Josef Holbrooke Symphonic Poems

[Pengelli]

That's unsuprising. Holbrooke seems to have had a large
ego so I wouldn't be suprised if there was!

[Pengelli]

Judging by my library Danielle Steel and Sidney Sheldon
are two of the greatest authors of the 20th century.

[Gareth Vaughan]

You misunderstand Holbrooke. He would have been one of us. He excoriated the British music establishment of his day for ignoring the music of his contemporaries and, in particular, of younger British composers, whose work he championed often, programming it in concerts which he organised and conducted at his own expense and which usually left him markedly out of pocket. There is no chapter on his own music in "Contemporary British Composers". There are chapters on: Elgar, Bantock, Bax, Frank Bridge, John Ireland, Cyril Scott, RVW, Rutland Boughton, Havergal Brian, Frederick Delius, Holst, Eugene Goossens, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Arthur Bliss, Herbert Howells, John Foulds, Lord Berners, Benjamin Dale, William Baines, Joseph Speaight (completely overlooked today), and Felix White (ditto). Further chapters discuss briefly "Some Others", including the Austins (Frederick & Ernest), Frederic d'Erlanger, Edward German, Balfour Gardiner, York Bowen, Walford Davies, Donald Tovey, Hamilton Harty and others whose names (disgracefully) are now completely forgotten. There is also a chapter on "Women Composers", but here Joseph confines himself to Ethel Smyth, Dorothy Howell and Rebecca Clarke. In most cases lists of works extant at the time are given.
His concluding vision of Britain "...with opera and orchestras in all our towns, playing the native music to the enthusiastic discrimination of all men, and beholden to no one." ... has not come to pass - to the utter shame of these islands - but it is a noble one, for those of us who care, to keep in mind.

[sdtom]

We can only hope that Naxos, CPO, or some other label will make available his works.  If nothing else our discussion and my review have helped to make people aware.  I've gotten a small number of people interested from the film music community.
Thomas

[Pengelli]

Sorry Gareth,I was just responding to Sdtom. Your reply
however has provided allot of useful information relating
to the content of this book.

[Pengelli]

Some of the names you mention would have been seen as very progressive & a bit daring at the time. I wonder if such a useful insight into the music of the time will at some point be made available on the internet?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Absolutely, Thomas. I think you are doing a great job. Much of his music is eminently cinematic, of course.