Orchestra conductors

I researched orchestra conductors. Toscanini conducted his first full opera at age 19, after the conductor resigned on the day of performance. Toscanini had the entire opera memorized! Leopold Stokowski started performing on organ at age 16 in London. Stokowski arranged several Bach pieces for orchestra, which led to renewed interest in Bach’s music in the U.S. Eugene Ormandy, violinist from the age of 3, succeeded him as conductor; many of the finest recordings of orchestral music in the 20th century come from Ormandy. I haven’t done an exhaustive search, but most of Ormandy’s recordings are of “serious” performance-only classical music, as opposed to popular music or movie music. Arthur Fiedler, violinist, pianist, organist, and percussionist, conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra; he was looked down on by some for appealing too much to the masses. Fiedler’s recordings contain many orchestral arrangements of popular songs and movie soundtracks. Leonard Bernstein, self-taught on piano to start, claimed the Boston Pops as an inspiration; Bernstein wrote music for live theater and movies, as well as “serious” music. He is best known for West Side Story.

Guess who succeeded Fiedler as conductor of the Boston Pops?

It’s John Williams, who can conduct “serious” music but who has elevated the reputation of movie music through his awesome scores. I’m grateful that the artificial barrier between movie music and “serious” performance music has mostly dissolved. We are greatly blessed to live now!