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Hi all

The Davidov concertos 3 and 4 are now available on CPO. Both superb works, rewarding in every way.

Also worth checking out is an obscure 1873  a minor concerto by Wilhelm Fitzenhagen. On the OEHMS Classics and still available from JPC, I believe. It is a naive charmer, a brief (about 20 minutes) work for virtuoso display.

In a similar vein - five fairly short concertos (two discs) composed in 1887-1888 by Franz Neruda.  Also a CPO release.

regards
Peter

Hi all

John, I think Mark may have hit upon one key reason for the decline in the number of 19th century concertante works for instruments other than the piano and violin. Those two instruments dominated the concert halls. This issue was discussed a couple of times in the old Raff forums, so to a degree the following summarises some earlier findings.   

Apart from the issue of scale 'a al' the solo instument and the orchestra Mark mentions, mass production plus pure fashion and past trends played a part in it. Mass production of hardy, robust pianos meant that by the end of the 1800s a staggeringly high proportion of middle class homes had one in the parlour. Less so the violin - but that instrument also won out.

Another vital factor was the appearance of a larger number of talented piano and violin virtuosos who were also competent or brilliant composers. They were the fashion element.   

The drift of events in the previous two centuries is another reason. The dominance of a keyboard instrument and the violin already existed to some extent. Keyboard instuments have always been popular accompaniment machines for the human voice - you could sing or talk more easily if you were playing one - while they played a major role in providing the continuo parts for stage productions. And baroque and classical era composers composed mountains of music for the keyboard. Same as for the violin - and let us not forget it was the  major instrument when Corelli and co were creating something resembling orchestras as we know them.

In terms of output I am certain far more music has been composed for the keyboard and violin respectively than for other instruments from the 1600s until fairly modern times. It is just that in the 1800s a major fade-out began for other instruments (excepting to a lesser extent the cello) in terms of composition of concertante works for public performance.   

As the 19th century drew on, despite the efforts of a few great virtuosos for some (eg, Antonio Pasculli for the oboe, Giovanni Bottesini for the double-bass, Giulio Briccialdi for the flute), the trend tended to sharpen.

I have only been able to track down a couple of oboe works not mentioned in earlier postings. Donizetti composed a concertino in f during the period 1835-1843, though it seems to have been an arrangement of a sonata. Hugo Schunke's concerto in a minor appeared in 1845. Pasculli composed at least four, but three of them were opera paraphrases and were probably composed for tour purposes. Oboe and piano versions first, orchestration later. After Pasculli became the boss of a small orchestra in Sicily (years 1879-1884) he produced a fourth for oboe and strings.

regards
Peter

Hi all

Especially Eschiss1. You are right - specialists re accordion/concertina music seem to have identified up to five 'concertos' for concertina composed during the 19th century. However, a couple are problematic and as far as I know only one has been performed/recorded with orchestral accompaniment.

Details as follows:

Bernhard Molique - as discussed earlier. No 1 from 1853, no 2 from 1861. Sadly, the orchestral score for no.1 was lost and conductor Dewey Ehling reconstructed it for a 1997 concert performance. I assume that is the version that reached Australian radio by some miracle in 2002. I believe no 2 has survived in the same condition.

George macfarren (1813-1887). A biography of 1892 claimed he composed a concertina concerto. Am willing to bet the work is identifiable with his Andante and Allegro for Concertina and strings of 1877 - never published.

Franz Bosen (who?). A large-scale fledged Concertina Concerto in D major of 1864. It has survived. Published only with piano accompaniment, which may well have been its original form. Not uncommon - to give just a couple of examples, flautist Cesare Ciardi and mandolin virtuoso Raffaele Callace composed their concertos for solo instrument and piano only.

