Unsung Composers

The Music => Composers & Music => Topic started by: giles.enders on Thursday 23 December 2010, 15:33

Title: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: giles.enders on Thursday 23 December 2010, 15:33
Brian Easdale is remembered, if at all, as the composer for the film The Red Shoes, which is very highly rated.  He wrote a piano concerto in 1935, does any one know any thing about it ?. Is it in the romantic idiom, where is the score or better still are his scores all in one collection?
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: eschiss1 on Thursday 23 December 2010, 15:41
will see what I can- he arranged the revision of Britten's piano concerto, and apparently his concerto was broadcast the same year as the original version of Britten's was written ('38) - odd.
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: eschiss1 on Thursday 23 December 2010, 15:54
(though Randel in Harvard Concise and Harvard Biographical dates Easdale's concerto's composition to 1937- do we have a good source for that :))
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Friday 24 December 2010, 11:04
Lewis Foreman might well be able to help.
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: Pengelli on Friday 24 December 2010, 14:59
The 'Red Shoes' is one of my parents favourite films. I'm sure someone brought out a cd of some of his music some years ago,or it may just have been a new recording of the film score. The movie incorporates an extended ballet sequence. According to Wikipedia Easdale wrote some opera's,chamber music,concert works,and a choral work,'Missa Coventrensis'. Another composer that Dutton,or maybe,Chandos could investigate,if the scores are available. He sounds interesting. Have to confess though,that 'The Red Shoe's',isn't my kind of film. I can't stand ballet,(watching it,not the music!),but it is considered a classic.
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Sunday 17 April 2011, 22:39
It woud appear that many of Easdale's MSS are in the possession of The Music Sales Group. I shall be contacting them to see what is available.
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: alberto on Monday 18 April 2011, 12:33
The forum is useful to me  to return to appreciated and not forgotten music. So is the case of the CD Silva Screen (FILMCD 072- Kenneth Alwyn cond., Phila. Orch., 1990) containing, together with movie music by Vaughan Williams, Schurmann and Bliss, the very fine (and Oscar prized) "The red shoes ballet".(The -otherwise rich- booklet mentions the existence of a piano concerto saying nothing about it).
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: eschiss1 on Monday 18 April 2011, 14:29
according to http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/easdale.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/easdale.htm) Easdale's concerto was broadcast in 1938. (I thought you meant a concerto made out of the Red Shoes ballet- a procedure not unheard of!)
Title: Re: Brian Easdale 1909-1995
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Wednesday 20 April 2011, 12:16
Having spoken to Adam Harvey at The Music Sales Group, I can confirm that such MS music as was extant at the time of Easdale's death was deposited with them, and exists in "a trunk". It has not been sorted and catalogued yet, but Adam says a lot of it is in pencil and may not be in a photocopyable state. However, he has promised to have a more thorough investigation when time allows. Mention of the "Concerto lyrico" rang a bell with him - Dutton, apparently, had made some enquiries about it (promising!). Anyhow, it all depends upon the condition of the MSS and how much work will be involved to bring them into a performable state.