Joseph (Josef) Holbrooke (1878-1958)

[albion]

I am now maintaining and updating a greatly expanded version of my catalogue here -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Joseph_Holbrooke

[Jimfin]

Goodness me, how impressive, and how tidy you have made it look! I'm amazed that you not only dealt with the orchestral music but all the other stuff too. There are so many things on this list I would love to hear: I was delighted enough to get to hear 'The Bells' at last, thanks to this site.

[Dundonnell]

I shall send you a copy of the list I had prepared.

My list omits your opus numbers 14, 75b, 84, 91, 93, 96, 110, 125a, and 125b. There are also a substantial number of dates which you have "filled-in" for me

However....I have a number of works which appear to be missing from your list:

Poeme for Piano and Orchestra (early 1900s)
"Ode to Victory" for chorus and orchestra(1901)
"Columba" for orchestra(1927)
Concertino for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (1930s/1940s)
op.2: Intermezzo for small orchestra
op.36b: Ballet Suite "Pierrot"
op. 66: Ballet "The Wizard"
March-Tragic for Horn and Orchestra  (undated)

I am probably in error over these works but I thought that i should mention them

[albion]

Thanks, Colin - some of these were on the 'to investigate' list and have been added.

The Intermezzo for small orchestra is an arrangement of the last of the Twelve Pieces (for the young), Op.2a.

The Poem for piano and orchestra was advertised (1904) as Poem No.6, Op.36 so it was probably basically the same work as the Concerto Dramatique, which was equally possibly the basis for Gwyn ap Nudd.

The Ode to Victory was originally Poem No.2, Op.29 and was for orchestra only. It was performed on 31st December 1901 at the Hotel Cecil in London, conducted by Allen Gill. I don't think it is still extant, as it quickly disappeared from Holbrooke's work-lists.

The ballet The Wizard is the opera-ballet The Enchanter (aka The Wizard), Op.70.

The violin and cello concertino appears very possibly to be an alternative incarnation of the Double Concerto Tamerlane, so I've not included it as yet (pending further digging).

I have rearranged the list of symphonies: there are two candidates for the title 'Symphony No.1', Les Hommages and Homage to E.A. Poe (the Dramatic Choral Symphony), so I have tried to indicate this by listing the former and referring to the latter.

Also, since they are not strictly speaking purely orchestral works, I have redistributed symphonies 2, 5, 6 and 8 to more relevant sections.

[albion]

I have made numerous alterations to the catalogue based on several sources of information including -

Complete list of Holbrooke's published musical works (London: Modern Music Library, October 1941)
Complete list of the musical works of Josef Holbrooke (London: Modern Music Library, 1952)

Where opus numbers clash (as they often do) and there are cited alternatives available (as there often are) I've tried to be keep related works together: for example, the Violin Concerto, Op.59 and the derivative Violin Sonata, Op.59a. The String Quartet No.2 gets in the way of things by sometimes being allocated 59a, but it clearly does not belong with the Violin Concerto so I have gone with the 1952 catalogue and placed it as 58a (with the Book of Wonder piano suite as 58b). Likewise, I have tried to give any variations of title that were given to a particular work, to detail recastings of works in alternative form (as far as I can identify) and include several which are no longer extant in their original form.

In no way should this be regarded as definitive (if such a thing is even possible with Holbrooke), comprehensive or free from error, but hopefully it is at least more representative than any other currently accessible.

[Dundonnell]

Superb work, John

[albion]

To accompany the catalogue I have provided a completely revised entry for Holbrooke on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Holbrooke

[Jimfin]

Oh that is wonderful, Albion! I have always thought how peculiar the list used to be on there, no mention of the operas at all, for example.

[minacciosa]

I'm just now hearing the Auld Lang Sang Variations, and I think it's excellent. Anyone have a pdf of the score?

[eschiss1]

Several different versions of his orchestral variations Op.60- in Watt/Forbes as previewed on Google at least I see only one orchestral version of it (premiered 1915?) plus a string quartet (ca.1916), a pianola version, etc. The phrasing @ Wikipedia does seem to suggest (to me) several _orchestral_ versions...