Adrien-François Servais

[JimL]

I just wanted to let you know that three of the four cello concertos of the Belgian cellist/composer Adrien-François Servais are available.  The first two (the second is also known as Morceau de Concert) are available on a Fuga Libera CD which can be purchased or downloaded here.  I have compiled the 3 movements of the 4th, Op. Posthumous onto a YT playlist here.  The Op. 5 and Op. Posth. concertos are both in the truncated concerto form typical of 19th-Century virtuoso concertos (no development or reprise in the first movement; the cadential tutti segues right into the slow movement), the Morceau de Concert is in a single movement.  There is also a Concert Militaire, Op. 18 as yet unrecorded.  My thanks to M. Peter Francois of the Servais Society for his invaluable assistance in providing the movement titles for the playlist. 

Servais' youngest son, Joseph was the cellist for whom Vieuxtemps composed his two late cello concertos.  Poor Joseph died at the age of 34 in 1885.

[JimL]

An audition of the Morceau de Concert in conjunction with perusal of the score reveals that it is just a single movement.  The "slow movement" is merely a few bars of the development section before returning to Tempo Primo.  However, this particular work is in a fully developed sonata form.  I have amended my previous post.  Why?  Because I just do things like that.

[FBerwald]

Could you please list the concertos - Op. no.'s and titles etc.

[JimL]

Another list, eh?

Soitenly!  Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!

Cello Concerto No. 1 in B minor, Op. 5
Cello Concerto No. 2 in E minor (Morceau de Concert), Op. 14
Cello Concerto No. 3 in C minor (Concert Militaire), Op. 18
Cello Concerto No. 4 in A minor, Op. Posthumous

The Concert Militaire is unnumbered, the Morceau is apparently subtitled "Deuxieme concert pour violoncelle".

The parts only for the Militaire are available on IMSLP.  I'm sure that full scores for all are available from the Servais Society.

[eschiss1]

and opp.5, 14 and 18 are @ IMSLP in some form or other- allowing at least for movement information extraction etc. etc. (though not always definite, I know; people who make piano reductions sometimes change movement headings- even the composers do, e.g. Gouvy in his 2nd symphony does between the full score and the piano duet version). Still-- I'm still a little surprised that you weren't able to get any of the information you wanted about those from there and needed to ask elsewhere... also, some information (perhaps from first editions, or ms, or early copies in ms) may also be @ RISM online, too.

[eschiss1]

(e.g. from RISM - this description of information from Brussels library, about the op.14 concerto/morceau; including the dedicatee, and incipits, etc.

Similarly, the op.5 is, from the 1st edition piano reduction at IMSLP (pub. by Schott 1848),

Allegro
Adagio cantabile (G major)
Allegro (back in B minor, ending major).

Hrm. Case in point: Ms (copy?) score in the Fleisher Collection has _Andante_ cantabile for the middle movement!

[JimL]

IMSLP had no information on the Op. Posthumous A minor Concerto - hence my inquiry.  I can't remember exactly how I was referred to the Servais Society - I may have gotten a message from Seeli Toivio's manager on YouTube.  In any event, M. François has been most cordial and cooperative.  As for the rest - well, there is a CD of the Morceau and 1st Concerto, as I mentioned.  I downloaded those two works from ClassicsOnline.

[eschiss1]

Given the publication dates of op.posth. works it's rare, though not unheard of, that we do (actually, as I recall, this particular A minor concerto was published in the late 19th century so we _could_ have it if someone found a copy and scanned it &cie...- we just don't yet )

[JimL]

As I recall now, I think I sent an email to Seeli Toivio, and her manager replied via email and directed me to the Servais Society.  You might be able to procure a score for the A minor concerto for IMSLP, although one of the aims of the Society is to be the one-and-only contact for all things Servais.  Seeing, however as how the scores of all the other concertos are at IMSLP, M. François might be agreeable to sending the piano reduction at least.  Here is the contact: http://www.servais-vzw.org/index.php?en-servais_society-about