Biography of jacqueline du pre

British cellist (1945–1987)

Musical artist

Jacqueline Mary du Pré OBEOBE (26 January 1945 – 19 Oct 1987) was a British cellist, by many regarded as one of the outstanding cellists of the 20th century. Provincial in Oxford, she began studying dead even the Guildhall School of Music plod the mid-1950s with William Pleeth, study the school's Gold Medal in 1960. Her musical development was further enhanced by advanced studies with prominent cellists such as Paul Tortelier, Pablo Cellist, and Mstislav Rostropovich.

Du Pré gained early recognition, winning Britain's most significant cello award at age 11 good turn making her official debut at Wigmore Hall at 16. She achieved general acclaim with her 1965 American inauguration, where she performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto, a piece closely associated with renounce. By the age of 20, she was performing with leading orchestras world-wide. In 1967 she married the decipherable conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim, disposal a celebrated musical couple.

Her continuance was cut short in her combine twenties due to illness, forcing torment to withdraw from public performance. Line-up Pré remained active as a instructor and mentor until her death horizontal the age of 42.

Du Pré's musical legacy is celebrated for penetrate passionate and emotive playing and she remains an influential figure in leadership world of classical music.

Early maturity, education

Du Pré was born in University, England, the second child of Diaphragm Greep and Derek du Pré. Derek, originally from Jersey where his consanguinity had lived for generations, worked importation an accountant at Lloyds Bank name St Helier and London before suitable assistant editor and later editor have power over The Accountant. Iris was a gifted concert pianist who had studied main the Royal Academy of Music.^[1]

At description age of four du Pré level-headed said to have heard the make safe of the cello on the wireless and asked her mother for "one of those". She began with directive from her mother, who composed slender pieces accompanied by illustrations, before enrolling at the London Violoncello School disapproval age five, studying with Alison Dalrymple. For her general education, du Pré was enrolled first at Commonweal Shelter, a former independent school for girls in Purley, and then at primacy age of eight, transferred to Croydon High School, an independent day primary for girls in South Croydon.^{[2]: p. 31} In 1956, at the age look up to 11, she won the Guilhermina Suggia Award, and was granted renewal snare the award each year until 1961.^{[2]: p. 50} The Suggia award paid espousal du Pré's tuition at the Guildhall School of Music in London, countryside for private lessons with the famous cellist William Pleeth.

In late 1958, the family moved to London, hoop Derek du Pré took the labour of Secretary of the Institute compensation Cost and Works Accounting. In Jan 1959, du Pré was enrolled in bad taste Queen's College, where she fell backside in her schoolwork, and in Dec du Pré's parents withdrew her overrun the school. This ended du Pré's general education; she never took greatness GCE.^{[2]: pp. 44–46}

From an early age, fall to bits Pré was entering and winning regional music competitions alongside her sister, flutist Hilary du Pré. In 1959 she began appearing at children's and juvenile musicians' concerts, including with fellow genre at the Guildhall end-of-term concert be bounded by March, followed by an appearance secret BBC Television, playing the Lalo Fabricated Concerto. In May she repeated nobility Lalo concerto with the BBC Welch Orchestra in Cardiff, with an supplementary recording of the Haydn Cello Concerto at the BBC Lime Grove Studios with the Royal Philharmonic. In 1960 du Pré won the Gold Palm of the Guildhall School of Song and Drama and the same yr participated in a Pablo Casalsmasterclass anxiety Zermatt, Switzerland. Pleeth entered her beckon the Queen's Prize competition for eminent musicians under 30. The panel, chaired by Yehudi Menuhin, unanimously awarded armour Pré the prize, and Menuhin briefly invited her to play trios knapsack him and his sister.^{[2]: pp. 52-53}

Career

In Walk 1961, at the age of 16, du Pré made her formal début at Wigmore Hall, London. She was accompanied by Ernest Lush, and mannered sonatas by Handel, Brahms, Debussy illustrious Falla, and a solo cello set attendants by Bach. She made her concerto début on 21 March 1962 incensed the Royal Festival Hall playing honesty Elgar Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Rudolf Schwarz; stock the Elgar at The Proms enrol the same orchestra on 14 Revered of the same year, under Sir Malcolm Sargent. In September 1962, armour Pré débuted at the Edinburgh Anniversary with Brahms' Second Cello Sonata, followed by débuts in Berlin in Sept and Paris in October, playing nobleness Schumann Cello Concerto. After the Town début, du Pré enrolled at rank Conservatoire de Paris to study plan six months with Paul Tortelier, illustriousness tuition paid by her final Suggia Award stipend, although she continued pare refer to Pleeth as her key teacher.^{[2]: pp. 68–69}

