G.W.L.Marshall-Hall Symphony in E flat

[Marcus]

I'd like to draw attention to an Unsung English/Australian composer George Marshall-Hall. His Symphony in E flat & the Adagio Sostenuto,(10'04") mvt from Symphony in C minor is on Move Cd #MD 3081. (Queensland Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Warren Bebbington).
He was born in England in 1862, and after  attending the RCM under Parry & Stanford, by 1890, he was regarded as one of Britain's brightest talents.He composed his first opera in 1877. In 1891 he migrated to Australia, and settled in Melbourne, accepting the position of Professor of Music at Melbourne University. A newspaper at the time welcomed "this 6'4"splendid specimen of Wagnerian hero". (A bit of hyperbole, but there were not many musical heroes in Australia). He became closely associated with the artists Arthur Streeton & Tom Roberts, and often joined them in their bush camp N.E. of Melbourne. In 1897, a cyclonic storm hit Melbourne, and Marshall-Hall left his University students, and was not to be found. Eventually, he was discovered, on the roof of an outhouse, with baton in hand, conducting the thunder & lightning. (there is no mention of what he had been drinking !)
He was an excellent conductor, and continued his composing activites in Australia.Previously, his compositions had received favourable reviews from G.B.Shaw & George Grove. He also wrote poetry, and in 1900 caused a scandal when his poem, Hymns Ancient & Modern were considered flaunting "profane unbelief and gross animalism". Australia at the time, was more Victorian than Victorian England.
The Symphony in E flat was written in 1903, and dedicated "to my friends and comrades under the Southern Cross". Marshall-Hall's idols were Wagner & Beethoven, and although there are reminiscences of Wagner in his symphony, particularly the movement from the C minor Symphony( (Tristan & Isolde), there are  more  Brahms, Stanford & Parry influences in this symphony, particularly Brahms, although his style is a mixture of them all.
It is in 3 mvts: Vivace (13'48"), Largamento (9'58") & Allegro con Spirito (12'18")
The Symphony in E major was performed by Henry Wood in London & in Berlin by Nikisch, and for those of you who enjoy late romantic symphonies, this is an enjoyable work, and should be better known.
Marshall-Hall's manuscripts & papers were purchased by Percy Grainger,   &  are held in the Grainger Museum in Melbourne.
Marcus.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I'd love to hear that recording of Marshall-Hall's symphony, but the disk seems now rather difficult to come by.  A pity because I have been told by others that he is no mean composer, and that his music is worth exploring.

[edurban]

What a character Marshall-Hall must have been:

http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100412b.htm

Here's a link to a facsimile of the first page of a manuscript string quartet:

http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/music/rare/images/marshall_quartet.jpg

I was unable to locate the CD of the symphony from its American distributor.

Verrry interesting stuff,

David

[mbhaub]

Hard to get, yes, but not necessarily impossible...

http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/product/symphony-in-e-flat-and-extract-from-symphony-in-c-minor

[edurban]

For our Australian friends, it seems the Marshall-Hall symphony is going to be broadcast  on ABC Classic FM on March 2, 2010 on the 'Afternoon' programme:

Music Details for Wednesday 3 March 2010

1.30pm 2010 ADELAIDE FESTIVAL
With Bob Maynard

Direct broadcast from Elder Hall, University of Adelaide

Followed by
AFTERNOONS
With Christopher Lawrence
Music selected by Derek Jones
Edgar Bainton The Golden River, Op 16 - BBC Phil Orch/Paul Daniel
Chandos CHAN 10460 16'31
Parish-Alvars Romance No 3 - Louise Johnson, h
Artworks AW017 3'07
Parish-Alvars Concertino in D minor for harp and piano - Marielle Nordmann, h; François-René Duchable, p; Strasbourg Phil Orch/Theodor Guschlbauer
Fnac 592266 21'56
Bochsa Morceau d'expression - Louise Johnson, h
Artworks AW017 4'05
George Marshall-Hall Symphony in E flat - Queensland Theatre Orch/Warren Bebbington
Move MD 3081 36'17

The next programme starts at 4:05.

