David Wooldridge

[Mozartsbum]

Hello all. I knew David Wooldridge as I commissioned him to write a Concerto for me. After the Proms performance that Heather Harper and Michael Gielen gave at the RAH in 1979, he accepted my invitation to visit me in St. Albans to discuss the project. I, too, had fallen in love with his "Five Italian Songs". They reminded me of what I loved about the music if Gustav Mahler. As neither composer had written for my instrument I was pleased and extremely  excited to be able to inspire this new-to-me living composer of such quality (judged solely by the above Proms performance), David Wooldridge to write for my instrument and I was grateful to be of such quality as a musician and human being to inspire him. I would be very interested in obtaining a recording of his "Five Italian Songs". Perhaps the BBC Proms archive us available,  or? I would be interested in learning more about Wooldridge.  When I knew him in 1979 he was living in Santa's Barbara, California.

[eschiss1]

His death year, 1998, is not mentioned in this thread, indeed it seems to be assumed that he is still alive.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I see North Western University, Illinois has scores of about 20 works by David Wooldridge. There are also 2 works at FLP (Wind Quintet, Op. 12 and 3 American Madrigals for Brass Quintet, op. 45). BL has a full score ("study" version) of the Viola Concerto. I certainly think that if Martin Anderson at Toccata were still interested there would be enough material to put together a representative CD of his music.