Du Pré’s career lasted only 12 years, cut short by multiple sclerosis. But she
is still reckoned one of the greatest cellists of her generation. Renowned
recording producer Andrew Keener
talks about the life and legacy of this
exceptional cellist and charts the progress of her short, stellar career.
The Tomkins Lecture
Appreciation by David Saunders
It is always a pleasure to welcome someone as erudite and knowledgeable as Andrew Keener to come and talk to us. Andrew is a celebrated independent producer known for bringing his musical insight to thousands of classical music recordings. And in his talk about the life and legacy of the charismatic cellist Jacqueline du Pré he was able to utilise his skills to take us from her extraordinary early progress through to her all too short maturity alongside her husband Daniel Barenboim, and then chart the tragic decline due to illness that ultimately silenced her musicmaking. Yet still her recordings remain to marvel at—who cannot but be amazed by her various different recordings of the Elgar Cello Concerto—especially, for many of us, that iconic early one conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. So I would like to propose a Vote of Thanks to Andrew Keener for his superb talk casting light on the life story of the great Jacqueline du Pré.
Playlist
BEETHOVEN: Sonata no. 5 for cello and piano, Op. 102 no. 2 (1st movement)
Jacqueline du Pré (cello)/Stephen Bishop (piano) EMI/Warner
ELGAR: Cello Concerto (illustration from 2nd movement)
1. Beatrice Harrison/New Symphony Orchestra/Sir Edward Elgar HMV/Warner
2. Pablo Casals/BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult HMV/Warner
3. Pierre Fournier/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Alfred Wallenstein DG
4. Jacqueline du Pré/London Symphony Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli EMI/Warner
PROKOFIEV: Peter and the Wolf (opening)
Jacqueline du Pré (narrator)/English Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim DG
PARADIS: Sicilienne
Jacqueline du Pré (cello)/Gerald Moore (piano) EMI/Warner
ELGAR: Cello Concerto (illustration from 1st movement)
1. Jacqueline du Pré/London Symphony Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli EMI/Warner
2. Jacqueline du Pré/BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent (1963 Prom)
HAYDN: Cello Concerto in C major (Finale)
Jacqueline du Pré/English Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim EMI/Warner
BRAHMS: Cello Sonata no. 2 in F major (Third movement)
Jacqueline du Pré (cello)/Daniel Barenboim (piano) EMI/Warner
ELGAR: Cello Concerto (illustration from 2nd movement)
Jacqueline du Pré/Philadelphia Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim Sony
CHOPIN: Cello Sonata in G minor (First movement)
Jacqueline du Pré (cello)/Daniel Barenboim (piano) EMI/Warner
SAINT-SAENS: Cello Concerto no. 1 in A minor
Jacqueline du Pré (cello)/Philadelphia Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim Sony
ELGAR: Cello Concerto in E minor (Finale excerpt)
Jacqueline du Pré/New Philharmonia Orchestra/Zubin Mehta
'(du Pré’s farewell to the Concerto, Royal Festival Hall, February 1973)'
Available to hear at the British Library
RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Quixote (Death of Don Quixote)
Jacqueline du Pré/New Philharmonia Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult EMI/Warner
Images
The Keene Room was packed—extra chairs had to be fetched in! Experienced record producer that he is, Andrew Keener elected to be his own DJ... ... allowing David Saunders to relax and listen in the front row. The CDs Andrew laid out for his talk LP cover of Brahms cello sonatas. Andrew contrasted the frank smile of the daughter of Jersey farming stock with the brooding frown of the Argentinian maestro. Andrew's treasured LP cover is signed by both du Pré and Barenboim. David Saunders leads a hearty vote of thanks for a wonderful talk.
Explore
CDs
Some of the playlist items are available in a 23-CD box set, Jacqueline du Pré, the complete Warner Recordings, available from Presto Music (reduced from £79 to £55.30 until the 8th of January 2024). Included is the reconstructed performance of Don Quixote with which Andrew Keener concluded his talk. It's also available from Amazon.
BooksBiographies and "Impressions" of du Pré. Andrew was not too keen on the middle of these. He compiled the discography for an earlier biography by Carol Easton.
363 Oxford Street
Andrew began his talk by asking us what was at 363 Oxford Street? We didn't know (someone hazarded "the Wigmore Hall?") so he told us. It had been the address of the great London HMV record store where he had first listened to a recording of du Pré, and he lamented its closure in 2019.
However, coincidentally, HMV reopened the store on the 24th of November to much fanfare, and it is now in business again. Andrew is pleased to see that the circular blue plaque, commemorating the original opening in 1921 by Sir Edward Elgar, is still in place.
The blue plaque is on the wall in front of the pedestrian at bottom left.
