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[Ouverture Fantasie (1907)]

Vasily Zolotarev (1872-1964) was born in the Russian city of Taganrog. He studied at the St Petersburg Conservatory with Rimsky-Korsakov and Mily Balakirev. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory for a number of years and then in Belarusian Academy of Music in Minsk.

Ouverture Fantasie lasts for about 14 mins and has, for me,  glimpses of the Russian masters,  Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky and even Stravinski (listen 05:40) who was a contemporary (a little later maybe)

Ouverture Fantasie (1907)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgcWpvKLumY

[LINK:]

Prout's four symphonies, composed between 1873 and 1886, were all performed at the Crystal Palace and are startling for their conservatism at the time, although their style is typical of Prout as a whole. 

Apparently he took Raff to task for putting the second subject of the opening movement of the Im Walde Symphony in the sub dominant instead of the more conventional dominant key. This comment speaks volumes I feel. 

See this previous post: https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,263.msg9481.html#msg9481

SYMPHONY No.3, Op.22 (1885)

LINK:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Watz9DyE68U


The slow introduction to the 1st mov is, I think, actually the best piece of writing in the whole symphony. It has a measured grandeur in it's melodic shape and phrasing. Wonderful stuff from 1:20

[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

[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!

[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

Trying to find a photo of the above composer (Fritz Kauffmann) but not having much success.

IMSLP for him is here: https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Kauffmann%2C_Fritz

I wonder if some kind soul might be able to help

Thanks

For more than 50 years, Striegler was committed to Dresden's musical life as a teacher, conductor, musician and composer.

He studied composition from 1900 to 1905 with Draeseke and conducting with Kutzschbach at the Dresden Conservatory.

Striegler composed operas, orchestral and chamber works, as well as songs, choral and organ compositions. Stylistically his music is very much in the late Romantic tradition. He may be best remembered in a rather negative light, as a result of his refusal to lend support to his conducting colleague Fritz Busch when Busch was under fire from the Nazis during the Third Reich.

The 4th Symphony dates from 1913 and is in one movement in four sections. I have made a rendition of the first part (Allegro risoluto) and the second (Adagio - canon)

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7FYAd4hjiA

[Symphony No.1 Op 50 in C minor (1861)]

Ernst Pauer was born in Vienna and studied piano there with Franz Xaver Mozart (son of Wolfgang) and composition with Simon Sechter. He then travelled to Munich where he continued his studies with Franz Lachner after which he briefly took up a position as an editor for the famous publisher Schott.

In 1851, he visited London giving a series of concerts to great acclaim and leading to his taking up residency in England. He founded a concert series in London and was one of the city's leading pianists. Eventually, he was appointed Professor at the Royal College of Music and also served on the music faculty of Cambridge University.

As a player, he was regarded as a direct link with the great Viennese traditions. He composed a great deal of music in most genres, which in its time was widely respected. In addition, he was considered one of the finest arrangers of his time.

He made excellent arrangements of symphonies by Beethoven and Schumann, for piano solo, piano, 4-hands, and piano, 8-hands, and also arranged many of Mendelssohn's orchestral works; these arrangements were widely used in the 19th century and were extremely useful for young pianists until the advent of the phonograph administered a lethal blow to this type of musical activity.

Thankfully he also composed himself and the following work shows, I believe, he had great skill and ability.

Symphony No.1 Op 50 in C minor (1861) has four movements as follows:

1st - Adagio/Allegro
2nd - Scherzo and Trio
3rd - Andante
4th - Finale: Allegro con fuoco

LINK to the digital realisation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNMMtlu6S3U

A couple of months ago I was down in London visiting my daughter and took the time to visit Westminster Library. It's one of those places you'd never notice if you weren't actually looking for it. It's just slightly away from the mayhem of Leicester Square.

I was following in the footsteps of Mr Gareth Vaughan, a poster on this site. (I hope he reads this!) He, like myself was on a quest for music by one Emmanuel Moor. I think Mr Vaughan made his visit about 12 years or so ago. He made reference to finding symphonic scores in a basement.

I had contacted the library prior to my visit only to be told the Moor Archive was now housed in a separate building, off site. They could bring me only a few items - the librarian suggested symphonies 3, 5 & 8. Number 7 was in the main catalogue.

No 3 in D minor had the published score (conductors score) 

No 5 in A minor was handwritten with crossing outs/additions etc..

No 7 in C was just the orchestral parts but to my annoyance MINUS the 1st violin part.

No 8 in A minor was the full score and handwritten.

I managed to take more than a few photos. A large memory stick came in handy.

I still haven't had time to look over a lot of the music but No 3 in D minor has occupied me initially as has No 6 in E minor which is on IMSLP.

For those wishing to hear some orchestral music from this very much neglected composer I offer you a few extracts from the 3rd Symphony.

EDIT: (See post below for full symphony)

1. Allegro poco agitato
2. Andante sostenuto
3. Scherzo - molto allegro
4. Maestoso - allegro

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's "The Atonement" (a cantata for chorus/soloists and orchestra) will be performed Thursday, March 16, at 8:00 p.m. in Hill Auditorium, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan.

