In the later years of his career, Charles Mackerras formed particularly close associations with three orchestras: the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra. He continued to appear as a regular guest with other British orchestras, especially the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and in the last few years of his life his career blossomed in Europe. As well as conducting regular concerts with the Czech Philharmonic (Principal Guest Conductor 1997–2003) and other leading orchestras in the Czech Republic (see Chapter 9), he made a hugely successful debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2004 at the instigation of Simon Rattle – in a programme of Dvořák, Mozart and Janáček – and this was followed by several return visits. He also made his first appearances with two other great German orchestras – the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig and the Staatskapelle in Dresden – and returned to the Vienna Philharmonic. Before he stopped travelling to the United States, Mackerras served as Music Director of the Orchestra of St Luke's in New York (1998–2001); and when he travelled to Australia – his last visit was in 2007 – he conducted the Sydney Symphony and Melbourne Symphony. The three orchestras at the core of this chapter were British ensembles with which he had particularly long and happy relationships. He was always fascinated by the possibilities of working with the period instruments of the OAE; he developed the SCO into one of the finest chamber orchestras in Europe; and he spent eight seasons as Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia, an experience he described as ‘among the most wonderful things to happen to me’.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

‘And there was light!’ Sir Charles and the OAE

It's an emotional experience remembering our performances with Sir Charles Mackerras. He worked with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment from the end of its first season (June 1987) until Così fan tutte at Glyndebourne on 12 June 2010, the last performance he ever gave.