Rutland Boughton

[albion]

Hi, I am new to the forum and have a great interest in unsung (predominantly) British composers of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 2010 looks set to be a good year for anybody interested in the music of Rutland Boughton, with many live events co-ordinated by the Boughton Trust. A long-awaited recording of his Hardy-based music drama "The Queen of Cornwall" (1924) is anticipated, and Dutton are scheduled to record "three early symphonic poems" (according to the Trust). Does anybody know exactly what these latter works will be? According to the late Michael Hurd's "Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals" (1993) there are four purely orchestral candidates still extant in manuscript: "A Summer Night" (1899/1903), "Imperial Elegy" (1901), "Troilus and Cressida" (1902) and "Love in Spring" (1906). In addition there is the hugely-impressive (at least from the Novello vocal score) choral work termed 'Symphonic Poem' "Midnight" setting a text by Edward Carpenter (1907). It would be wonderful to have the opportunity to hear any of this music, but it would be exciting to have some titles in anticipation!

[John Hudock]

His large scale choral work "Bethlehem" and his opera "The Immortal Hour" immediately come to mind as worthwhile. I also have a recording of his 3rd symphony, but it left no distinct impression, I'll have to give it another listen.

I recently started a conversation of oboe concertos and Boughton has a nice one as well as a pair of oboe quartets. I only have a recording of the first, but it is quite lovely as is the other chamber music that I have heard. (There is not much recorded, not sure how much there is).

[eschiss1]

If you can find the BBC recording (under the late Edward Downes) of his 2nd (1926-7) and 3rd (1937) symphonies, I highly recommend it. The 2nd is, I believe, based on plans for a ballet on Deirdre of the Shallows (Synge's play), and sounds somewhere between very good ballet and symphonic music in my opinion - it's in three very free-form movements, based more on recurring themes than any memory of sonata, variation or rondo; I find the overall effect very powerful, though. (Harmonically and orchestrally I find suggestions of Debussy and other composers, I think.   The 3rd is a more conventional symphony but still sometimes I prefer the 2nd and sometimes the 3rd- they're both very good, in my opinion anyway, not very helpful I know. (I haven't heard the only currently available recording of the 3rd, on a Hyperion/Helios CD with the oboe concerto no. 1, and can only judge from the Downes-conducted recording on that BBC disc. Hyperion has, I believe, also recorded the composer's 1st, "Cromwell", symphony.)

Eric

[Mark Thomas]

Boughton's First is actually a Dutton release, Eric, not a Hyperion one.

[albion]

The 2nd ('Dierdre') Symphony conducted by Edward Downes is one of the best recordings of Boughton's music that we have, alive to the drama of the score and technically secure. This long-deleted BBC Radio Classics disc does turn up fairly regularly - try Amazon for a used copy. Both recordings (Downes' and Handley's) of the 3rd Symphony are slightly let down by occasional orchestral frailties, but the strength of the music still shines through.

When listening to the 'Oliver Cromwell' Symphony I was immediately struck by just how accomplished Boughton was as an orchestrator at a very early date (1905) in his career: this makes the prospect of the early symphonic poems (from Dutton later in the year) even more tantalising.

I would strongly recommend the following CDs to any curious listener not yet acquainted with Boughton:

Hyperion's disc conducted by Ronald Corp: great performances of the Flute Concerto, The Concerto for Strings and 'Aylesbury Games' (CDA 67185)

'Bethlehem' (also on Hyperion, CDA 66690). This is a lovely performance of Boughton's view of the Nativity and nothing of quality is really lost by the slight truncation of the score - a real winner.

[Pengelli]

It is sad that there isn't more interest in Boughton. I am certainly looking forward to the Dutton and Hyperion cds. 'The Queen of Cornwall' is highly rated by some. I have 'The Immortal Hour' on cd & LP. The Lp set having a nice big libretto,of course (one good reason to have hung onto it). 'The Queen of Cornwall' being regarded as less 'fey' and more dramatic. The 'Deidre' symphony you mention is a lovely piece,which you would think Chandos or Hyperion would have done by now.But the Downes performance is certainly very good & well worth seeking out if you don't have it.

[albion]

Further to the possible repertoire which might be on the forthcoming Rutland Boughton disc from Dutton ("Three symphonic poems"): besides 'Midnight' (1907), Boughton also gave the generic description 'symphonic poem' to two other significant short choral works - 'The Skeleton in Armour' (1898/1903) and 'The Invincible Armada' (1901). Will we have a purely orchestral disc (see first post) or a choral extravaganza? Either way, it should be a brilliant issue!