I'm hoping there will be a recording of this, fingers crossed.  It has not been performed in its entirety in over 100 years.

Details: https://rackham.umich.edu/discover-rackham/reviving-the-lost-work-of-a-groundbreaking-black-composer/

I have created a rendition of the Prelude.

The Atonement Prelude:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ISZAVj0k90

Strube was a German-born conductor and composer.

Strube was born in the Harz Mountains of Ballenstadt in 1867 and came from a musically gifted family. His earlymusical education was at the Leipzig Conservatory where he studied violin with Brodsky, composition with Jadassohn and Reinicke and piano with Reckendorf.

In 1891 he emigrated to America. He was the founding conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1916, and taught at the Peabody Conservatory.

His output, although not huge is varied ranging from full scale orchestral works such as this symphony to a good handful of chamber compositions.

(Maybe a kind soul could come up with a work list?)

The symphony in B minor (1910) is in four movs:

Andante - Allegro comodo
Adagio, ma non troppo
Scherzo: Allegro vivace
Finale: Allegro energico

It runs in total for about 36 mins.

SYMPHONY in B minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooaW-vD5Woo

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWn52aqR9w]

Frank Van der Stucken was born in Texas, USA. His father was a Belgian immigrant who had emigrated from Antwerp in 1852. However, Frank was sent back to Europe and spent most of his early years studying in Belgium and Germany. By 1882 he was producing concerts of his own compositions, in Weimar and elsewhere in Germany, under the patronage of Liszt. Acting upon the advice of Max Bruch, he returned to the United States in 1884, He settled in New York initially and then Cincinnati. After 1895 he conducted the symphony concerts of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

He moved back to Germany in 1908 and died in Hamburg at the age of 70.

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Pax triumphans ('Triumph of Peace') was composed to celebrate the end of the Spanish-American war. In an introduction to the score Van der Stucken offers an elaborate explanation for his work and the Leitmotifs he uses. The work ends with (yes .... yet another) appearance of "Nun danket alle Gott" but this one is given the full treatment.

Van der Stucken conducted the work in 1906 in Cincinatti at the first May Festival which he lead as a music director. The choral parts at the end were sung by a children's choir. The work is scored for a huge orchestra (I think the children would have been drowned out in the "Nun danket alle Gott")

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Don't be put off by the harsh sounding introduction - it's the conflict before the peace and hope - the music mellows beautifully given time, with a sumptuous legato melody which recurs often - the piece ends majestically and, without question, trimphantly.

Running time 16 mins.


LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWn52aqR9w

Paul Lacombe was born in Carcassonne, a hilltop town in southern France's Languedoc area. His family were wealthy linen merchants and consequently he was given the best tuition available in the area.

Lacombe was an admirer of the music of Georges Bizet, particularly the opera The Pearl Fishers. In 1866 he began a correspondence with Bizet and asked him to help with his composition. Bizet accepted, and for two years, from 1866 to 1868, compositional advice and corrections were exchanged via post. Bizet wrote to Lacombe in 1867 encouraging him to write a symphonic work. Lacombe produced the Ouverture symphonique, Op. 22, which was premiered in 1876, a performance Bizet never heard due to his untimely death the previous year.

Though Lacombe's music was well appreciated among fellow composers and musicians, it never gained a widespread popularity - this was largely a result of his unwillingness to leave his hometown of Carcassonne for Paris. He was a prolific composer with more than 150 works, a large volume of piano music, concertante works, chamber music and some 120 songs, many of which still remain in manuscript.


Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 34 (1882)

The opening horn melody serves as an Idee Fixe throughout the whole symphony.



The work is in four movements. 1.Allegro 2.Adagio 3.Allegro Vivo (Scherzo) 4.Allegro Con Moto

LINK:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GIrlboXS0w

Very little known about this composer. The dates I have copied off IMSLP so I don't know how accurate that is? I hope someone can do some "digging" !

Anyway this piano concerto has been a hidden wonder for too long. Great balance between orchestra and soloist.

PIANO CONCERTO:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnl_M80W_ww

[Liebesfrühling:]

Most of Georg Schumann's output was for the voice but there are, to my knowledge, orchestral recordings of Symphony No 1 (1887), Symphony No 2 (1905) and the Lebensfreude Overture (1911).

He was an almost exact contemporary of Richard Strauss and indeed his music shows similarities in it's sparkling orchestration and rapid changes of tempo.  From 1900, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was Schumann's preferred orchestra for world and German premieres of his works.

Liebesfrühling, Op.28 dates from about 1901-1902. It's in one movement and lasts for about 12 mins. It's exudes a wonderful "joie de vivre" and is a must listen for any lovers of late romantic orchestral fare.