David

[edurban]

Thanks mbhaub.  I've emailed the Australian Music Centre.  That site also has some very brief audio excerpts... 

At least it's a start...

David

[Marcus]

Hello Gareth & edurban,
The Marshall-Hall CD is available from Buywell Just Classical, ( Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia),together with a few other interesting listings.
Let me know if you have any problems, and I will buy them for you & send them on, but I have bought from them and there should not be a problem. (unless you have trouble accessing the web-site).
You will need to be a collector of Australian music for this, but the ABC released a 10 CD set of mostly Australian music, which includes Marshall-Hall's Symphony, Fritz Hart's The Bush Symphonic Poem, and music by Robert Hughes,, Dorian le Galliene, Grainger,Conyngham, Deane, Sutherland, Sculthorpe etc, and also including some music by English and European compsosers. Available from HB Direct & ABC Shop. (ABC Classics #ABCC 4766329 $67.49 AUD)
Marshall-Hall's Phantasy for Horn & Orchestra is available on Melbourne Recording #MELB 301117, and includes music by Damasse,Koechlin,Dukas,& Saint-Saens. Again, if you have any problems, let me know & I will do the "spade work" for you.
Cheers,
Marcus.

[edurban]

Marcus, thanks for the tips. 

I had seen the horn disc on the Melba label reviewed, but at the time the name of George Marshall-Hall rang no bells.  Happily that has changed. 

Melba is a great label, btw, their release of Saint-Saens' Helene, belongs in every French opera collection.  The Australian connection there is that the opera was written as a vehicle for Nellie Melba.

I see that the Buywell site also lists a different recording of the 2nd movement of the E flat Symphony, this time played by the Melbourne Symphony:

http://www.buywell.com/cgi-bin/buywellic2/12475.html

David

[wunderkind]

Strangely enough in my search for this Marshall-Hall CD I found one on auction (actively at this writing) at eBay.

[edurban]

I was able to win this auction, and must thank wunderkind and, for the original post, Marcus.  When the disc arrives, I'll sit down with Mr. Marshall-Hall and Mr. Alfred Hill and have myself a little Australian symphony festival!

David

[John H White]

I seem to remember reading about a celebrated British Lawyer by the name of Marshall-Hall. I wonder if the two men were related.
   

[giles.enders]

I have had the Marshall-Hall symphony for some years and rate it very highly.  Perhaps it could be reissued by Brilliant Classics or some other re-issueing label.
Giles Enders

[eschiss1]

I was able to win this auction, and must thank wunderkind and, for the original post, Marcus.  When the disc arrives, I'll sit down with Mr. Marshall-Hall and Mr. Alfred Hill and have myself a little Australian symphony festival!

David

Also (if you have them- I don't have all of these) Arthur Benjamin, Carl Vine, Ross Edwards, Mirrie Hill, some of this from a dissertation "The Australian Symphony of the 1950s" - available as PDF for free, https://www.usq.edu.au/arts/.../Australiansymphoniesofthe1950spdf.ashx ) (I'd include Margaret Sutherland's symphony too, as it's mentioned there and nowhere else to my knowledge and because I like her music - a fine violin concerto and concerto for strings have come my way - but her symphony has, as it says, been neither performed nor recorded...),

hrm- not sure what I was saying...
Eric

[Sharkkb8]

I came across this thread from a few years ago, and thought I'd update for anyone interested - the Marshall-Hall symphony seems to be somewhat of an easier acquisition now than it was back then - I'm finding it both at Amazon (USA anyway) and iTunes.  Oddly, I don't see it at the more classical-oriented sites (MDT, jpc, Records Intntl, etc), but at least it's not quite as tough a find as it used to be.
Gregory

http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Hall-Symphony-flat-Minor/dp/B005A7YQVW
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/marshall-hall-symphony/id647851748

[eschiss1]

Good to hear!!

I wonder if that "Australian Symphonies of the 1950s" dissertation is related to the book now available "The Australian Symphony from Federation to 1960" (by Rhoderick McNeill, 2014) - I'm guessing yes.