Gerald Drucker (5 August 1925 – 19 March 2010) was a British classical double bass player, photographer and double bass teacher. Principal Double Bass at the

Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra (YSO) is an orchestra based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was first active from its establishment in 1947 until its demise in 1955, and then revived in 2021. Initially based in the Leeds Town Hall, it is no ...

, BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, and finally the

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...

of London. He formed the

London Double Bass Ensemble The London Double Bass Ensemble (6 members) was established by members of the Philharmonia Orchestra of London in 1981. The ensemble has performed on television and radio and at venues including the South Bank and Wigmore Hall, giving many first per ...

in the 1980s.

Biography

Drucker was offered the position of principal double bass with the

at the age of 20. He learned the violin as a child and switched to the double bass at 16. In 1953 came to London to lead the section in the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

under Sir

Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...

. He was appointed Principal Double Bass of the New Philharmonia Orchestra (later the

) in 1964, under

Otto Klemperer Otto Nossan Klemperer (14 May 18856 July 1973) was a 20th-century conductor and composer, originally based in Germany, and then the US, Hungary and finally Britain. His early career was in opera houses, but he was later better known as a concer ...

, and subsequently with

Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...

who held the post of associate principal conductor.

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti, (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He currently holds two music directorships, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale ...

was principal conductor from 1973 to 1982. Giuseppe Sinopoli succeeded Muti. After he left the Philharmonia, Gerald continued in music as artist director promoting amongst others

Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae (陈美 Chén Měi; born 27 October 1978) also called Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, is a Singaporean-born British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the Uni ...

and later of Min Jin (Violin) and Min Jung (Piano). He started his career as a violinist with the

Boyd Neel Louis Boyd Neel O.C. (19 July 190530 September 1981) was an English, and later Canadian conductor and academic. He was Dean of the Royal Conservatory of Music at the University of Toronto. Neel founded and conducted chamber orchestras, and cont ...

String Orchestra at the age of 16, and was soon also playing with the Jacques Orchestra which was founded by

Reginald Jacques Thomas Reginald Jacques (13 January 1894 – 2 June 1969) was an English choral and orchestral conductor. His legacy includes various choral music arrangements, but he is not primarily remembered as a composer. Jacques was born in Ashby-de-l ...

five years previously. At the

Guildhall School of Music The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

he studied violin,

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

(with

Dennis Brain Dennis Brain (17 May 19211 September 1957) was a British horn player. From a musical family – his father and grandfather were horn players – he attended the Royal Academy of Music in London. During the Second World War he served in the Roya ...

) and

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

in addition to the double bass. Poor eyesight prevented a wartime call-up in 1939–1940, so he earned pocket money playing in dance bands (often with the American bandleader Xavier Cugat at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York. His first professional engagement in London during the war had been playing the organ at St Mary Magdalene church, Holloway Road, subsequently working as a violinist or violist with both the leading chamber orchestras of the time, the Boyd Neel Orchestra and the Jacques String Orchestra.and his first encounter with the double bass was when he was invited to fill in for double bassist Gordon Pearce at an ENSA concert for Canadian Troops on the south coast prior to D-day in 1944. Asked to join the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sir Malcolm Sargent in 1953, when the principal Stuart Knussen moved to the London Symphony Orchestra, Drucker relocated to London and stayed at the BBC until 1964, once deputising on the tuba at short notice in Walton's First Symphony. That year he was invited to join Walter Legge's Philharmonia Orchestra under Otto Klemperer, at the time one of the finest recording orchestras in the world. He has appeared as soloist in concerto performances, including performances of work by Bottesini and

Virgilio Mortari Virgilio Mortari (December 6, 1902 – September 5, 1993) was an Italian composer and teacher. Biography Mortari was born in Passirana di Lainate, near Milan in 1902. He studied at the Milan Conservatory with Costante Adolfo Bossi and Ildebrand ...

(including in "Bottesini's Grand Duo for violin and Double Bass and Mortari's

double bass concerto A double bass concerto is a notated musical composition, usually in three parts or movements (see concerto), for a solo double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and low ...

) with the Philharmonia under

at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I l ...

on 16 February 1978. Drucker was involved in many freelance sessions over the years including at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

where amongst others he and fellow Philharmonia double bass player Gordon Pearce were involved in the recording of the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

'' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' album. He thoroughly enjoyed playing music and exploring the

TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior ap ...

set in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' cult science fiction BBC TV series during his involvement in the 1960s–1970s including with

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...

in ''

The Ribos Operation ''The Ribos Operation'' is the first serial of the 16th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 2 to 23 September 1978. This serial introduces Mary Tamm ...

