Friedrich Grützmacher Concert Overture

[Richard Moss]

My thanks to britishcomposer for uploading this enjoyable work.  The only other work by this composer I have come across was on an album  I bought many years ago called 'Musik am Gothaer', which work was his 'Concert-fantasie'for Cello & Orchestra (Op. 33) .

Checking for any other orchestral works he may haver written, I came across the reference below - way to mighty for my feeble grey matter!! - but its opening line says he was "... the most prolific arranger and editor of music for the cello in the 19th century".

https://mhm.hud.ac.uk/chase/article/friedrich-gr-tzmacher-an-overview-george-kennaway/

His dates (1832 - 1903) place him right in the middle of the 'UC remit' and yet he appears to be virtually unknown as well as unheard.  Is this because his music might be 'pleasant but not memorable' or for some other reason (e.g. he composed very little?)

Any enlightenment appreciated.

Best wishes

Richard

[Gareth Vaughan]

IMSLP has a list of his compositions and a number of scores. Fleisher has parts only (complete, but no score) of the second cello concerto and score and parts of third cello concerto, together with a number of other orchestral and concertante works (including the Overture).

[terry martyn]

I have a number of CDs in the Music at the Court of Gotha series, and have toyed with the idea of getting this one for a couple of years now. Your mention,Richard, has just persuaded me to order it.  Wasn't Grutzmacher the guy who supposedly "arranged" the famous Boccherini Cello Concerto?

[Richard Moss]

Terry/Gareth,

Whist I personally do not know the answer to your query, Terry, the notes to the Musik am Gothaer CD do indeed mention that Grutzmacher took samples from 4 different (Boccherini) works in creating his own performing edition of Boccherini's concerto in B-flat.

Otherwise, at first glance I cannot find any recordings of his own Cello concertos or other works that Gareth mentions - just that Boccheriini one.

Many tks for the info gents.

Best wishes

Richard

[eschiss1]

An out of print recording of etudes by Grützmacher, on ebay, anyone... and Worldcat lists 2 recordings of his Consecration hymn for cello quartet-or-quintet, Op.65 (perhaps private recordings, from 2004 and 2007) which can be found also on YouTube. Not orchestral or cello and orchestra music ([edit: something for Cello or Toccata Classics to consider, anyone?]) but it does show there's some music by Grützmacher himself that's been set to recording and performed in the last 20-odd years (Google finds a performance of a cello quartet work of his in Hartford, Connecticut in 2021, too.)

[terry martyn]

My copy of the Concert-fantaise has arrived.  Wagner was pretty cutting at times about Duke Ernst's composing calibre, and,regretfully, I think his judgment might be correct. Grutzmacher's composition, based on themes penned by the Duke,seems, sadly, a match in mediocrity .Pretty dutiful,but not especially memorable. The Duke shunned the local composer,Bohner, who died in poverty,but certainly had his composing merits. Any opinions to the contrary?

[Alan Howe]

Was he a better arranger than composer, perhaps?

[terry martyn]

The booklet describes his arrangements as "free", which brings to mind that pesky arrangement by Wilhelmj of Raff's First Violin Concerto. There are those who think that Grutzmacher's arrangement of that Boccherini Cello Concerto  (Number 9) turned it into pastiche,although Jacqueline du Pre was perfectly happy to play and record his ministries.