Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

April 23, 1882 in St. Petersburg, Russia

Death

:

December 11, 1953 in Milnterton, South Africa

Period

:

Romantic

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Opera

 

Albert Coates was a renowned conductor and composer of classical music in the early 20th century. He was born on April 23, 1882, in St. Petersburg, Russia, to an English father and a Russian mother. Coates showed an early interest in music and began studying piano and composition at a young age. He later attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied conducting under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Coates began his career as a conductor in Russia, where he conducted the Imperial Opera in St. Petersburg and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He also conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. Coates was known for his passionate and dramatic interpretations of classical music, and he quickly gained a reputation as one of the leading conductors of his time. In 1914, Coates moved to England and became a British citizen. He continued to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and he also conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Coates was particularly known for his performances of the music of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Wagner. One of Coates' most notable performances was his 1926 recording of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 with the London Symphony Orchestra. The recording was praised for its emotional intensity and became one of the most popular classical recordings of the time. Coates also conducted the premiere of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3 in London in 1936, which was a great success. Coates was also a composer, and he wrote several works for orchestra, including his Symphony No. 1, which was premiered in 1912. However, Coates was primarily known as a conductor, and his compositions were not as well-received as his performances. In addition to his work as a conductor and composer, Coates was also a teacher. He taught conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and many of his students went on to become successful conductors themselves. Coates' career was not without controversy, however. He was known for his temperamental behavior and his clashes with musicians and management. He was also criticized for his support of the Nazi regime in Germany in the 1930s. Coates was a vocal admirer of Hitler and attended several Nazi rallies in Germany. He even dedicated a performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger to Hitler in 1936. Coates' support of the Nazi regime damaged his reputation and led to his resignation from the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1940. Despite these controversies, Coates remained a respected conductor and composer throughout his career. He continued to conduct and teach until his death on December 11, 1953, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Coates' legacy as a conductor and composer continues to be celebrated today, and his recordings and compositions remain popular with classical music enthusiasts around the world.

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