British Music

[kyjo]

Thanks very much for this, jowcol. I've always wanted to hear what Jackson could do away from the organ. I'd like to hear his symphony, which is in D Minor. Anyone know which instrument the concerto is for? I hope it's the organ !

[eschiss1]

Francis Jackson composed an organ concerto (with strings, timpani and celesta) published in (organ and) piano reduction by Sand Hutton, York: Banks Music in 1987. This has been recorded on Amphion (see http://www.amphion-recordings.com/phicd155.html. Apparently the organ concerto is Jackson's opus 64. The MusicWeb review does not give movement headings- if there are any- but states that The work was written for the Carnegie Trust in 1985.)

[kyjo]

Thanks very much, Eric. My wish came true (about the organ concerto, that is) !

[jowcol]

Anniversary Dances for Orchestra, op.95 (1985) by William Mathias


BBC National Orchestra of Wales (1st Performance)
Conducted by Composer
Work written for the 100th anniversary of the University of Bangor
Radio Broadcast, date unknown.

From the collection of Karl Miller


Mathias may not officially be "unsung", but it's always nice to here more from him. 

First, you may wish to read this fairly long interview with Mathias:
http://www.kcstudio.com/Mathias.html


Next, the Wikipedia Bio:

William Mathias CBE (1 November 1934 — 29 July 1992) was a Welsh composer.

Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and composing at the age of five. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Lennox Berkeley, where he was elected a fellow in 1965. In 1968, he was awarded the Bax Society Prize of the Harriet Cohen International Music Award. He was professor of music and head of department in the University of Wales, Bangor, from 1970 until 1988.
His compositions include large scale works, including an opera, The Servants (1980), three symphonies and three piano concertos. Much of his music was written for the Anglican choral tradition, most famously the anthem Let the people praise Thee, O God written for the July 1981 royal wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, which had a television audience of an estimated 1 billion people worldwide.

Mathias wrote his Sinfonietta – initially called Dance Suite – for the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra in late 1966, and it received its first performance at Leicester De Montfort Hall during the 1967 Schools Festival. It was also included in the orchestra's tour programme for Denmark and Germany later in the year. The LSSO made the first commercial recording of Sinfonietta for the Pye Golden Guinea label in July 1967 under the direction of the composer (see external links below).

He founded the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph in 1972 and directed it until his death in 1992.

He is buried outside St Asaph Cathedral.

[kyjo]

Jowcol, Mathias is DEFINITELY unsung!! For me, a composer is not unsung if all his/her works have been COMMERCIALY recorded (except lost/destroyed ones, of course) and if his/her works get REGULAR exposure in the concert hall. I'll probably be starting a thread on unsung composers who are almost sung. Anyway, thanks very much for the upload! Between commercial CDs and the uploads here, we pretty much have access to almost all of Mathias' oeuvre (sorry if I spelt that word wrong!)!

[eschiss1]

kyjo, by that standard several of the recognized greats would be considered unsung, I think (hrm- going through Dvorak's and Mendelssohn's worklists can one find a commercial, even if out of print, recording of -every- complete and extant work listed (including the woO ones, like some of Mendelssohn's organ works, Dvorak's early operas, etc.?)

[semloh]

Well, disputes as to the meaning of 'Unsung' aside, those Anniversary Dances proved most enjoyable, even to my conservative ear. I always enjoy a trip into Mathiasland - you never know what you're going to encounter! 

So, my thanks to jowcol, again! 

[Balapoel]

kyjo, by that standard several of the recognized greats would be considered unsung, I think (hrm- going through Dvorak's and Mendelssohn's worklists can one find a commercial, even if out of print, recording of -every- complete and extant work listed (including the woO ones, like some of Mendelssohn's organ works, Dvorak's early operas, etc.?)

Well, I can speak to both of these:
Dvorak:

-all chamber recorded, except Serenade for flute, violin, viola, and triangle B. 15b (I have version for orchestra)
-all operas recorded, except Alfred, B16, which I believe, was unfinished
-all works for voices and orchestra except Ballad of King Matthias, B115, Hymn of the Czech Peasants, B143, and Josef Kajetan Tyl, B125

-a few piano pieces, sacred pieces, and studies have not been recorded.
-many of the songs have not been recorded.

Mendelssohn:
many, many pieces not recorded (not including fragments).
-8 chamber pieces not recorded
-9 incidental music
-2 pieces for piano or 2 pianos/orchestra not recorded (Recitativo in d minor (O1), and Fantasie and variations in c minor, WoO 25.
-6 marches for orchestra not recorded
-53 piano pieces not recorded
-10 cantatas not recorded, many small sacred pieces, canons, partsongs, and songs

But, both are definitely sung.

[eschiss1]

According to Wikipedia, Alfred was unpublished but was finished. It was premiered in 1938.

[kyjo]

Well, although not ALL of the compositions of these two sungs are recorded, they are "sung" because most of their works have multiple recordings and regular exposure in concert halls. I didn't mean to start a debate . Back to the BMB...

[Jimfin]

Kyjo, I knew what you meant: if all of a composer's major works have been recorded and they are regularly heard in concert halls. I think the latter is important too. I hope you do start your thread on the almost-sung topic!

[kyjo]

Thanks for your kind words, Jim. I am glad somebody understands me . Oh, I've forgotten to start that almost-sung topic!

[Dundonnell]

Many thanks from me too, jowcol, for the Mathias Anniversary Dances

kyjo:

You are quite correct in saying that we now have access to almost all of William Mathias's compositions The outstanding pieces-in the sense of no recordings presently available-include a few of the shorter choral/vocal works and the early Music for Strings(1961), Festival
Overture(1969), and Holiday Overture(1971).

There are however three "bigger" pieces we still desperately need-

"Carnival of Wales"(1987)-an orchestral work based on Welsh folk songs
"Jonah: A Musical Morality" for tenor, baritone, choruses and chamber orchestra(1988)- an hour-long piece.
and-above all, in my opinion- the Violin Concerto, written in 1992, shortly before the composer's death.

The Violin Concerto was given its premiere by Gyorgy Pauk in January 1992 with the Halle Orchestra under Sir Charles Groves and is a substantial piece at 36 minutes.

[kyjo]

I'd also love to hear the VC, the composer's swansong (I think). I wonder if there's a broadcast of the premiere floating around somewhere ...

[Alan Howe]

Why don't you do some research yourself and get back to us?