Walter Legge
Walter Legge
Harry Walter Leggewas an influential English classical record producer, most notably for EMI. His recordings include many sets later regarded as classics and reissued by EMI as "Great Recordings of the Century". He worked in the recording industry from 1927, combining this with the post of junior music critic of The Manchester Guardian. He was assistant to Sir Thomas Beecham at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and in World War II played a role in bringing music to the...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth1 June 1906
I am convinced that in the arts, committees are useless.
Democracy is fatal for the arts; it leads only to chaos or the achievement of new and lower common denominators of quality.
I am convinced that in the arts, committees are useless. What is necessary are people like Karajan, [fellow recording producer John] Culshaw and me; we know not only how to achieve the best artistic results but how to attract the public and carry out the whole operation with carefully chosen collaborators. Democracy is fatal for the arts; it leads only to chaos or the achievement of new and lower common denominators of quality.
I have little use for Grieg or my Concerto, this is not only extraordinary piano playing, it is an entirely new way of playing the piano.
I disliked singing in English and neither liked the story nor the character of Cressida.