Emánuel Moór - Symphony No.5

[Gareth Vaughan]

Well, I have just spent all day at the Westminster Music Library going through some of the boxes of Moor's mss. and I am delighted to report that they DO have the MS Full Score of Symphony No. 7 in C. It is bound in 3 volumes - 1st movt; movts. 2 & 3; 4th movt - and is clean and legible. So the 1st violin part could be copied from this to complete the set of parts they already have, and thus enable a performance. They also have a complete set of parts for the 8th symphony.

I will report on my other discoveries later, but I must emphasise I only got through 4 boxes. There are at least another 6. I hope to be able to visit again on 7th January.

[eschiss1]

Thanks!!

[Mark Thomas]

Well done, Gareth, that sounds like a taxing but very rewarding day. Maybe I've lost track, but how, or why, have Moor's manuscripts ended up in the Westminster Library?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Because his wife, the English pianist Winifred Christie, gave them to the library after his death. But, unfortunately, they don't have the staff or resources to catalogue them properly - although they are trying.

[Reverie]

Oh well done Gareth. Did they allow you into the off site store then?

If you can ask them to keep the full MS of that 8th symphony handy (in the main library) I will happily get down in the new year and make a typed up copy of that 1st violin part at least, and if time the whole score.

[eschiss1]

As to having a commercial recording of one of his symphonies, that could be a lot of potentially risky commercial expenditure without a soloist to benefit compared to a chamber music recording, perhaps. I guess it may also depend on how well his other recordings have been doing?

[Gareth Vaughan]

As promised, I give below the results of my few hours before Christmas at the Westminster Music Library. I had time only to examine the contents of 4 boxes. There are many more, so the inventory is by no means complete (I have probably listed about 25-30% of what is there. Please note that the "concertos" box does not represent all the concerto mss they have - same with the "symphonies" box. I know there are a lot more orchestral scores, not to mention the operas, choral works, chamber and piano pieces. I shall be back again on the afternoon of 7th January, but not sure when I will have time to go there again - maybe not until the spring; we will have to see).

EMANUEL MOÓR – Mss at Westminster Music Library

19/12/2025

BOX 1 – Concertos

1.   Concertstück for violin, cello and orchestra, Op. 98, in A major
Piano score + solo instruments. 26pp.
[Lausanne, 17 Oct. 1909]

2.   Concertstück for violin and orchestra, Op. 143, in E major
   Full score. 72pp.  2222 4230 timp., harp, strings
   [29 Aug. 1912]

3.   Ballade (Concertstück) for violin and orchestra, Op. 143, in E major
   Piano/violin score. 10pp. (last page damaged, affecting final 8 bars)
   [Lausanne, 30 June 1912]

4.   Prelude No. 2 (for cello and piano), Op. 128, in D major; arr. violin & piano
   Full score. 8pp.

5.    Concerto for cello and orchestra, Op. 61
2nd violin part only. 12pp.

6.   Concertstück for piano and orchestra (without opus no. –  not the same as Op. 88 below)
   2 piano score (incomplete – only 7 pages)

7.   Concertstück for piano and orchestra, Op. 88, in E flat minor
(Dedicated to Maurice Dumesnil) 1ére audition: Concert Sechiari, 11 Mar. 1909, Salle Gareau
   Full score. 69pp.  2222 4230 timp., strings
+ set of parts: 6 1st violins, 5 2nd violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos, 3 basses; flutes; oboes; clarinets in b flat; bassoons; horns 1 & 2; horns 3 & 4; trumpets in C; trombones 1 & 2; trombone 3; timpani.

8.   Overture, Op. 24
   Full score. 58pp.  2222 4230 timp., strings
   (Dedicated: "to my dear wife in memory of 1891")

8A.   Overture, Op. 24
   Full score. 32pp. (incomplete – ends at pencil 36)*
   *[marked in both 8 and 8A]

9.    2nd Concerto for cello and orchestra, Op. 64
   Piano/cello score. 43pp.
   (Dedicated to Casals)

10.   Concerto for 2 cellos and orchestra, Op. 69
   Piano/celli score. 41pp.
   (Dedicated to Pablo Casals and Ghuilhermina Suggia)

11.   Piano concerto, Op. 85, in E flat major
Full score.  2222 4230 timp., strings
Movts 1 & 2, pp. 1-71
Movt. 3, Allegro moderato (energico), marked "new Finale", paginated 1-59

12.   Concerto for Chromatic Harp and orchestra, Op. 141
   Piano/Harp score. 25pp.
(Dedicated to Mademoiselle Renée Lénors)

13.    Piano concerto, Op. 85, in E flat major
Orchestral parts: 6 1st violins, 5 2nd violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos, 3 basses; flute 1, flute 2, oboe 1, oboe 2, clarinet 1, clarinet 2, bassoon 1, bassoon 2; horns 1 & 2, horns 3 & 4, trumpet 1, trumpet 2, trombone 1, trombone 2, trombone 3. Timpani part missing.

