Does anyone know where the MSS of Otto Singer (the elder) are - or if, indeed, they are still extant? He is supposed to have written 2 Piano Concertos, but only one seems to have been published, Op. 8 - score & parts in Fleisher. There is also a Rhapsodie for piano & orchestra, available in the 2 piano version from IMSLP. If all the performance materials could be found the 2 PCs and the Rhapsodie might make up a CD for Hyperion. Fleisher also has a violin concerto. A symphony is supposed to have existed in MS.
Sorry, Gareth, that I can't help; but for the purposes of information, here's a link to the Wikipedia page about him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Singer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Singer)
Though this doesn't answer the question directly, a few other works were published- an andante & variations for 2 pianos (Op.1) which is in the possession of a few libraries, a Festival Ode published in vocal score in 1877 (I'm guessing by Otto Singer I since his son was fairly young at the time?... it's mentioned in the Singer Wikipedia article. Hrm...) The cantata mentioned @ Wikipedia, the Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, is also @ some libraries (hrm. Ah, I see. He did spent a fair amount of his life in the USA, especially in New York. Interesting...)
Thanks, Eric. I know about these. Singer died in New York but there is nothing of significance of his in the online catalogues of either the NYPL or the Juilliard.
Yale University Library, according to Worldcat.org, has a few things, and so do a couple of other places - Buffalo & Erie County Library , Carnegie Library Pittsburgh, Tufts University Library, Denison University's Library, Washington University (St. Louis - this one turns up in a fair number of searches I've done; unfortunately I don't think they interloan to my local library... Buffalo & Erie Co. does, for a fee; Peabody Conversatory does (or did?), without the fee... (for example)), some others... etc. ...
Chicago Public Library has a violin/piano version (Klavierauszug mit solostimme) of Singer's Opus 6 Konzertstück.
Thanks very much, Eric. I will check these out. I am extremely grateful.
Alas, no luck. At least as for as works for piano & orchestra are concerned.
The Staatsbibliothek Berlin lists works in their filmed card catalogue:
http://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/die-staatsbibliothek/abteilungen/musik/recherche-und-ressourcen/imagekataloge/
(Katalog der Musikbücher und Noten I), for example a Concertstück f. Viol. m. Orcc. op. 6 publ. by Leuckart or the Piano concerto in A minor, op. 8 - unless they are works by Otto Singer Jr.?
Thank you. However, these may be only piano scores and, in any case, the performance materials for both these works (pub. Leuckhart) are in Fleisher.
According to my (ca. 1984) notes on Singer, his son, the afore-mentioned Otto Singer Jr. died in Leipzig on Jan 8, 1931, where he had been active since 1922. There is also a mention of Jr. arranging Wagner and Strauss vocal scores, composing and conducting. With Jr.'s strong German ties, perhaps searching Leipzig probate records could lead to further clues? Alas, the little matter of WWII may have obliterated everything...
David
Thank you. Yes, I did try that route some years ago, but got nowhere. No records seem to have survived. That does not mean the MSS themselves don't survive somewhere, of course, but it doesn't make them any easier to find if they do.
Hrm. Re the concertstück and the piano concerto...
Otto Singer's Op.1 was published in 1856, before Jr. was born; HMB lists works by "O. Singer" (listed by libraries - here one has to wonder if the library cataloguers are filling in the gaps or if the first names are on the scores, and the wondering is worrisome, since it doesn't really follow that an "O." is "Otto", and just because it's likely doesn't let one forget the issue entirely; for a dissimilar case that has -some- points in common however, consider "J. Raff") -
according to HMB (not the only source I should be checking!) - Fantasie Op.2 by O. Singer- pub.1869.
Grand duo for violin and piano Op.3 by same - pub.1869.
The Concertstück Op.6 doesn't appear in HMB until 1893 (Leuckart plate 4617). Still in Singer I's lifetime but by now Singer II is in his 30s (haven't seen his first 5 opp announced anywhere offhand but that doesn't mean they aren't anywhere. After all , I don't see opp.4&5 - then again, as noted above, Singer Sr. moved to the US and may no longer have been using opus numbers, publishing odes etc. in the 1870s. Maybe Op.6 & 8 are indeed by Singer Jr. ; alternately maybe they're almost-posthumous (1893) publications by Singer Sr. (of earlier works?...) Don't know alas...
