British Music

[atterberg 1974]

Thanks, Albion:

Any chance that plans for a major-label recording of the Te Deum (Op. 66) are in the works, somewhere?  Any other hints or words through the grapevine, on that front?

[albion]

Thanks, Albion:

Any chance that plans for a major-label recording of the Te Deum (Op. 66) are in the works, somewhere?  Any other hints or words through the grapevine, on that front?

Stanford's Te Deum, Op.66 was originally planned to partner the Stabat mater recording under Richard Hickox, until Chandos 'discovered' that it was too large to accommodate both works on a single disc (surprise, surprise!) ...



... so they substituted the little B flat Te Deum instead.



As far as I know, no other company has shown any interest in recording this splendid work (Op.66) commercially. All I can say from personal experience is that the concert (and especially the Stanford) represented by the broadcast was very well received by a large audience, although the choir did not rate Harry Christophers in this repertoire ...

[Jimfin]

Yes, Stanford's non-church settings of the Latin liturgy are a lovely thing, the Requiem, the Stabat and that op. 66 Te Deum. He also set the Latin mass, I believe, which I suppose would have been in a similar vein

[atterberg 1974]

Many thanks to Albion (and allow me to confirm the sentiments of Jimfin: Standford's choral music is unfailingly lovely)...

...I can only hope that a major label can pull together a fleet of grand and capable forces in order to release Stanford's "large" Te Deum on CD.  In the meantime, we can all live on downloads offered on this great Web site, I suppose. 

[Dundonnell]

Thanks to Holger for his upload of the William Mathias "Salvator mundi"-another welcome addition to the large Mathias collection available here

[Mark Thomas]

I've just posted four typically dramatic and colourful overtures by Litolff to the British Music thread in the Downloads board.

[albion]

I've just posted four typically dramatic and colourful overtures by Litolff to the British Music thread in the Downloads board.

Excellent - many thanks, Mark. Litolff certainly has strong claim to be included in our British section, and it is wonderful to have access to his orchestral music beyond the Concertos symphoniques.

[eschiss1]

Litolff- according to HMB, Die Girondisten, Trauerspiel von R. Griepenkerl, Op.80 overture was published in 1852.  The overture to Robespierre was published in 1850, making a composition date of 1856, again, raise interesting inferences about ...  it was republished in 1856, fwiw. The dramatic overture Chant des belges -was - published in 1856.  1847/8 seems right for Die Braut von Kynast.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks for the clarification of the dates, Eric. I'll alter the post and the text file accordingly.

[eschiss1]

Thanks. I'm assuming one advantage to his being his own publisher was that he probably got his own works out soon after composition in many cases - (probably, often, maybe - it does not do good to assume...
and even then even if one just wants publication dates HMB is only a good reference, not a perfect one (well, goes without saying) (actually, often for works first published in Britain that can be a problem, q.v. Sydney Smith. ... )

[JimL]

Thanks. I'm assuming one advantage to his being his own publisher was that he probably got his own works out soon after composition in many cases - (probably, often, maybe - it does not do good to assume...

Well, it sure didn't save his 1st PC!

[eschiss1]

JL: Litolff didn't even own Litolff until his marriage in 1851 (around the time he was composing his 4th concerto...) turned Meyer-Verlag into Litolff-Verlag. The 1st piano concerto predates the 2nd concerto symphonique, which was it seems composed in 1844. I don't know -when- exactly the first concerto was lost but see a problem there of about seven years size ? .
(Seven, Eric. Seven. Drop the two.)


According to Hyperion the first concerto, in D minor like the 4th, was composed around 1839-41, (not published according to some other sources?), and yes, at some point lost.

[JimL]

I believe the point was in WWII, as I mentioned.  There was some discussion about it on the old Raff Forum.  As I recall, I wanted to know how it was so certain it was lost and I believe it was Alan who told the story about how the MS was kept in Litolff-Verlag, with no copies elsewhere and immolated during the bombing of Leipzig.

[eschiss1]

Ah, thanks for the explanation.  Copying machines and digital scanners needed to be invented centuries earlier- never mind *scratches that out*

[eschiss1]

About Wordsworth symphony 7 "Cosmos" again - which is listed as having date, performers blank... - I see it was premiered in Inverness on September 26 1981 (in The Glasgow Herald, dated Tuesday September 29 1981, page 4, the date is given as "last Saturday" ) - I suppose it's possible it's received more than one performance ever but am not hopeful of that, though it -is- possible I'm guessing which is why I am also guessing it's safer to leave that section blank- but- any thoughts?