14.   Piano concerto, Op. 85
   2 piano score – with old Finale. 40pp.
   + new Finale (27pp.)

15.   Piano concerto in D major (without opus no.)
   Full score (printed). Simrock, Berlin, 1894.  99pp.  2222 4230 timp., strings
      
16.   Piano concerto in C minor, Op. 46
   2 piano score (printed proofs, corrected in red). 77pp.

17.   Violin concerto in G major (without opus no.)
   Full score. 136pp.  2222 4230 timp., strings
   (Dedicated to Henri Marteau)  Lausanne, 1905

18.   Concerto for piano, violin and orchestra (without opus no.) in D
   Piano score. April 10th, 1911
   1. Andante, & 2. Intermezzo – pp. 1-44
   3. Finale – Allegro giocoso, paginated 1-15

19.   Concerto for piano, violin and orchestra (without opus no.) in D
   Full score. 215pp. (but pp. 165-201 missing).  2222 4230 timp., strings
   Lausanne, 14 April 1911

19A.   Concerto for violin and orchestra (without opus no.) in A minor (marked "early work")
   Piano score. 18pp + separate cadenza
[with this is included the 1st movt. of another violin concerto (piano/violin score only) in A major, 24pp.]



BOX 2 – mainly uncatalogued sketches and fragments
[Contents not examined in detail.]

BOX 3 – (contains old index cards of Moór archive, not corresponding to contents)

1.   Chant Funèbre for orchestra (9 August 1910)
   Full score (34pp.) + parts (2 sets)
3 (picc.), 2 + cor anglais, 2 + bass clart., 2 + contra-bassoon; 4231; timp, perc. (bass drum, triangle, glockenspiel); harp; strings

2.   'Andreas Hofer' – opera.  Act I
   Full score. pp. 1-136
2A.   'Andreas Hofer'.  Act II
   Full score. pp. 137-301
2B.   'Andreas Hofer'.  Act III
   Full score. pp. 302-567
2C.   'Andreas Hofer'.  Act IV
   Full score. paginated 1-162
2D.   Vorspiel zu 'Andreas Hofer'
   Full score. 52pp.
2E.   Vorspiel to Act IV
   Full score. 18pp.

3.   Chant Héroique for orchestra
   Full score (2 bound copies, both complete; one with 84pp., the other with 90pp)
   + set of parts

BOX 4 – symphonies

1.   Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 67 (Vevey, Aug. 1906)
   Full score. 1st movt.

2.    Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 67
   Full score. 2nd & 3rd movts.

3.   Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 67
   Full score. 4th movt.

4.   Bound sketches for Symphony No. 7

5.   Symphony No. 6 in E minor, Op. 65
   Full score. 192pp.
   + 4 pp. of sketches for a symphony in E minor (but NOT Op. 65)

6.   Symphony in B flat [Symphony No. 4]
   Full score.   1st movt. pp. 1-46
         2nd movt. pp. 47-76
      Scherzo ("from 4th Symphonie") pp. 1-35
      4th movt. pp. 35(a)-94
      + Schlüss ("from 4th Symphonie") pp. 1-5
All bound in one volume.

7.   Symphony No. 8 (in A minor)
   Full set of orchestral parts.

[Reverie]

Many, many thanks for all this. Were you based off site or at the actual library?

[Gareth Vaughan]

At the actual library. That's the only way you can get to see the mss. I have to emphasise that they are uncatalogued and, to a large extent, unsorted. They just reside in cardboard boxes. The staff have to lug them up two floors from the basement to the Music Reading Room for me. They have been very helpful. It is shameful that they don't have the resources properly to catogue and display the archive, or at least put it in such a condition that scholars can readily access it remotely. But this, I fear, is the way in this country. It wouldn't happen in France or Germany where scholarship and academic/creative heritage are valued.

[Reverie]

Thanks. I will get down in the new year hopefully.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Martin, you will have to let them know first by email. You won't be able just to turn up and expect to be able to see the mss. You'll need to make an arrangement beforehand to avoid disappointment. Athen Ayran is the lady to contact.

[eschiss1]

btw it seems symphony no.8 is Op.92, whether or not published. I added a little of the info you've provided to IMSLP (will remove same at request). Thanks!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Thanks, Eric. It will be good to have that on IMSLP.

[eschiss1]

By the way, Westminster also, I see, has his cello concerto no.2 Op.64 (full parts apparently if "orchestral set" means what I think?... also for Op.61 and two of the piano concertos - Op.57 and the D major, etc. ...), violin sonata no.1 Op.12, which we're also lacking, violin sonata no.7 Op.74, piano quintet Op.19, and cello sonata no.1(b) Op.53 (not sure about cello sonata no.1 Op.22 )