Some members may not yet have come across Michael Herman's National Orchestral Discography Pages at musicweb. A tremendous amount of work has clearly gone into compiling these extremely useful catalogues - http://www.musicweb-international.com/herman_discogs.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/herman_discogs.htm) :)
I agree. The pages are enormously useful, as is the very brief profile of composers. They are periodically updated, and suggestions for additions, amendments etc are cheerfully entertained. A real labour of love!
The only 'downside' of course is that you might think you've got a reasonably comprehensive collection of, e.g. 19th century French symphonies on the shelves. Then you consult the Michael Herman pages, and there's an awful sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach as you realise your knowledge of symphonies in that category is so dreadfully limited, partial and seriously incomplete, and (important point this) determined almost wholly by what record companies have chosen or happened to record. There is an apt passage somewhere in Nietzsche when, in demolishing the human pretention to have 'caught' the world within our cognitive apparatus, he compares us to solemn spiders sitting within our holes, casting out our nets, and failing to realise that all that is caught by those nets is only that which the net is capable of catching. Going through those Michael Herman pages I realise I'm but a Nietzchean spider, albeit a self-conscious one! Suppose one heartening thing about the UC site is that it is made up of a community of spiders all trying to climb out of their holes and gain a wider perspective on the world. The UC site is the enemy of complacency, and may it thrive! I, for one, have gained so much from you all.
Peter
... been dallying with Dallier, have we?
Eh? Who or what is Dallier with whom I'm alleged to dally? The erudition escapes me! I know of a French organist & composer called Henri Dallier - but that's hardly the reference. I need enlightenment.
actually- that was exactly my reference- you mentioned (among other things) (or I thought you did) the gap between the French symphonies one knew and the many there were that one didn't know and didn't know that there even were to know - and my mind went immediately to Dallier's F minor (http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.1,_Op.50_(Dallier,_Henri)) (published 1908). (I know nothing of its quality good or bad, but I know I hadn't heard of it until fairly recently, nor of Dubois' 3(3+?) symphonies, nor of...) Not alas relevant though since I know of no recording of the Dallier (... of anything other than organ works, a piano trio, and another chamber work or two- none of which I've heard at all.)
Eric
Ah, now I'm with you! A perfect illustration of the point!
BTW, Eric: welcome to hero-status! Much deserved!
Alan
*blink* now I really have been dallying- erm- I mean- thank you!!
Is this the same Mike Herman in New York that years ago sold cassette tapes of mostly broadcast music of mostly unsung composers?? Just curious.....
Jerry
Many thanks Albion and Peterschott for your nice words about my discographies. At the moment I am working on a new discography covering German and Austrian Symphonies from the 19th century forward (excluding the biggest names (Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Bruckner and Mahler). Then I hope to complete this series with American Symphonies and Asian Symphonies. Always looking for more sources of information.
Michael Herman
Hi Jerfilm,
Yes I am the same person. I gave up collecting rare broadcast tapes a numberof years ago as there was enough music by "unsung composers" coming out on CDs to satisfy my curiosity. Now my collecting need is satisfied by gathering information. By the way, if you don't mind, what's your name beyond Jerry?
Members may like to know that there are now some fascinating new pages relating to German and Austrian Symphonies - http://www.musicweb-international.com/German_Austrian_Symphonie/German_Austrian_Symphonies.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/German_Austrian_Symphonie/German_Austrian_Symphonies.htm)
Thanks, Albion. Mykulh, you have given us a most useful overview. What a tremendous, important job you have done!
I had a look earlier today - an excellent and fascinating resource!
Thanks guys for the nice words about my Discographies. I have been doing this work as I wanted to give back something useful to a wonderful hobby that has given me such great pleasure for close to fifty years. More Discographies are on the way (eventually!).
Mykulh, a great job, and very, very useful. But might I be so free to point out that at least two works in the 'totally unrecorded' list of Belgian symphonies have in fact been recorded?:
- Lodewijk Mortelmans: Homerische Symphonie .
- François Rasse, Romantische Symfonie (recorded in the eighties I think, by the BRT Omroeporkest under Daniel Sternefeld).
I'm also pretty sure Leo Moeremans' Vlaamse Symfonie was recorded at some point in the 1950s, but I have not yet been able track that recording down.
p.s. looking through the list you might mean 'released' recordings - in which case I didn't say anything.
I was surprised not to find Ciurlionis listed among the Baltic composers. Must be missing something...
Maybe because he didn't write a symphony...?