Giulio Regondi (1822-1872). A couple of general reference works mention a concertina concerto, but I have not been able to unearth any details. The work just might be the Morceau de Salon mentioned in a Wikipedia article, or it could be buried in a partly illegible catalogue of Regondi's works kindly provided online by one Alessandro Amisich. The Giulio Regondi Guild issued two discs of music by the composer - they are both still available, but neither includes a concerto.

regards
Peter

Hi all

As far as I know, only two romantic-era concertos for the accordian or concertina were ever composed. Both by one of the most underestimated composers of the 19th Century, Bernhard Molique  (1802-1869). His Concerto no 1 for Concertina and Orchestra in g, op 46, dates from 1853. It popped up on Australian radio in 2002, possibly because some bright spark realised it was the bicentennary of his birth. A really charming work. Have no idea about the recording details. There is some info about it (and Molique's unresurrected no.2 from 1861) on a couple of instrumental chat sites.

regards
Peter

Hi all

Glad tidings for romantic violin concerto lovers. Both concertos by the early romantic Norwegian maestro Ole Bull have been recorded. They are no 1 in A (1834) and no 2 in e (1841). They are available in disc form or as downloads. Let's hear it for the bold folk of 2L musikonline.

regards
Peter

Hi all

A couple of really fine romantic cello concertos need to be added to the list - and they were composed by a gent who was is right up there in contention for the position of 'greatest violinist virtuoso/composer of the 1800s'. Henri Vieuxtemps. His no 1 dates from 1876, his number 2 from 1880. Two recordings of them I know of, released by EMI and Cypres.

I would also include relatively short but very attractive unsung concertos by August Klughardt (1894) and Alexander Grechaninov (1895). 

regards
Peter

Hi all

Mr Sherwood should be an ideal candidate for Dutton, Alan and Mark. Apart from the symphonies, those six concertos made my mouth water. Yes please.

A few more sad losses re World War 1:

Cecil Coles (1888-1918) -British
Frederick Kelly (1881-1916) -Anglo-Australian (mentioned elsewhere)
Rudi Stephan (1887-1915) - Germany
Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) - France
Alberic Magnard (1865-1914) - France, though his best work may have been behind him.

regards
Peter

Hi all

Another couple to add. Frederick Septimus Kelly (1881-1916), an Australian who went to England to complete his education and settled there, except for a musical home-visit or two. He was an Olympic Games Gold medalist in 1908. He joined the Royal Navy Reserve in 1914 when war broke, mainly to serve with some of his British mates, including the poet Rupert Brooke. He ended up as an officer in the Royal Navy Division (which did its fighting on land, from what I can make out) and received the Distinguished Service Cross for valour at Gallipoli in 1915. He was killed while leading an attack during the Somme campaign of 1916. He was a good pianist and respected composer - more promising than Butterworth, according to the liner notes of a disc featuring his Elegy for Strings 'In Memoriam Rupert Brooke'. A really nice piece. At least one song (text by Shakespeare) has made it into recorded form. Anyone know of anything else?

The other is William Denis Browne (1888-1915), British composer friend of Rupert Brooke and Kelly. A noted pianist, organist and music critic. Killed at Gallipoli.

regards
Peter

Hi all

The first movement of number 1, op 65 is listed as 'moderato con moto' on the covers of both the Koch and MDG (2003) recordings.

The notes for both recordings are not very helpful. Not a word about Davydov (I am willing to bet Jiml is right). The dates of composition are also a little wobbly. It was not an early pendant to Schumann's 1850 concerto, as the MDG liner notes claims. The cover also gets the opus number wrong, but the date in the notes is at least correct (1864). Reference works I have checked plus an online list of Rubinstein's works place no 1 in 1864. No 2 arrived in 1874.

regards
Peter

Hi all

Raff surely. I note Mark's comments on a couple of major releases. There has been a bit of a sea change over the last 4-5 years (I think). There is no doubt in my mind he deserves to be ranked among the handful of truly great music masters - I suspect that possibly that view is gaining a reasonable degree of credence. Mark, your fingers have your fingers on the Raff 'reputation pulse' on a continuing basis. Now that the new year is upon us, how do you think things stand with the 'only begetter' of these forums?

regards
Peter   

Hi all

A slightly late Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for 2010-which could turn out to be new-release wonder year.

Re the topic: that glorious Noskowski Symphony no.1 (the one Alan is keen on - bring on no.2). Another copy - a gift from me which was passed  on to a deserving music explorer.

