Raymond Leppard facts for kids

Raymond John Leppard (born August 11, 1927 – died October 22, 2019) was a talented British-American musician. He was a conductor, a harpsichord player, a composer, and an editor of music. In the 1960s, he helped make Baroque music popular again. He was one of the first major conductors to perform Baroque operas, bringing back old works by composers like Claudio Monteverdi and Francesco Cavalli. He led operas at famous places like the Glyndebourne Festival and the Metropolitan Opera. Raymond Leppard also wrote music for movies, including Lord of the Flies.

Early Life and Musical Start

Raymond Leppard was born in London, England. He grew up in Bath, Somerset. He went to the City of Bath Boys' School there. Later, he studied music at Trinity College, Cambridge. He learned to play the harpsichord and the viola. He also became very interested in leading choirs.

In 1952, Raymond Leppard performed in London for the first time. He led his own group, the Leppard Ensemble. He also worked closely with the Goldsbrough Orchestra. This orchestra later became known as the English Chamber Orchestra in 1960. He also gave concerts playing the harpsichord by himself. From 1958 to 1968, he taught music at Trinity College.

Bringing Old Music Back to Life

Raymond Leppard loved early music, which is music from a long time ago. He worked to prepare old musical scores so they could be performed again. Some music experts had different ideas about his changes to these old scores. However, his performances were very important. They helped many people discover old operas for the first time.

In 1962, he prepared an opera by Monteverdi called L'incoronazione di Poppea. It was performed at the Glyndebourne Festival. He also edited Monteverdi's other operas, L'Orfeo and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. He worked on operas by other composers like Francesco Cavalli and Jean-Philippe Rameau too. He conducted many of these operas in theaters and recorded them.

Music for Movies

Raymond Leppard also composed music for films. In 1963, he wrote the original music for the movie Lord of the Flies. This movie was based on a famous book by William Golding. He also wrote music for the movie Alfred the Great in 1969. He helped arrange music for other films too.

Conducting Around the World

In 1969, Raymond Leppard first performed in America. He conducted the Westminster Choir and the New York Philharmonic. He also played the harpsichord as a soloist during this concert. From 1973 to 1980, he was the main conductor of the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra is now called the BBC Philharmonic.

Leppard conducted many famous operas in different cities. He led Britten's Billy Budd at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He also conducted operas in London, Paris, Hamburg, and Geneva. In 1986, he conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Last Night of the Proms in London.

At the Glyndebourne Festival, he conducted the very first performance of Nicholas Maw's opera The Rising of the Moon. From 1987 to 2001, Raymond Leppard was the music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He worked with the orchestra's lead violinist, Hidetaro Suzuki. Later, from 2004 to 2006, he advised the Louisville Orchestra.

Awards and Legacy

Raymond Leppard received several honors for his work. In 1973, Italy gave him the title of Commendatore della Republica Italiana. This was for his help with Italian music. The University of Bath also gave him an Honorary Degree in 1973. In 1983, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Raymond Leppard became an American citizen in 2003. He passed away in Indianapolis on October 22, 2019. He left his large collection of opera scores to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This means his work will continue to help future musicians.

See also

• Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Raymond Leppard recording)
• Rameau: Dardanus (Raymond Leppard recording)
• Frederica von Stade: Monteverdi & Cavalli Arias (Raymond Leppard recording)