Mackerras, (Sir) (Alan) Charles

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Mackerras, (Sir) (Alan) Charles ( Charles MacLaurin) (b Schenectady, NY, 1925). Australian conductor and oboist. Prin. ob. Sydney SO 1943–6. Went to Eng. 1946. Cond. début, SW Opera 1948 (Die Fledermaus), staff cond. 1949–54. Prin. cond. BBC Concert Orch. 1954–6. CG début 1963. First cond., Hamburg State Opera 1966–70. Mus. dir. SW Opera (ENO from 1974) 1970–8; prin. cond. Sydney SO 1982–5. Mus. dir. WNO 1987–91. Cond. f.p. in England of a Janáček opera, Káťa Kabanová, SW 1951, following with several other Janáček operas, some of which he has ed. Awarded Janáček Medal, 1978. Arr. mus. by Sullivan for ballet Pineapple Poll and reconstructed his lost vc. conc. Also arr. mus. by Verdi for The Lady and the Fool. Has cond. and ed. operas by Handel, J. C. Bach, and Gluck. His Marriage of Figaro at SW 1965 was remarkable for addition of ornamentation and for 18th cent. appoggiaturas. NY Met début 1972; Glyndebourne début 1990. CBE 1974. Knighted 1979. CH 2003.

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Mackerras, (Sir) (Alan) Charles

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