Reginald Goodall - Reputation and Legacy

Reputation and Legacy

A self-effacing man, Goodall achieved his own prominence in later life once he was able to come out from under the shadow of some of the great German and Austrian conductors of his era, for whom he understudied, conducted rehearsals and provided vocal coaching. But it was not Otto Klemperer, Herbert von Karajan or Wilhelm Furtwängler with whom he was then compared. It was with Georg Solti, when both were conducting and recording Ring Cycles by Richard Wagner. The differences in tempi and temperament were most notable, but Goodall was most appreciated for his attention to detail (and Wagner's annotations) and for his extensive rehearsals. Solti's recordings made in Vienna had the advantage of attracting the more remarkable soloists (singing in the original language) and are probably now better appreciated, not least for their more spirited tempi, though recent recordings by Daniel Barenboim and James Levine have returned to a more measured approach.

Goodall became much loved by many of the musicians and singers with whom he worked over long periods, building up a mutual understanding and rapport which showed in the quality of his recordings, especially with British singers, notably Rita Hunter and Alberto Remedios, whose careers he fostered. Some British reviewers consider his Ring to be one of the most beautiful vocally, even if the entire tetralogy lasted three hours longer than under the batons of Karl Böhm or Pierre Boulez.

John Lucas published an authorized biography of Goodall in 1993.