''. Other session examples notably include his involvement in over 13

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

007 films with composer John Barry amongst others as the John Barry Orchestra between 1963 and 1990, and included working closely with

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

on "Live and Let Die" which is the main

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...

of the 1973

film '' Live and Let Die'', written by

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

and

Linda Linda may refer to: As a name * Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named) * Linda (singer) (born 1977), stage name of Svetlana Geiman, a Russian singer * Anita Linda (born Alice Lake i ...

McCartney and performed by Paul's band

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...

. Drucker was solo bass player in the

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

film ''

Romance with a Double Bass ''Romance with a Double Bass'' is a 1974 British short comedy film directed by Robert Young. It was adapted by Young, John Cleese and Connie Booth (uncredited)McCall, Douglas (2014). Monty Python: A Chronology, 1969—2012'. McFarland & Compa ...

'' released in 1974 with

John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...

as the main character. In 1980 he formed a unique group, the

, comprising a nucleus of four double basses, to perform original works in concert with other instruments. Drucker commissioned a new piece of work by the English composer Robert Simpson in 1981, Quintet for Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and String Trio (Simpson) which was performed by the London Double Bass Ensemble at

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadin ...

that year. Gerald was succeeded by Neil Tarlton as Principal Bass at the Philharmonia Orchestra. Gerald Drucker mentioned in "Philharmonia Orchestra: a record of achievement 1945–1985" In the 1990s he taught Double Bass at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies

Goldsmiths' College Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wor ...

. After 50 years as a concert artist he retired in 1990 as Principal Bass and Principal Photographer of the

of London, to the suburbs of London. Following retirement however, he continued to play an active role in music establishing the Covent Garden Soloists Ltd, organising the anniversary Far East tour of the

London Mozart Players London Mozart Players (LMP) are a British chamber orchestra founded in 1949. LMP are the longest-established chamber orchestra in the United Kingdom. Since 1989, the orchestra has been Resident Orchestra at Fairfield Halls, Croydon. History B ...

, and mentoring violinists

Vanessa Mae Vanessa-Mae (陈美 Chén Měi; born 27 October 1978) also called Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, is a Singaporean-born British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the Uni ...

and Min Jin Kym and the pianist Hiromi Okada. Legendary Maestro Riccardo Muti, discusses conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra, as he prepares for the Orchestra's 65th Birthday Gala Concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London where he recollects Gerald Drucker the day before his funeral. A memorial concert was held in Gerald Drucker's honour on 28 July 2010 by his family, friends, colleagues and former students at the Henry Wood Hall, a venue where he played many times over the years.

Discography

;Solo examples online * ''Romance with a Double Bass(Movie sound track. Leon Cohen composer'' (1974
Romance of a Double Bass
;Example Orchestral record, CD and DVD recordings credited online * ''Bach Mass in B Minor. New Philharmonia Orchestra '' (1968)) * The Golden Echo: Concertos for Horn (1985). Philharmonia Orchestra directed by Christopher Warren-Green. Composed by Antonio Rosetti, Antonio Vivaldi, Franz Joseph Haydn, Leopold Mozart. Nimbus, 1985. http://www.alibris.com/The-Golden-Echo-Concertos-for-Horn/classical/700155274?matches=3 Gerald Drucker discography. * ''Dvorak. Serenade for strings. Op. 22. Serenade for wind. Op. 44. Philharmonia Orchestra directed by Christopher Warren-Green. Chandos Records. 1986. Gerald Drucker discography. * Classical Horn Concertos. Philharmonia Orchestra. 2012. Nimbus Records.ASIN: B0072RY2RG )

Example Films and film sound tracks credited online

* ''Romance with a Double Bass(Movie sound track. Leon Cohen composer'' (1974
Romance of a Double Bass
* ''

Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

'', film score by

Maurice Jarre Maurice-Alexis Jarre (; 13 September 1924 – 28 March 2009)allmusic Biography/ref> was a French composer and conductor. Although he composed several concert works, Jarre is best known for his film scores, particularly for his collaborations with ...

(1962) * ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' (date) * ''

Big Country Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it has retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scot ...

'' (date)

Example Radio broadcasts credited online

* Park Lane Ensemble Conducted by Jacques-Louis Monod. Broadcast by the BBC Radio 3. Sunday 6 Match 1966. ) * Biber Sonata Sancti Polycarpi a 9 BENGT EKLUND 'S BAROQUE ENSEMBLE/ 1 March 1987. BBC Radio 3.

