James Hamilton Clarke (1840-1912)

[eschiss1]

Has anyone heard anything by this composer, especially but not only his more ambitious (I assume) scores (at least 3 flute sonatas, at least one string quartet, for example, out of at least 350 published works or so)?

[Albion]

Hamilton Clarke is best remembered as the arranger of the Overtures to Sullivan's The Sorcerer (1884 revival), The Mikado and Ruddigore (original 1887 version) as well as an orchestral Selection from H.M.S. Pinafore which, played at the Covent Garden Promenade Concerts, helped to increase audiences at the Opera Comique which were suffering because of a mid-1878 heatwave - http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/articles/sull_proms/progs/1878/170878/index.html

According to Brown and Stratton, his principal compositions were -

Incidental music [for Henry Irving at the Lyceum]: Hamlet (1878); The Merchant of Venice (1879); Eugene Aram (1879); The Iron Chest (1879); The Corsican Brothers (1880); The Cup (1881); King Lear (1892); Cymbeline (1896)

Comediettas and operettas: Martial Law; Castle Botherem (1880); A Pretty Bequest

Cantatas: Praise, Op.68; Ode to Industry, Op.90

Orchestral: Overtures; Symphony No.1 in F (1873); Piano Concerto, Op.78; Symphony No.2 in G minor, Op.122 (1879)

Chamber music: String Quartets; Piano Quartet; Flute Sonatas; Six Organ Sonatas

Despite the fact that many of his works were published, nothing appears to have been recorded.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I find it very odd that, despite the fact that a lot of his 350 compositions are supposed to have been published, only six titles are listed on COPAC, only half of which are pieces of music and, of these three two are arrangements of works by other composers. What has happened to it all?

[Mark Thomas]

Is the key to the puzzle contained in your phrase "supposed to have been published" I wonder, Gareth? I must say, though, that, whilst it's no guarantee of quality, that work list does look enticing.

[Jimfin]

Goodness, this site is a well of information. Yes, I only ever knew Clarke as the composer of those three Savoy overtures. I always thought it strange that the 'Sorcerer' overture is magnificent, the 'Mikado' one okay and then the 'Ruddigore' one is frankly tedious. Although I generally support the 'full' version of Ruddigore with all the deleted numbers restored, I think the Geoffrey Toye overture is far superior (there's another unsung composer, pupil of Stanford...)

[eschiss1]

HMB lists a few works, so I can confirm a few works were most likely published (2 of the flute sonatas and one of the string quartets, for instance.) IMSLP has two works of his. Worldcat mentions other things (191 scores in all but probably plenty of duplications), suggesting that some things do survive in libraries (unless miscatalogued etc.)

Among the libraries listed as having copies of the "3rd Grand Sonata" for flute and piano op.221 (Rudall, Carte, 1883?) are two in the US (UIUC and University Southern California) (which wouldn't be listed in COPAC.)
(Over 360 op.nos.- an operetta Hornpipe Harry op.358 is listed and a Romance for cello and piano op.363 (1896). (A fantasie without opus number for cornet was published a couple of years later still. Don't know about early 20th-century publications if any though the bio in Wikipedia suggests he may have done little composing late in life?) Not as prolific as e.g. Carl Böhm (the composer), Franz Abt, and others, true - though at least there's a string (sans piano) chamber work ;^) ... ok, not that that matters.)

[Martin Eastick]

I have just checked my shelves and come up with a nice autographed copy (dated 24th January 1884) of "Six Lyceum Overtures"  composed and arranged as piano duets. They are: Hamlet, Lady of Lyons, Merechant of Venice, Corsican Brotheres, Iron Chest & The Cup. The whole collection is "Dedicated with great esteem to his Friend, Sir Arthur Sullivan" . Published by C Jefferys, London my copy also states that it is a subscribers copy!

 I must admit that I have had this for several years but have never tried them out - they do at first glance look rather Sullivan-like though.

I also have several short flute/piano & clarinet/piano pieces, all published by Rudall Carte, who appear to have published quite a few of his works for woodwind, including the 3 flute sonatas. I have been promised a collection of (mainly Victorian) flute music, so I may be lucky here! I can only say that what I do have is typical of its time, and reasonably well written. 

[Albion]

Fascinating, Martin - it would certainly be very interesting to hear these overtures, in piano duet form if need be in lieu of orchestral material, especially if they betray the stylistic influence of Clark's highly-esteemed friend.

 

[Gareth Vaughan]

Ah, the vagaries of library search engines! If I hadn't been so tired last night I'd have persevered. A new search in COPAC today, entering "Hamilton Clarke", produces 248 hits (most in BL) and not a huge amount of duplication. No symphony or PC, though - which is, alas, as experience has led one to expect.

[eschiss1]

They're harder to produce and not necessarily more interesting (or necessarily less) anyway. I do see that the British Library has parts for that string quartet op.246 (ca.1895) (not his first but possibly his only surviving? - Champlin/Apthorp (Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians, volume 1, page 329, article written 1888 ("still living, 1888."), book published 1893) lists an earlier quartet, opus 93.  Whether or not the works survive, first symphony in F was his opus 101, performed in 1873 or 1874; his 2nd in G minor, 1879, his opus 122. Also lists a polonaise for piano and orchestra, op.209, and other works. (Google downloadable-in-US pdf/EBook - may be at archive.org also.)

