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[Dorian Le Gallienne]

A few members have asked me for more details about Melbourne's Dorian Le Gallienne. The ABC's online performance of his short Sinfonietta (1956) is at: http://www.abc.net.au/classic/australianmusic/stories/s2347780.htm
BTW - for a full list of ABC classics online, mostly by unsung composers, see: http://www.abc.net.au/classic/australianmusic/presented/default.htm

Alas, Le Gallienne's Symphony (1953), described in 1967 by the music critic Roger Covell as 'still the most accomplished and purposive ... written by an Australian', is still not available on-line or on CD. I have it on cassette tape, ex-radio, and will upload it as soon as I am able (I'm still not set up again for digitizing, after a complete computer change earlier this year).
A detailed, illustrated biography of Le Gallienne, in several parts, starts at: http://www.malsmusings.info/index_files/DORIAN_First.htm

Getting back to Widor - I see that he wrote a significant amount of orchestral music which doesn't feature the organ, including 2 symphonies, a Spanish overture, at least half a dozen works for chorus & orchestra, several ballets and associated suites, various bits of incidental music, a Fantaisie for piano & orchestra, a cello concerto and a violin concerto, and ISMPL lists the two piano quintets as concertos. None of this music appears in current CD catalogues, as far as I can tell, and I must confess I've never heard anything but his organ works. His chamber works and songs have been quite widely recorded. Does anyone know what the orchestral music is like?

Arbuckle - that's very kind. I'm going to enjoy listening to these today - thank you.

From perhaps a rather different perspective the two reviews on Amazon both rate it 4 out of 5, as does the review at hbdirect.com; the review at aud.aud.com seems to be liekwise positive but not enthusiastic "quite enjoyable". It gets two positive reviews and a third absolutely slating it at:
http://www.sa-cd.net/showreviews/6155
I have the Guild recording of the Op.42 arrangement. The organ is spectacular but doesn't overwhelm the orchestra, and I think this is as good as it can be. The dynamics are always a problem, I much prefer the organ alone, and I suspect Widor was perhaps persuaded to make the arrangement against his better judgement.(?)

AS - the download for the Lipatti actually seems to be the Concertante Sym. for 2 pianos and string orchestra, Op.5. (1939) - in any case it's brilliant! I love it - full of spikey rhythms and totally engaging. Many thanks. Now ... I'm hoping the Op.3 Concertino is as good.

[britishcomposer]

britishcomposer - Thank you for this wonderful music. As a latecomer to the forum, I have only just listened to the Weismann files in the downloads pages. Pure enjoyment! And, totally new to me.
jimmatt ... is there any chance you might be able to temporarily reupload the piano concertos etc?

Jerry, I agree entirely with your comments about the neglect of American music. I mentioned several examples in the unsung 20thC symphonists thread, but it is across the board, and certainly here in Aus., where the European mainstream dominates - with the exception of Copland and Bernstein. Our annual international chamber music festival here in Townsville attracts some big names from overseas, and that sometimes brings a chance to hear less familiar works by American composers, and in recent years they have been broadcast nationally by the ABC. Overall, the choice of recordings of any but the mainstream is poor or non-existent. How about we start an American Music thread?

Alberto - you certainly did well! I have CDs of 4,7,& 9, plus tapes of 5,6,8,and 11, and the 4th Piano Concerto, Royal Parks and an excerpt fron Iernin. And, I enjoy all of them. I've never heard The Vigil of Venus, but I see that it, and the Argo recording re-issue, get a positive review at:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Feb03/lloyd_vigil.htm
I agree entirely with the two reviewers' choice of 'key works' - it's hard to go past the 6th - and I suppose one can hardly disagree that the later works are less inventive... maybe due to Lloyd's deteriorating health. Wiki lists 12 symphonies - and a Requiem, completed just before he died aged 85, and dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales.

There's an 18 minute play of the Albany recording of Lloyd's 11th Sympnoy at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAnFyzowTfU

I think it gives a good feel for his work......

I taped the BBC premiere's of his symphonies many years ago, prior to the Albany releases, and have been a fan ever since. I think the 6th is probably my favourite. I described them in a previous e-mail (on the 20thC symphonists thread) as swashbuckling - they are certainly big romantic works, and I think they have a strong streak of nationalism (patriotism, maybe) which reflect the composer's war experiences. Maybe, like Elgar, they appeal most to British ears? Then, of course, there's his opera Iernin - anyone familiar with that?

[Dorian Le Gallienne]

I just want to mention another almost forgotten Australian composer, Dorian Le Gallienne (nonetheless well covered by Wikipedia), who is credited with a substantial list of works. His brilliant Symphony in E (1953), rated as second only to the Hughes symphony of the period, has still not made it to CD as far as I can tell. I certainly cherish my taped performance, which I believe it can be heard on-line, courtesy of the ABC.

[Olav Kielland]

Yes, I agree about Saeverud. If I recall correctly, his sombre style is maintained in his Peer Gynt Suites, Op.28. Wiki says that he ....was widely famous for his humour [!!], mainly of a grotesque kind. "I was born on a graveyard," he said, and it is a fact that the ground under the house where he was born was both a former graveyard and a place of execution. He was convinced that his mother's nightmares there had influenced both him as a person and composer: "My music is terribly melancholy - wildly melancholy."

This reminds me to mention another Norwegian symphonist, Olav Kielland, who wrote 4 symphonies (apologies if he's already appeared in this thread). I know the 1st because it was issued on LP by Philips (LPO, cond. by Kielland) but I've never heard any of he others. Does anyone in the forum know them?

Sicmu: Thank you for that symphony by Chen-Pei Xun - I have a pile of Hugo CDs but he's new to me, totally unexpected in style, and most engaging. I see some of his compositions featuring Chinese instruments and the HKPO are available on a Marco Polo CD. Definitely worth investigating.

Thanks JimL - it worked!

[Derek Bourgeois]

Have we mentioned Derek Bourgeois? According to his website he has composed 64 symphonies plus another for wind instruments, of which only his 6th and 8th have been put on CD. During the 80s, I taped a BBC broadcast of him conducting the Bournemouth Sinfonietta in his 5th, plus Christopher Seamon conducting his Chamber of Horrors - 4 Demonic Dances. Anybody else have any of his work?