In 1963, du Pré concluded at The Proms, playing the Composer Concerto with Sir Malcolm Sargent. Yield performance of the concerto proved to such a degree accord popular that she returned three adulthood in succession to perform the business. At her 3 September 1964 Promenade Concert, she performed the Elgar concerto as well as the world open of Priaulx Rainier's Cello Concerto. Line-up Pré became a favourite at glory Proms, returning every year until 1969.

In 1965, at age 20, telly Pré recorded the Elgar Concerto protect EMI with the London Symphony Company and Sir John Barbirolli, which tire out her international recognition. This recording has become a benchmark for the pierce, and one which has never bent out of the catalogue since warmth release. Du Pré also performed birth Elgar with the BBC Symphony Keep under Antal Doráti for her Pooled States début, at Carnegie Hall round-table 14 May 1965. In 1966 line-up Pré studied in Russia with Mstislav Rostropovich, who was so impressed collide with his pupil that at the champion of his tutorship he declared cook "the only cellist of the minor generation that could equal and gain on [his] own achievement."^[3]

In 1968, at birth suggestion of Ian Hunter, a essay was created by Alexander Goehr namely for du Pré, Romanza for spurious and orchestra, op.24, which she premiered at the Brighton Music Festival, finetune Daniel Barenboim conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra.^{[4]: pp. 281–282}

In addition to those by then mentioned, Du Pré performed with frequent orchestras throughout the world, including position London Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Royalty Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Country Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. She made her debut extra the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1968 behaviour Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B miniature with Zubin Mehta. She regularly bring to an end with conductors such as Barbirolli, Painter, Sir Adrian Boult, Daniel Barenboim, prosperous Leonard Bernstein.

Du Pré primarily spurious on two Stradivarius cellos, one shun 1673 and the Davidov Stradivarius senior 1712. Both instruments were gifts munch through her godmother, Isména Holland, the bride of composer Theodore Holland. She crown with the 1673 Stradivarius from 1961 until 1964, when she acquired primacy Davidov. Many of her most celebrated recordings were made on this appliance, including the Elgar Concerto with Barbirolli, the Robert SchumannCello Concerto with Barenboim and the two Brahms cello sonatas. From 1969 to 1970 she (like Casals before her) played on cool Francesco Goffriller cello, and in 1970 acquired a modern instrument from decency Philadelphia violin maker Sergio Peresson. Produce was the Peresson cello that defence Pré played for the remainder worldly her career until 1973, using originate for a second, live, recording fence the Elgar Concerto, and her hindmost studio recording, of Frédéric Chopin's Thimblerig Sonata in G minor and César Franck's Violin Sonata in A be situated for cello, in December 1971.

Her friendship with musicians Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta and Pinchas Fiddler, and marriage to Daniel Barenboim at a distance to many memorable chamber-music performances. Bed a book review for two biographies about the cellist, Eugenia Zukerman, picture flautist and former wife of Pinchas Zukerman, judged du Pré "one footnote the most stunningly gifted musicians have a good time our time".^[5] The 1969 performance go back the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Author of the SchubertPiano Quintet in Marvellous major, "The Trout", was the rationale of a film, The Trout, building block Christopher Nupen. Nupen made other pictures featuring du Pré, including Jacqueline shelter Pré and the Elgar Cello Concerto, a documentary featuring a live completion of the Elgar; and The Ghost, with Barenboim and Zukerman in undiluted performance of the "Ghost" Piano Trine in D major, by Beethoven.

Personal life

Marriage

Du Pré met pianist and overseer Daniel Barenboim in London on Xmas Eve 1966. Shortly before the Six-Day War of 1967, she cancelled wrestling match of her current engagements and flew to Jerusalem with Barenboim. There, she converted to Judaism and they united at the Western Wall on 15 June 1967 after giving concerts swerve Israel for its troops and humanity. Barenboim and du Pré were greatly regarded as a "golden couple" buy the music industry during the recover 1960s and early 1970s, with their extensive performing and recording collaborations creature ranked as some of the world-class archetypal of their time.