Actually, since the new publications by Singer, including his Op.7 Musikalische Plaudereien, were published during Jr.'s lifetime but not Sr.'s, and at a time when "Otto Singer" meant I think fairly unambiguously Otto Singer II/Jr. the arranger (composer?), I'm going to put my chips in and say that Op.6, 8, etc. really are probably by Otto Singer Jr. About the 1881 rhapsodie I'm much less sure.
The life of a researcher would be made considerably easier if folk didn't go around giving their children their own first names AND letting them choose the same occupations as their parents'...
I'm afraid I cannot help with op.6 and op. 8, but – to add to the confusion – the Kalliope database of letters and other autographs held in German libraries used to have Otto Singer Jr. and Otto Singer (not individualised), whereas the new version
(http://kalliope-verbund.info/en/index.html)
lists a letter to Joseph Joachim from 1882 by Otto Singer (no dates given) from Cincinnati and one to Joachim from Otto Singer Jr. 1883 from Berlin. Both letters are held by the Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung in Berlin. It does not look as though they have any mss scores that are not listed in the various online catalogues.
Thank you very much. I do agree about the names - can be frustrating sometimes!
Just wanted to add some additional (though not dramatically helpful) information regarding Otto Singer, Sr.
F.O. Jones, A Handbook of American Music and Musicians (https://archive.org/details/handbookofameric00jone) (1886) states the following: "Mr. Singer's compositions are numerous, though few of them have been published. In all of them he shows a decided leaning toward the modern school represented by Liszt. They consist of "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers" (1876) cantata, and "Festival Ode," cantata, composed for the dedication of the Music Hall, Cincinnati, in 1878; several symphonies; two concertos for piano and orchestra; variations for two pianos, op. 1; fantasia for piano and orchestra, op. 2; duo for piano and violin, op. 3; a rhapsodie in C; and a number of piano pieces." (page 156).
W.S.B. Mathews, A Hundred Years of Music in America (https://archive.org/details/hundrofmu00math) (1889) adds the following: "Few of his works have been published. Among those that have seen the light are andante and variations for two pianos (Op. 1); fantasie in E minor (Op. 2); duo for piano and violin in C minor (Op. 3); rhapsody for piano and orchestra; Shiller's Tower of Song, for chorus and orchestra; several symphonies and piano pieces..." (page 446).
The Fantasie (referred to by Mathews as a piano concerto) was premiered by Singer with Theodore Thomas in New York on April 3, 1869 (Theodore Thomas, A Musical Autobiography (https://archive.org/details/theodorethomasm02thomuoft) vol.2 page 87).
It appears that Singer's connection with Thomas has resulted in the preservation of two marches for orchestra that he composed. Both are to be found in the Rosenthal Archives of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (http://cso.org/about/History/Default.aspx). One, entitled ''Marcia,'' exists as manuscript parts while the other, entitled ''Central Park Garden Spectacel March,'' exists as a manuscript score and parts. The latter may be the Inauguration March performed by Thomas during his July 23, 1874 concert at Central Park Garden (vol.2, page 128).
Since Singer was for many years a professor at the Cincinnati College of Music perhaps the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (http://ccm.uc.edu/) might have some of his scores.
Lastly, and this is probably a long shot, since the two piano version of Singer's ''Rhapsody'' was published by John Church Co. and Theodore Presser Co. acquired Church in 1930 is it possible that parts or a full score might now be at the Library of Congress since it acquired Presser's archive in 2001?
Thank you, Eric, that's very helpful. According to Pazdirek, the Op. 8 PC is by Otto Singer I and the Op. 6 Violin Concert Piece is by Otto Singer II. But Fleisher gives both as being by Otto Singer II - a bit confusing!
I did make enquiries of the Cincinatti University Library but, alas, they have virtually nothing of interest.
Curiously, the 2-piano printed score of the Rhapsodie for piano & orchestra does not appear in the online catalog of the LC, although LC is given as the source of the scan on IMSLP. These are the sort of irritations that bedevil researchers (Sigh!).
