Despite the release over the last few years of an increasing number of previously unrecorded British symphonies there are still arge numbers of gaps in the discography.
British symphonies still awaiting a first recording include:
• (a taped version is available on this site)
** (a taped version will be available here soon)
Edgar Bainton:
No.1 "Before Sunrise" for contralto, chorus and orchestra(1907) (first movement-"Genesis" has been recorded)
Stanley Bate:
No.2(1944) (No.1 withdrawn?)
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett:
No.2(1968)**
York Bowen:
No.3(1951)*
Havergal Brian:
No. 5 "Wine of Summer" for baritone and orchestra(1937) *
No.13(1959) *
No.14(1960) *
No.19(1961) *
No.23(1965) *
No. 24(1965)*
No. 26(1966)*
No. 27(1966)*
No. 28(1967)*
No. 29(1969)*
Alan Bush:
No.3 "Byron Symphony" for baritone, chorus and orchestra(1960)**
No.4 "Lascaux"(1983) *
Arthur Butterworth:
No.2(1964) *
No.3 "Sinfonia Borealis"(1979)*
No.6(2006)
Arnold Cooke:
No.2(1963)
No.4(1974)*
No.5(1979)*
No.6(1984)
Peter Racine Fricker:
No.3(1960)*
No.4(1966)**
No.5 for organ and orchestra(1976)**
John Gardner:
No.2(1985)
Iain Hamilton:
No.1(1948)
No.2(1951)*
No.3 "Spring"(1981)
No.4(1981)
Alun Hoddinott:
No.1(1955)
No.4(1969)
No. 7 for organ and orchestra(1989)*
No.8 for brass and percussion(1992)
No.9 "A Vision of Eternity" for soprano and orchestra(1993)
No.10(1999)*
Daniel Jones:
No.1(1945)*
No.2(1950)*
No.3(1951)**
No.5(1958)*
No.10(1981)**
No.11(1983)*
No.12(1985)*
Symphony In Memory of John Fussell(1992)*
David Matthews:
Symphony No.7(2009)
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies:
No.7(2000)
John McCabe:
No.3 "Hommages"(1973)*
No.5 "Edward II"(1998)
No.6 "Symphony on a Pavane"(2006)
No.7 "Labyrinth"(2007)
Anthony Milner:
No.2 for soprano, tenor, chorus and orchestra(1978)**
No.3(1987)
Robin Orr:
No.2(1970)**
No.3(1978)**
Cyril Rootham:
No.2 "Revelation" *
Robert Still:
No.1(1954)
No.2(1956)
William Wordsworth:
No.1(1944)*
No.4(1953)*
No.5(1960)*
No.6 "Elegiaca" for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra(1977)
No.7 "Cosmos"(1980)*
No.8 "Pax Hominibus"(1986)*
These are all composers who already have at least one of their symphonies on disc.
Leaving aside those symphonies listed above which have never been performed (like Wordsworth's 6th) the symphonies which I would really like to hear and wonder if anyone has been able to record in the past would be:
Arthur Butterworth's 6th
Arnold Cooke's 2nd and 6th
Iain Hamilton's 1st, 3rd and 4th
Alun Hoddinott's 1st, 4th, 8th and 9th
David Matthews' 7th
Peter Maxwell Davies 7th
John McCabe 5th, 6th and 7th
Anthony Milner's 3rd
...and I don't think any of the 12 symphonies of Wilfred Josephs are available either, Colin! :(
I have the 5th, but that's all. :(
Though why the Wilfred Josephs society discography (http://www.musicweb-international.com/josephs/discog.htm) doesn't list the one recording I do know about - concerto for brass, coupled with George Lloyd's symphony no.10 - well, happens.
I didn't include Josephs because none of his symphonies has been recorded commercially.
I shall be able to upload Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 7 in the next few days.
I fear that the WJ Society may be moribund :( It still lists the late Sir Charles Mackerras as President.
Good point. Though that's not a new recording, it may be no longer available at that- I first heard it sometime around 1990 or so.
Not quite accurate, Colin. A Wilfred Josephs' Symphony has been commercially recorded:
Symphony No. 5, Op. 75 "Pastoral" (1971)
David Measham/Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
( + Variations on a Theme of Beethoven)
UNICORN DKP9026 (LP) (1983)
I'm sure you have this LP.
Michael
Quote from: Mykulh on Sunday 23 October 2011, 02:28
Not quite accurate, Colin. A Wilfred Josephs' Symphony has been commercially recorded: Symphony No. 5, Op. 75 "Pastoral" (1971)
I'm sure you have this LP.
