Elgar with the LSO in Croydon, 1932
1920s & 1930s
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1920s
1920
Lord Howard de Walden is appointed Honorary President in gratitude for his financial support of the Orchestra
The LSO signs a three-year contract with the Columbia Gramophone Company
1922
Walter Wanger from United Artists promotes a series of super-films in Covent Garden Opera House, conducted by Eugene Goossens, making his debut with the LSO
1923
The LSO purchases its first instrument van from Ford for £200
Wilhelm Furtwängler conducts the LSO for the first time
1924
The LSO Board becomes fully elective and the Endowment Fund is created
First BBC radio broadcast from Southwark Cathedral conducted by Vaughan Williams ('Pastoral' Symphony)
1925
LSO 21st birthday – concert conducted by Sir Edward Elgar and Serge Koussevitzky. Each member of the Orchestra was given a bonus of £20
1927
John Barbirolli makes his London conducting debut with the LSO
1929
The LSO becomes a contracted permanent orchestra of 75 players, each with the guarantee of a specified number of performances over a three-year term.
End of the deputy system
Yehudi Menuhin makes his London debut playing Brahms’s Violin Concerto with the LSO, aged 12
1930s
1930
Willem Mengelberg assumes duties of Principal Conductor (1930–31)
1932
Sir Hamilton Harty is appointed Principal Conductor (1932–35)
Yehudi Menuhin records Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the composer conducting
Prokofiev records his Third Piano Concerto with LSO
Walton conducts the world premiere of his viola concerto with Lionel Tertis the soloist
W H Reed is Chairman (1932-42)
1935
The LSO records the film score for Things to Come. Based on the book by H G Wells, with music by Arthur Bliss, this is the first symphonic score specifically composed for a film recording
1937
George Stratton becomes Leader (1937-52)
1938
World premiere of Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music, conducted by Sir Henry Wood
Bruno Walter makes a series of recordings with the LSO
