John Francis Barnett 1837-1916

[giles.enders]

John Francis Barnett  Born 18 October 1837  Kentish Town,  London - Died  24 November 1916  in London

The eldest child^1. of Joseph Barnett, a professor of singing. His initial musical training was with his mother Emma and subsequently with Henry Wylde.  After winning a scholarship to The Royal Academy where he became an accomplished pianist. He later spent time in Leipzig studying with Moritz Hauptman, Julius Rietz and Ignaz Moscheles. 
He became a professor at The Royal College of Music and also The Guildhall School of Music.
His uncle John Barnett 1802-1890, was mainly known for his opera compositions.  They were both distant relatives of Meyerbeer.  The Barnett's had earlier changed their name from Beer as had Meyerbeer.

John Francis Barnett had four children ^2. with his first wife Alice. After her death his sister Jeannette kept house for him for a period. In 1891 he married his second wife Mary, with whom he had a son, Brian born in 1895.  John Francis is buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Kensal Green.

Orchestral

Symphony  in A minor  1864
Symphonic overture  in E  1868 (revised 1891)
Piano concerto in D minor  Op.25  1868
'The Winter's Tale' overture  1873
'The Lay of the Last Minstral'  suite in four movements  1874
'The Harvest Festival' symphonic poem  1881 later revised as Pastorel Suite
'Ebbing Tide' and  'Elfland'  two orchestral sketches  1883
Two orchestral pieces -'Liebeslied' and 'Im alten Styl'  1895
Two sketches for flute and orchestra  'Flowing Tide'  and 'Fairyland'  1893

Chamber

String quintet in G minor
String quartet in D minor  Op.8  1860
Piano trio in C minor Op.49   pub. by Augener & Co.
Violin sonata in E minor
Flute sonata in G minor  Op.41  pub. by Rudall, Carte & Co.
Pense Melancolique for cello and piano   pub. by Beitkopf & Hartel

Piano

'Aven d'Amour'   pub. by Weekes & Co.
'The Harbour Bay'  1868
Valse des Salons - 1.'Le Printemps', 2.'L'Ete', 3.'L'Automne', 4.'L'Hiver'.
Barcarolle in F  1892  pub. by Augener & Co.
'By the Fountain'  1916   pub. by Hutchings & Romer
Caprice brillante  Op1.  1861
Chante Seraphique  1915   pub. by Schott & Co.
'Chapel by the Sea'  1879
'Dance of the Dervishes'  1908  pub. by Augener & Co.
Danse Antique  1890   pub. by Patey & Willis
'A Dream of Beethoven'  1909  pub. by Augener & Co.
'The Dripping Well'  1907
'Early Morn'  1891   pub. by Hutchings & Romer
'L Esperance - morceau elegante  1866
'The Flowing Tide'  1890
Gavotte in G minor  1877
Home scenes - nine pieces for piano:  Grandfather's legend, The Old violin, Children's dance, Cricket on the Hearth, Fireside tale, Falling shadows, Cradle song, Merry-making.   pub. by Paley & Willis
'Im alten style'  1898   pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
'The Lay of the Last Minstrel' - scherzo   pub. by Hutchings & Romer
'The lady of the Last Minstrel' - romance
Liebeslied   pub by Augener  and Joseph Williams & Co.
Meditation - morceau lyrique  No.1   pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
'Mount St.Bernard- an Alpine Scene
'Mountain Echoes'  1862
Musical impressions 1.'Twilight Music' 2.'Evening Breezes'   pub. by Augener
Musical Landscapes - ten pieces for piano  1904 No.6 'The Old Yew Tree', No.7 ''Lovers Walk'   pub. by Augener
Nocturne 1886  pub. by Patey & Willis
Novelette  1898   pub. by Augener
Ancient Dances 1.'Passepied'
Pastoral Scene  1865
Pastoral Suite - romance in F minor
Seven pieces for piano   pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
'Return of Spring'  Op.7  1891   pub. by Augener
Romance in A flat   pub. by Hutchings & Romer  and  Augener
'Rosalind'
'The Ebbing Tide'  transcribed for piano  Op.36  1890  pub. by Patey & Willis
Three Sketches for piano  Op.2 Book 1
Three Sketches for piano  Op.2 Book 2
Sonata in E minor  Op.45   pub by Augener
Sonata Romantique in A minor   pub. by Hutchings & Romer 
'The Spinning Wheel'  1890   pub. by Augener
Suite in C minor 1. Preludi, 2. Minuetto, 3 Aria religiosa, 4. Scherzando, 5. Tempo di Gavotte.   pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
Tarantelle  1890   pub. by Augener
Valse brillante   pub. by Hutchings & Romer
Valses des seasons
'The Vesper Bell'  pub. by Augener  
Wayside Sketches - 1.'The Bell-ringer', 2. 'The Millers Daughter', 3. 'The Savoyard', 4. 'The Children's quarrel', 5.'The little peacemaker, 6.'A Merry Dance'    pub. by Augener

