Wyn Morris
Encyclopedia
Wyn Morris was a Welsh
conductor
.
Morris was born in Trellech
, Monmouthshire
, Wales
, and did not speak English until he was aged 7. He was especially acknowledged for his interpretations of Gustav Mahler
's works, which he recorded almost complete during the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first to record Deryck Cooke
's second performing version of Mahler's Symphony No. 10
in 1972, only the third time a recording of the work had been made. He also conducted the first recording of Barry Cooper's realisation of Ludwig van Beethoven
's Symphony No. 10
in 1988.
Morris was music director of the Royal National Eisteddfod from 1960-1962, and the Huddersfield Choral Society
from 1969-1974.
He was responsible for the first British performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff
's All-Night Vigil (often referred to as his Vespers).
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Morris was born in Trellech
Trellech
Trellech is a village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, near Monmouth and the location of an archaeological site. The village is designated as a Conservation Area....
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and did not speak English until he was aged 7. He was especially acknowledged for his interpretations of Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
's works, which he recorded almost complete during the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first to record Deryck Cooke
Deryck Cooke
Deryck Cooke was a British musician, musicologist and broadcaster.-Life:Cooke was born in Leicester to a poor and working class family; his father died when he was a child, but his mother was able to afford piano lessons. Cooke acquired a brilliant technique and began to compose...
's second performing version of Mahler's Symphony No. 10
Symphony No. 10 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 10 by Gustav Mahler was written in the summer of 1910, and was his final composition. At the time of Mahler's death the composition was substantially complete in the form of a continuous draft; but not being fully elaborated at every point, and mostly not orchestrated, it was not...
in 1972, only the third time a recording of the work had been made. He also conducted the first recording of Barry Cooper's realisation of Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's Symphony No. 10
Symphony No. 10 (Beethoven/Cooper)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 10 in E flat major is a hypothetical work, assembled by Barry Cooper from Beethoven's fragmentary sketches. This title is controversial since it cannot be proved that all the sketches assembled were meant for the same piece...
in 1988.
Morris was music director of the Royal National Eisteddfod from 1960-1962, and the Huddersfield Choral Society
Huddersfield Choral Society
Huddersfield Choral Society is an internationally famous choir based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1836, and is recognised as one of Britain's leading choirs...
from 1969-1974.
He was responsible for the first British performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
's All-Night Vigil (often referred to as his Vespers).
External links
- Short biography at mymusicbase.ru
- Obituary from The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...