Modest but truly great conductor

He may never have achieved the glamorous status of Herbert von Karajan or Simon Rattle but Edward Downes was among the truly great conductors of the 20th century.

He was a champion of Verdi and conducted 25 of his 28 operas.

Russian repertoire was another forte — Downes worked alongside Shostakovich himself at the 1963
performances at Covent Garden of Katerina Ismailova and conducted the Royal Opera premiere of Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel in 1992.

Quite why a conductor of his outstanding talents was not accorded the prestige of the major
international houses and record companies is a mystery.

Tragically, in his latter years, Downes's ability to conduct was compromised by near-blindness. But he will be remembered as one of
those musicians whose talents immeasurably outstrip their celebrity.