Michael
Quite right, Michael ... in my enthusiasm, I didn't think to check beyond what's currently available! ::)
I wish I did have that LP - a rather adventurous release for the time, and eminently uploadable! I just have an off-air cassette recording of it. :(
Have Grace Williams' 1st been recorded? The 2nd is such a tremendous work.
Quote from: erato on Sunday 23 October 2011, 09:09
Have Grace Williams' 1st been recorded? The 2nd is such a tremendous work.
She scrapped the first symphony, according to her own account at:
http://www.welshmusic.org.uk/grace_williams.htm
and retained only the scherzo, which I don't believe has ever been recorded.
I don't know whether the score for the whole symphony still exists, but I bet someone here does... ;D
Quote from: Dundonnell on Saturday 22 October 2011, 21:59
Leaving aside those symphonies listed above which have never been performed (like Wordsworth's 6th) the symphonies which I would really like to hear and wonder if anyone has been able to record in the past would be:
David Matthews' 7th
Peter Maxwell Davies 7th
John McCabe 7th
Colin, I have the three above mentioned. I will certainly upload them if you like but only if no other member will offer them. My recordings of Matthews and McCabe are streams by the BBC-Player which offers a very low bitrate. Davies is on an old cassette, a concert from the late 90s or so, but the sound is very dull and muffled.
Well, take what you can get, but I hope there may be better ones! ;)
Quote from: semloh on Sunday 23 October 2011, 12:05
Quote from: erato on Sunday 23 October 2011, 09:09
Have Grace Williams' 1st been recorded? The 2nd is such a tremendous work.
She scrapped the first symphony, according to her own account at:
http://www.welshmusic.org.uk/grace_williams.htm
and retained only the scherzo, which I don't believe has ever been recorded.
I don't know whether the score for the whole symphony still exists, but I bet someone here does... ;D
The Grace Williams Symphony No.1 is available for download in the British Composers' section of this site ;D ;D
Quote from: Mykulh on Sunday 23 October 2011, 02:28
Not quite accurate, Colin. A Wilfred Josephs' Symphony has been commercially recorded:
Symphony No. 5, Op. 75 "Pastoral" (1971)
David Measham/Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
( + Variations on a Theme of Beethoven)
UNICORN DKP9026 (LP) (1983)
I'm sure you have this LP.
Michael
Sorry..I missed that one! I don't actually have the LP although I do have a different taped version of the symphony which I will be uploading very soon.
Incidentally, Michael, while I remember: the Fricker 5th and McCabe 6th(Symphony on a Pavane) and 7th(Labyrinth) are missing from the notes on their composers in your Discography. The Hoddinott 9th(Vision of Eternity) is for soprano and orchestra rather than for "brass and orchestra"
Quote from: britishcomposer on Sunday 23 October 2011, 16:53
Quote from: Dundonnell on Saturday 22 October 2011, 21:59
Leaving aside those symphonies listed above which have never been performed (like Wordsworth's 6th) the symphonies which I would really like to hear and wonder if anyone has been able to record in the past would be:
David Matthews' 7th
Peter Maxwell Davies 7th
John McCabe 7th
Colin, I have the three above mentioned. I will certainly upload them if you like but only if no other member will offer them. My recordings of Matthews and McCabe are streams by the BBC-Player which offers a very low bitrate. Davies is on an old cassette, a concert from the late 90s or so, but the sound is very dull and muffled.
Well, take what you can get, but I hope there may be better ones! ;)
The Matthews will be recorded by Dutton(the composer has confirmed this!) but the other two I would welcome :). I doubt if anyone else has a recording ;D
The announcement at the end of Grace Williams Sym no. 1 that I have calls it "Symphonic Impressions on Glendouer(sp?) Scenes of Henry IV, Part One, Her symphony no. 1"
Quote from: Dundonnell on Sunday 23 October 2011, 20:09
Quote from: britishcomposer on Sunday 23 October 2011, 16:53
Quote from: Dundonnell on Saturday 22 October 2011, 21:59
Leaving aside those symphonies listed above which have never been performed (like Wordsworth's 6th) the symphonies which I would really like to hear and wonder if anyone has been able to record in the past would be:
David Matthews' 7th
Peter Maxwell Davies 7th
John McCabe 7th
Colin, I have the three above mentioned. I will certainly upload them if you like but only if no other member will offer them. My recordings of Matthews and McCabe are streams by the BBC-Player which offers a very low bitrate. Davies is on an old cassette, a concert from the late 90s or so, but the sound is very dull and muffled.
