Does anyone have any info on this Englishman, b.1866? His published scores, all produced by Curwen/Goodwin and Tabb in the early 1920's and quite widely available in libraries, seem to consist only of 4 violin sonatas (nos 1, 3, 4 and 6; No.3 is the "Sonata Romantica" which I hope locates him within the UC pale!), 2 piano trios (nos 4 and 5) and a suite for solo piano. In Cobbett's chamber music survey Victor Olof writes glowingly of him, also mentioning an unpublished string quartet and 2 "chamber concertos" for solo violin, string quartet and piano. I may be able to post a rendition of the Sonata Romantica before too long.
I know nothing of him, Steve, but the prospect of the Sonata Romantica is a beguiling one.
Hrm. Seems I won't be able to listen to it if/when you do, since Goodwin & Tabb first published the sonata 1923>1922... (assuming it was also properly renewed &c)
He might even be copyright in the UK still, but what if I were to email you (or link you personally to) the mp3 file...? Actually it could be some time, because he writes a BIG piano part.
I wonder what the copyright rules are/status is in D+50 (Canada)/D+70 (EU) countries for "date of death unknown", actually...
His Sonata Romantica No.3 for violin and pianoforte, Goodwin & Tabb 1923, "rendered" by violin and synthesized piano
www.mediafire.com/?spj0a5ew20271dn (http://www.mediafire.com/?spj0a5ew20271dn)
I still don't know anything about him but I do think there's some substance here
Quoteseem to consist only of 4 violin sonatas (nos 1, 3, 4 and 6
1,3,
5 & 6, according to my researches. There is also "Six Tone Poems for piano" (Joseph Wlliams, 1920). Can't find his dates anywhere.
ah, thanks, looking forward to hearing.
Gareth is correct - No.5 was actually the first VS to be published in 1920 so I can put it on imslp where Eric will be able to listen with a clear conscience! The dedicatee is Horace Ayckbourn, one-time deputy leader of the LSO. I tried to contact his son, Alan Ayckbourn the playwright, but was told he knows very little about his father and wasn't even able to identify him in a photograph of the orchestra. Another lead gone cold.
Also... hrm. "M. Isaac Losovsky, at Aeolian Hall, on October 26, was responsible for a new Sonata by Mr. F. J. Morgan." (from December 1 1921 Musical Times, p847. Not sure if Losovsky is the pianist- the paragraph this belongs to is mainly about Jacques Thibaud (though his appearance wasn't until October 29th according to the writer, and at Wigmore Hall)- or if this is a digression and if Losovsky was a violinist. Since I can find out nothing about Losovsky, that means I can't find out what role he played in the performance of Morgan's sonata- though I tend to assume it was one of Morgan's earlier ones, given the date (October 1921) of the concert.) (The next paragraph mentions a Nov. 2 1921 performance of Bax's E major (the lovely much-revised first) sonata- probably nowhere near the premiere, that...)
Losovsky was the dedicatee of Sonata No.1, Dan Macmillan No.3 and Victor Olof (the violinist who wrote the article in Cobbett and went on to become a record producer for Decca and HMV) No.6. Dedicatees of Morgan's piano suite In Our Garden are Olive Shepherd, Jeanie Tidey, Mrs Dan Macmillan and Florence Mertens. I thought Olof might be the best lead. He trained at the Guildhall School where Max Morgan (1914-2007) taught violin up until the 1980's, so could Francis have been his father/grandfather? I guess I'll try their librarian to see if Max left any survivors I could contact.
There does seem to have been a Morgan dynasty connected with the Guildhall School. Robert Orlando Morgan (1865-1956) was a prolific composer who taught there for many years. His papers including much music were presented to the Corporation of London Records Office by his grandson "Mr M.D.Morgan", who I suspect must have been Max. No mention of Francis, though, who was a year younger than Robert
Hrm. University of Pittsburgh library- not very near me - has not just the first violin sonata (just scanned and uploaded in full score and violin part- thanks, Matesic!) - but also the 4th piano trio, in F, also ©1922 (just the full score). :) (and the 6th sonata, published by Curwen in 1924, plate 94037, also.)
I found what seems to be the right Robert Morgan in the 1881 census but no brother Francis, so the possible Guildhall School connection has hit the buffers. I notice Francis's 6 chamber pieces are all in the RCM library catalogue but only 1 is in the RAM, so I'll make some overtures (groan) to the RCM and see if he could have been one of their earliest students