On Tuesday, 25 October 2007, the great British conductor Sir Colin Davis will celebrate his eightieth birthday.
A champion of the works of Mozart, Berlioz, Sibelius and Tippett, Sir Colin has brought many previously neglected works back into the repertoire, while his substantial discography includes many recordings that are considered benchmarks against which few others can compete. He has held many of the major conducting jobs this country has to offer - Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of Covent Garden and Sadlers Wells Opera (now ENO) - culminating in his appointment as Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2007, the longest-serving holder of that post; he is now the LSO's President. Davis is by all accounts a modest and unassuming man who places great emphasis on respecting the musicians with whom he works. And even if there have been some blips along the way - his Royal Opera Ring Cycle in the 1970s was less than a success, for instance - he can look back on a long and distinguished career.
This week, the music world is celebrating Sir Colin's birthday in two striking ways. First, the London Symphony Orchestra is giving a series of concerts both at the Barbican and in New York. These are now practically all sold out, but those without a ticket can still celebrate from home, because Radio 3's Evening Performance on 3 schedule is devoted all week to broadcasting classic Colin Davis performances from the archives.
The LSO's first concert in Davis' honour is on Thursday, and it is entirely devoted to music by Beethoven. Evgeny Kissin joins the orchestra to play the Third Piano Concerto, while the second half boasts the 'Eroica' Symphony. If Davis' revelatory performance of this symphony at the Proms a couple of years ago is anything to go by, this will be the highlight of the week. Next Sunday, 30 September, is the turn of Mozart, one of the composers closest to Davis' heart. The final piano concerto, K.595, is played by Mitsuko Uchida (one of Sir Colin's long-term collaborators), while the Requiem features the talents of four young singers, including tenor Andrew Kennedy (who we interviewed last week). On 3 October, the Requiem is performed again but is this time coupled with Elgar's Violin Concerto played by Gidon Kremer. Some tickets still remain for the final concert, Haydn's Creation on 7 October, and since the cast includes Ian Bostridge and Sally Matthews, the occasion is not to be missed.
No less important is the BBC's Radio 3 tribute to the conductor, broadcast from 19.00 to 20.45 every day this week. Monday's schedule includes a performance of excerpts from Berlioz's Les francs-juges from 1965; Davis is heard conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra and his ex-wife, soprano April Cantelo. The highlight for me is Tuesday's broadcast of Act 2 of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, a recording of the famous 1971 production that put Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's name on the map after her portrayal of the Countess; now is the opportunity to find out what it sounded like. Wednesday's programme celebrates both Davis' work with the Dresden Staatskapelle, of whom he is Honorary Conductor, and his special feel for the music of Berlioz, whose Symphonie Fantastique is heard. Thursday's programme is a concert from Sir Colin's time as Principal Conductor of the LSO, and it includes the world premiere performance of The Rose Lake. Perhaps a let-down after the imaginative choices for the rest of the week, Friday is a repeat broadcast of this year's slightly disappointing Prom with Davis and the European Youth Orchestra.
The LSO's in-house record label will soon be releasing Sir Colin's recording of Handel's Messiah, as well as a disc of music by James Macmillan and a complete performance of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini, recorded at concerts in June. Davis returns to the LSO later this season for performances of Berlioz's Harold en Italie, Tippett's A Child of Our Time and symphonies by Bruckner and Schubert. He will also conduct the world premiere of Macmillan's Passion, which has been commissioned by the LSO in honour of Davis' birthday.
Not everything that Davis conducts turns out perfect. I was disappointed by his reading of Messiah last December, and I find that some of his speeds can be rather slow nowadays, especially in Mozart and Beethoven. But he remains one of my favourite living conductors. I will never forget his interpretations of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Les troyens and Benvenuto Cellini; his recent Proms performances of Elgar's Second Symphony and Beethoven's Eroica; or his Covent Garden Figaro.
When he is on top of his form, as on those occasions, Sir Colin Davis is difficult to match for passion, intensity and revelation. Happy birthday!