(David Tidboald)
William Charlton-Perkins pays tribute to the
late conductor, David Tidboald.
Countless musicians and others who have worked
in the classical music industry across South Africa have paid tribute to Dr
David Tidboald, the British born conductor who died this week at the age of 92.
Following his first visit to South Africa as the touring accompanist to
the ballerina, Beryl Grey, David Tidboald returned to these shores on several
occasions, before settling in Cape Town. He went on to become one of the most
important figures of this country's classical music landscape, as mentor to
generations of young musicians, and as one of our foremost conductors and music
directors. In November 1957, Tidboald made his mark for the first time on the
Cape Town concert podium, conducting the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra, later
renamed the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. Three years later he was appointed
its Orchestral Director which he remained until 1965. He continued conducting
in Cape Town between return trips to the UK that year to conduct major
orchestras in his home country.
In 1970 with the formation of the former Cape Performing Arts Board
(CAPAB), Tidboald became the core founder of its orchestra for opera and ballet
performances, recruiting some 45 musicians, some of whom came from the UK,
Germany and France. His legacy to the city remains the annual youth music
festival, his brainchild, which in two years or so will be celebrating its half
century in the Mother City.
Two years after leaving CAPAB in 1981, Tidboald was asked to establish
the former Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in Durban. Today's standing of the
KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic as Africa's premier orchestra is a testament to the
work of Dr Tidboald, its founder. Bongani Tembe, Chief Executive and Artistic
Director of the KZN and Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestras, who worked with
Dr Tidboald in the 1980’s and 90’s, expressed sadness at the veteran
conductor’s passing. “He was still exuberant when he attended our Youth
Concerto Festival Concert last September. His legacy will live on through this
important event which he founded, and which has taken place annually in Durban
since 1985, as well as through our education and community engagement
programmes, where we nurture talent whilst instilling a love for music in the
younger generation. On behalf of the KZN Philharmonic, I extend my deepest
condolences to Dr David Tidboald’s family and friends. Musicians and concert
goers alike will remember him with reverence, appreciation and love.”
Born in England in 1926 in the historic naval port of Plymouth, David
Tidboald commanded an immense symphonic, opera and ballet repertoire,
collaborating with legions of world renowned artists throughout his
distinguished career. After his retirement, the celebrated conductor’s
legendary gifts as a raconteur found a platform when he set down his candid
memoir, People I Made Music With.
In the wake of the great man's passing, social media has been flooded
with personal reminiscences of those who engaged with him down the years.
I asked pianist Andrew Warburton, who cut his professional eye teeth
under the august aegis of Dr Tidboald, to share some memories: "I first
met David in 1987 after freshly graduating, and feel immensely privileged to
have worked with him so extensively over the years. He conducted many of my
concerto performances, including the Tchaikovsky 2nd, Prokofiev 3rd, and the
Samuel Barber, which we had to perform twice daily for ballet performances at
the State Theatre in Pretoria and the Nico in Cape Town. I have worked with
many conductors, but never have I experienced the solid wall of sound that he
achieved from the orchestra, which was almost overwhelming, especially in works
of the Romantic era in which he felt most at home.”
“His Salome will long be remembered for this reason, although at
the time I was a nervous wreck, being completely wet behind the ears and having
to negotiate the treacherous celeste part whilst being scowled at! I also
played for stage rehearsals of at least 20 operas and ballets that he
conducted, and his acerbic wit was a constant feature of these rehearsals.”
“I remember two of his remarks vividly: the first was during rehearsals
for Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, in Barbarina's aria in Act 4. This
character is meant to walk forlornly across the stage looking for a pin which
she has lost, but on this occasion she dashed about as if on speed, which was
entirely inappropriate to her slow, F minor music. David turned to me and said
"You know, I've never thought of Barbarina as being the village idiot
before”. And another time during rehearsals for Fidelio the set was
literally collapsing when he shouted at the stage manager from the pit; ‘have
you got a bit of chewing gum or something?’”
“His respect for the art of music was deep and always evident, as was his
desire to nurture talented young musicians and singers, instilling wisdom which
will not be forgotten. He was a force of nature, and will be sorely missed.” - William Charlton-Perkins
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