Henry Gadsby (1842-1907)

[eschiss1]

Further as to Gadsby:
a contemporary source ("Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians", "Easter-Mystères" book) credits him with three symphonies and a string quartet, among other works. I'm guessing the manuscripts of these have vanished beyond recall too, but I never know when historical information could be useful just filling in, if nothing else, connections between other people.)
Eric

[albion]

Hrm. Did he ever publish under his middle name Robert w/o first name do you suppose...
Also, http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/g/a/gadsby_hr.htm "Census entries indicate a 1840 birth" - hrm. Musicsack has 1842, anyway. VIAF just has fl.1848 (... flourished in 1848? that's odder still given the meaning of "flourished"- maybe floruit doesn't mean what I think it means.)

(Then again, neither MusicSack nor VIAF is allencompassing or perfect. I had to figure out info on Percy Hilder Miles mostly by myself, for example.)

Thanks, Eric. Brown & Stratton (1897) which is authoritative on composers of the period, especially those still living at the time of publication, gives 15th December 1842.

Further as to Gadsby:
a contemporary source ("Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians", "Easter-Mystères" book) credits him with three symphonies and a string quartet, among other works. I'm guessing the manuscripts of these have vanished beyond recall too, but I never know when historical information could be useful just filling in, if nothing else, connections between other people.)
Eric

The Symphonies are No.1 in C, No.2 in A (written 1867, performed 1871, rescored 1873) and No.3 (Festal) in D (1888). The autograph scores of 2 and 3 are now in the British Library (see post #2). The string quartet (1875) doesn't appear to be in the collection acquired by the BL, unfortunately.

[Mark Thomas]

Alan wrote:

However, the leading independent labels must think they have a sufficiently large and stable customer base to consider releasing as much unsung music as they do. Maybe Mark can enlighten us further?

I know that securing a recording of Gadsby's music isn't Albion's focus, but just to answer Alan's question:

I've been involved in the production of 10 CDs with three different labels now, three instrumental CDs, two chamber and the remaining five orchestral. This isn't the place for a treatise on the economics of the recording industry but I would say that, in my limited experience, three things drive the process: can the cost be mitigated by financial sponsorship or grants, who will the performers be and what is the quality of the music? The latter is especially critical when the composer is a total, or relative, unknown to the buying public, because obviously the label is taking more of a risk as there's no established market for the name. Then, because in all probability the performers won't be household names either, a label really does have to rely upon its own reputation to sell the recording, and so it's going to look very carefully at the quality of the music. That's the way Hyperion seem to work with some of their RPC series. Sometimes an enthusiastic sponsor funding the enterprise to promote the composer or performer will speak loudest, especially to a small label, but in my experience that isn't usually the case. The quality of the music is what counts.

[semloh]

Alan wrote:

However, the leading independent labels must think they have a sufficiently large and stable customer base to consider releasing as much unsung music as they do. Maybe Mark can enlighten us further?

......The quality of the music is what counts.

Well that sounds perfectly reasonable, Mark, and is based on your experience of CD production, so I can't argue with it.    But, it does make me wonder how that judgement of quality is made, and what weight it carries, given that so much second rate music has appeared on CD, and so much of comparatively high quality has never made it, or has only recently been recorded.

The issues around this could easily be another thread. It seems to me that "unsung" is to some extent synonymous with "not available on CD", and therefore how decisions are made as to what goes on CD, are important to us. Just a thought! 

Apologies for staying 'off subject'!

[Mark Thomas]

Semloh wrote:

wonder how that judgement of quality is made

At the risk of prolonging the digression, and apologies to John for doing so, I can only agree with you, Semloh. I suppose what I should have added was that, whilst labels are I think generally very focussed on recording unsung works of quality, this does depend on there being someone in the organisation who has that good judgement. At least one of the larger labels gives their chosen conductor the final say. Another's A&R man has a proven track record, and awards to show for it. Many of the smaller labels are one man bands, of course, so they have no recourse to a second opinion. Plus, never underestimate the power of money. If someone comes along waving fistfulls of moolah and asking them to record some piece or other, you may be sure that it'll get recorded by someone, no matter how bad it is!

[Dundonnell]

Thank goodness for Lewis Foreman then

I have been told-on excellent authority from someone previously involved with making recordings -that there is a British conductor (who, for obvious reasons, should remain nameless ) who claims-with some justification apparently- to be able to conduct anything, can learn the most complex score in no time at all and will do so if paid.

[Lionel Harrsion]

there is a British conductor ... who claims to be able to conduct anything, can learn the most complex score in no time at all and will do so if paid.

Just the one?   

[albion]

I know that securing a recording of Gadsby's music isn't Albion's focus

At the risk of prolonging the digression

poor old Henry Gadsby

[cypressdome]

Apologies for resurrecting this entertaining and informative old thread but perhaps one nail has been removed from the coffin containing the remains of Gadsby's musical legacy as his orchestral scene "The Forest of Arden" has been posted to IMSLP in full score here: http://imslp.org/wiki/The Forest of Arden (Gadsby, Henry Robert).

Cypressdome

[albion]