The Library of Congress online catalog has several sections, some of which list the contents of their digitized sections (like the digitized parts of "Music Copyright Deposits, 1870-1885" from which the copy of his Rhapsodie (http://www.loc.gov/item/sm1881.03029/) derives) and some of which don't, I think?
Thanks again, Eric. Oh and, apologies - I meant to say Thank you, Cypressdome, for your very full and interesting post.
I see that the "Otto Singer topic" is not only complicated for me. I would like to take the chance to ask for information on the two pieces for violin and orchestra by Otto Singer and hopefully someone here can add some information (maybe anyone here holds the scores of the works?):
There is the already mentioned "Concertstück fur Violine and Orchester op.6" published by Leuckart sometime around 1894. But is it a composition by Otto Singer I. (1833-1894) or Otto Singer II. (1863-1931)? Could it be a clue that the publisher is Leuckart and Otto Singer I was in the USA from the 1870s and was mainly published by American houses? So with Leuckart as a publisher it could be a lead to Otto Singer II. ?
Second I also found a note in the book "Brinkman's catalogus van Boeken, Plaat- en Kaartwerken" (1925) by D. Smit on page 683 that mentions a "Concert fur Violine mit Begleitung des Orchester op.13, pub. Alsbach 1924" by a Otto Singer (most likely the second one). Curiously I could not find a library that holds this scores nor any other note about the op.13. Does anyone here holds the score or can give more information?
Best,
Tobias
Dear Tobias,
Pazdirek lists the Op. 6 Concertstuck as by Otto Singer Jnr. Score and parts are in the Fleisher collection.
Yes, I saw that as well, but there is no proof why this should be correct. It seems most likely that the Concertpiece is by Singer II., but a proof would be better.
I would put the question the other way. Have you any reason to suspect that the information given is incorrect?
The only reason why I am uncertain about this information is the fact that the Fleisher Collection is the only source that gives this information. But I will not have sleepless nights if we count that as a "fact". I was just asking if there is other information or a proof out there.
Any ideas where to find the score of the violin concerto op.13?
... hrm. A search for "Singer Alsbach" shows an Op.17 that's an -arrangement- by Otto Singer (II) of a cantata ("Weinlese"?) by Rudolf Mengelberg, published by G. Alsbach of Amsterdam perhaps around 1930. Is it possible that the violin concerto in question is one of Singer's many arrangements of a work by someone else?... (Not Rudolf Mengelberg- he wrote a violin concerto, but it's his Opus 18- but someone else around the same time...)
Interesting idea, but I checked my database and found only a few violin concertos with op.13 from the time before 1924 (G. Fitelberg, B. Martinu, G. Strube), but I can't see why these compositions qualify for a reduction by Singer. And isn't the op.13 Singer's very own counting?
So the only chance for a solution is the score. Does anyone know where the archive of Alsbach can be found?
QuoteThe only reason why I am uncertain about this information is the fact that the Fleisher Collection is the only source that gives this information.
Fleisher is not the only source of the information. Pazdirek lists 3 published works by "Singer Otto (1833)" - including the 2-piano score of the PC, Op. 8, pub. Leuckhart - and 4 published works by "Singer Otto jr (1843)", the first of which is the Op. 6 Concertstuck for violin and orchestra (also pub. Leuckhart): Partitur, Orchesterstimmen, Violin & Piano score, and Violin Stimme.
For anyone who may be tempted/interested, there are TWO copies of the Op6 Concertstuck available on the Abebooks site (from different sellers!). It would seem that both are full scores consisting of 31 pages. (The cheaper of the two comes to just over £50 including postage).
Here's some more information, gleaned from the "Blätter für Musik, Theater und Kunst":
19 June 1855: In the "Prüfungsconcert des Conservatoriums" (Leipzig) on 7 June 1855 one of four movements of a Symphony by Otto Singer from Sora was performed (from the manuscript) and was well liked. Whether that symphony was ever performed in full and printed is another question of course.
and on 13 August 1861 the same paper reports that Singer's Orchesterphantasie was played on 7 August 1861 at the "2. Tonkünstlerversammlung" in Weimar.