[Pengelli]

I will definately buy that one! I have all the available Boughton cd's,except the songs.

[Marcus]

Boughton also wrote a Concerto for Strings (1937) Folk Dances for Strings (1912) & a Trumpet Concerto (1943).
I really enjoy his first symphony, although the baritone solo in the finale does not quite work for me, I would have preferred a  chorus accompaniment to add weight to the music. But that is just my opinion.
I do hope that the 2nd symphony appears on CD soon, and look forward to the Dutton release of the symphonic poems.
Marcus.

[Pengelli]

I would definately put his Second Symphony very high on a Boughton cd want list. It has a particularly lovely slow movement,which can easily be enjoyed on it's own. The cd is well worth seeking out or downloading from somewhere,if you can find it. The trouble is the high prices some sellers ask. Not so keen about the third,myself. It is very well orchestrated,but too 'Elgarian',for my liking. I like my Boughton to sound like  Boughton!
  Holbrooke's Piano Concerto No 1 presents me with the same problem. It is all very fluent & full of glittering colour & orchestration,but it just doesn't sound like the Holbrooke I love.

[albion]

Firm news from the Boughton trust on their two wonderful recording projects:

Three of Boughton's symphonic poems – A Summer Night, Troilus & Cressida (later called Thou & I) and Love and Spring – have been recorded by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Martin Yates.

The Trust's 25-year long aim to have The Queen of Cornwall recorded was finally rewarded in July. The recording, which was made by The New London Orchestra and Chorus under Ronald Corp with a fine line of soloists, is a landmark for success.
Both recordings will appear on the Dutton Epoch label and be released in the Autumn/Winter 2010.

[M. Henriksen]

What great news!
Speaking of Boughton's orchestral music; Does anyone have a complete overview of his orchestral output? I haven't found much on the web (not the first time in my case..).


Morten

[albion]

What great news!
Does anyone have a complete overview of his orchestral output?

Symphonies: No.1, Oliver Cromwell (1904-5); No.2, Deirdre (1926-7); No.3, in B minor (1937)

Symphonic Poems: Lucifer (1898, destroyed); A Summer Night (1899-1903); Imperial Elegy: Into the Everlasting (1901); Troilus and Cressida (1902); Love in Spring (1906)

Overtures: School for Scandal (1903); The Round Table (1916); The Queen of Cornwall (1926); Overture to the Arthurian Cycle (1936)

Concertos: Piano Concerto in A flat (1897-8, destroyed); Concerto for Oboe and Strings, No.1 in C (1936); Concerto for Oboe and Strings, No.2 in G (1937); Concerto for Flute and Strings (1937); Concerto for Strings (Four English Pieces, 1937); Concerto for Trumpet (1943); Concertante for Cello and Orchestra (1955, sketches only)

Miscellaneous: Symphonic Suite, The Chilterns (1900); Symphonic March, Britannia (1901); Variations on a Theme of Purcell (1901); Prelude and Finale: The Birth of Arthur (1910); Three Folk Dances for Strings (1912); Three Flights for Orchestra (1929); Winter Sun (1932); Rondo in Wartime (1941); Orchestral Prelude on a Christmas Hymn (1941); Reunion Variations (1945); Suite for Strings: Aylesbury Games (1952)

[M. Henriksen]

Thank you very much Albion, interesting reading! Still unrecorded music on that list..

Morten

[albion]

Thank you very much Albion, interesting reading! Still unrecorded music on that list..

Morten

The Dutton release of the three purely orchestral symphonic poems will mean that most of the composer's significant orchestral output has been recorded (even if it is not all currently available - thinking of the BBC Radio Classics Deirdre).

Apart from the music dramas, perhaps the most urgently-deserving area of Boughton's output is his choral music, principally the three further 'Symphonic Poems' for Chorus and Orchestra The Skeleton in Armour (text by Longfellow, 1898-1903), The Invincible Armada (text Schiller, trans. Lytton, 1901) and Midnight (text Edward Carpenter, 1907). The last especially is a superb composition, very atmospheric and written with assurance and daring. Boughton's other choral music is pretty uneven, but his unaccompanied cycle of six settings Child of Earth (1927) would be well worth reviving.

If you can find a copy, I would strongly recommend Michael Hurd's revised and expanded biography Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals (Clarendon, 1993).