From Slippedisc:
Librarians at the University of Toronto have found a concerto that has been deemed lost for more than a century.
The Norwegian Johan Halvorsen (1864-1935) composed it for the Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow (1890-1963), who gave its premiere on August 14, 1909 in Scheveningen, Holland. She gave two more performances that year in Oslo, after which the score disappeared.
Until now.
- See more at: http://slippedisc.com/2016/01/a-lost-concerto-turns-up-in-canada/#sthash.7GPEimG1.dpuf (http://slippedisc.com/2016/01/a-lost-concerto-turns-up-in-canada/#sthash.7GPEimG1.dpuf)
The report also tells us that...
...Henning Kraggerud will revive the work this summer at a musicologists' convention in Stavanger, Norway.
Toskey mentions the existence of the concerto in his dictionary. Great to have the puzzle solved!
Might be a nice coupling for the Lassen concerto, were these works to be recorded. Lassen was born in Denmark, so there is the Scandinavian connection.
Great news indeed to learn that what I mentioned in an earlier thread, namely that it was thought Halvorsen had destroyed the concert, turns out not to have been true. There is an item on Norwegian radio in which Kraggerud can be heard speaking, and also playing a bit, plus, intriguingly, a short bit with Halvorsen's widow from 1951.
Come on, Hyperion!
It might indeed go nicely with the Lassen VC. Come on, Hyperion!!
I'm still a little surprised that it wasn't to be found somewhere- that I saw- amongst the 456 digitized manuscript work and work fragments by Halvorsen one can find at www.nb.no (their collection of course has works by many another composer, but 456 things by Halvorsen. A whole lot of incidental music, for example, but other things...)
A sneak preview of the concerto...
https://www.facebook.com/HenningKraggerud/videos/1011867555518833/ (https://www.facebook.com/HenningKraggerud/videos/1011867555518833/)
And now a video of the complete performance given by Henning Kraggerud under the direction of Bjarte Engeset in Stavenger, Norway in July 2016 as part of the International Musicological Society's annual conference: https://tv.nrk.no/serie/hovedscenen-tv/MKMF21013516/04-09-2016 (https://tv.nrk.no/serie/hovedscenen-tv/MKMF21013516/04-09-2016) The programme starts with a documentary (which might be somewhat difficult to follow if your Norwegian is not too hot). The performance begins 43 minutes in. It's well worth listening to, IMHO.
What a lovely late-Romantic Scandinavian piece. Quite a discovery! Wonder when it'll be commercially recorded?
According to the interview with Kraggerud after the concerto, it looks like it will be recorded by Naxos.
Oh, wonderful. Thanks for that news!
What is the orchestra he's playing with?
Did you not examine the linked page, Jim? It clearly says: Det Norske Kammerorkester.
A recording of the concerto, taken from the video of the live performance, is now available in our Downloads board here (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,6264.0.html).
Very many thanks, Mark, for making this recording available to us.
Many thanks!
(This is my third attempt to post this -- I'm having difficulty reading the letters and the "listen to the letters" feature isn't working.)
I think it's a nice work, but nothing more. Certainly not an undiscovered masterpiece, but very enjoyable nevertheless.
Thank you so much for making this available to us - something to look forward to later today. :)
Kraggerud is performing it in Oslo March 23 & 24 2017 (http://www.henningkraggerud.com/concerts (http://www.henningkraggerud.com/concerts).)
...with V. Petrenko and the Oslo PO. Wonder whether he'll be recording it?
In what key is the concerto? I know the download says G Major, but it most definitely sounds like it's in the minor mode. G minor, maybe? Yes. Make that a certainty. G minor, not major. After the extended introductory passages a well-defined "first subject" makes its appearance at 2:07 in the opening movement and that theme is absolutely in G minor.
Yes indeed, on Naxos, due out next month (http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.573738) with the Malmo symphony, same conductor, same violinist. :)