Albert Coates

Albert Coates (23 April 1882 – 11 December 1953) was an English conductor and composer. Born in St. Petersburg where his English father was a successful businessman, he studied in Russia, England and Germany, before beginning his career as a conductor in a series of German opera houses. He was a success in England conducting Wagner at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1914, and in 1919 was appointed chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

His strengths as a conductor lay in opera and the Russian repertory, but was very unjustifiably not thought as impressive in the core Austro-German symphonic repertory despite powerful, incisive renditions of Beethoven's Ninth in 1923 on late acoustic 78s, and of Mozart's "Jupiter" a few years later on very early electrical 78s. After 1923 he failed to secure a permanent conductorship in the UK despite richly deserving of that honor, and for much of the rest of his life guest-conducted in continental Europe and the U.S. In his last years he conducted in South Africa, where he died at 71.

As a composer, Coates is little remembered, but he composed seven operas, one of which was performed at Covent Garden. He also wrote some concert works for orchestral forces.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 23, 1882 (Saint Petersburg), Died December 11, 1953 (South Africa)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919 - 1932

Roles Represented in DAHR: conductor

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 149 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 76742 12-in. 12/11/1919 Scheherezade, 4th movement, part 1 Albert Coates ; London Symphony Orchestra Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76743 12-in. 12/11/1919 Scheherezade, 4th movement, part 2 Albert Coates ; London Symphony Orchestra Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76744 12-in. 12/11/1919 Scheherezade, 4th movement, part 3 Albert Coates ; London Symphony Orchestra Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76745 12-in. 12/11/1919 Scheherezade, 4th movement, part 4 Albert Coates ; London Symphony Orchestra Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR134 12-in. 1/25/1926 Fire music Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR135 12-in. 1/25/1926 Fire music Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc589 12-in. 10/25/1921 Symphony in A major, no. 7 Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc590 12-in. 10/25/1921 Symphony in A major, no. 7 Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc591 12-in. 10/25/1921 Symphony in A major, no. 7 Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc592 12-in. 10/25/1921 Symphony in A major, no. 7 Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc593 12-in. 10/25/1921 Symphony in A major, no. 7 Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc605 12-in. 10/28/1921 Symphony in A major, no. 7 Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc606 12-in. 10/28/1921 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg : Overture Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc607 12-in. 10/28/1921 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg : Overture Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc630 12-in. 11/4/1921 Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc631 12-in. 11/4/1921 Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc632 12-in. 11/4/1921 Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc633 12-in. 11/4/1921 Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche Albert Coates ; Symphony Orchestra [Gramophone Co., 1920s] Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR675 12-in. 9/16/1926 Tannhäuser : Overture Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR676 12-in. 9/16/1926 Tannhäuser : Overture Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR677 12-in. 9/16/1926 Tannhäuser : Overture Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR678 12-in. 9/16/1926 Symphony no. 3, in E flat major (Eroica) Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR679 12-in. 9/16/1926 Symphony no. 3, in E flat major (Eroica) Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR680 12-in. 9/16/1926 Symphony no. 3, in E flat major (Eroica) Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
Gramophone CR681 12-in. 9/16/1926 Symphony no. 3, in E flat major (Eroica) Albert Coates Orchestra conductor  
(Results 1-25 of 149 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Coates, Albert," accessed June 8, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104000.

Coates, Albert. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 8, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104000.

"Coates, Albert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 8 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104000

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