Tucked away in this year's Proms Programme is a concert by the Ulster Orchestra on Sunday 5th September in which is included the first public performance by a professional orchestra, for a very very long time, of Dorothy Howell's sumptuously beautiful tone poem "Lamia". So three cheers to Roger Wright for unearthing this masterpiece.
Her piano concerto will be given its first performance in about 70 years in a professional concert which I am organising at The Cadogan Hall on 11th November this year. Valentina Seferinova is the soloist. Please put the date in your diaries. Other delights of British music featured in the concert are: Holbrooke's Variations on "The Girl I Left Behind Me" and Lilian Elkington's wonderful "Out of the Mist". I hope some of you this side of the pond will be able to make it.
Hello Gareth,
I concur with your remarks re Dorothy Howell's Tone Poem Lamia.(Cameo Classics #CC9037CD). It is an excellent example of the quality English romantic music, which remains unheard & unknown and awaiting discovery. I look forward to hearing the Piano Concerto - it should be a revelation !
Marcus.
can anybody give me her piano concerto?
Do you mean the score or a recording?
QuoteDo you mean the score or a recording?
recording !!!!!! i can't buy any CD. many thanks if you help me
There is no commercial recording currently available, but there probably will be soon. That's all I can say at present.
The Cameo Classics recording of the piano concerto is now available at Records International here in the colonies. Lovely piece, too.
The couplings are interesting, however, the Scott harpsichord concerto starts quite nicely but seems to degenerate into a lot of noise. The Jadassohn Serenade is a pleasant piece.
Jerry
Quotethe Scott harpsichord concerto starts quite nicely but seems to degenerate into a lot of noise.
What an extraordinary thing to say about this brilliant, though I admit challenging, piece! Do give it another chance.
Guess I'm beyond the challenge. Audio beauty, like visual, is in the ear of the beholder.
It's just not my thing.
Jerry
Fair enough.
As to Howell, listened to her G minor violin fantasy just lately and was quite pleased with it...
Only just become aware of Dorothy Howell via a "YouTube" video celebrating British composers......
I understand that Dorothy is buried at St Wulstans in Malvern - the same churchyard that houses the bones of Sir Edward Elgar.
And, as I only live about 500 yards away from the aforesaid churchyard, I really must make a another pilgrimage to see Sir Ted and try to find Dorothy while I'm at it!
Oh how lovely to live near there. It's a wonderful spot: I've been once, though I was also unaware of Dorothy Howell at the time. It's about 8,000 miles from where I live now, though.
Yes, it's a lovely place. Sir Ted's grave 500 yards up the A449 and his former home, "Craeg Lea", about a quarter-mile in the opposite direction; views from my bedroom window out to the Vale of Evesham. Never tire of the view, changing weather makes it different every morning - especially when the autumn mist hangs low in the vale and all you can see are church spires poking through, and Bredon Hill looming like an island out of a sea of fog ......No wonder Elgar felt inspired!
Dorothy Howell spent many years tending Elgar's grave so this might be why she is buried in the same cemetery.
There's an interesting report about the discovery of some Doroth Howells archives, including music manuscripts, at:
http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2010/08/27/the-lost-archive-of-our-own-strauss-dorothy-howell-65233-27135490/ (http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2010/08/27/the-lost-archive-of-our-own-strauss-dorothy-howell-65233-27135490/)
The two photos of DH are charming ... but my inner pedant recoils at the attribution of the poem Lamia to "Keates"! ::)
Very interesting indeed! I feel that if I also had a 'windowed' mother, I would find moving to Letchworth equally helpful... they know their windows there... :)
Hmm. Not a very literary (or literate) - or, indeed, musical - person, Mr Matt Lloyd (the reporter). Not only does poor old Keats get burdened with an additional 'e' (to say nothing of the 'windowed' mother, which, to be fair, must be a typo) but he feels it necessary to tell his readers that the Promenade Concerts are still with us!
To be fair, this was written for a very mainstream paper, with an audience with probably not a high average IQ or level of education, and sadly there are many people who don't know about the proms, or only know the Last Night. Quite good in a way for those people to be aware that composers can (a) come from the UK, and even Birmingham and (b) be female.
Entirely fair and reasonable points, Jimfin. Maybe we should refrain from condemning the reporter: he doubtless has a qualification in journalism and media studies from one of the more prestigious ex-polytechnics in the UK, and is trying his best. The article appeared in a daily regional paper rather than some learned journal, and if it reached out to a wide readership and thereby created some interest in composers who have been pushed to the wayside by subsequent history and fashion then that is surely good. Maybe a few Brummies read the article, wondered at it, and then sought out the rather lovely Dutton disc of Dorothy Howells' work for violin and piano?
Remember also that Birmingham, in spite of the current noise, stink, grime, and concrete has had a wonderful musical history - especially with choral works in the 19th century. And there is now the CBSO, Symphony Hall, a wealth of chamber music, regular visits of Welsh National Opera, and many many enthusiastic Brummies quite passionate about their music. Not a bad track record. In spite of windowed mothers and 'Keates' (the Guardian, for example, often does much worse), I thought the article both good and interesting for a local paper. Besides, I once lived in an area where the local paper ran an article on film music and happily talked about Tchaikovsky's film music. That shows a level of ignorance far more crass than the Birmingham article!
But I can sense Alan, red pen in hand, hovering behind my back, and growling: "...and Dorothy Howells?"
Speaking of Birmingham composers, and apologies for it being slightly off topic, but I had the great pleasure of hearing the premiere of Andrew Downes's Horn Concerto last night. Marvelous piece!
Back to topic! I live in Birmingham and had no idea there was even an exhibition about Dorothy Howell. They're not very good at publicising things in this city sometimes. I wonder if there is a complete catalogue of her works anywhere? Maybe when the new library opens and they have a bit more space, they can put on a larger one to do her justice, and tell people about it! I even know Ursula a bit, who was featured in the article, and she didn't say anything! :)