The Music Goes Round and Around

Former second clarinet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Basil Tschaikov recalls sixteen years playing for Sir Thomas Beecham, from 1944 to 1960, included in his new book The Music Goes Round and Around, which is available from any reputable bookseller, Amazon and other Internet book sites.

Basil (Nick) Tschaikov played with the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1943 to 1947, and was then a member of the of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1947 to 1955. Although he joined the Philharmonia Orchestra that year, where he later served as the Orchestra's Chairman before being appointed Director of the National Centre for Orchestral Studies, he continued to play very frequently in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra right up to Sir Thomas Beecham's final concert in May 1960.

In this audio feature specially made for SOMM, he recalls his years with Beecham, which are also included, plus much more about Beecham, in his new book The Music Goes Round and Around, presenting a widely in-depth view of the many technological developments that have affected both the performance of music and audiences alike during the past century.

All the music illustrations in this feature are taken from SOMM's catalogue. The memoir is 66 minutes long in eight segments:

Segment 1 (13:21)
Music extract from SOMM_BEECHAM 12-2 Delius A Village Romeo and Juliet (opening of the opera)
Playing with Beecham in the London Philharmonic Orchestra, 1944 to 1946
Joining the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1947
Music extract from Delius A Village Romeo and Juliet (Walk to the Paradise Garden)

Segment 2 (4:39)
Beecham and contemporary and new music
Music extract from SOMM-BEECHAM 23 Alwyn Symphony No 3

Segment 3 (5:31)
Beecham's spontaneity in performance
The American tour of 1950
Beecham's spontaneity as a person
Music extract from SOMM-BEECHAM 22 Elgar Enigma Variations

Segment 4 (9:30)
Beecham in rehearsal
Beecham's conducting technique
Music extract from SOMM-BEECHAM 13-2 Offenbach Tales of Hoffman – Legend of Kleinzach (Robert Rounseville, tenor)

Segment 5 (6:08)
Beecham conducting music for films
Breadth of Beecham's repertoire
Beecham's rehearsals for Sibelius's 4th Symphony
Music extract from SOMM-BEECHAM 18 Sibelius Symphony No 4

Segment 6 (6:26)
Beecham's gift for obtaining precision and flexibility
Beecham's artistic relationships with his Principal players
Memory of Richard Strauss during Beecham's recording of Strauss''s Don Quixote
Beecham conducting French repertoire
Music extract from SOMM-BEECHAM 22 Franck Le Chasseur Maudit

Segment 7 (13:24)
The Music Goes Round and Around
Beecham's unique ability to give his solo players freedom while maintaining his overall control
Music extract from SOMM-BEECHAM 23 Grieg Symphonic Dance No 2

Segment 8 (7:07)
Beecham's last rehearsal and concert, in May 1960
Music extract from SOMM-BEECHAM 21 Strauss Don Quixote

SOMM Beecham catalogue HERE