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Readers may be interested to know, I've just published a first edition of William Yeates Hurlstone's Piano Concerto of 1895. It includes a history of the work as well as a comprehensive list of editorial changes made. Sources consulted include the corrected set of performance parts, as well as the composer's original full score and two-piano rehearsal score. This work would not have been possible without the generous support and involvement of the Library at the Royal College of Music. Sample pages are available here.

cheers,
Daniel Mitterdorfer

Hi All,
Does anyone have any information on Dutton Epoch, one of my favourite labels for neglected repertoire, and what's happened to their release schedule? Obviously with the pandemic, recording of symphonic repertoire was nigh impossible, but I would have thought they had a few recordings in the can that hadn't yet been released to an eager public.

Kind regards,
Daniel

Hi Everyone,
I thought the board might like to know that my co-editor and I have finally finished the project to publish the first complete edition of Charles-Marie Widor's piano works (it's only taken 11 years!). If anyone is interested, you can read more here. http://www.crescendomusicpubs.com.au/widorpiano/

cheers,
Daniel

I've missed the boat in posting this in time for the first concert, however those in Melbourne, Australia are warmly invited to attend a series of free concerts in Melba Hall, The University of Melbourne, of Louis Vierne's complete works for piano, in this, his 150th birthday year. The pianist is Harold Fabrikant, who enjoys a multifaceted career as pianist, organist, music editor and radiologist. As far as I'm aware, this is the only series of performances of his piano works this year, anywhere in the world. Those interested can book here. Today's first instalment was absolutely wonderful.

best wishes,
Daniel

On hope-to-be-recorded quartets, I'd love Herbert Murrill's effort to be recorded, but we may need to wait until he falls into the public domain in 2023. Also, I've prepared a new performing edition of George Henschel's String Quartet Op. 55. It's a great work that harks back to early Brahms channeling Schubert...not an unkind comparison tho!

cheers,
Daniel

As work on my edition of Widor's complete piano works draws to a close, I wonder if there's any merit in embarking on a similar project for M. Boëllmann. Regarding his piano works, there are are a scant number of professional recordings out there, this https://www.amazon.com/Bo%C3%ABllmann-Piano-Works-Jean-Pierre-Ferey/dp/B00EM2HQJK being the best I've heard. I've found the works engaging and (for the most part) extremely well-written and I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of others.

Over the last few years, I've put together a catalogue of all his works; those for piano account for 29 of his ~140 works (11 with opus number, 18 without). This list is by no means complete, but I've put a reasonable amount of effort into getting to the stage that it is at.

cheers,
Daniel

Readers may be interested to know that the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with organist Harold Fabrikant, have recently recorded Widor's earliest extant composition, his Ouverture portugaise for organ, wind ensemble and orchestra. Under the excellent direction of Assoc. Prof. Richard Davis, it shows Widor's command of form, even if it may seem in need of a little trim. Link to listen is here: https://soundcloud.com/user-167475557/ouverture-portugaise

The preparation of a performing edition was most interesting work indeed, and I'm hoping that other ensembles might be tempted to perform/record the work.

Cheers,
Daniel

Now that the BBC Proms 2018 listing has been released, I'd be interested to see what people are looking forward to, unsung-wise.

Personally, I think it's a shame they're only performing the Prelude to Act 2 of Smyth's 'The Wreckers' (Prom 24).

On Markus Becker's website, under Concerts, he has listed:

12-16 Feb 2018
Piano Concertos of Pfitzner and Braunfels
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin conducted by Constantin Trinks
To be released on Hyperion.

This is interesting as Dutton released the Braunfels concerto not long ago, and the Pfitzner has received a number of good recordings already.

Thoughts?

cheers,
Daniel

Hi Everyone,
I thought the board might be interested in a project my co-editor and I have been working on for the last year or so. Since completing our edition of Widor's complete works for piano (and trying not to lose hope that someone might be brave enough to record them!) in 2014, we have turned our attention to Widor's forgotten orchestral works. The four we have edited and published so far are his Ouverture portugaise (prepared from the only known source, in the Biblioteca da Ajuda, Portugal), effectively his Op. 0. Scored for organ concertante, orchestra and wind ensemble, this effective single-movement work points towards greater things to come.

Also recently released is his Ouverture espagnole, a jaunty work, the only extant movement from a five-movement Suite pittoresque. From his stage works we have issued a new edition of his Conte d'Avril, Op. 64 - incidental music for a comedie-en-verse by Auguste Dorchain. Our edition includes revisions made by Widor post-publication and on the whole, it is exceedingly well-written. Also available is the charming suite from his ballet La Korrigane Op. 45a, which by 1896 had clocked up over 100 performances at the Paris Opéra.

Those interested can view sample pages from the scores via http://www.crescendomusicpubs.com.au

There are plans afoot for a recording with one of the BBC orchestras, as part of Dutton's ongoing series covering Widor's orchestral works, later this year. Exciting times!

cheers,
Daniel Mitterdorfer