Women unsungs

[eschiss1]

Hrm, and there's another recording of the Cello sonata in E minor on "celliris'" channel from what seems to be a live performance (I tend to prefer those especially since the "other kind" have this unaccountable habit of disappearing periodically...) (see first movement et seq.)

[Gareth Vaughan]

Like Ilja, I've just discovered Garuta's PC - and it is, indeed, SUPERB.  And, to my ear, at least (and I know these things are subjective) a real Northern concerto. It seems to possess an "icy" lyricism. Anyway, whether it makes that impression on you or not, I highly recommend it. Available on YouTube.

[eschiss1]

FBerwald:
"I once heard a waltz by a female composer on the radio. The announcer called her the "Female Strauss"." -
hrm... Ravel once dedicated a work of his to "The American Female Strauss, Hilda Emery Davis." (or something?)

Not even nearly a Joseffine, but might be who you heard?

[LateRomantic75]

My favorite woman unsung is Pejacevic, whose big-boned late-romantic music is tailor-made for my tastes. Farrenc is one of my favorite unsung early romantics, with her three stirring, Beethovenian symphonies. Emilie Mayer's Fifth Symphony is another highly-charged piece of early romantic symphonism. Lillian Elkington's tone poem Out of the Mists was a major discovery for me-a hauntingly beautiful work that makes one despair that it is her only surviving orchestral work! There's a similarly bittersweet situation with Lili Boulanger, who only left us the intensely beautiful Psalms 24 and 130 and Faust et Helene and a few smaller works.

[jerfilm]

Is the Elkington something that has been recorded somewhere, sometime??

Jerry

[Mark Thomas]

Dutton Epoch CDLX 7122

[Gareth Vaughan]

Lilian Elkington's superb little masterpiece Out of the Mist is supremely moving. I programmed it in a concert I organised at The Cadogan Hall three years ago.

[jerfilm]

Thanx, Mark

J

[bulleid_pacific]

@Mark I think that should be CDLX 7172 for the Elkington...

[vicharris]

I have the Elkington on a Cameo CC9041CD, although they misspelled her name.

[Mark Thomas]

I think that should be CDLX 7172 for the Elkington

Quite correct. It's here.

[Mark Thomas]

Many thanks to Ilja and Gareth, both of whom praised Lucija Garuta's magnificent Piano Concerto. What a find. There's an austere nobility to it, a sort of craggy lyricism, which is really impressive and quite affecting. It's a shame that she composed so little, but I see that a Piano Trio is also available on YouTube, and that's my next stop....

[Richard Moss]

To try and amplify Gareth's CD notes re Elkington 'Out of the Mist', I took my 'web-paddling' skills (limited though they are!) for a short spin and found the attached link.

http://www.maudpowell.org/signature/Portals/0/pdfs/signature/Signature_Autumn_2008.pdf

Goodness knows what other treasures may be buried within their vaults?

Cheers

Richard

[minacciosa]

There's also Maria Bach (1896-1978). She is described in the Encyclopedia of Women Composers as a follower of Korngold (who she knew rather well), but her only composition teacher was Joseph Marx. One would think that should be enough to mount a major investigation. She certainly had enough public success to warrant reexamination of her work. Little has been written about her, but there is a significant chapter devoted to her in the book Five Lives In Music, by Cecelia Hopkins Porter. You can read a little of it here: http://goo.gl/xG1hka. I should really look into this.

[jerfilm]

Thanks, Mark, for the tip on the Piano Trio - one (of many I suspect) that I've missed on YouTube.....

J