Friends! If a recording were to be made of the newly-orchestrated version of Draeseke's Violin Concerto, what would be an appropriate coupling - say, for an entry in Hyperion's RVC series?
Suggestions, plus reason(s), please!
Does it have to be orchestral? (Some of Hyperion's concerto discs have had piano-accompanied works, as I recall. And a new recording of Draeseke's (later) scene for violin and piano would make for a very interesting coupling to the violin concerto, since the first movement of the concerto shares so much material with the Scene, iirc...)
All suggestions are very welcome, Eric. Thanks for yours.
It would probably make sense to go for a violin concerto by another Wagner/Liszt inspired composer, say Siegfried Wagner or the ubiquitous Raff. Personally, I'd go for the Litolff Violin Concerto... no obvious connection to Draeseke that I know of, but how many of Hyperion's couplings do make sense?
If we are not constricted by works that may be relevant to Draeseke, but perhaps (almost) contemporary, I would again suggest the Philipp Scharwenka concerto, which seems to keep getting mentioned, but we are still waiting!.........
another thought: Draeseke's pupil Percy Sherwood's concerto. :)
IMSLP has the score of another Draeseke pupil, Kurt Striegler's Violin Concerto (http://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto,_Op.15_%28Striegler,_Kurt%29) in D minor Op.15 (published in 1913 by Junne.)
Thank you very much indeed for those proposals. Sherwood's VC in F (1902) would be a good choice, but the score in the Bodleian is only a reduction...
Hrm. Jürgen Schaarwächter's new book - Two Centuries of British Symphonism - mentions them too but he doesn't mention if he's seen the concertos. (I've heard of Schaarwächter in another connection. From the look of his book, might be worth a thread in itself.)
Why not another reading of the Draeseke in the piano/violin reduction? Since the orchestration is speculative at best, it might be enlightening to hear it plain.
I suppose that the answer to that is that the reduction is just that - a reduction, not a version actually intended for performance. In any case, the orchestration has been done by an acknowledged and experienced Draeseke expert.
I believe one can (or could?) hear one performance of it plain all the way through on YouTube and/or download that performance from draeseke.org? (Never having seen the reduction in score/part that performance is the basis on which I make my (obvious) comments about the similarity between one recurring themelet in its first movement and &c &c ...)
It (i.e. the reduction) can indeed still be heard at Draeseke.org:
http://www.draeseke.org/news/IDG2009VC/A-08_IDG_Meiningen2009.mp3 (http://www.draeseke.org/news/IDG2009VC/A-08_IDG_Meiningen2009.mp3)
http://www.draeseke.org/news/IDG2009VC/A-09_IDG_Meiningen2009.mp3 (http://www.draeseke.org/news/IDG2009VC/A-09_IDG_Meiningen2009.mp3)
http://www.draeseke.org/news/IDG2009VC/A-10_IDG_Meiningen2009.mp3 (http://www.draeseke.org/news/IDG2009VC/A-10_IDG_Meiningen2009.mp3)
The score can be found here:
http://www.draeseke.org/essays/violinconcerto_ms.htm#m2 (http://www.draeseke.org/essays/violinconcerto_ms.htm#m2)
Oh- checking IMSLP (which also has the reduction in ms) again the (or another) source of the score is Saxon State and University (Digital) Library Dresden. Thanks!
Yes, quite right. Having been directed to it there some years ago by the late Dr Alan Krueck, I managed to get SLUB's permission for the reduction to be copied.
I think an appropriate coupling would be Reinhold Becker's VC1. See this thread:
http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,3817.0.html (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,3817.0.html)
Does anyone know whether Hyperion uses particular libraries from which to borrow scores and parts for recordings?
Hard to say, I think. Some CD labels explicitly thank/acknowledge their sources here; whereas Hyperion on e.g. the PDF notes for their CD of Litolff's concerti symphonique(s) nos.2&4 only notes that the parts for no.2 were very difficult to locate, but not where they were.
QuoteDoes anyone know whether Hyperion uses particular libraries from which to borrow scores and parts for recordings?
To put it bluntly, Alan, they get them from whichever source is cheapest. In most cases this is Fleisher, when the collection has the work sought; otherwise, they use a variety of sources, including private collectors. They also have a few people whom they regularly employ to produce sets of parts, either from MSS or printed Partituren, when no set of parts exists (or can be found). The story of the Litolff 2nd Concerto Symphonique is a wonderful example of the inefficiency, lack of interest and "dog in the manger" attitude of a certain music publisher (I will tell you all about it sometime). Suffice it to say that Hyperion might have saved themselves a lot of trouble and expense had they known that the Newberry Library in Chicago has a set of parts for this work. When I read in
The Gramophone of the problems Hyperion had had with the publisher, I pointed this out to Mike Spring. Thereafter, he would sometimes ask me to help him find a particular work for which he needed performance material, and I was, of course, very happy to be of assistance. The Benedict C minor PC was a case in point: Mike had a set of orchestral parts, but no solo piano part. I was able to direct him to Cambridge University Library which had the solo piano part but nothing else.
Eric, I think you will find that when Hyperion have used Fleisher they have acknowledged the collection's loan in the CD booklet as Fleisher always asks that this be done, and it is, in any case, a proper and customary courtesy.
Very helpful, Gareth. Thank you. So, where might one best source copies of the score and parts of Reinhold Becker's VC1, Op.4?
The Zentralbibliothek in Zurich has the piano reduction in their catalogue (http://opac.nebis.ch/F/XVN5C268R23HAFKNX84IGQC4NBQ1HRY41S7QFDV446NG7G3PHV-00112?func=full-set-set&set_number=003310&set_entry=000036&format=999).
Alan, unsurprisingly, Fleisher has MS score and parts.
Thank you, Gareth. Is this the correct link?>>
https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/145553 (https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/145553)
What does one do next? Do they copy or loan out?
And to whom should one write at Hyperion now that Mike Spring has left?
I don't think Fleisher lend MS scores and parts to individuals, but talk to either Kile Smith or Stuart Serio. They might be able to offer an alternative like sending scans. They are both usually very helpful.
I would be inclined to write directly to Simon Perry, the Director at Hyperion.
Many thanks, Gareth. I'm on it...
By the way: is it best to write a letter to Mr Perry or send an email (which would contain a number of clickable links)?
Now if it had been not in the Fleisher Collection but in their (FLP's) "Music Department" (in the catalog entry; "Chamber Music" doesn't count as "Music Department"), they actually do interloan cross-library to individuals at other libraries (other things being equal), not just institutions (e.g. orchestras, etc.) requesting (though not always- their full score of Wetz's symphony no.2 is a "Music Department" item but they wouldn't loan it to me. Maybe too fragile! Always up to the library- one doesn't begrudge them that decision...)
Anyhow, have received some neat and interesting things from the main section of FLP.
(I hope Albany continues their series of works from the Fleisher collection. Clicking on "Violin and Orchestra- Scores and Parts" reveals works in their collection by Vreuls, Vierling, Urspruch (!), etc. ...)
QuoteBy the way: is it best to write a letter to Mr Perry or send an email (which would contain a number of clickable links)?
I really don't know. I would be inclined to do both - email with clickable links, but say in it that you will also be sending him a letter.
Thanks again, Gareth. No reply from Fleisher yet...
I'm delighted to report that Stuart Serio at the Fleisher has furnished me with all the details I needed. Now to send my proposal off to Hyperion...
Excellent news, Alan. I'm delighted
Good luck.
The proposal has now been sent to Hyperion...