skip to navigation

    Classic FM

    On Air Now

    Alexander Armstrong 9am - 12pm

    Alexander Armstrong

    Now Playing

    The Mastersingers of Nuremberg - Prelude Richard Wagner Download 'The Mastersingers of Nuremberg - Prelude' on iTunes

    The Mastersingers of Nuremberg - Prelude artwork
    • Playlist
    • Schedule
    Listen
    • Home
    • Radio
    • News
    • Discover Music
    • Composers
    • Artists
    • Win
    • Charity
    • Learning
    • Quizzes
    • Dating
    • Follow us on:
      Follow Classic FM on Twitter
      Follow Classic FM on Facebook
      Follow Classic FM on Instagram
      Follow Classic FM on Youtube

    Discover Music

    • Discover Music Home
    • Periods & Genres
    • Occasions
    • Mood
    • Instruments
    • Music Theory
    • Learning
    • Humour
    • Women in Music
    • More Classic FM

    The great conductors in rehearsal: 15 vintage practice room pictures

    Facebook share Twitter share

    Those intense rehearsal moments captured - with history's finest conductors and composers at the podium.

    1. great conductors in rehearsal

      1. Riccardo Chailly

      1980: Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly rehearses with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, London. Photo: Getty

    2. great conductors in rehearsal

      2. Leonard Bernstein

      1970: Leonard Bernstein, American conductor composer and pianist, conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal at the St Pancras Town Hall, London. Photo: Getty

    3. great conductors in rehearsal

      3. Colin Davis

      1980: English conductor Sir Colin Davis (1927 - 2013, right) rehearsing with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, 21st July 1980. Photo: Getty

    4. great conductors in rehearsal

      4. Igor Stravinsky

      1961: Composer Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971) cups a hand to his ear as he listens to the BBC Symphony Orchestra rehearsing one of his compositions. Photo: Getty

    5. great conductors in rehearsal

      5. Otto Klemperer

      1957: German conductor Otto Klemperer in rehearsal with an orchestra. Photo: Getty

    6. great conductors in rehearsal

      6. Peter Pears

      1962: English tenor and organist Peter Pears singing at the rehearsal for the premiere of Benjamin Britten's 'War Requiem' at Coventry Cathedral. Behind him German baritone and conductor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau waits for his cue. Photo: Getty

    7. great conductors in rehearsal

      7. Seiji Ozawa

      1965: Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa rehearsing with the London Symphony Orchestra at Festival Hall, London. Photo: Getty

    8. great conductors in rehearsal

      8. Wilhelm Furtwangler

      1948: German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in rehearsal at the Royal Festival hall, London. Photo: Getty

    9. great conductors in rehearsal

      9. Dmitri Shostakovich

      1960: Russian composer and pianist Dmitri Shostakovich, right, discusses his Cello Concerto with German conductor Gennady Rozhdestevensky of the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra, left, and Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, centre, during rehearsals for the London premiere at the Royal Festival Hall. Photo: Getty

    10. great conductors in rehearsal

      10. Zoltan Kodaly

      1960: Hungarian composer and teacher Zoltan Kodaly conducts his 'Hary Janos' suite in rehearsal. Photo: Getty

    11. great conductors in rehearsal

      11. Sir John Barbirolli

      British conductor Sir John Barbirolli conducting the Hallé Orchestra in rehearsals at the Royal Albert Hall, 24th August 1953. Photo: Getty

    12. great conductors in rehearsal

      12. Sir Thomas Beecham

      1958: The English conductor and impresario Sir Thomas Beecham conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.Photo: Getty

    13. great conductors in rehearsal

      13. André Previn

      1979: Principal Conductor, Andre Previn, conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in the 75th Anniversary Concert at the Festival Hall Photo: Getty

    14. great conductors in rehearsal

      14. Ralph Vaughan Williams

      1953: Ralph Vaughan Williams at 81 years old, conducting the Boyd Neel Orchestra in rehearsal. Photo: Getty

    15. great conductors in rehearsal

      15. Sir Adrian Boult

      1958: At a rehearsal of Sir Michael Tippett's Second Symphony are from left, conductor Sir Adrian Boult, composer Sir Michael Tippett, composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, with Ursula Vaughan Williams. Photo: Getty

    Facebook share Twitter share

    Latest features

    See more Latest features

    Julie Andrews is the voice of Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton

    Yes, legendary soprano Julie Andrews is the voice of narrator Lady Whistledown in ‘Bridgerton’

    18 hours ago

    Learning a musical instrument increases IQ by 10 percent, study finds

    Study says learning a musical instrument increases your IQ by 10 percent

    21 hours ago

    Best Mozart music

    10 incredible, life-changing pieces of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    22 hours ago

    Mozart

    Some of the Violins of Hope, part of a collection founded by violin maker Amnon Weinstein.

    The Holocaust-surviving violins that endured atrocities to tell a vital story

    1 day ago

    We can guess your dominant personality trait from your classical music tastes

    QUIZ: We can guess your dominant personality trait from your classical tastes

    1 day ago

    Lifestyle

    More From ClassicFM

    Watch soprano’s incredible vocal acrobatics in Handel’s Messiah

    Soprano sings effortless and jaw-dropping Handel aria from church pulpit

    Handel

    76 percent of UK musicians will ‘stop performing in Europe’ due to Brexit

    76 percent of UK musicians will ‘stop performing in Europe’ due to Brexit

    Musicians who train from a young age have ‘super connected’ brains, study finds

    Musicians who train from a young age have more ‘connected’ brains, study finds

    The best live-streamed and archive classical concerts available online 2021

    The best classical music and opera online streams available in 2021

    Rock band staged October test-run for ‘space bubble’ concert

    Band stages unique ‘space bubble’ concert to get COVID-creative

    Coronavirus

    Baritone and composer Roderick Williams

    Baritone Roderick Williams signs as a composer: ‘Lockdown has brought boundaries, but we can adapt’

    Browse by

    See more Browse by

    Periods & genres

    Periods & genres

    Occasions

    Occasions

    Moods

    Moods

    Instruments

    Instruments

    Back to top

    Also on Classic FM

    • LBC News
    • handel
    • debussy
    • music theory
    • instruments
    • brahms
    • vivaldi
    • bach
    • tchaikovsky
    • chopin
    • andrea bocelli
    • beethoven
    • mozart
    • classical music tear jerkers
    • best classical music
    • Classic FM Live
    • classic fm requests
    • john suchet
    • piano world record
    • best pianists
    • harry potter music
    • classic fm app
    • saturday night at the movies
    • star wars soundtrack
    • best sopranos
    • best cellists
    • composer or pasta
    • music for studying
    • best violinists
    • sad music
    • composer birthdays
    • relaxing music

    Useful Links

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • How To Listen
    • About Classic FM
    • Company Details
    • Cookies
    • Privacy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Advertise

    Download the app

    Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

    Follow Us

    Follow Classic FM on Twitter
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube
    © Global 2021
    30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
    Privacy Manager