Song

'Across the distant Sea'  words by M L Thomas   pub. by J B Cramer  & Co.
'Bird of Happiness'  words by L Barnes 1911   pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
'Call me beloved'  words by M H Browne   pub. by Hutchings & Romer
'Cradle song'  words by M L Thomas   pub. by Augener
'The Fay of the Woods'  vocal duet and piano  words by F Enoch
'Gentle Spring'  words by Longfellow
'Give me thy love'  words by E O Bell   pub. by Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew
'The Golden Gate'  words by H Conway
'The Harp of Life'  words by J Vogel  1887  pub. by Augener
'He is all to Me'  words by E Oxenford
'The Indian Girl' 
'Into the World'  words by F E Weatherly   pub. by R Cocks & Co.
'It is not always May'  part song  words by Longfellow
'Lily of Snow'  words by F Hoare   pub. by Augener
'Love calls you home'  words by F Hoare  1916   pub. by Hutchings & Romer
'Love's Coming'  with violin or cello obbligato  words by M H Browne   pub. by Hutchings & Romer
'Midst Grove and Dell'  four part song
'The Minstrel'  words by Sir Walter Scott   pub. by R Cocks & Co.
'Missing'  words by C Bingham
'Ode to Hope'  words by Miss J Barnett
'Old England'  pub. by Weekes & Co.
'One Golden Summer'  words by M M Lemon  pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
'Outside'  words by G C Bingham
'A Pair of Sabots'  words by E O Bell   pub. by Boosey
'The Parting Hour' duet  words by E Oxenford
'The Rock of Ages'  sacred song
'The Sea Fairies' two part song  words by A L Tennyson   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
'A Shepherd's Song' 
The Star of Home'  words by J Vogel
'Star of the Morn'  words by W Guernsey
'Wood Song'  four part song
'If I had but two little wings'  madrigal   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.

Grand quartet for two violins, cello and tenor  Op.8

Choral

'The Ancient Mariner'  cantata   words by S T Coleridge  1867   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
'Paradise and the Peri'  cantata  words by T Moore 1870
'The Raising of Lazarus'  oratorio 1873
'The Good Shepherd'  cantata Op.26 1876   pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
'The Building of the Ship' cantata  words by  W H Longfellow  Op.35  1880   pub. by Patey & Willis
'The Golden Gate' for contralto and orchestra  words by H. Conway  1880
'The Triumph of Labour' ode for chorus and orchestra  words by L Morris  1888   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
'The Wishing Bell'  cantata  words by J Vogel 1893   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
'The Eve of St.Agnes' cantata  words by J Keats  1913   pub. by Novello, Ewer .& Co

'Faithful is our God' anthem  words by M Mark-Lemon
'Come though Holy Spirit'  anthem
'Christ the Lord is Risen Today'  anthem
'What loud uproar' - quartet and chorus
'Domine Salvum'  quartet and chorus
'Tantum ergo' hymn in eight parts
'Worthy is the Lamb'  Easter anthem  1896   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
Missa de Angelis


^1.
John Francis  1837
Josephine  1839
Jeanette 1842
Catherine  1845
William  1847
Emma  18xx

^2.