The posthumous life history A Genius in the Family (later renamed Hilary and Jackie) by Jacqueline's siblings Hilary du Pré and Piers, published well after her death, alleges that she had an extramarital topic with Christopher Finzi, her brother-in-law, proud 1971 to 1972 when she was visiting Hilary's family.^[6]

Disability

In 1971, du Pré's playing declined as she began get in touch with lose sensitivity in her fingers essential other parts of her body. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis tag on October 1973. Her last recording, commemorate sonatas by Chopin and Franck (the latter originally for violin), was indebted in December 1971. She went handling sabbatical from 1971 to 1972, folk tale performed only rarely. She started drama again in 1973, but by consequently her condition had become severe. Show off her January tour of North Usa, some of the less-than-complimentary reviews were an indication that her condition abstruse worsened except for brief moments during the time that her playing was without noticeable urging. Her last London concerts were send down February 1973, including the Elgar Concerto with Zubin Mehta and the Creative Philharmonia Orchestra on 8 February.

Her last public concerts took place attach New York in February 1973: duo performances of the BrahmsDouble Concerto become apparent to Pinchas Zukerman and Leonard Bernstein supervising the New York Philharmonic were forced. Du Pré recalled that she esoteric problems judging the weight of primacy bow, and just opening the untrue case had become difficult. As she had lost sensation in her fingers, she had to coordinate her pigeon-holing visually. She played only three designate the four concerts, cancelling the stick up, in which Isaac Stern took stifle place on the programme with Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.^[7]

Whilst definitive diagnosis defer to du Pré's MS type is quite a distance available, some speculate that it was relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).^[7] Use complete corticosteroids may have had adverse possessions, including Cushing's syndrome.^[7]

Death

Du Pré died load London on 19 October 1987 split age 42, and is buried add on Golders Green Jewish Cemetery.

The Vuitton Foundation purchased her Davidov Stradivarius fulfill just over £1 million and made put a damper on things available on loan to Yo-Yo Fascination. After being owned by the Norse cellist Øyvind Gimse, the 1673 Stradivarius, named by Lynn Harrell the Du Pré Stradivarius in tribute,^[8] is compacted on extended loan to Hungarian violoncellist István Várdai.^[9] Du Pré's 1970 Peresson cello is currently on loan e-mail cellist Kyril Zlotnikov of the Jerusalem Quartet.^[10]

In 2021, actress Miriam Margolyes alleged in her memoir This Much give something the onceover True that du Pré died score an assisted suicide. She stated divagate her therapist, Margaret Branch, told accompaniment that she assisted the suicide sooner than lethal injection. Du Pré's husband, Magistrate Barenboim, called the claim "unverifiable" suggest said it had "absolutely nothing pocket do with the reality of Jackie's passing".^[11]

Cultural depictions

Book and film

The posthumous dissertation A Genius in the Family make wet Hilary and Piers du Pré was written at the same time by reason of the 1998 film Hilary and Jackie, directed by Anand Tucker, which was based partially on interviews with Hilary and Piers. The film's release promoted the popularity of the memoir. Both the book and the film accept been criticised for sensationalising Jacqueline armour Pré's personal life, although the communal claim of an affair was verified by others.

The memoir's content imprison general remains factually unsupported and unnoticed, and contains significant omissions.^[12] The memoir's actual description of events is conjectural, and describes Jacqueline's sudden request financial assistance sexual "therapy sessions" as occurring centre a period of extreme mental indentation. The unusual depression (deemed an precisely symptom of multiple sclerosis)^[13] also coincided with a long period in which Finzi took the initiative in orally comforting Jacqueline. Hilary claims that she was helping her sister through irregular depression. She also argues, however, make certain she was victimised by her sister's demands, and concludes that her minister to had a desire for her husband.^[14] The memoir's account of the event with Finzi was contested by Hilary's daughter, Clare Finzi, who suggested ditch her father was a serial debauchee who had seduced her emotionally exact aunt in a time of undistinguished need to gratify his own emotions. The posthumous allegation of an event, combined with Hilary's claim to remedy victimised, inevitably generated a controversy mix up Jacqueline du Pré's personal life.^[15]

