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Very pleased to see the Suite here, which I suggested to Mike Spring alongside a couple more concertante works by Lacombe some years ago.

I'd heard good things about Lacombe, and have listened to some of his shorter works, so this is a good opportunity to try some more major works out for myself. I suspect I will be well rewarded for doing so!

Many thanks Wheesht. I have been on the Bru Zane website several times, but I hadn't realised you could request assistance from their musicologists, so thank you very much for your helpful suggestion.

4c

Jacques Maho / Julien Hamelle.

I'm interested in the Maho music estate as it was when bought by Hamelle in 1877, and, separately, the Hamelle music estate around 1876-78. Not just published catalogues, but also items in manuscript.

Does anyone know of a musical estate for Lalo? I'm trying to find out if he owned any manuscripts by other composers. One composer I'm thinking of was a close friend of his and Lalo was at his funeral to the best of my knowledge. It's possible he was bequeathed some works.

Might anyone here know of an expert on French music publishers? My query is more specifically about those active in the latter half of the 19th century.

Many thanks.

I'm hoping someone here will know who may be an expert on Lalo. My question to them isn't explicitly to do with this composer but Lalo could have a direct connection.

Many thanks.

[MORITZ MOSZKOWSKI: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC, VOLUME FOUR]

Referring back to this topic thread, several members will be pleased to learn of this work's forthcoming release - the feature item on Volume Four of Toccata Classics's ongoing 'Orchestral Works' series.

MORITZ MOSZKOWSKI: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC, VOLUME FOUR
Symphony in D minor (1873)
Laurin: four episodes from the ballet

Sinfonia Varsovia
Ian Hobson

First recordings

Best wishes to all.
4c

Does anyone have a direct contact at Chandos - ideally but not essentially in the artist/repertoire management side?

The contact form on their website is not working. I prefer not to phone in general.

Thanks
4c

as to other French Romantic era composers of flute quartets, how about Walckiers?..

Thanks for the reminder on Walckiers, Eric. For some reason I always think of Walckiers as Belgian - probably because the surname doesn't look particularly French to me. Must check his quartets out.

Ah yes, good old Reicha. But, again, from the generation or so before Kreutzer.

...but probably an as yet unacknowledged great composer?

I would concur!

Ah yes, good old Reicha. But, again, from the generation or so before Kreutzer.

Thanks TerraEpon.

Yes I'm now aware of Kuhlau's contributions to the flute ensemble repertory thanks to a helpful aid on IMSLP, but he was of the generation before Kreutzer, and Bozza came significantly later. I suppose I should have said 'unusual chamber grouping for the time'. I wonder how many other French Romantic-era composers wrote for the same forces?

Count me out too - with apologies!

No need for apologies! It wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea of course. 

That group would exclude me, I'm afraid!

I would normally have said that for myself too, but given the unusual chamber grouping I was happy to give it a whirl! And of course it would sound even better with real performers.

[LISTEN HERE - Kreutzer - Flute Quartet in D Major]

Delighted to say I've found an audio version of the above work, which, on the basis of hearing it through fully for the first time, absolutely deserves to be performed and recorded commercially.

This work was praised by Berlioz and critics of the time for its sense of fantasy and ingenuity. With quite clear hints as to the influence of Beethoven (at least to my ears), this could be one of the strongest works of his I've heard. In parts there is even an orchestral feel to it, which is an effect I often sense with Kreutzer's chamber works that I've heard.

• Mvt 1 - Amoroso: Very straightforward, simple even, and should be playable by any good amateur group.
• Mvt 2 - Scherzo. Vivace: More ambitious in scale - quite rigidly constructed and worked out, but with a good sense of forward movement and even drama. Strangely, this movement is given the title 'Scherzo', but I feel this title should be reserved for the following movement...
• Mvt 3 - Fantasia: Particularly delightful - including some piquant turns of harmony and rather delicious effects, giving the overall work a bit of an impish, fantastic turn.
• Mvt 4 - Finale: The longest movement and a little four-square, but never dull, and including a brief but sweet segué at the end given over to piccolos.

LISTEN HERE - Kreutzer - Flute Quartet in D Major (Click on the 'Audio' tab)

Best wishes to all.

4c