In 1967, Previn became music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In 1968, Previn began his tenure as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), serving in that post until 1979. During his LSO tenure, he and the LSO appeared on television in the programme André Previn's Music Night. From 1976-1984, Previn was music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), and in turn had another television series with the PSO titled Previn and the Pittsburgh. He was also principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1984, he was named music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, officially taking over the position in 1985. While Previn's tenure with the orchestra was musically satisfactory, other conductors including Kurt Sanderling, Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, did a better job at the box office. Previn clashed frequently with Ernest Fleischmann (the orchestra's Executive VP and General Manager), most notably when Fleischmann had failed to consult him before deciding to name Salonen as Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra, complete with a tour of Japan. Because of Previn's objections, Salonen's title and Japanese tour were withdrawn; however, shortly thereafter in April 1989, Previn resigned as Music Director.[2] Four months later, Salonen was named Music Director Designate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, officially taking the post of Music Director in October 1992.
Previn's many recordings include the three complete ballets of Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, and the complete symphonies of Ralph Vaughan Williams, all with the LSO. With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he made other recordings of music by Sergei Prokofiev (most notably, the Symphonies 1 and 5, the score to Alexander Nevsky, and the Symphony-Concerto for Cello & Orchestra with Heinrich Schiff as soloist), symphonies and other pieces by Antonín Dvořák, and works by contemporary composers including William Kraft, John Harbison, and Harold Shapero.
Previn has composed film scores and other musical works including a cello concerto and a guitar concerto. He has also adapted and conducted the music for several films—some of them stage-to-film adaptations, such as My Fair Lady, Kismet, Porgy and Bess, and Paint Your Wagon, but several were written especially for film, including the Academy Award-winning Gigi. Several of the film scores were collaborations with his second wife, Dory Previn.
In the mid-to-late 1950s, and more recently, he toured and recorded as a jazz pianist. In the 1950s, mainly recording for Contemporary Records, he worked with Shelly Manne, Leroy Vinnegar, Benny Carter, and others. An album he recorded with Manne and Vinnegar of songs from My Fair Lady was a best-seller (see My Fair Lady (album)). Andre Previn made two albums with Dinah Shore as arranger, conductor, and accompanist in 1960 and made several appearances on The Dinah Shore Chevy Show in the early 1960s. He collaborated with Julie Andrews on a collection of Christmas carols in 1966, focusing on rarely heard carols. This popular album has been reissued many times over the years, and is now available on CD.
In later years, he has concentrated on composing classical music. He collaborated with Tom Stoppard on Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, a play with substantial musical content, which was first performed in London in 1977 with Previn conducting the LSO. His first opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 1998. His numerous other classical works include vocal, chamber, and orchestral music. Occasionally he has made recordings of jazz music on the Telarc label.
In the United Kingdom, where he was knighted in 1996, Previn first became well-known as a result of his television appearances with the LSO. He is now particularly remembered for his performance as "Mr Andrew Preview" (or "Privet") on the Morecambe and Wise comedy show in 1971, which involved his conducting a spoof performance of Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto, with Eric Morecambe as soloist. Because of other commitments, the only time available for Previn to learn his part was during a transatlantic flight, but the talent he showed for comedy won high praise from his co-performers. At a concert in Britain afterwards, Previn had to stop the playing of the concerto to allow the audience time to stop giggling as they remembered the sketch. It is still voted one of the funniest comedy moments of all time.
San Francisco
Andre Previn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This great big world to make a place you love
My home up on the hill
I find I love you still
I've been away but now I'm back to tell you
San Francisco
Open your golden gate
San Francisco
Here is your wandering one
Saying I'll wander no more
Other places only make me love you best
Tell me you're the heart of all the golden west
San Francisco
Welcome me home again
I'm coming home
To go roaming no more
The lyrics of Andre Previn's song, San Francisco, describe a love that remains constant despite physical separation. The song emphasizes the universal appeal of San Francisco by recognizing the fact that even after seeing "other places" the singer's love for San Francisco is unwavering. The opening lines reveal that even the smallest part of the city is enough to create a sense of belonging. The singer's home is "up on the hill," but their love for San Francisco transcends physical location.
The chorus is a direct address to the city itself, suggesting that San Francisco is characterized by its open and welcoming nature. The singer recognizes the city's unique ability to make one feel at home, regardless of whether they are a stranger. The line, "Other places only make me love you best," speaks to the unique relationship between the singer and San Francisco - they are bound together by an enduring and unbreakable bond. The final verse brings the song to a close by reiterating the singer's return to San Francisco, confident that they will no longer feel the need to wander.
Line by Line Meaning
It only takes a tiny corner of
Even a small part of a vast world can be a beloved place
This great big world to make a place you love
Our home, our place of love can be a small fraction of the universe, but still be cherished and treasured
My home upon the hill
My residence standing atop a knoll or ridge, overlooking the rest of the city or town
I find I love you still
Even though I am away from home, my longing for you still remains
I've been away, but now I'm back to tell you
I have been gone for a while, but I am finally back and I have something to say
San Francisco
The beautiful and iconic city by the bay
Open your golden gate
Welcome me with open arms, let me come back home
You let no stranger wait outside your door
You are kind and welcoming to all who enter your city, regardless of where they come from
San Francisco
The celebrated place that I adore
Here is your wandering one
I am the one who has wandered about, searching for something better, but realizing that home is the best place to be
Saying I'll wander no more
I have come to the conclusion that my wandering days are over, and that San Francisco is where I belong
Other places only make me love you best
After exploring the world, I find that I love San Francisco the most
Tell me you're the heart of all the golden west
San Francisco, proclaim to me that you are the center of the Western United States
San Francisco
The city that I will always call home
Welcome me home again
Greet me warmly, with open arms, and make me feel like I truly belong
I'm coming home
I am returning to my place of origin, where my heart is happiest
To go roaming no more
I have no more desire to wander, as I have found the place that I truly belong to
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Walter Jurmann, Gus Kahn, Bronislaw Kaper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind