scholar and editor, and Wagnerian – isn’t more widely appreciated.
…and Arthur Sullivan’s Ivanhoe: https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2010578
A much underrated musician in the eyes of the political establishment. He richly deserved a senior honour. A doyen for British music. Simply unique.
RIP.
Opera North’s tribute:
https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/david-lloyd-jones-1934-2022/
He was a marvelous musician and exuded an ability to out on a massive range of music with skill knowledge and love. He was kind to me. We had wonderful chats. I shall miss his support and editing skills. But he got some fantastic performances. Bax Bliss Delius. I shall miss him
I first came across DL-J through becoming a trustee of the Lord Berners Trust, which David chaired. He was a complete delight, had a fantastic memory and knowledge and we had an interesting link through Magdalen College Oxford, where my father Bernard Rose was director of music and the famous choir, and where I studied under him. DL-J was at Magdalen before Bernard and I don’t know what contact they had. David was a complete star on the podium, both in the opera house and concert hall. A wonderful man.