Alan Rawsthorne(1905-71): A Catalogue of the Orchestral and Choral Music

[Dundonnell]

ALAN RAWSTHORNE: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL MUSIC

1936-37:Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra: 17 minutes   *  + (Hyperion cd)
1938:   Symphonic Studies for orchestra: 21 minutes   + (Lyrita and Naxos cds)
             Little Music for Strings: 3 minutes    + (Naxos cd)
1939/1942:Piano Concerto No.1: 18 minutes   + (Lyrita, Chandos , Naxos and Somm cds: the Somm is a recording of the original version for piano, strings and
                                       percussion)
1940-47:Violin Concerto No.1: 27 minutes   *    +  (BBC Classics and Naxos cds)
1944:   Overture "Street Corner": 5 minutes    + (Lyrita and Dutton cd)
1945:   Fantasy Overture "Corteges": 13 minutes   + (Lyrita and Naxos cds)
1946:   Prisoner's March for orchestra: 5 minutes
1947:   Concerto for Oboe and String Orchestra: 16 minutes   + (Naxos cd)
1949:   Concerto for String Orchestra: 21 minutes   + (Naxos cd)
1950:   Symphony No.1: 24 minutes    + (Lyrita and Naxos cds)
1951:   Piano Concerto No.2: 27 minutes    + (BBC Classics, Lyrita, Chandos and Naxos cds)
             Concertante Pastorale for Flute, Horn and Strings: 10 minutes    *     + (Naxos cd)
1952:   Chamber Cantata "Canticle of Man" for baritone, mixed chorus, flute and strings: 12 minutes
1953:   Coronation Overture: 5 minutes   + (Dutton cd)
1954:   "Practical Cats" –an entertainment for speaker and orchestra: 22 minutes       +  (EMI and Dutton cds)
1955:   Ballet "Madame Chrysantheme": 40 minutes (and Ballet Suite: 8 minutes    + (Dutton cd)
1956:   Violin Concerto No.2: 24 minutes     + (BBC Classics and Naxos cds)
1958:   Halle Overture: 7 minutes
1959:   Symphony No. 2 "A Pastoral Symphony" for soprano and orchestra: 19 minutes    *     + (Lyrita and Naxos cds)
1960:   Improvisations on a Theme by Constant Lambert for orchestra: 12 minutes      + (BBC Classics and Naxos cds)
1961:   Concerto for ten instruments: 16 minutes
1961-62:Divertimento for chamber orchestra: 11 minutes    + (BBC Classics, Lyrita and Naxos cds)
1962:   Medieval Diptych for baritone and orchestra: 14 minutes    + (Dutton cd)
1963:   Choral Suite "Carmen Vitale" for soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra: 54 minutes      *
1964:   Symphony No.3: 31 minutes   + (Lyrita and Naxos cds)
             Elegiac Rhapsody for strings: 10 minutes    +  (Naxos cd)
1965-66:Cello Concerto: 33 minutes   + (Naxos cd)
1967:   Overture for Farnham   + (Resonance cd)
              Theme, Variations and Finale for orchestra: 15 minutes    + (Dutton cd)
              Cantata "The God in the Cave" for mixed chorus and chamber orchestra:16 minutes
1968:   Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra: 19 minutes   + (BBC Classics and Chandos cds)
1969:   Triptych for orchestra: 16 minutes

[Leea25]

Thanks once again Dundonnell.

A question - I have several pieces of Rawsthorne on my iPod and even have the score to the Concerto for Strings (having a score is normally a good way into a piece for me - it really helps me understand it - like turning the light on!), but I haven't yet really connected with anything. What would you, or anyone else for that matter, recommend as a good starting point, an "easy access" to Rawsthorne's music please? My general leanings are to the tuneful side of things, though I have rather random (or eclectic!?) tastes over all... Popov 1 sits quite happily alongside Carse's Winton Suite for example! 

Thanks,
Lee

[dafrieze]

Try the Symphonic Studies.  I think it's his most memorable piece.

[Dundonnell]

Rawsthorne is a composer who almost completely fallen out of fashion, as far as the concert-hall is concerned,  although it is enormously to the credit of companies like Chandos, Naxos and Dutton that most of his major output can be heard on cd.

He has a reputation as rather a 'dry composer' but, I have to say, that I have never found him so. I enjoy virtually all of his output but I suppose that it is true to say that he may not have ultimately fulfilled his early promise. Many would certainly agree that the Symphonic Studies are his masterpiece but I do think that the Symphony No.1 is an almost equally fine piece, the Symphony No.2 is under-estimated and that the Violin Concertos are equally worth hearing.

[Leea25]

Great - thanks! I'll download the Symphonic Studies and First Symphony I think, neither of which I have, and give them ago. Thanks for the advice.

Lee