German Music Folder

[eschiss1]

Such things were defined by blood in that country at that time, not by belief, if memory serves, although I am probably oversimplifying some.

[Lionel Harrsion]

... I am probably oversimplifying some.

I'm not sure you are; if you were one-quarter Jewish, that was more than enough for the Nazis to unleash the full horror of 'the final solution' at you.

[BFerrell]

Yet, the Nazi's left Kaminski and family physically un-touched. Everyone suffered in some  way eventually if they did not join the party.

[Dundonnell]

Well, he was forced out of his teaching appointments and his music was banned from public performance in Germany between 1938 and 1941. But even after his re-classification performances were rare to say the least. He was not arrested and sent to a concentration camp......that is true.

[BFerrell]

This thread has worn me out.     I've studied Kaminski for decades but I defer to all the experts.

[semloh]

I must say that I am enjoying the Kaminski Dorian Music immensely

Same here, Colin. I enjoyed it first time round, from amphissa's upload, and again now! 
 
I do think that if it had been posted as a piece "by Arthur Harrison - a 'lost' British composer of the 1930s" - we would all be saying what an exciting discovery it is, and bemoaning his scandalous neglect. Or am I being a tad too cynical? 

[Mark Thomas]

I've posted two significant works for string orchestra by the Württemberg composer August Halm (1869-1929), a Symphony and a Concerto. Both are around 25 minutes long and share the generally rhapsodic atmosphere which also permeates his A major Symphony for full orchestra released by Sterling a few years back..

[eschiss1]

Thanks for the Halm!
Had a look at a Google preview of Rothfarb's August Halm: A Critical and Creative Life in Music (2009, University of Rochester Press) which gives some information on the dating of the D minor symphony (referred to by Halm as his "Stuttgart" symphony, after its place of premiere)- the 2nd movement was composed mostly in 1894, published in piano form in 1904 ; Max Fiedler performed it in Boston April 23 1910- nothing I can find about whether the whole thing was completed before or in 1910, but I'm guessing perhaps in... (and Halm tried to get Fiedler to schedule a performance of the concerto in C - major - for obligato piano with strings  according to his letters. (Ah. This is not the work we have- he also mentions the 1915 concerto in C minor for strings only as a separate work. Wonder if the 1911 work has been performed recently-ish ...)

(BTW seems to be an interesting book which, following Halm's own preoccupations, has lots of close analysis... not a complaint.)

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric. I found it impossible to establish composition dates for these works of Halm's which is why I resorted to the earliest publication dates I could find.

[allison]

No good answer on where the Kaminski Concerto Grosso recording originated, so will withdraw it.

[BFerrell]

Having listened, I believe it to be the Keilbreth recording with the Koln Radio Orchestra from 1956 and released commercially.

[eschiss1]

Rothfarb's book may be more help in its actual paper form though there are signs even so from the previewable version that he is not able to solve all worklist problems (hair-puller involving Halm's quartet in B-flat which I am not positive is by August Halm (as against Anton Halm, an earlier composer- the score just says "A. Halm", -so- very helpfully in this.) is not resolved to -my- satisfaction by Rothfarb... or at least, by what I can see in his book, to be fair... though it is almost always more useful to have access to manuscripts, letters etc. than just to publisher info in establishing certain things about a composer's output, such as, is a certain piece by a composer at all (R. Radecke vs. R. Radecke... well, maybe I should explain that one- some other time.)

[Mark Thomas]

I've uploaded to the German Music thread in the Downloads board nine works written in the 20th century, but in a completely 19th century idiom, by the obscure Horst Platen (1884-1964). On the showing of these nine compositions Platen, who was best known as a conductor, was no unrecognised genius but he seems to have been a good craftsman and his music is never less than engaging. The larger pieces: the Violin and Piano Concerti, the Musik für Orchester and the Violin Sonata all keep the listener's interest and the shorter pieces often have a certain rapt quality which is very attractive. Platen was a good melodist and the Violin Concerto in particular is a fount of good tunes. If anyone out there can put some flesh on the bones of either Platen or his music then I'd be very interested.

[britishcomposer]

Gosh, Mark! What a heap of music by a composer who has been utterly unknow to me! Did you record these pieces yourself? If so, do you remember when? I record from German radio stations for about twenty years and have never heard anything by him. (Well, my radius was restricted to NDR, WDR and Radio Bremen until internet made things easier.)

[Mark Thomas]

No, none of these are my own recordings. They all date from the 1960s I think.