Algernon Ashton Piano Sonatas vol.1

[Alan Howe]

Dutton have brought out vol.1 of the piano sonatas of Algernon Ashton (1859-1937), written in the great Austro-German tradition. I am currently listening to No.4 in D minor and am astonished that such spell-binding music - memorable, pianistically complex at times, but easily comprehensible - should have lain unperformed and unrecorded for so long.

Details here...

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/search.php?searchString=algernon+ashton+dutton

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I don't yet have this CD - which has been placed high on my 'wants list'. I guess your copy, Alan, is very hot off the press.

And from what I have read of Algernon Ashton I am not at all astonished at your reaction. From my grubbing around in various musical biographies and reminiscences published pre Great War I gather he was then held in high regard. That War of course put an end to the world of which Ashton was a part. I guess what also contributed to his decline into unsungness was his own later eccentric crankiness. Years ago I browsed, and took some delight in, a book of his musical jottings called something like 'Wit and Wisdom'. The book is a very rich source of all kinds of strange and peculiar hobby horses and not to be recommended to the gullible.

Less frivolously, I believe the young Ashton studied at Leipzig, and there came into contact with Jadassohn and Reinecke. And later - around 1880 - had much to do with a fellow by the name of Raff. With such mentors, little wonder his music is illustrious!

I gather there are 24 string quartets, and the same number of sonatas. Gosh, what explorations lie ahead (with the good grace of willing performers and enlightened record companies)! Alas, I also gather the scores of 5-6 symphonies have disappeared. If only....!

Peter

[edurban]

Once again, someone entirely new and unexpected!  The worklist compiled by Patrick Webb suggests that virtually everything that went unpublished was lost:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/Ashton/index.htm

I hope it's all lying in someone's attic. 

David

[Alan Howe]

Musically, one wonders whether Ashton would actually have been the equal of, say, Stanford and Parry. If so, we have really lost out.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Ashton wrote 4 symphonies, a piano concerto and a violin concerto - all of which are, very sadly, lost.

[JimL]

Confirmed lost, or simply lost track of?  Did the place where the manuscripts were known to be take a direct hit from a buzz bomb, or is it that nobody knows exactly where they are?

[Alan Howe]

The piano sonatas are very serious stuff indeed - and contrapuntally complex most of the time too. This is music by a big mind, I would say, and it is certainly demanding; if the predominant idiom is mid-to-late nineteenth century conservative Germanic, it isn't really like any of the obvious composers of that period. My mind is continually drawn back to Bach - a thought which I am glad to see the sleevenote confirms (I've just read it!) So, this is chiefly contrapuntal music - and some might say rather too samey and intellectual. I can understand that reaction but would say 'persist!'

[Gareth Vaughan]

I think "lost track of", Jim. I don't believe it is certainly known they were destroyed - so they might still turn up (which would be very nice).

[JimL]

Especially nice considering that they're not that old, which means they might still be in fairly good condition.

[Martin Anderson]

The galling thing about the Dutton Ashton release is that I recorded almost exactly the same repertoire for Toccata Classics well over a year before Leslie De'ath went into the studio for the Dutton recordings. Now forthcoming, as you can see at www.toccataclassics.com/inpreparation.php. Bugger, though! I can only hope that our version comes out better in the critical comparisons.

Talking of Jadassohn, too, our CD of Piano Trios Nos. 1–3 is nearly ready for the factory.

Cheers
Martin

[Alan Howe]

Good news on both counts, Martin. Thanks!

[Pengelli]

I will put this high on my 'want list' too.Unfortunately,I have just spent my monthly quota on two of the D'indy Chandos discs,and the Roussel symphonies. What a shame about the lost works,including all the symphonies. I hope they are safe somewhere & eventually turn up.Hopefully,within my life time. Ashton sounds a very intriguing composer and  I have been very curious to hear his music for a while now. and at last 'opportunity knocks',as the dreadful Hughie Green used to say.

[wunderkind]

The galling thing about the Dutton Ashton release is that I recorded almost exactly the same repertoire for Toccata Classics well over a year before Leslie De'ath went into the studio for the Dutton recordings. Now forthcoming, as you can see at www.toccataclassics.com/inpreparation.php. Bugger, though! I can only hope that our version comes out better in the critical comparisons.

Cheers
Martin

Hmmm...says all one needs to know about getting to the market ahead of your competitors, doesn't it?

[eschiss1]

The galling thing about the Dutton Ashton release is that I recorded almost exactly the same repertoire for Toccata Classics well over a year before Leslie De'ath went into the studio for the Dutton recordings. Now forthcoming, as you can see at www.toccataclassics.com/inpreparation.php. Bugger, though! I can only hope that our version comes out better in the critical comparisons.

Talking of Jadassohn, too, our CD of Piano Trios Nos. 1–3 is nearly ready for the factory.

Cheers
Martin

Likewise the Weinberg CD, though mostly music new or new to CD, contains one work (the F major-ish 4th sonata) that's been released on CD once or twice already (on cpo and, I think, one other label - not sure. I think the program on the other CD is sonatas 3 and 4, and on cpo is sonatas 4 and 5 plus two brief works.)  Looking forward to it anyway, I only know the solo sonatas 1 and 2 from score (though I gather they were recorded on LP decades ago) - thanks
Eric

[Peter1953]

I’ve bought this double CD at Presto in the UK for a real bargain price, and it’s without hesitation that I can say that this is the most inspiring piano music I’ve heard for a long time. So beautiful, fascinating, and most of all: individual. Is it Brahmsian? Yes, it’s romantic, tuneful, and keeps you constantly concentrated listening. Sometimes you hear hints of baroque, followed by complex passages, silent moments, but you’ll keep on listening. No, it’s not Brahmsian after all, but really individual.
I’m completely astonished that this much more than ordinary piano music is so neglected for all those years. How would his orchestral music have sounded?

Very warmly recommended! You will be pleasantly amazed!