Walter Legge Influential English music producer Date of Birth: 01.06.1906 Country: France

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career Beginnings
3. Pre-War EMI Recordings and Covent Garden
4. World War II and ENSA
5. Post-War EMI and the Philharmonia Orchestra
6. Founder of the Philharmonia Orchestra
7. Zenith and Decline of the Philharmonia Orchestra
8. Departure from EMI and Later Years

Early Life and Education

Harry Walter Legge was born in London's Shepherds Bush district on June 1, 1906. His father was a tailor, and Legge attended Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. Although he excelled in Latin and French, he lacked formal musical education. Inspired by his father, he developed a passion for Richard Wagner and taught himself to read music and German. Legge left school at age 16 and never pursued further formal education.

Career Beginnings

Legge began his career in 1927 with the HMV record label and The Voice magazine. He caught the attention of Fred Gaisberg, a leading producer at HMV, who promoted him to a production role. From 1933 to 1938, Legge also served as a music critic for The Manchester Guardian newspaper.

Pre-War EMI Recordings and Covent Garden

During the pre-war years, Legge pioneered a subscription scheme that enabled EMI to produce niche classical recordings, such as Hugo Wolf songs with Elena Gerhardt and the complete Beethoven piano works with Artur Schnabel. He also produced the acclaimed 1937 recording of The Magic Flute conducted by Thomas Beecham in Berlin. Beecham brought Legge to Covent Garden as Assistant Musical Director, where he secured debuts for Richard Tauber, Jussi Björling, and Maria Reining.

World War II and ENSA

Poor eyesight prevented Legge from serving in the military during World War II. At Beecham's behest, he took charge of music for ENSA, which entertained British troops. Legge worked with musicians such as Solomon, Adrian Boult, and John Barbirolli.

Post-War EMI and the Philharmonia Orchestra

After the war, Legge resumed his work at EMI and signed German and Austrian artists in desperate need of work, including Josef Krips, Ljuba Welitsch, and Hans Hotter. His most notable signing was Maria Callas, whose studio recordings became EMI's major releases. Legge's repertoire choices were eclectic, ranging from Handel to contemporary composers, but he emphasized tonal accessibility. From the 1940s to the 1960s, he supervised a major series of William Walton recordings.

Founder of the Philharmonia Orchestra

Legge had promoted European Romantic song recitals before the war. When his influence at Covent Garden waned under David Webster's leadership in 1945, he rekindled his focus on such performances. To that end, he founded the Philharmonia Orchestra, whose inaugural concert was conducted by Beecham, who then revived his rival Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Legge later secured engagements from Wilhelm Furtwängler, Arturo Toscanini, and Richard Strauss.

Zenith and Decline of the Philharmonia Orchestra

During its 1950s heyday, the Philharmonia Orchestra was considered Britain's finest. However, in 1964, Legge dissolved the orchestra due to his concerns about declining musical standards. It was promptly re-formed as the New Philharmonia, with Otto Klemperer as its principal conductor.

Departure from EMI and Later Years

EMI tolerated Legge's iconoclastic ways for years, but by the 1960s, the company attempted to curtail his repertoire choices. He resigned in 1964.

Legge collaborated with Schwarzopf on masterclasses for young singers but failed to secure a permanent job. He was offered the directorship of the Wexford Festival, but a heart attack in 1967 forced him to withdraw. He continued to observe recording sessions at EMI, overseen by his wife. However, his final break with the company came in 1977 and 1979 when he released recordings on Decca, EMI's rival.

Legge died in France at age 72. His memoirs, edited by Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, were published in 1982, revealing his disenchantment with EMI and his critique of their "democratic" commissioning process that he believed stifled artistry.