Alexander Gibson
Alexander Gibson was a Scottish conductor known for his interpretations of late Romantic and British works. He was also an advocate for Scottish composers and new music and conducted countless premieres. He was born in 1926 to a non-musical family in Motherwell, Scotland. His musical talents were first discovered when he performed in a production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Dalziel High School, where he attended. Gibson also studied the piano and organ in school, and after he graduated, he became the organist at the Hillhead Congregational Church in Glasgow. In 1943, he enrolled at the University of Glasgow, where he majored in English and Music, but he was conscripted into the military after his first year of study. Gibson served as a pianist in the Royal Signals Band until 1948, when he received a scholarship to attend the Royal College of Music in London as a piano student. His professors initially didn't allow him to enroll in the conducting courses because they didn't think that he knew enough music theory. However, he proved them wrong by forming and conducting his own orchestra and was admitted into the conducting courses. After finishing at the Royal College of Music, he began studying conducting at the Salzburg Mozarteum with Igor Markevitch in 1950. The following year, he started working as a rehearsal conductor at Sadler's Wells Opera, and in 1952, he signed a two-year contract as the assistant conductor of the BBC Scottish Orchestra, under Ian Whyte. This gave Gibson the opportunity to learn much of the standard orchestral repertoire. After his contract ended, he returned to Sadler's Wells Opera as a staff conductor and was offered the post of Musical Director later in 1957. At 31 years old, he was the youngest conductor ever to serve in this position. In 1959, he was appointed conductor of the Scottish National Orchestra, and he remained there for 25 years. He also founded the Scottish Opera in 1962 and became its artistic director and principal conductor. In this capacity, he commissioned several new works and conducted their premieres. Gibson also played a major role in introducing Janet Baker to the world of opera. He made his North American conducting debut in Detroit with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1970 and became increasingly more active in the U.S. throughout the 1980s. In 1984, he left the Scottish National Orchestra, and he also left the Scottish Opera in 1985, but he continued conducting opera in Los Angeles, Kentucky, and Houston. Gibson became the president of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1991, where he served until his death in 1995 after suffering a heart attack.
© RJ Lambert /TiVo
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Gounod: Faust Ballet Music; Bizet: Carmen Suite
Royal Opera House Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Feb 24, 1960
24-Bit 176.4 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Tone Poems
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Phyllis Bryn-Julson
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Aug 1, 1985
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Orchestral Works
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Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Mar 1, 1999
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Overtures
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Oct 1, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra
Henryk Szeryng, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Nov 2, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Nielsen: Rhapsodic Overture, Symphony No. 4, Pan and Syrinx - Sibelius: The Dryad, En Saga
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Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Feb 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite, Danses Concertantes
English Chamber Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Chandos on Sep 1, 1984
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walton: Symphony No. 1, Cello Concerto, Belshazzar's Feast, Coronation Te Deum, etc.
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Mar 1, 1999
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Orchestral Works
Alexander Gibson, Norman Del Mar, George Hurst, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Leon Goossens
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Feb 1, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Scenes Historiques, Rakastava Suite & Valse Lyrique
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Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Jul 1, 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 3, 6 & 7
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Apr 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 & Symphony No. 6
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Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Jan 1, 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nielsen: Symphony No. 5, Helios - Sibelius: Spring Song, Night Ride and Sunrise
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Jun 1, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No.2 & Karelia Suite & Finlandia
Alexander Gibson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Collins Classics on Sep 5, 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Suite
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Susan Tyte, Adrian Shepherd
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Jul 1, 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Suite, Op.22 - Finlandia Op.26
Alexander Gibson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Collins Classics on Mar 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Scènes Historiques I, Scènes Historiques II, Rakastava & Valse lyrique
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Jan 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 (Complete Version)
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Nov 1, 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Tone Poems
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Classical - Released by Chandos on Aug 1, 1985
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paganini: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 4
Henryk Szeryng, London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Oct 6, 1976
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vaughan Williams : Symphonies Nos. 4-6, etc.
Alexander Gibson, Paavo Berglund, Constantin Silvestri
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jun 2, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo