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Geoffrey Parsons

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Geoffrey Parsons was an Australian pianist who was known above all as an accompanist to singers and instrumentalists. He was born on 15 June 1929 in Summer Hill, a suburb of Sydney, and died on 26 January 1995. He wanted to become an architect, but his love of music won out. From 1941 to 1948 he studied at the New South Wales Conservatorium, and in 1947 he won an ABC competition with Brahms's second piano concerto. In 1950 he travelled to Britain for a tour with the bass-baritone Peter Dawson and stayed on in London.

Music and breakthrough

There he first worked as a pianist in cocktail bars and for five years as accompanist to the duo Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. A performance of Schubert's Winterreise with Gerhard Hüsch led to his becoming Hüsch's regular accompanist in Munich. In 1961 he played for the first time with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, at the invitation of Walter Legge, and later became her regular accompanist. He also worked with Victoria de los Ángeles, Nicolai Gedda, Christa Ludwig, Birgit Nilsson and Janet Baker, and later with younger singers such as Thomas Hampson, Olaf Bär and Jessye Norman. His records of Lieder by Schubert and Schumann, including Winterreise from 1989, are among his best known.

Influence

After the retirement of Gerald Moore, Parsons was regarded as the best and most sympathetic accompanist of song singers in the world. He gave the role of accompanist new weight through his musicality and quiet strength.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Schubert's Winterreise in Parsons's recording from 1989 and notice how the piano follows the singer and at the same time sets the mood of each song. Try to hear where he gives the singer room.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists