Joseph Liebeskind

[Alan Howe]

I have in my collection a transfer from 78s of the Symphony No.1 in A minor, Op.4 (1894) by Joseph Liebeskind (1866-1916). While searching for information about the performers I came across this link...
http://www.charm.kcl.ac.uk/discography/search/search_advanced?operatorSel_0=and&parameterSel_0=composer&parameterKey_0=compo_017269&parameterKeyTxt_0=Liebeskind,%20Joseph%20(1866-1916)
...which gives details of a recording of the symphony made by the (a?) Swiss Radio Orchestra under a conductor surnamed Haug.
Further researches suggest that this might be the Swiss Hans Haug (1900-1967) and that the orchestra may have once been based in Lausanne before it was absorbed into the Suisse Romande Orchestra in Geneva. Can anyone help me with any further information, please?

[Alan Howe]

I have subsequently found this, so I think I'm on the right track:

Hans Haug (1900–1967) was born in Basel Switzerland on July 27, 1900. Throughout his career, along with composing, he was quite active as a conductor, teacher, and musical director. Appearing as guest conductor all over Europe, he also held several conducting positions in his native Switzerland, including the Basel Municipal Theatre (1928-1934), the Interlaken Kursaal, and for Swiss Radio in Lausanne (1935-8) and Zurich (1938-43). (Emphasis added.)
http://www.goldengraphics.ca/fowler/nocturne_e.html

[Alan Howe]

Actually, it seems that this was probably the orchestra involved:

The Swiss Radio Orchestra (named the 'Beromünster Orchestra') was founded jointly by the three studios of Zurich, Berne and Basle. The old radio transmission tower was located in Beromünster, hence the orchestra's name, though the orchestra itself was usually stationed in Zurich. Its conductor in the 1930s was Hans Haug. In 1944, it was reduced to 38 musicians, and Hermann Scherchen was appointed its conductor. In the summer of 1950, after a period of many difficulties, the contract with Scherchen was not renewed. Paul Burkhard was his successor until 1957, when the orchestra was increased to 60 members. Burkhard was then succeeded by Erich Schmid, who remained until 1971. The orchestra no longer exists.
http://www.guildmusic.com/shop/wbc.php?tpl=produktdetail.html&pid=10022&rid=552&recno=42

[Lionel Harrsion]

I can't be of any assistance in answering your original question, Alan, but since you seem to have unearthed all the information anyway, I don't feel too embarrassed to post a reply indicating that I'd be interested to know how you would describe the style of Liebeskind's Symphony -- I admit to not having encountered his name previously.  The sole original work of his at IMSLP (where he is spelled Josef) is the op 2 String Quartet but, not surprisingly, it's only in parts rather than score; trying to make sense of the piece by looking at all the parts simultaneously would push my score-reading skills way beyond their limits, I'm afraid!

[Alan Howe]

The style is Leipzig-school, i.e. very conservative for its date (1894). He was apparently a pupil of Friedrich Hermann (1828-1907), Reinecke and Jadassohn:
http://www.ourtext.co.uk/acatalog/Merton%20Composers-123.pdf

[Lionel Harrsion]

Thanks, Alan, that's most helpful.   If he learned his lessons well from Reinecke and Jadassohn, he should be worth hearing.

[Mark Thomas]

You can judge for yourself, Lionel, as I've now uploaded the Symphony.

[Lionel Harrsion]

Thanks very much for that upload, Mark -- I thought the sound quality amazing good, considering the provenance.  As Alan remarked, the symphony is very conservative in idiom; the ghost of Schumann is stalking through most of it and although I don't think that it will prove particularly memorable, it's certainly attractive and well-crafted.  Also, I thought the Beromünster Orchestra sounded a good band and Herr Haug a competent conductor.

[C R Lim]

Again, compliments on the quality of the transfer!

This recording is mentioned in WERM Vol. 1 - issued by Swiss HMV on five 78s FKX 501 - 505.

I had always though this series was a myth, having never come across any!

Haug was himself a prolific composer, according to the Schweizer Musiker-Lexikon (publ. 1964).
Grove adds, tantalisingly "Avoiding contrapuntal and tonal complication, his music was designedly popular in appeal".

There were some Lps made in the 1950s.  Anyone have any of these?

[joachim]

There is very little information on the composer, who was primarily a musicologist.

He was born in Leipzig April 22, 1866 and died in Leipzig on August 10, 1916. He has co-authored the thematic catalog of the works of Christpoh of Alfred Wotquenne Willibald Gluck (1904)

He studied at the Leipzig Conservatory with Reinecke, Hermann, and Jadassohn Sitt. He directed the publication of a large number of works by Gluck, Mozart and Dittersdorf. It brought together a vast library rich in documents Gluck, several manuscripts.

Works

Lobe den Herrn, motet for chorus, Op 1
String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, Op 2 (1888)
Trio for piano, violin and cello in D minor, op 3 (1893)
Symphony No. 1 in A minor, op 4 (1894)
Zwei Fugen für die Orgel, Op 6 (1895)
String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op 7 (1896)

I have not found Opus 5. On the other hand, if there is a Symphony No. 1, I guess there is also a symphony 2?

[eschiss1]

Liebeskind, Josef. Op.5. Fünf Lieder f. gem. Chor. Published by Brockhaus in 1896. (Das versunkene Kloster: ,,Ein Kloster ist versunken". ; Die Sperlinge: ,,Altes Haus mit deinen Löchern". ; II.  Lied: ,,Auf den grünen Auen". ; Einkehr: ,,Bei einem Wirthe wundermild". ; Wanderers Nachtlied: ,,Der du von dem Himmel bist").

As to a 2nd symphony? Not necessarily, and even if so, it may not have been published or have been given an op.#. Also, what's with Op.6 (1895)? It  was published by Gebruder Reinecke in 1893. I find it remarkable it was published before it was even composed!

[eschiss1]

There are also a few songs w/o opus listed in HMB-before-1900 (e.g. Liebesscherz (pseud. Lilian Nordica?) (G Reinecke pub., 1894), Plaisir d' Amour 'ne dure qu'un moment (Max Brockhaus pub., 1895) and also:

Opp.8-11 are all sets of lieder (Op.8 3 Lieder for 4-part men's chorus pub.1897, Op.9 6 songs for voice and piano pub.1898, Op.10 2 Trinklieder for men's chorus, published 1897). Op.11 is for women's chorus.
Op.12 returns to orchestra (a Festmarsch, pub.1898 by Gebrüder Reinecke. Swiss National Library has this).
Op.13 is "Aus frohen Tagen : 6 vierhändige Klavierstücke".
Helveticat also lists
"Der Oberhof / Romantische Oper in 4 Akten, nach der gleichnamigen Erzählung Karl Immermanns von F. Brasch und J. Baltz ; Musik von Josef Liebeskind ; Als Manuscript gedruckt " (libretto only) in addition to most, anyway, of the works listed opp.1-13 and w/o op. here...

[Amphissa]

For some reason, I have nothing by this composer. I've looked in the old archive in both the Swiss and German collections and I've done a UC site search, and I find nothing other than this thread. Is the symphony still available somewhere?

[jerfilm]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbFA6zmf04k

jerry

[eschiss1]

I thought I remembered his first symphony being uploaded here, awhile back, actually...

Maybe his surname was misspelled in the post? Or something? Or the post deleted? It doesn't show up in any search I try either, offhand anyway...