Graham Whettam(1927-2007): a Catalogue of the Orchestral and Choral Music

[Dundonnell]

It is difficult to be precise about the dates of some of these works because Whettam worked on them over many years with several revisions. Whettam also withdrew a number of compositions.

GRAHAM WHETTAM: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL MUSIC


1959/2001:Clarinet Concerto No.1: 28 minutes   *
1960/1982:Introduction and Scherzo-Impetuoso "Benvenuto Cellini" for orchestra: 10 minutes
1961:       Variations on an Original Theme for oboe and strings: 11 minutes
1962:      "Consecration" for chorus, brass, timpani, percussion and organ:  8 minutes
                 Cello Concerto: 22 minutes
1962/1997:Sinfonia contra timore: 28 minutes   *    + (Redcliffe cd)
1964:      Sinfonietta(Sinfonia) Stravagante: 18 minutes    *
1966:      Sinfonia Concertante for small orchestra: 22 minutes
1968:      Masque "The Masque of the Red Death"
1969:      "The Chef who Wanted to Rule the World" for chorus and chamber orchestra
1975:      "Celebration" for chorus, brass, percussion and organ
1976:      Sinfonia Intrepida: 50 minutes    + (Redcliffe cd)
1978:      Sinfonia Drammatica: 30 minutes     *
1978/1999:"Threnos-Hymnus" for string orchestra: 9 minutes
1981:      Concerto Conciso for string orchestra: 15 minutes
1982:      Concerto for Clarinet (No.2) and string orchestra: 24 minutes
1983:      Idyll for flute, horn, harp and strings: 7 minutes
1984:      An English Suite for orchestra
1985:      Symphonic Prelude for orchestra: 11 minutes
1992:      Concerto Ardente for Horn and Strings: 23 minutes
1993:      "Les Roseaux au Vent"-Triple Concerto for Two Oboes, Cor Anglais (or Bassoon) and Srings: 17 minutes
1994:      Ballade Hebrique for Violin (or Viola or Cello) and Orchestra: 13 minutes
1995:      Evocations for orchestra: 17 minutes
1998:      Concerto Drammatico for Cello and Orchestra: 30 minutes        +  (Redcliffe cd)
                "God of Fire"-Introduction and Scherzo Fuocoso for orchestra: 9 minutes
1999:      Sinfonia Prometica: 40 minutes
2001:      Symphony No.5: 28 minutes

[Christo]

Big surprise. I confess I'd never heard of Whettam before. But apparently, there's one cd of his work, no doubt part of your private collection. 

[Dundonnell]

Two cds actually: Redcliffe RR016 (Sinfonia Intrepida) and RR017(Sinfonia contra timore and Concerto Drammatico).

I strongly recommend both   Powerful music in a style reminiscent of composers like Shostakovich or Panufnik.

[Dundonnell]

.....and a performance of the Sinfonia contra timore can be downloaded from this site

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Once more especial thanks for another in the series of indispensable catalogues! Graham Whettam has been one of my particular enthusiasms over the last 20 years or so. Those of the symphonies that have been recorded are, in my view, utterly magisterial - let no-one say the symphony is dead given such stupendous masterpieces as these. They are also astonishing works given that Whettam was largely self-taught. I often think the symphony orchestra easily qualifies as the 8th wonder of the world, and that someone like Whettam can master it so well and write works such as these is .... well, something beyond astonishing.

I appreciate the "Dundonnell catalogues" (so many now that they have become a cherished institution!) are restricted to orchestral and choral works, but may I augment the Whettam catalogue with two CDs of chamber music that I think are especially meritorious?

The first comprises the 1st and 4th String Quartets (from 1968 and 2001) performed by the Carducci Quartet. The disc also contains the Oboe Quartet No. 2 of 1972. It comes from the Quartet's own label, Carducci Classics, and details of it (including how to order it) are given on the Carducci website. (All their discs are terrifically good - try the one of Brian Boydell's quartets).

The second disc is of works for piano given by Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow on Divine Art 25038.

Both discs are a vital part of the Whettam discography. And if anyone has a disc collection that is seriously incomplete through the omission of the Whettam orchestral works on the Redcliffe label then that can be made good by getting them from MusicWeb (probably the easiest and least expensive source of Redcliffe recordings).

Incidentally Whettam, like Alan Bush, fell victim at one point in his career to one of the establishment stuffed shirts. Like Bush (and of course a good many others) Whettam held strong political beliefs. He dedicated the Sinfonia Contra Timore to no less than Bertrand Russell "and all other people who suffer imprisonment or other injustice for the expression of their beliefs or the convenience of politicians and bureaucracies". The first performance was to be given by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic under Charles Groves. However a Liverpool alderman, a Beckmesser no doubt, who had a prominent position in the RLP Society, became alarmed and feared political demonstrations in the concert hall. Silly man insisted the performance should not go ahead. In the end the first performance went to the CBSO with Hugo Rignold (and I believe Russell himself was in the audience - though what he made of it is a subject we should perhaps not investigate!)

Anyone happen to know what Whettam's final two symphonies are like - the Sinfonia Prometica of 1999 and No. 5 of 2001? Surely yet another scandal that they have not been recorded?

[Christo]

a cherished institution!

Indeed!

[Dundonnell]

These very interesting and highly informative reviews of the Sinfonia Intrepida paint in a lot of the background and the context within which Whettam composed.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Feb01/Whettam.htm

I am not aware that either the Sinfonia Prometica (No.4 of Whettam's acknowledged symphonies) or No.5 have ever been performed   Whettam died in 2007. There were respectful obituaries which acknowledged his achievement but since then nothing. Only if enthusiasts keep trying to do the little they can to keep his name alive will there be even the slightest chance of any of his major compositions being heard again.

Thanks to Peter and Christo for their compliments about my catalogues There are now 48 of them up on this site and I am fast running out of 'unsung' British composers whose works I feel I should tackle. Arthur Benjamin and, if possible, Erik Chisholm are up next. Granville Bantock, Joseph Holbrooke and Stanley Bate each presents almost insuperable problems   I am now turning my thoughts about how to group the catalogues together in one place

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Having, like JSB achieved 48, then if you're casting around for further composers, have you considered Eugene Goossens? The orchestral music always strikes me as deserving of more prolonged and wider interest than it usually receives. True, there is a limited amount of it (and much more really good chamber music!), but it is all stuff that should be listened to seriously. In my experience many people have vaguely 'heard of' the music, but few have actually listened to it with the critical attention it deserves.

Forgive me if Goossens is one of your 48 that has somehow escaped me (in which case you might enjoy imagining my red face!)

[Dundonnell]

No...Goossens is not one of the 48 posted so far

I agree that he merits inclusion and I shall happily add him to my diminishing list I had thought of finishng at the round figure of 50 but I am more than happy to accept any suggestions for additions. (Perhaps I should make 60 my ultimate target   I can always add Derek Bourgeois and his 67 symphonies )