Landon Ronald

**Landon Ronald** (1873–1938) was a multifaceted English musician best known as a conductor, pianist, and early champion of recorded classical music. A key figure in Britain’s early 20th-century music scene, he worked closely with legends like composer Edward Elgar (as heard in *Elgar Rediscovered: An Anthology of Forgotten Recordings*) and iconic contralto Clara Butt, whose recordings he accompanied. Ronald’s legacy is tightly woven into the Gramophone Company’s history, where he helped preserve performances by artists like violinist Yehudi Menuhin (*The Young Menuhin*) and pianist Wilhelm Backhaus (*Backhaus Plays Beethoven*), bridging the gap between live music and the dawn of the recording era.

A savvy advocate for new technology, Ronald’s work on early acoustic and electric recordings (like those in *The Complete Electric & Selected Acoustic Recordings*) captured groundbreaking interpretations of Beethoven, Schumann, and Borodin. His collaborations spanned genres, from accompanying operatic stars to shaping orchestral standards, leaving a treasure trove of historical gems—like the *Gramophone & Typewriter Era* collections—that still charm classical buffs today. Fun fact: He also composed light orchestral works, but it’s his role as a “musical time capsule” curator that keeps his name spinning on playlists!

Genres

Opera

Latest Release

Backhaus Plays Beethoven

Wilhelm Backhaus•

Landon Ronald

Album - 17 Tracks - Released February 10, 2023