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I have just been informed that Naxos has recorded Ignatz Waghalter's Violin Concerto together with his Rhapsody for violin & orchestra & violin sonata, to be issued in 2012. The soloist is Irmina Trynkos and a short video is available to view at www.knuckle.tv/clients/the-waghalter-project/. On the basis of the sound clips this is going to be a most eagerly awaited release!

For those who may be interested, There is a CD of Georg Schumann's Violin Sonatas Op12 & Op55 available via the website georgschumanngesellschaft.de If you go via the Links page to Musikantiquariat Kaiser-Schumann, you will find this available together with another CD which includes a selection of choral works (also included on the Guild/ASV CD's) BUT with the Symphonic Variations Op24!

Alan,

try ordering "Maria" from gigant.pl - I managed to obtain a copy from them and it was not too much of a problem for a non-Polish speaker like myself! They have it listed on their website (but try searching under Borowicz - as they have it incorrectly listed!) @ 57.99 zl. Mine arrived in about a couple of weeks without any further problems after a few minor difficulties working out how to use their ordering procedure!

In any case it was well worth the trouble!

I have now had confirmation via a reliable source (Hyperion Records)  that this piano concerto DOES SURVIVE in its entirety!! Apparently it is in the key of B minor and  the autographed score actually states Op6 (this number was eventually assigned to his Fantasie-Impromptu for publication) - so perhaps an oversight on Moszkowski's part at the time. It would therefore be quite reasonable to fill the missing Op3 listing with this work! Obviously I now look forward to reading what Boyan Assenov has to say about this in his study.

Hopefully we will not have to wait too long to hear it!

2012, as I am sure most of you know, is the centenary of Coleridge-Taylor's death, and one of the most exciting events confirmed for next year will be a performance (well THREE ACTUALLY - 9-11th February at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon) of his three-act opera "Thelma" Op72 (1907-9). Geoffrey Self's book on SC-T has the MS as missing, but it has recently been discovered, and a performing edition is being prepared.

Assuming that the work is of sufficient quality, it may be possible to get some interest in a recording project (especially in view of Naxos' recent forays into the realms of Victorian English opera!) - or perhaps Chandos?

I would like to know when Moszkowski's 1st piano concerto was given the label Op3! I know that Op3 is a blank in his opus number listing, but I can only assuume that this a presumption as there are other lost works from this period (early 1870's) unless there is concrete evidence to confirm the composer's intention.

All this may be explained in a new publication, which I understand will be available in early 2012: Moritz Moszkowski Biographie und Werkverzeihniss, by Boyan Assenov (ISBN 978-3-86988-210-9). which is being published by Hainholz.de. They list this publication as having c525 pages, so I presume there has been much research done and hopefully a worthy worklist that may also shed light on other 'lost' works (Symphonies, Overture, Piano Quintet etc). Anyway, my copy is already on pre-order!

It would be great if PC1 does indeed survive, and I know Mike Spring will be more than interested.......

Having heard Joseph Spooner and David Owen Norris in a performance of the1st Cello Sonata at a Remembrance Day concert last Thursday, I can safely say that you will not be disappointed with this music!
At a first hearing of the finished article (although I did hear them 'reading through' the work a few months ago) I have to say that Brahms is not a minor influence IMHO.

I have lent my printed scores of both the cello sonatas and also a set of 3 pieces Op14 to the artists and I understand that a further set of 5 smaller pieces have been added (from the material held at the Bodleian) making a generous potential CD proposition! We now have to just sit back and wait a little!......

Much as I am looking forward to hearing the Vaughan Williams early Fantasy, I had rather hoped that Mark Bebbington would have got around to recording the Cecil Coles piano concerto, which he performed a few years ago now on at least three occasions. Unfortunately I was unable to attend any of the performances but there was some rumour circulating at the time that Somm may be considering a recording but nothing seems to have come of this. This would have been an ideal opportunity and IMHO a more interesting coupling for the VW, although I appreciate that Mathias fans would probably disagree!

Mike Spring (Hyperion) gave the impression that he thought the Coles' concerto would be of questionable quality bearing in mind the composer's age when written, but this opinion was apparently based on assumption as he was also uanble to be present at any of the performances. Hyperion now, though, may be the best option for a future recording as this present potential opportunity has been sadly missed (once again, my apologies to those whose interest extends to later 20th century fare as represented by William Mathias!)