Alice  1877
Edith  1879
William  1881
John  1883

 

[matesic]

A glimmer from the "dark age" of British music? I've played through his string quartet of 1860 (available from Merton Music and IMSLP) and got strong echoes of Mozart (K421) and of course Mendelssohn, unfortunately nothing that struck me as at all original. I'm inclined to blame the dead hands of Macfarren, Ouseley, Prout and their kin who discouraged the slightest deviation from "classical" models.

As late as 1874 in his Treatise on Musical Form and General Composition Ouseley described a symphony as follows:
The first movement is "usually an allegro...almost always written in the regular modern (sic!) binary form". The second movement "is generally slow...containing good flowing melodies"; "Sometimes indeed a theme with variations is substituted, but this is not so common, nor is it a desirable plan to follow". The "minuet and trio" can alternatively be a scherzo or an intermezzo (hey!), can sometimes be placed before the slow movement or even omitted altogether (I suppose because Mozart did, once or twice). Of the finale; "This last movement should be generally of a lively and busy character, and should always conclude with a brilliant coda". I love the "should always" – Britannia may rule the waves but the rules may not be waived.

[Martin Eastick]

Whilst the String Quartet then appears to adhere to archaic (for its time) musical traditions, and I have to begrudgingly admit that this could be said of other works of his, I would love the Piano Concerto Op25 to be given an outing, except that here it would be necessary to reconstruct the orchestral "accompaniments" - as has been the case with a number of similar works mentioned previously (eg Moscheles No8, and one of the Hummel concertos). So again, it is the usual story with regards to missing orchestral parts, although I have been given to understand that there may possibly be some hope in the USA, as I believe I have mentioned here before. The piano part is well-cued with orchestral indications and I suggest that this is as good as any other british concerto of similar period and would be worth the attention of Hyperion.........

I have also worked at both of the piano sonatas, and paired together would make an ideal recording prospect, together with some of the shorter piano pieces. The (2nd) Sonata Romantique is very interesting in that it was published in 1917 and musically it is well out of context for its publication date, although as the ms. appears lost it would be difficult to give a date of composition. This is a substantial work in 4 movements and is over 40 pages long in score. Stylistically it does not fit in at all with what was and had been going on musically in Great Britain at the time. The (presumably) earlier sonata in E minor (1885) is much more what one would expect from Barnett and there are  the obvious echoes of Mendelssohn, Sterndale Bennett etc., but it is still IMHO an most attractive work!

[giles.enders]

A well respected conductor is trying to find the score of the oratorio,  The Raising of Lazarus.  There were several performances of this in the 1870's.  Does any one know where the score is or better still the parts as well ?

[eschiss1]

No chance that when Musicsalesclassical took over Novello, they gave Novello's rental library of full scores and parts to someone who'd take good care of it? My guess would be that Novello only rented out the full score and parts.

[musiclover]

Does anyone know where the piano concerto cued score is? I know a very respected pianist who is interested in pursuing this.

[Martin Eastick]

Cambridge University Library holds a copy of the Piano Concerto in D minor Op25 - solo part only (with some orchestral cues)

[thalbergmad]

Indeed they have, but it is not a great copy. Took me the best part of 6 hours to create a good pdf.

Would be nice if the parts ever turned up as it is worth a recording. Pleasant enough and mechanically undemanding.

Thal

[giles.enders]

A number of his manuscripts were given to the Royal College I think in the 1960's, though not the items referred to. I do know that there are a number of his descendants around including a well known musician.  They may be able to throw some light on the matter.  It would be good if some pieces were performed or better still recorded as next year will be the anniversary of his death.

[giles.enders]

Lazarus will be rising again.  The score and parts are at The Royal College and hopefully a performance next year.