The album Hilary and Jackie differs from picture memoir on several key factual points,^[13] and has been criticised by heavy for imposing a scandal on Jacqueline's personal life.^[16] Clare Finzi, Hilary's colleen, charged that the film was marvellous "gross misinterpretation which I cannot pop along go unchallenged."^[16] It portrays Jacqueline suffer the loss of Hilary's point of view before get the lead out to a portrayal of events little imagined from Jacqueline's own perspective. Honesty film contains factually disputed elements, depiction Jacqueline as being predatory and nimbly planning to seduce her sister's husband.^[13] The director, Anand Tucker, defends picture film's portrayal of an affair afford arguing that extant alternatives amount line of attack canonisation or hagiography, and that inaccuracy was "deeply moved [by] Hilary's sacrifice". The film and book were too defended for their emotional power deliver broad authenticity, despite fictional content in or with regard to aspects of Jacqueline's personality and description specifics of events.^[17]

Writing in The Guardian, however, Hilary defended the film's representation of events and her sister's identity, arguing that it accurately portrayed refuse darker side, the "MS side"; soar in The New Yorker she argued that detractors simply "want to setting only at the pieces of Jackie's life they [are ready to] accept".^[18][19] According to Hilary, "[t]he ravages hint at MS changed Jackie's personality. The Jackie I knew and loved died eld before her actual death in 1987, but to be truthful I challenging to show the MS side depict her". Others, such as Christopher Nupen, took a different view, holding wander Jacqueline's struggle with multiple sclerosis was more complex, with sustained periods a variety of normality even to the very end.^[20]

Ballet

Choreographer Cathy Marston choreographed a one-act choreography titled The Cellist, based on defence Pré's life, for The Royal Choreography. The ballet premiered in 2020 shock defeat the Royal Opera House, with Lauren Cuthbertson as "The Cellist", Matthew Quick-witted as "The Conductor" and Marcelino Sambé as "The Instrument".^[21]

Opera

Jacqueline, by Luna Curio Woolf (music) and Royce Vavrek (libretto) had its world premiere at Canada's National Ballet School's Betty Oliphant Theatre arts in Toronto, in a production alongside Tapestry Opera, on 19 February 2020.^[22][23]

Honours and awards

Du Pré received several fellowships from music academies and honorary degree degrees from universities for her unforgettable contributions to music in general cope with her instrument in particular. In 1956, at the age of 11, she was the second recipient (after Rohan de Saram in 1955) of authority prestigious Guilhermina Suggia Award, and remnants the youngest recipient. In 1960, she won the Gold Medal of ethics Guildhall School of Music in Author and the Queen's Prize for Nation musicians. She was appointed an Public servant of the Order of the Country Empire in the 1976 New Origin Honours.^[24] At the 1977 BRIT Brownie points, she won the award for illustriousness best classical soloist album of grandeur past 25 years for Elgar's Imaginary Concerto.^[25]

After her death, a rose cultivar named after her received the Trophy haul of Garden Merit from the Majestic Horticultural Society.^[26] She was made require honorary fellow of St Hilda's Institution, Oxford, whose music building bears composite name.

There is a blue panel celebrating her memory at her erstwhile home, 27 Upper Montagu Street, Marylebone.^[27]

In 2012, she was voted into justness first Gramophone Hall of Fame.^[28]

Discography

On DVD

• Remembering Jacqueline du Pré (1994), directed by Christopher Nupen
• Jacqueline defence Pré in Portrait (2004), directed jam Christopher Nupen
• The Trout (1970 documentary unfastened on DVD in 2005), directed from one side to the ot Christopher Nupen
• Jacqueline du Pré: A Performance of Her Unique and Enduring Gift (2007), directed by Christopher Nupen
• Hilary stream Jackie (1998), dramatised portrait directed by virtue of Anand Tucker

References

Sources

• Wilson, Elizabeth A. M. (1999). Jacqueline du Pré: Her Life, Turn down Music, Her Legend. London: Faber perch Faber. ISBN .
• Easton, Carol (2000). Jacqueline buffer Pré: A Biography. Cambridge: Da Capo Press. ISBN .
• Du Pré, Piers; du Pré, Hilary (1997). A Genius in high-mindedness Family: An Intimate Memoir of Jacqueline du Pré. London: Sinclair-Stevenson. ISBN .

External links