Sung Conductors–Unsung Composers

[Jimfin]

Can we count Henry Wood, with his Fantasia on British Sea Songs? I suppose it's (a) not really unsung, as it gets heard at the Proms most years and (b) not much of a composition, more an arrangement, but it's a lovely piece in its own way. They should have played it during the river pageant at the Jubilee.

[alberto]

Again about Busoni as conductor of English Music, he conducted in Berlin 15 november 1902 the first performance of Delius' Paris.
On 8 november 1902 he had conducted Elgar's Prelude and "Angel Farewell" from the Dream of Gerontius.
In Berlin between 1902 and 1909 Busoni organized 12 symphonic concerts. Busoni did'nt conduct the whole programs; often composers shared the podium to conduct their own works: for instance Magnard (Third Sympohony); Sibelius (Second Symphony , En Saga); d'Indy (Symphony op. 25); Pfitzner Scherzo for orch.; Wagenaar (Saul and David).

[eschiss1]

Ah right, the Busoni Magnard concert is mentioned in the MPH (Musikproduction Höflich) preface to Magnard's 3rd symphony.
(I think I was remembering too the related but not-quite-the-same fact that Mahler had Stanford's 4th symphony in his repertoire- and took it with him to New York City, though in the 20th century I think. I do mean the 4th in F, yes.)

[chill319]

A couple of further candidates.

Wilhelm Stenhammar: Artistic Director and chief conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony 1906 - 22.

Rachmaninov: conductor, Moscow Private Russian Opera Company 1897-98; Bolshoi Theater 1904-6. Thereafter he was an active guest conductor worldwide until the outbreak of WWI. His reputation as a conductor was such that at the end of the war the Boston SO sought him as its chief conductor (he declined) prior to offering the post to Koussevitzky.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Oh dear, but how the world has changed.... I didn't realise that Stenhammar and Rachmaninov had become unsung composers. I regard that as our sad loss.

[giles.enders]

No one has mentioned a woman so I will nominate Ethel Leginska who studied conducting under Eugene Goosens and had a successful career conducting during the inter war years in places  such as London, Paris, Berlin, Munich, New York, Boston and Los Angeles. She was a competent composer of Opera, orchestral and chamber music.

[Jimfin]

Wow, so hard to think of women conductors at all, well done! I also adore the 'foreignisation' of such an old fashioned English name as Ethel Liggins.

[Lionel Harrsion]

I wonder she didn't go the whole hog and ditch 'Ethel' as well for something like 'Ekaterina'.  On the subject of women conductors, there was also Avril Coleridge-Taylor, of course.

[JimL]

Oh dear, but how the world has changed.... I didn't realise that Stenhammar and Rachmaninov had become unsung composers. I regard that as our sad loss.

I think that Rachmaninoff was more of a sung composer who was an unsung conductor.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Code Select Expand

I will nominate Ethel Leginska
Very sadly, almost none of Leginska's major works seem to have survived. I did search (moderately hard) at one time - and would love to be proved wrong.

[chill319]

I didn't realise that Stenhammar and Rachmaninov had become unsung composers.

My bad. That said, here in the boonies I've never heard a live performance of Stenhammar by an orchestra. Nor, for that matter, of most of Rachmaninov's non-keyboard works.

[eschiss1]

my weak criterion for unsung is probably does it cause the classical-fan-but-not-absolutely-100%(not 99%)-fanatic friends and relatives of mine to go completely blankly "who?" and Stenhammar, Schmidt and Magnard still satisfy that criterion, but anyway... (not Rachmaninoff- not only do they recognize music of his but often the name. And I'll accept either- which is why I won't even count Wiren, a movement or two of whose serenade is/are so well broadcast, or Alfven similarly (a theme of his served as opening music for the night program on WQXR-FM New York for years I think...), or a few others, as quite unsung anymore )

[JimL]

... Alfven similarly (a theme of his served as opening music for the night program on WQXR-FM New York for years I think...)...

Opening of the 1st Norwegian Rhapsody?

[eschiss1]

Nope! And actually I think I may be thinking of the BBC Through the Night program- I haven't heard the WQXR one in ages The theme I'm thinking of (right, apologies for the request to use telepathy...) is the opening to the Elegy from his suite to the play Gustav Adolf, Op.49.

Lovely orchestration, theme, etc. ...
In my honest opinion.
(Less known as a conductor, but yes, Wikipedia confirms my recollection that he was one. Now Liszt- as readers of Walker's interesting biography will recall- well, that's a different subject. And yes, I know it's a fallible, etc. bio... (of course.) )

[giles.enders]

Walter Rothwell  1872-1927 Was a composer and a conductor.  He was born in England and trained at the Vienna Conservatory, later becoming conducting assistant to Mahler.  He went on to conduct in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, St.Paul and New York.  Among his compositions were a piano concerto and numerous operas.