Previn André Previn

André George Previn, KBE (/ˈprɛvɪn/; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) is a German-American pianist, conductor, and composer. Previn is the winner of four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings (and one more for his Lifetime Achievement).

Work as a pianist

In the mid-to-late 1950s, and more recently, Previn toured and recorded as a jazz pianist. In the 1950s, mainly recording for Contemporary Records, he worked with J.J. Johnson, Shelly Manne, Leroy Vinnegar, Benny Carter, and others. An album he recorded with Manne and Vinnegar of songs from My Fair Lady was a best-seller (see My Fair Lady (Shelly Manne album)). As a solo jazz pianist, Previn largely devoted himself to interpreting the works of major songwriters such as Jerome Kern (recorded in 1959), Frederick Loewe, Vernon Duke (recorded in 1958), and Harold Arlen (recorded in 1960). Previn made two albums with Dinah Shore as arranger, conductor, and accompanist in 1960, and another, "Duet", with Doris Day in 1961. He made appearances on The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford as well as The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.He also did an Album with Julie London "Your Number Please" featuring hits from Male singers. 1960 He collaborated with Julie Andrews on a collection of Christmas carols in 1966, focusing on rarely heard carols. This popular album, reissued many times over the years, is now available on CD. His main influences as a jazz pianist include Art Tatum, Hank Jones, Oscar Peterson, and Horace Silver. Previn's more recent work also shows the influence of Bill Evans.^{[citation needed]} Previn has recorded solo classical piano compositions by Mozart, Gershwin, Poulenc, Shostakovich, an album for RCA Victor with violinist Erick Friedman of the Franck and Debussy violin sonatas, and many chamber works for piano.

Work as a conductor

In 1967, Previn succeeded Sir John Barbirolli as music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In 1968, he began his tenure as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), serving in that post until 1979. During his LSO tenure, he and the LSO appeared on the BBC Television programme André Previn's Music Night. From 1976 to 1984, he was music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and, in turn, had another television series with the PSO entitled Previn and the Pittsburgh. He was also principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985 to 1988.

In 1985, he became music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Although Previn's tenure with the orchestra was deemed satisfactory from a professional perspective, other conductors including Kurt Sanderling, Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, did a better job at selling out concerts. Previn clashed frequently with Ernest Fleischmann (the orchestra's Executive VP and General Manager), most notably when Fleischmann failed to consult him before naming Salonen as Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra, complete with a tour of Japan. Because of Previn's objections, Salonen's title and Japanese tour were withdrawn; however, shortly thereafter, in April 1989, Previn resigned. Four months later, Salonen was named Music Director Designate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, officially taking the post of Music Director in October 1992.

Opera

• A Streetcar Named Desire (1997, premiered in San Francisco in 1998)
• Brief Encounter (2007, premiered in Houston in 2009)

Theater

• A Party with Betty Comden & Adolph Green (1958) – a revue with Previn as featured songwriter
• Coco (premiered in New York 1969) – a musical with words by Alan Jay Lerner
• The Good Companions (premiered in London 1974) – a musical with a book by Ronald Harwood and lyrics by Johnny Mercer
• Incidental Music for Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (premiered in London 1977) – a play for actors and orchestra with words by Tom Stoppard

Orchestral music (selection)

• Overture to a Comedy (premiered in Los Angeles in 1963)
• Cello Concerto No. 1 (premiered in Houston in 1968)
• Guitar Concerto (premiered in London, United Kingdom, in 1971)
• Principals for Orchestra (premiered in Pittsburgh in 1980)
• Reflections for Cor anglais, Cello and Orchestra (premiered in Saratoga Springs in 1981)
• Piano Concerto (premiered in London, United Kingdom, in 1985)
• Diversions for Orchestra (premiered in Salzburg, Austria, in 2000)
• Violin Concerto "Anne-Sophie" (premiered in Boston in 2002)
• Night Thoughts for Orchestra (premiered in Sacramento in 2006)
• Double Concerto for Violin, Double Bass and Orchestra (premiered in Boston in 2007)
• Harp Concerto (premiered in Pittsburgh in 2007)
• Owls for Orchestra (premiered in Boston in 2008)
• Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra (premiered in New York in 2009)
• Cello Concerto No. 2 (premiered in Leizig, Germany, 2011)
• Triple Concerto for French Horn, Trumpet and Tuba (premiered in Pittsburgh in 2012)
• Music for Boston for Orchestra (premiered in Tanglewood in 2012)
• Concerto for Violin and Strings (premiered in Trondheim, Norway, in 2012)
• Music for Wind Orchestra (No Strings Attached) (premiered in Rochester, NY in 2014)
• Double Concerto for Violin, Violoncello, and Orchestra (premiered in Cincinnati in 2014)
• Can Spring Be Far Behind? for Orchestra (premiered in Greensboro/NC in 2016)
• Almost an Overture for Orchestra (not yet premiered)

Chamber music (selection)

• Violin Sonata No. 1 (ca. 1960, possibly rejected by the composer)
• Four Outings for Brass (premiered in London in 1974)
• Two Little Serenades for Violin and Piano (premiered in New York in 1974)
• Peaches for Flute and Piano (ca. 1978)
• Triolet for Brass (ca. 1985)
• A Wedding Waltz for 2 Oboes and Piano (ca. 1986)
• Sonata for Cello and Piano (premiered in Amsterdam in 1993)
• Trio for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon (premiered in New York in 1996)
• Sonata (No. 2) Vineyard for Violin and Piano (written in 1994, premiered in New York in 1996)
• Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (premiered in New York in 1999)
• Tango, Song and Dance, for Violin and Piano (premiered in Luzern, Switzerland, in 2001)
• String Quartet with Soprano (premiered in New York in 2003)
• Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello (premiered in New York in 2009)
• Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (premiered in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2010)
• Octet for Eleven (premiered in Boston in 2010)
• Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (premiered in Boston in 2011)
• Trio (No. 2) for Piano, Violin and Cello (premiered in New York in 2012)
• Sonata (No. 3, publ. as "No. 2") for Violin and Piano (premiered in New York in 2013)
• Nonet (premiered in Edinburgh in 2015)
• Morning Rain and Warm Evening for Violin and Piano (not yet premiered)

Solo piano music (selection)

• Impressions for Piano (20 pieces for students) (ca. 1964)
• Paraphrase on a Theme of William Walton (premiered in London, United Kingdom, in 1973)
• Invisible Drummer. Five Preludes (premiered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in 1974)
• Five Pages from My Calendar (ca. 1978)
• Matthew's Piano Book (10 pieces for students) (ca. 1979)
• Variations on a Theme by Haydn (ca. 1990)

Songs and song cycles

• Five Songs, Texts by Philip Larkin (premiered in London, United Kingdom, in 1977)
• Honey and Rue for Soprano, Jazz Band and Orchestra, Texts by Toni Morrison (premiered in New York in 1992)
• Sallie Chisum Remembers Billy the Kid, Texts by Michael Ondaatje (premiered in Tanglewood in 1994)
• Four Songs, Texts by Toni Morrison (premiered in New York in 1994)
• Vocalise (premiered in Tanglewood in 1995)
• Three Dickinson Songs, Texts by Emily Dickinson (premiered in Quebec, Canada, in 1999)
• The Giraffes Go to Hamburg, Text by Karen Blixen (premiered in Newark in 2000)
• Four Songs, Texts by Philip Larkin and William Carlos Williams (premiered in New York in 2004)
• Sieben Lieder (Seven Songs), Texts by Theodor Storm (US premiere in San Francisco in 2006)