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Interesting they both have very similar moustaches and high foreheads

Anyway, I'm with Ilja: the Symphony in A minor is by Kauffmann, not Franke! And from Reverie's video it can be established that the publisher was Carl Paez

Both the violin and cello concertos are also published by Carl Paez

[Symphony (1886)]

Very little to be found about this composer. He was a pupil of Friedrich Kiel and lived/worked most of his life in Magdeburg, Germany. His cello concerto (1899) won considerable recognition.

Any help with his biography would be much appreciated.

Here is my rendition of his Symphony (1886)

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdf9dqKoV_g

Uploaded again now WITH harps

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pT_kM4Hvq8

I have taken the youtube down so I can fix the lack of harps! It seems I have inadvertently overwritten some files so I'd like to get it right and upload again. Apologies.

[Das Leben ein Traum**]

Born in 1862, Klose came to serious composition relatively late, but after receiving his first score, Wagner's Lohengrin, he was completely bowled over. He not only became a fervent admirer of Wagner (later this was to spread to Liszt and Berlioz) but also had the good fortune of being a pupil of Bruckner.

As expected, his music reflects all the opulence and grand orchestration of these afforementioned composers, but his language has many original touches. These are witnessed most clearly in his tone poem Das Leben ein Traum** composed in 1896 (basically a symphony) and in his only opera Ilsebill. of 1903.

Two earlier works, Elfenreigen and Festzug both dating from 1892 show his developing orchestral skills - moments of great delicacy contrasted with an ability to handle larger resources with an assured maturity.

Here are my realisations of these two short tone poems:

Elfenreigen und Festzug (Now WITH harps)

LINK:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pT_kM4Hvq8




** This is a project I have already begun and it is proving to be most fascinating!

Thank you. It's wonderful music isn't it!

The Marriot Library (University of Utah) has an archive dedicated to Shepherd.

I found this in their brief history:

His "Overture to a Drama," composed in 1919, received four performances by the Cleveland Orchestra alone, the last being "illuminated by an impassioned performance under George Szell," according to the feature story in the April 1950 issue of Musical Quarterly.

These were possibly the last performances?

[Overture to a Drama]

Arthur Shepherd was born in Paris, Idaho, into a Mormon family.

He entered the New England Conservatory when he was only twelve years old graduating with honors. In his twenties he returned to the Conservatory to further his studies under George Chadwick among others.

He is best known for his Horizons Symphony (1921)

Overture to a Drama dates from 1919 - this rendition reveals a composer with a complete mastery of the orchestra. He joins the list of many forgotten American composers.

OVERTURE TO A DRAMA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XbU9B1YyFE

Thank you Alan - now corrected on the other post too.

[Symphony, Op.67 (1902)]

So ..... here it is. I've had this almost finished for a while. Now it is!

Symphony, Op.67 (1902)

1st mov  -  Allegro non troppo
2nd mov  -  Largo expressivo
3rd mov  -  Allegro vivace
4th mov  -  Allegro risoluto

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBvsJa0xBqg/edit

it quickly becomes obvious why the music hasn't found its place in the repertoire despite much exceedingly interesting writing. In a period when Kaun's contemporaries Strauss and Mahler were writing more striking stuff,

His mastery of the orchestra is very accomplished but I think his weakness is, simply put, the lack of a memorable melody. There are moments where you think a melody will be developed only to be overcome by some contrapuntal device in another part which takes over. Having said that the music is harmonically adventurous and beautifully scored with attention to detail. It should definitely be given a wider airing.

As you may have gathered I have a 'thing' about late romantic orchestral music and I agree this symphony promises to be up there in the top division. Interestingly there are parts of this first movement where you could be listening to an opera minus the voices.

I don't think it's as sophisicated as Berger or maybe we shouldn't be making comparisons?

SYMPHONY NO 1 in C major, Op.140  (1907)

My rendition of the first movement (others to follow).

There is a slow introduction to the main Allegro. However the whole movement is episodic so tempos vary.

LINK:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPsxN12I994

As to Op.45, have you digitized the score, out of curiosity?

Indeed I have. 

No I tried to volunteer and was met with a "raised eyebrow".

Despite the cutbacks they do have in the library a weekly (monthly?) concert. All the furniture is moved to make way for the recital. I perused the final Moor scores to the sound of some Rachmaninoff preludes which was a distraction, but most enjoyable all the same. It was attended by about twenty odd people which wasn't bad for mid-day just away from the madness of Leicester Square.