Conductor Warwick Braithwaite, c.1944 Photo: Howard Coster, Ref NPG x21194
Warwick Braithwaite (1896-1971) is an almost forgotten figure in the musical world, save for a few diehard collectors of old 78rpm records.
But according to researcher Roger Flury (retired curator of the Alexander Turnbull Library’s music collection), Braithwaite deserves to be ranked with the likes of his fellow conductors Thomas Beecham, Adrian Boult and John Barbirolli.
Born in Dunedin, Braithwaite’s career was mostly in the UK. He was particularly known for his work in opera.
Roger Flury says he was a proud New Zealander, often programming the works of his countrymen. In 1940, Braithwaite premiered a work by Douglas Lilburn - Overture: Aotearoa - at a London concert celebrating the centenary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In fact, it was Braithwaite who suggested the title to the young New Zealand composer.
Roger Flury gave Upbeat an overview of the career of this fascinating figure.