Liebesfrühling:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQg7rW_e65c

[Concert Overture and Intermezzo Scherzoso]

Concert Overture and Intermezzo Scherzoso

An Austrian composer, whose early musical education began as a choir-boy of the court chapel in Vienna and later as a student at the Convervatorium der Musikfreunde until 1874, when he worked with Bruckner, Dessoff and Epstein under the endowment of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and obtained a silver medal. 

His many compositions include mainly pianoforte music and songs. There is however, a small body of orchestral/string music notably a Suite in five movements for strings and pianoforte, and a Prelude, Minuet and Fugue for string orchestra.  Why Hugo didn't produce more orchestral music is a mystery as he comes across as having a mature grasp of solid, effective orchestration

(BTW - the Suite in five movements for strings and pianoforte is in the "pipeline" - it's a great piece! There is a symphony Op.22 (Kistner, 1892) . I'd love to see that score but sadly, its whereabouts is a mystery. I'd be over-joyed if someone could locate it of course)

The two movements in this rendition, the Concert Overture and Intermezzo Scherzoso, are for full orchestra and I have set them to run together. They date roughly from the same year, 1882. This music is conservative mid-romantic fare BUT very tuneful and appealing.

Concert Overture and Intermezzo Scherzoso

LISTEN:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTa8ieqM3Nw

[Hero & Leander Ouverture in D-minor, Op.11 (1841)]

I first stumbled upon the music of Julius Rietz about five or six years ago when by chance I hit upon a youtube upload of his Hero & Leander Ouverture in D-minor, Op.11 (1841). To say it "knocked me for six" would be a major understatement. (If you haven't heard it I recommend you give it a go).

The scores of his three symphonies take a bit of hunting down. I've yet to find the 2nd. None of them have been recorded.

He's a composer very much from the Mendelssohn camp. You won't hear any Listz or Wagner here. What you will hear is the music of a master in the classical tradition. This symphony, apparently very popular in it's day lasts for about 30 mins in total. Today it has fallen into obscurity. I hope this rendition will prompt a revival.




Op.31 - Symphony No.3 in E♭ major (1854-55, pub.1856) (Dedicated to Moritz Hauptmann)

1. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco

2. Con moto moderato

3. Andante sostenuto

4. Allegro di molto.



LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtagckR7_30

Just the 1st movement (so far) 14 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7siY99sM6w

[Cusins, William George (1833 - 1893)]

Cusins, William George (1833 - 1893)

The least explored period in British music is that leading up to what is called the English musical renaissance. These were the years dominated by Cipriani Potter, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, William Sterndale Bennett, George MacFarren, Julius Benedict and Arthur Sullivan, and out of which came the important figures of Hubert Parry, Charles Villiers Stanford, Frederic Hymen Cowen and Alexander Mackenzie. They in turn would be succeeded by a pair of mavericks: Edward Elgar and Frederick Delius, the talented Edward German and Granville Bantock, and a younger generation that included Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst and Arnold Bax.

Part of the explanation for this flowering of musical art lay in the existence of the Philharmonic Society of London (now the Royal Philharmonic Society). Founded in 1813, it presented usually eight concerts each year, gaining sufficient prestige to commission new works from Beethoven (the Ninth, or Choral, Symphony), Mendelssohn (Italian Symphony), and Saint-Saens (the Third, or Organ, Symphony). One of the Philharmonic Society's most important characters was William George Cusins, who conducted it from 1867 until 1883, introducing much new music, including the first British performances of Berloz's Romeo et Juillette and Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem.

Cusins was primarily a pianist, having begun his musical career as a singer in the Chapel Royal ay St James's Palace, but soon moving to Brussels to study at the Conservatoire. He entered the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 14 and was appointed (at 15) organist at Queen Victoria's private chapel at Windsor Castle. He became a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in 1851, and the main conductor of the Philharmonic Society in 1867. In 1870 he was appointed Master of the Queen's Music, a post he held until his death (he was knighted in 1892).

These two overtures are among the very few orchestral works that Cusins wrote. A symphony (1892) and concertos for piano and violin represent the rest of his orchestral output. Both overtures were written for Philharmonic Society concerts. Les Travailleurs de la Mer dates from 1869 and is in effect a tone poem based on Victor Hugo's novel of that name. It is suitably dramatic in a similar mid-19th Century style to Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys of 1878. It was in fact the second overture to be performed, being played at the seventh concert of the 1878 Philharmonic season, on 12 June, conducted by the composer.

LINK: Les Travaileurs de la Mer (1869) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErMUpizQFo0

I'm left wondering if 1869 is the correct date (even though I have checked it) as this music sounds like it is from the 20th century. It's quite remarkable!

Scholz's op.80 was composed some 13 years after his first symphony. The sound world seems markedly  different. The textures are not as rich and the writing is more astringent in places. However it is a joyful, optimistic work lasting about 30 minutes.

Do make an effort to listen to the adagio at the start of the 4th movement (at 22 mins) It's some of the most beautiful orchestral writing based on the interval of a falling 5th.

1. Allegro deciso
2. Andante
3. Allegro scherzando
4. Adagio - Allegro


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcU4nTXFZOQ