British Music

[fr8nks]

It was brought to my attention that yesterday's upload of the Gipps Piano Concerto was afflicted with the same digital noise in the 2nd and 3rd movements that prevented their upload by another forum member a few months ago. Sorry! I did spot-check some moments in those movements before I uploaded, but I hadn't listened to the recording in its entirity in several years and had forgotten there were problems, and the spots I checked were OK.

However... I spent some time this morning performing some digital magic on the offending files and removed much of the digital noise. While still not ideal, I believe those movements are now at least tolerably listenable. I've replaced my previous upload with the corrected files, so if you downloaded before reading this note today, you may want to go back and re-download after deleting your earlier download.

Enjoy!

I cannot download the new link. Does anyone else have this problem?

[Latvian]

I cannot download the new link. Does anyone else have this problem?

OK, I've fixed the link. Please try again.

[fr8nks]

Thanks, Maris. It is okay now.

[albion]

I have acquired and uploaded the most significant of the deleted and reconstructed items included during the interval talks broadcast in the 1989 BBC Gilbert and Sullivan series, viz.

Thespis; or, The Gods Grown Old - Little Maid of Arcadee (1871)

The Sorcerer - Happy are we in our loving frivolity [original opening to Act II] (1877)

Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride - Though men of rank may useless seem [reconstruction of song for Duke of Dunstable] (1881)

Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri - My bill has now been read/ Fold your flapping wings [deleted recit and song for Strephon] (1882)

The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and his Maid - When jealous torments rack my soul [deleted song for Wilfred Shadbolt] (1888)

The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and his Maid - A laughing boy but yesterday [deleted song for Sergeant Meryll] (1888)

The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and his Maid - Is life a boon [original, discarded version] (1888)

[albion]

Many thanks to both Latvian and shamokin88 for their efforts on behalf of

Ruth Gipps - Piano Concerto in G minor, Op.34 (1948)

Maris's copy of the complete recording was (as indicated in previous posts) damaged but Edward's was intact, so I have adopted the latter and placed it alongside the earlier file of the first movement (which includes the introductory announcement).

[BerlinExpat]

Goossens, Eugene (1893-1962) - Don Juan De Mañara, Op. 54 (1934-37)

Does anyone know if the sequence of events was altered for the 3 act version? Listening to the act introductions it would appear that Act 1 Scene 2 was oringinally Act 3 and Act 3 was Act 4. At least, that would fit the synopsis given in one of my opera guides (Heinz Wagner).

[albion]

Goossens, Eugene (1893-1962) - Don Juan De Mañara, Op. 54 (1934-37)

Does anyone know if the sequence of events was altered for the 3 act version? Listening to the act introductions it would appear that Act 1 Scene 2 was oringinally Act 3 and Act 3 was Act 4. At least, that would fit the synopsis given in one of my opera guides (Heinz Wagner).

Certainly, the four sections of the 1959 BBC broadcast (Act 1, Scene 1; Act 1, Scene 2; Act 2; Act 3) equate to the original four separate acts.

If what you surmise from the original synopsis is correct, viz.

Act 1 (original) = Act 1, Scene 1 (revised version)
Act 2 (original) = Act 2
Act 3 (original) = Act 1, Scene 2 (revised version)
Act 4 (original) = Act 3 (revised version)

the revision results in a less well-balanced structure with a very long first act followed by two short ones. The swapping of the middle scenes and the amalgamation were presumably done with a view to stagecraft as I can't really see that there is any musical reason per se.



As there are separate audio files for each section it is easy to compare the different versions.

[albion]

I have at last managed to complete our 1989 Savoy series with

Arthur Sullivan - Utopia Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress (1893)

Whilst the sound quality is generally excellent, I have had to work from several sources in order to present the complete opera.

[semloh]

gabriel - thank you so much for the recording of Butterworth's 4th Symphony - so distinctively Arthur Butterworth and yet clearly (to my ears, at least) in the tradition of Vaughan Williams. And, how wonderful that it came direct from the composer - we are privileged indeed. 

[semloh]

Latvian! I loved the band music you kindly made available - thank you!  It does make a pleasant change, and the pieces are beautifully played.

You did make a very big call.... "the Intermezzo from Jacob's Original Suite is one of the most beautiful pieces in all of British music, in any medium!" Wow! Well, it certainly is a lovely piece. I wonder if the Suite was intended as band music or is that an arrangement... Ah! Maybe Colin's composer list has the answer! Anyway, certainly a fine work. 

[Jimfin]

Albion, thank you so much, I was eagerly hoping for both of those!

[Dundonnell]

Latvian! I loved the band music you kindly made available - thank you!  It does make a pleasant change, and the pieces are beautifully played.

You did make a very big call.... "the Intermezzo from Jacob's Original Suite is one of the most beautiful pieces in all of British music, in any medium!" Wow! Well, it certainly is a lovely piece. I wonder if the Suite was intended as band music or is that an arrangement... Ah! Maybe Colin's composer list has the answer! Anyway, certainly a fine work. 

No..it is indeed a work written specifically for Military Band

[Latvian]

Quote from: semloh on Today at 04:14

    You did make a very big call.... "the Intermezzo from Jacob's Original Suite is one of the most beautiful pieces in all of British music, in any medium!" Wow! Well, it certainly is a lovely piece. I wonder if the Suite was intended as band music or is that an arrangement...

No..it is indeed a work written specifically for Military Band

Indeed it is. I don't believe anyone has ever arranged it for orchestra, not that it's necessary -- the writing as it stands is perfectly apt to to the music.

Interestingly, it was Gordon Jacob who orchestrated Vaughan Williams' Folk Song Suite, which was also originally written for band.

[Dundonnell]

Quote from: semloh on Today at 04:14

    You did make a very big call.... "the Intermezzo from Jacob's Original Suite is one of the most beautiful pieces in all of British music, in any medium!" Wow! Well, it certainly is a lovely piece. I wonder if the Suite was intended as band music or is that an arrangement...

No..it is indeed a work written specifically for Military Band

Indeed it is. I don't believe anyone has ever arranged it for orchestra, not that it's necessary -- the writing as it stands is perfectly apt to to the music.

Interestingly, it was Gordon Jacob who orchestrated Vaughan Williams' Folk Song Suite, which was also originally written for band.

As the poor unfortunate soul who took it upon himself to try to produce a catalogue of Gordon Jacob's orchestral music  I know only too well just how vast was his body of music for brass band and how dreadfully arbitrary were my decisions to include some "symphonic brass music" and omit most of the "military brass music"

[BerlinExpat]

Goossens, Eugene (1893-1962) - Don Juan De Mañara, Op. 54 (1934-37)

Many thanks Albion. I've rearranged the acts in the original order and the opera make wonderful listening.