[Rosalind Ellicott:]

Just a few extra details to add to Gareth's post of yesterday dealing in more detail with a number of British Concertos - as follows:

Rosalind Ellicott: unfortunately I have lost touch with the family member who appeared to be doing so much for Rosalind's music, just after the CD of her 2nd piano trio was released. repeated requests to be updated on the progress of setting the surviving mss (which included a couple of overtures & the piano quartet) using Sibelius software, have fallen on deaf ears and I have had no contact since 2004. At the time however I did ask about the Fantasie (pno/orch) but it was not among the works that appeared to have survived although she did tell me that there were (hopefully?) more mss to be recovered from other branches of the family. The person involved, a Victoria Vowles, for reasons unknown, has now gone silent on us so perhaps the only way to reawaken this interest is for someone to record Ellicotts FIRST piano trio!!

Richard Walthew: I understand that the COMPLETE MS is in the RCM.

Charles Edward Horsley: Although the ms in the BL is missing the first few pages (of orchestral tutti mainly), I have been in touch with Richard Divall and apparently he has a complete copy of the the solo part which includes a piano reduction of the missing opening! - he has apparently edited and complete the work - so this should be ready to go - so to speak! A recording project to also include the violin concerto would be surely the way to go.

John Francis Barnett: I have recently been in touch with various family members and also have a copy of the piano part of the Op25 concerto which I would strongly recommend - however the problem rest as ever with the orchestral parts etc. Kistner have confirmed that they have nothing in their archive and apparently many of Barnetts mss were destroyed during the 1950's by the family.
I have though benn given a lead to a friend of the family in the US who is at present doing some research and as the concerto was performed in the US, we may have more luck here. Obviously, I will keep a close eye on this and provide further information if/when available. If all else fails here, I am sure that a reconstruction of the orchestration could be done from the details and cues in the piano solo part - perhaps along the lines of Hobson's work on Moscheles 8.

[Re; Zelenski symphonies]

Re; Zelenski symphonies - after enquiring about the availability of the orchestral material for the Zelenski symphonies, I was informed a few years back by PWM in Poland that the scores & parts/original ms had been destroyed during WWII. However, hopefully this is not the case. Does anyone have any further information?

I too would love to find these concertos but, I fear they do not survive. I did speak with Sara Davis Buechner just after she had recorded the  selection of Friml piano music a few years back and mentioned my interest in the concertos - she had already been in contact with Friml's widow concening this and other matters and it seems that they were never published and  manuscripts did not survive. Obviously this may not be the final word on the matter ( we can but hope!!) - but I have a feeling we may be disappointed here.

Mark - many thanks for the works lists here. I can fill your gap at Op51  namely: Arie for violin (or cello) and piano. As to the Op3 - Polish Dance; I have my suspicions here - this is probably a reference to his brother' most famous creation! Of course, I stand to be corrected if anyone could provide a copy of Philipp's work!

The early missing works to the best of my knowledge were never published and the manuscripts appear not to have survived unfortunately. However it may be worth getting in touch with Evelinde Trenkner at the Scharwenka Society in Lubeck to see if anyone there can help.

Dear All,

I wonder if anyone here has any information about Stefan Bergman (born 1901?). He wrote a number of shortish piano works in the 1930's rather in the style of Friedman/Godowsky and other similar pianist/composers - but seems to have disappeared before WW2. These short pieces were published in London by Universal Music Agencies (nothing to do with Universal Edition apparently!) and Eileen Joyce recorded a couple (Polka-Caprice & Himmelsgesange) for Columbia. I presume she probably included these as encores in her recitals at the time, although the composer does not feature on any of her programmes.

I would be pleased to here if anyone knows what became of Bergman and also if he contined to compose beyond Op4. I know he can only be described as a most minor composer at best, but any further information would be most welcome!

Martin

I ordered my copy from Amazon UK several days ago at £10.82 and although they claimed that it would not be released until 16th May, I received a notification TODAY  that  the item was now in the post!

Alan, many thanks for the Sherwood works list - you may wish to add the following items, which may not be in the Bodleian collection::

(6) Kleine Poesie(e)n fur das piano Op5 (Ries & Erler n.d.)
3 Stucke fur Violoncello und Pianoforte Op14 (Legende, Intermezzo & Saltarello) Op14 (Louis Oertel, Hannover, 1908)

The above cello pieces, together with the two cello sonatas, were 'read through' here at home several weeks ago by Joseph Spooner with David Owen Norris, with the idea of interesting Dutton in producing a recording - this is still in the melting pot I believe but hopefully will go through!

Martin