Examples of Television broadcasts credited online

1965 Stravinsky, The Firebird, Suite No. 3 9. Lullaby (excerpt. ) New Philharmonia Orchestra. Igor Stravinsky, conductor. Excerpt from an archive footage recorded in 1965 at the Royal Festival Hall – London, Great Britain. 1965 – Mozart's Symphony n°40 in G minor, conducted by Carlo-Maria Giulini and recorded in England in 1965 with the New Philharmonia Orchestra. Gerald Drucker and bass section viewed in the clip at 1.10 and 1.32 mins. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, KV 550; Manuel de Falla: El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-cornered Hat), Suite No. 2; Giuseppe Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani (Sicilian Vespers), Overture. 1960s–1970s * '' Dr Who first series'' (1960s) 1970 Beethoven Symphony No.7-Mov.4. New Philharmonia Orchestra. Conducted by Otto Klemperer. Live broadcast at the Royal Festival Hall, London – 1970 Gerald Drucker (extreme left) and Bass section cleally seen on TV at 3.54 mins. and 7.31 mins on this YouTube clip 1970 Beethoven Symphony No.7 in A,Op.92. New Philharmonia Orchestra. Conducted by Otto Klemperer. Live broadcast at the Royal Festival Hall, London – 1970 Gerald Drucker (extreme left) and Bass section close up camera shot on TV at 1.14 mins., 23.01 and 34.26 and 41.09 the latter with close up of Gordon Pearce and his double bass playing, and 42.54 mins. on this YouTube clip 1970 Beethoven Symphony No.6 (Pastoral) OTTO KLEMPERER. New Philharmonia Orchestra. Conducted by Otto Klemperer. Live broadcast at the Royal Festival Hall, London – 1970 Gerald Drucker (extreme left) and Bass section close up camera shot on TV at 32.14 mins. on this YouTube clip ca 1970. Espansiva: a Portrait of Carl Nielsen BBCTV "Workshop" presentation Producer and Director: Barrie Gavin (1970 ca.) Script by Robert Simpson. New Philharmonia Orchestra. Leader: Emanuel Hurwitz. Solo clarinet: Jack McCaw, Sidedrum: Alfred Dukes. cond. Jascha Horenstein.

Photography

He specialised in photographing orchestras and classical musicians from the early 1960s, being honoured with the unique title of 'Principal Photographer' whilst at the Philharmonia Orchestra. Photographs have been printed all round the world, in newspapers, journals, magazines and books. Notable photographs include those of

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939) ...

Ansel Adams Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. He helped found Group f/64, an association of photographers advoca ...

and

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema", ...

. He collaborated with Pamela Weston to provide the photography in the book ''Clarinet virtuosi of today.'' Examples of photography by Gerald Drucker include: ×1985 Haydn: Trumpet and Horn Concertos. Christopher Warren-Green. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1988 Hindemith, Janáček, Vackár: Music for Brass, Piano and Percussion. Radoslav Kvapil / Wallace Collection / John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1989 Rule Brittania John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1989 Venetian Oboe Concertos. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1991 Tausch: Double Clarinet Concertos, Opp. 26, 27; Süssmayr: Concerto Mouvement in D. Thea King. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1992 Respighi: The Ballad of Gnomes; Adagio with Variations; Botticelli Pictures; Suite in G. Geoffrey Simon. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 Arias for Soprano & Trumpet. Helen Field / John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 Berlioz and the French Revolution. John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 Haydn: Trumpet & Horn Concertos. Christopher Warren-Green. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 Man: The Measure of All Things Christopher Warren-Green. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 Origin of the Species, Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 T for Trumpeter. John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 Telemann: Trumpet Concertos. John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photographer ×1999 The Stars & Stripes Forever. John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photographer 1999 Venetian Brass Music. Wallace Collection. Photography 1999 Virtuoso Trumpet Concertos. John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photography 1999 Windows. John Wallace. Gerald Drucker album photography AllMusic photography credits http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gerald-drucker-mn0001290955

References

Philharmonia Orchestra Year Books, photography by Gerald Drucker.

External links

Romance with a Double Bass – BFI Film and TV creditsThe Musical Times (1978) article about Gerald DruckerGerald Drucker obituary. The Guardian newspaperGerald Drucker: 2010, Double Bass Player. Friends of the Musicians’ ChapelDeath of an Orchestra – the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra – BBC Iplayer radio. First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Tue 16 Dec 2014
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drucker, Gerald 1925 births 2010 deaths British classical musicians Classical double-bassists British double-bassists Male double-bassists Portrait photographers Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century British male musicians