Missing from under the Christmas tree (pour moi- ordered under my supervision by she-who-tolerates-my-music-lust about six weeks ago from JPC) were the Kreutzer violin concertos 15, 18 and 19, THAT new Raff disc and a promising chamber music disc. Am a bit concerned. Had to send JPC a reminder in mid-December. The package has now been mailed. Christmas rush? Or the result of sub-contracting out mailing/despatch?   

regards
Peter

Hi all

The aristocrat Herzogenberg's music is increasing in status the more I hear of it. Yes, folks, this gentleman IMHO was a master musician. Joke - I imagine him to be somewhat dour but not averse to joining Brahms for a beer or three or five when the mood was on him. But perhaps not.

Whatever, his E minor Mass, op 87 has not been mentioned. It should be. Romantic era masses can be wondrous -and there are a surprising number of them available in recorded form.

Alan, I am really grieved and disappointed about the non-appearance of the disc featuring His Lordship's violin concerto and Odysseus Symphony. It will be the musical event of the season when it does happen. Is there there any possible practical reason for non-release, eg, copyright issues? Am desperate for any straw of comfort.

regards
Peter

Hi all

I  agree with your 'self-answer' Jiml. The concerto is pretty much one of a kind, with wonderful individual touches and ideas. Yes, it fully deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the Raff and Henselt concertos. Just to narrow things down a bit, it must surely be one of the truly great concertos of the period c1840 -1856 (death of Schumann). Am listening to it again right now.

Now for a bit of real heresy -  I think the work could well hold its own in the concert hall with the likes of its companion piece on the Tirolean disc. All that is needed is some committed concert performances and a couple of recordings (with all the high-tech trimmings) featuring major international pianists - with A+ grade orchestras and modern grand pianos, not just period instruments, however well they sound.

regards
Peter

Hi all

Especially Peter1953.There are a number of Australian composers known to have written music in the 'grand manner', ie, in the classical romantic tradition we tend to prefer.  Miriam Hyde (lovely concertos!) is actually a fairly recent example.

Some composed in the 19th century, but the only survivor of recent Australian musical politics (leaving aside Percy Grainger) is Alfred Hill. He was active as a composer from the 1890s until the 1950s.

I fear the largely modernist domination of the conservatories in this country over the last few decades condemned just about about all colonial or early 20th Australian music to oblivion. And sometimes to destruction. The works of a respected composer, organist, teacher and critique (W.A.Orchard) could not be located in our National Archives a couple of years ago.

In my own State (Western Australia) the one major work of Paschal Needham (a  large-scale cantata of 1881 which impressed European visitors) has been lost. I think the works of William Stephens (active in the 1890s) have also 'gone missing'.

There has been a recent independent recording of a fine 1866 Mass (soli, chorus, orchestra) by an obscure Melbourne-based musician known as G.O.Rutter, plus an earlier recording of a Mass by John Delany (1850-1907). And there are other recorded fragments and bits and pieces around - but very little. As far as I now, the 'quaint' but possibly interesting operas of Isaac Nathan have never been given an airing.

A couple of solid 'imports' (Marshall-Hall and Bainton - the latter an early 20th century man) have received a little more respect, but there is not much available in the musical tradition that is the core object of our attention. In passing, I believe not one note by a composer ancestor of mine (early to mid-20th century) can be traced.

regards
Peter

Hi all

Especially Martin Anderson. Welcome indeed! The Gernsheim and Thieriot discs are mouth watering, to say the least.

Sadly, after examining your 'in preparation' page, I then made the fatal mistake of examining the list of your other releases. I will be paying Toccata a visit in about two weeks. And I mean paying. My poor credit card...if it had feelings, it would tremble whenever yours truly thinks about music.

A happy thought now. Toccata, like certain other very independent labels, is bringing forth a goodly number of forgotten Romantic Era master works. Various folk on the previous Raff Forums noted the trend and had high hopes for possible results. Another 'positive' can now be chalked up.

regards
Peter