About Goodall...

[Mike Scott Rohan]

Speaking of Goodall, his biography has just been reprinted in
paperback. I don't have my copy in front of me, but the details should
be on Amazon -- or I will provide them later.

Be prepared for trouble, though. One has to make very much the same
allowances for Goodall as for Wagner. He was a Mosleyite in in the
1930s, although a thoroughly harmless one. He did briefly serve in the
army -- wholly uselessly -- in WWII. However, he remained a tetchy
anti-semite in much the same mould. A harmless one, though, entirely
at home with Jewish artists and friends, and much beloved by them, old
crank as he was. That, though, helps to account for his neglect at
Covent Garden, especially during the Solti years, although Solti
himself ruled that Goodall should be kept on as a titular conductor,
and Goodall admired Solti's standards and efficiency. Anyhow, it's
well worth a read.

Cheers,

Mike

[Bert Coules]

I second Mike's recommendation. It was never released commercially, but if
you can find a copy online (and don't object to that sort of thing) then
well worth watching is a 1984 TV documentary (in the BBC2 Omnibus strand)
fronted by Humphrey Burton called "The Quest For Reginald Goodall". A well
as a biographical rundown it includes a fairly lengthy (and initially rather
awkward) interview with the man himself, which gives a real insight into
what he must have been like to work with. Lots of rehearsal footage, too,
as he prepares a WNO Valkyrie.

Bert

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by Mike Scott Rohan
Speaking of Goodall, his biography has just been reprinted in
paperback. I don't have my copy in front of me, but the details should
be on Amazon -- or I will provide them later.
Be prepared for trouble, though. One has to make very much the same
allowances for Goodall as for Wagner. He was a Mosleyite in in the
1930s, although a thoroughly harmless one. He did briefly serve in the
army -- wholly uselessly -- in WWII. However, he remained a tetchy
anti-semite in much the same mould. A harmless one, though, entirely
at home with Jewish artists and friends, and much beloved by them, old
crank as he was. That, though, helps to account for his neglect at
Covent Garden, especially during the Solti years, although Solti
himself ruled that Goodall should be kept on as a titular conductor,
and Goodall admired Solti's standards and efficiency. Anyhow, it's
well worth a read.
Cheers,
Mike

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