(Actually, see IMSLP for the Cyclopedia. - should be on page 329 of volume 1 - not of the PDF but internal page 329. I forgot I'd uploaded that...)

Another list of his works up to about op.214 and 1881, with some dates of premieres (admittedly the orchestras in question have long since donated their holdings to the British Museum I expect) is in James Duff Brown's Biographical dictionary of musicians: with a bibliography of English writings on music (1886) (pp165-6). (The first symphony was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in August 1873, the 2nd symphony at the Promenade Concerts in August 1879 (that looks early- oh, ok, they started back in 1838?!!... )  It gives opus 93 as a -piano- quartet, not a string quartet, in E minor. (Looking at a google cache of Clarke's Wikipedia article there's a rather interesting Times review excerpted there of the 1st symphony's 1873 premiere suggesting that maybe I'm being too hasty above, and hope it might turn up

[Albion]

Thanks, Eric.

For convenience, here is a transcription from Brown (1886) of principal works in Clarke's catalogue up to 1881:

Op.1 - Capriccio for violin and piano (1852)
Op.7 - Overture, Thanistene (1859)
Op.44 - Anthem, The Lord is My Light
Op.68 - Praise, a sacred cantata (1867)
Op.78 - Piano Concerto in D minor
Op.79 - Romance and Polonaise for violin and piano
Op.80 - Ode to Industry
Op.93 - Piano Quartet in E minor
Op.95 - Parade March (1872)
Op.98 - Saltarello for orchestra (1874)
Op.100 - Ballet Overture
Op.101 - Symphony No.1 in F (1873)
Op.102 - Overture composed for Birket Foster (1874)
Op.122 - Symphony No.2 in G minor (1879)
Op.123 - Concert Overture
Op.134 - Overture, Hamlet (1875)
Op.135 - Romanza cromatica for flute
Op.136 - Music to a Ballet (1875)
Op.137 - Overture, Rob Roy
Op.153 - Gavotte [No.2] for Strings
Op.155 - Flute Sonata No.2
Op.156 - Three Sonatinas for piano
Op.157 - Romance for flute and piano
Op.159 - Six Sonatas for organ
Op.161 - Two Choruses and [additional] Ballet Music for Die Fledermaus (1876)
Op.166 - Six movements for organ [from a total of 36 pieces]
Op.168 - Six movements for organ [from a total of 36 pieces]
Op.169 - Six movements for organ [from a total of 36 pieces]
Op.179 - Two andantes for organ
Op.183 - Martial Law, a musical comedietta in one act
Op.187 - Overture, Nanon
Op.188 - Romance and Tarantella for cello and piano
Op.191 - Gavotte in F for orchestra
Op.192 - Overture and Incidental Music to Hamlet(1878)
Op.197 - Overture, The Lady of Lyons (1879)
Op.199 - Incidental Music to Eugene Aram (1879)
Op.200 - Romance and Valse for flute and orchestra
Op.201 - Incidental Music to Zillah (1879)
Op.202 - Overture and Incidental Music [partly from Storace] to The Iron Chest (1879)
Op.203 - Overture and Incidental Music to The Merchant of Venice (1879)
Op.206 - Castle Botherem; or, An Irish Stew, operetta (1880)
Op.207 - Incidental Music to Iolanthe (1880)
Op.208 - Overture and Incidental Music to The Corsican Brothers (1880)
Op.209 - Polonaise for piano and orchestra
Op.210 - Overture, Cecile (1880)
Op.214 - Overture and Incidental Music to The Cup (1881)

[Albion]

The Theatre and Performance Archive at the V & A hold incidental music by Georges Jacobi (1840-1906) for productions at the Lyceum under Irving's management.

I've contacted them to see whether or not they have any of Clarke's.

 

(The first symphony was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in August 1873, the 2nd symphony at the Promenade Concerts in August 1879 (that looks early- oh, ok, they started back in 1838?!!... )

The Promenade Concerts conducted by Henry Wood began in 1895 at Queen's Hall, but for decades before that Promenade Concert seasons were held at various venues in London, most notably Covent Garden Theatre. For Sullivan's involvement in this series (1878-79) including performances of Clarke's two symphonies, see http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/articles/sull_proms/index.html

[Mark Thomas]

Eric, thanks for the Cyclopedia link. Are there any other similar reference books available at IMSLP, and how does one find them?

[eschiss1]

quite a few - Groves (early versions in all cases- almost nothing later than 1922 or so because of US law, very few exceptions), Fetis and others for example. One good way is to follow the "tags" at the top (some though not all of them are in the category Dictionaries. Some others are in Biographies (often categorized by words in the title, in this case Biographies, like the Fétis.)) Or in
*Orchestration
*Music theory
for example.
Eric (and happy to thank you! )

(US and Canadian law are generally both considered- well, depends. Sometimes it's one -or- the other etc. etc. with restrictions on who can download what...)

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric. Something of a goldmine!