Joseph Parry 1841 - 1903

[mikehopf]

Known mainly for Myfanwy, Parry composed the first Welsh opera: Blodwyn - an attractive bel canto style work which was commercially available a few years back.

In a Wikipaedia article on him, it states:

In 2011 conductor Edward-Rhys Harry[3] oversaw the total reconstruction of Parry's oratorio Emmanuel, which was performed by Cor Bro Ogwr and The British Sinfonietta, conducted by Harry, in December of that year.

Edward-Rhys Harry also reconstructed Parry's setting of the Te Deum [text from The Book of Common Prayer] the manuscript of which was discovered in the National Library of Wales archives. The London Welsh Chorale and The British Sinfonietta gave the work its world premiere performance (it never went further than a notebook during Parry's lifetime) under Harry at St Giles Cripplegate, Barbican, London on 14 July 2012.[4][5]

Does anyone have a recording of either of these two works?

[Balapoel]

While Grove gives no mention of other works, I've been able to suss out a few:

Symphony No. 1 in d minor (ms, 1860)
Symphony (No. 2?) in C (ms, 1869)
Orchestral suites
Tydfil overture, brass band
Overture (No. 1) in D for orchestra (ms, 1869)

String Quartet (ms, 1860)

Piano Sonatas (no 1 in c minor, no 2 in G, no 3 in e minor)

preludes and fugues for organ

at:
http://discover.llgc.org.uk/

[eschiss1]

I would assume that Owain Tudor Edwards' book "Joseph Parry, 1841-1903" (Caerdydd (Cardiff), Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru, 1970.) might have some useful information also, though I have not seen it and do not know.

[Gounod21]

I used to live in Aberystwyth, where Parry may have been Professor of Music; there was certainly a street plaque; there was an LP of highlights from "Myfanwy' or possibly "Blodywn",on a Welsh label(?Delyse), with only organ accompaniment; I haven't got it anymore but bought it in Aberystwyth.Worth googling!Steve

[giles.enders]

Joseph Parry lived in America for a time where he had a son, also a composer, Joseph Haydn Parry 1864-1894

[semloh]

The recent discussions regarding Parry's 4th symphony reminded me that there was another Parry, albeit a lesser light as far as we know, who is nowadays remembered for the tunes Myfanwy and Aberystwyth, but who - as Balapoel noted above - wrote symphonies, choral works, and more besides.  The BBC notes that he wrote 10 operas, five cantatas, and three oratorios, and that his opera Blodwen had 500 performances by 1896!
The Welsh National Opera premiered his Te Deum back in 2012 as a 'lost work' (I wonder what the reviews said), and a very enjoyable snippet of his oratorio Emmanuel can be heard on YouTube, but otherwise his music seems to be destined to remain in obscurity.

Various sources have suggested that he would be better remembered had he not 'wasted' his talent on more ambitious works, but it would be interesting to hear them and surely his operas had some appeal on the basis of so many performances, notwithstanding the loyalty of the Welsh to their great composer. I would particularly like to hear Nebuchadnezzar!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18770309
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg1CYPO6DKQ

[eschiss1]

there is a catalog of Joseph Parry's (existing, known to and available to his estate) work at Josephparry.org. 2 symphonies are listed @ page 11 (1869 and ca.1869). A string quartet, too, from the same year and three piano sonatas from 1868, "[1868]" and 1870. I'm curious enough anyway... This differs slightly from Grove's list though only slightly.

https://josephparry.org/assets/Catalogue%20of%20Joseph%20Parry's%20Works.pdf.

[JimL]

Any relation (however distant) to Charles Hubert Hastings?

[Gareth Vaughan]

None at all, as far as I am aware.