Well, take what you can get, but I hope there may be better ones! ;)
The Matthews will be recorded by Dutton(the composer has confirmed this!) but the other two I would welcome :). I doubt if anyone else has a recording ;D
Okay, but it will take me a week or so. Let's see if we still get a better offer! :D
Quote from: Arbuckle on Sunday 23 October 2011, 20:26
The announcement at the end of Grace Williams Sym no. 1 that I have calls it "Symphonic Impressions on Glendouer(sp?) Scenes of Henry IV, Part One, Her symphony no. 1"
Interesting! ('Glendower' in English, 'Glyndwr' in Welsh :))
Quote from an Albion post:
"There is an excellent monograph on Grace Williams by Malcolm Boyd (University of Wales Press, 1980). Regarding 'Symphony No.1' -
Its full title, on one of the surviving manuscripts at least, is Symphony no.1 in the form of Symphonic Impressions of the Glendower Scene in 'Henry IV Part 1': the composer usually referred to it simply as Symphonic Impressions. The first three of its four movements are musical portrayals of the character Owen Glendower in Act III scene 1 of Shakespeare's play, each one illustrating a different facet of his character. The first [shows] Glendower as a mighty warrior [, ... the] second movement depicts Glendower the dreamer [, ...the] third movement, entitled 'Scherzo barbaro e segreto', is an impression of Glendower the magician [and] the work ends with an epilogue. Here the composer puts aside Shakespeare's characterization and attempts, in her own words, 'a retrospective impression of Owain Glendwr, great figure of Welsh history'."
Quote from: britishcomposer on Sunday 23 October 2011, 20:31
Quote from: Dundonnell on Sunday 23 October 2011, 20:09
Quote from: britishcomposer on Sunday 23 October 2011, 16:53
Quote from: Dundonnell on Saturday 22 October 2011, 21:59
Leaving aside those symphonies listed above which have never been performed (like Wordsworth's 6th) the symphonies which I would really like to hear and wonder if anyone has been able to record in the past would be:
David Matthews' 7th
Peter Maxwell Davies 7th
John McCabe 7th
Colin, I have the three above mentioned. I will certainly upload them if you like but only if no other member will offer them. My recordings of Matthews and McCabe are streams by the BBC-Player which offers a very low bitrate. Davies is on an old cassette, a concert from the late 90s or so, but the sound is very dull and muffled.
Well, take what you can get, but I hope there may be better ones! ;)
The Matthews will be recorded by Dutton(the composer has confirmed this!) but the other two I would welcome :). I doubt if anyone else has a recording ;D
Okay, but it will take me a week or so. Let's see if we still get a better offer! :D
That's fine :)
Quote from: Dundonnell on Saturday 22 October 2011, 21:59
Leaving aside those symphonies listed above which have never been performed (like Wordsworth's 6th) the symphonies which I would really like to hear and wonder if anyone has been able to record in the past would be:
Arthur Butterworth's 6th
Arnold Cooke's 2nd and 6th
Iain Hamilton's 1st, 3rd and 4th
Alun Hoddinott's 1st, 4th, 8th and 9th
David Matthews' 7th
Peter Maxwell Davies 7th
John McCabe 5th, 6th and 7th
Anthony Milner's 3rd
I happen to have a recording of Iain Hamilton's Symphony No. 3 and will upload it in near future. :)
Quote from: Dundonnell on Sunday 23 October 2011, 20:47
Quote from: Arbuckle on Sunday 23 October 2011, 20:26
The announcement at the end of Grace Williams Sym no. 1 that I have calls it "Symphonic Impressions on Glendouer(sp?) Scenes of Henry IV, Part One, Her symphony no. 1"
Interesting! ('Glendower' in English, 'Glyndwr' in Welsh :))
Quote from an Albion post:
"There is an excellent monograph on Grace Williams by Malcolm Boyd (University of Wales Press, 1980). Regarding 'Symphony No.1' -
Its full title, on one of the surviving manuscripts at least, is Symphony no.1 in the form of Symphonic Impressions of the Glendower Scene in 'Henry IV Part 1': ..."
Well, I suppose that settles it! Not quite sure how I missed the download available here!
I can't understand why she would have discarded all but the scherzo, as she says, and we are fortunate that the score was not discarded. It's a fine work, and I wonder why there's still no recording? :o
Maybe we are in the territory discussed elsewhere in the forum, of whether one should resuscitate works that have been discarded by their creators! I think this owuld be a prime example of what gems we might miss! :)
Hurrah ;D ;D