John Joubert's new Cello Concerto

[dafrieze]

Not exactly the first.  In 1997 they released a CD of works by John Joubert with William Boughton conducting the English String Orchestra.  This is BMS's first recording of an orchestra with winds and percussion . . .

[Dundonnell]

I have that disc too

[Dundonnell]

I think that it might be worth commenting on the Joubert Cello Concerto itself

I think that it is a most impressive piece by an exceptionally gifted and prolific composer. Joubert was, of course, born in South Africa. Whether he still considers himself a South African or not I would not know. He has been resident in this country however since 1946 and therefore probably now counts as a British composer, in the same way as Arthur Benjamin. (This therefore qualifies him for a Catalogue of Orchestral and Choral Music from my pen )

The Joubert Cello Concerto certainly qualifies as a major addition to the list of fine British Cello Concertos and I hope that Raphael Wallfisch may soon be able to commit it to disc (perhaps even coupled with the Robert Simpson ). I do know from private correspondence with the soloist that this is a coupling he would favour and that he is certainly personally committed to recording both works.

I don't want to get back into the business of comparing the merits of different concertos but it is a hugely impressive to recall that Wallfisch has recorded the Arnold, Bax, Bliss, Brian, Delius, Finzi, Foulds, Holbrooke, Leighton, MacMillan and Moeran concertos.

Now....how about the Berkeley, Cooke, Jones and Wordsworth

[Sydney Grew]

"British music is not short of fine works for the instrument after the Elgar, works by Brian, Britten, Finzi, Moeran and Bernard Stevens have all enjoyed recent advocacy and Simpson's single-movement variation-form design is fully worthy of comparison with these predecessors. . . ."

I think Bridge's stirring "Concerto Elegiaco" (Oration) should have been in that little list.

[Dundonnell]

True

[PJ]

JOHN JOUBERT: Cello Concerto

Raphael Wallfisch

Northern Chamber Orchestra
Nicholas Ward

St Mary's Church, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK
Sunday, 4 March 2012

320/aac feed converted to flac - BBC Radio 3

I've posted this alternative upload, awaiting moderation, as it's complete.

[Greg K]

Undoubtedly the unrecorded English CC I'd most like to hear now is Arthur Butterworth's.  Has Wallfisch played this and/or is he an enthusiast?  I presume it has never been BC or would be
in the archive.

[britishcomposer]

BTW, let's not forget to toast John Joubert on his 85th birthday, March 20th!

[Dundonnell]

An excellent set of articles discussing Joubert's work to celebrate his 85th birthday:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/May12/Joubert_85.htm