barbirolli is remembered as an interpreter of elgar, vaughan williams and mahler, as well as schubert, beethoven, sibelius, verdi and puccini, and as a staunch supporter of new works by british composers. vaughan williams dedicated his seventh and eighth symphonies to barbirolli, whose nickname, "glorious john", comes from the inscription vaughan williams wrote at the head of the score of the eighth: "for glorious john, with love and admiration from ralph." barbirolli did not disdain lighter repertoire. the music critic richard osborne wrote that, if all barbirolli's recordings were to be lost except that of lehár's "gold and silver waltz", "there would be reason enough to say, 'now, "there" was a conductor!'"