Walter's Octet

[Mark Thomas]

I have just added to the Downloads board a charming Octet for violin, viola, cello, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn & double bass by the, previously unknown to me I must admit, Swiss composer August Walter (1821-96). Walter seems to be pretty obscure these days, even by the standards of Swiss composers, and there is nothing profound about this work but, when you are in the mood for something soothing, it makes for a very enjoyable and melodious half hour.

[EarlyRomantic]

Mark, Thank you for this. I have the pretty, charming Octet in its original appearance on LP. I'm happy to be able, by your action,to convert it to a modern medium! If I remember correctly, the album stated that August had written a symphony, maybe even that itwas one of his most esteemed compositions. I liked the Octet so much, that it made me wish to hear the Symphony some day. Just another fine day at Unsung Composers! August Walter, it's your turn to take a bow here!

[Mark Thomas]

Ah, but if this recording comes from a LP then it shouldn't be available here. I was told that it was a recording made for radio. I did a quick search before I uploaded it and couldn't find a previous commercial release. Do you have the LP details?

Anyway, I'm pleased that it fitted the bill for you. It's a very enjoyable work.

[eschiss1]

I vaguely remember that Walter's octet was played by the Jupiter Chamber Players in New York City sometime recently-ish but I missed that concert.  (Ah yes, in a concert of Swiss Romantic composers' music, with a Grand Quintuor in A minor by some "Raff" fellow also on the bill...)

(This -was- recently. April 15 2013. I'd forgotten that Raff's quintet was being performed in NYC a few months ago )

[eschiss1]

I'm not convinced that -this- recording comes from an LP- the phrasing suggests (I am probably wrong...?) the -work- itself's original appearance on LP, not this recording. The Consortium Classicum does have this work in their repertoire (http://kammermusik.org/ensemble.asp?ensemble=Consortium+Classicum) but, well, I can't find a commercial recording either, so far. Will have a look for a bit more though...

[eschiss1]

Also:

the Library of Congress has some other music by August Walter:

sinfonie no.1 Es-dur, Op.9; (reduction published 1852, score published 1857  - 252 p. so LoC probably has either the score or parts; doesn't say)
Concert ouverture D dur, Op.16. (pub. Hunold/Hofmeister, 1861).

By the way, please, someone, explain why this is called- by everyone, everywhere of the few people who have heard of it- "Walter: Octet, Op.7 (1863)." It was published in 1850.

If not earlier, I mean (having goofed there myself and more than three times.)

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric. I was expecting you to come up with confirmation that I hadn't searched thoroughly enough for a commercial recording! So, the download will remain available for the time being.

As to the date of publication being 1850, you are of course quite right, as a quick search of Hofmeister proves. I don't know where 1863 comes from, except that that is the date given everywhere else. I have amended my post.

[eschiss1]

Thanks- I'm still curious of course.
(Hrm. Notes to a 1903 concert have the inner movements in the other order. Not the kind of info we were looking for, but interesting that, as with some other works from Mahler to Mozart (to Walter ), there was that kind of issue...)

[mikehopf]

Can I throw my cat among the pidgeons in this matter?

I have the Jecklin disco LP from 1982 of the Walter Octet coupled with the Ries Octet Op.96.

The players are Mitglieder des Swiss Nonette.

The sleeve notes say that there are three versions of this Octet " which vary only slightly from one another. This  recording is based on the second version of the unpublished handwritten score."

So, Mark's download by Consortium Classicum is obviously kosher! But which of the three versions is it?

[eschiss1]

Yep, that would explain "1863", though something like "1848/1863" (or 1850/1863 or whatever- I'm guessing about the 1848 part; composition date 1, composition date 2 etc., not worked on inbetween much so slash rather than hyphen, yadda-yadda) would have been more explanatory. Can't have everything...
Thanks - and since it doesn't show up in RISM online, for the moment I'm stumped - well- pending further research...

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, thanks Mike. The download is safe!

[eschiss1]

Footnote: according to Wikipedia, the symphony of his I mentioned was premiered in 1847. (IMSLP has for the moment just his 3 string quartets, op.1- actually, just the first of them, right now, even.)

[Mark Thomas]

Using a combination of Hofmeister's record of published works and the collection of Water's manuscripts held in Basel, here's a work list for August Walter. From 1845 he was Music Director in Basel and this presumably curtailed his composing from the 1860s onwards. Although the Symphony was published as No.1, there doesn't appear to be another one. The Concert Overture in D which was published in 1861, is presumably different to that in C which remains in manuscript.

Published:
Op.1 Three String Quartets (No.1 in d [1840], No.2 in c [1841] - pub.1845)
Op.2 Six Lieder (pub.1845 without Op. number)
Op.3 Three Lieder  for Alto or Baritone (pub.1848)
Op.4 Three Lieder for Bass or Baritone (1843, pub.1848)
Op.5 Frühlingslied: Scherzo Capricico for piano (pub.1849)
Op.6 Six Lieder (1847-8, pub.1849)
Op.7 Octet (pub.1850)
Op.8 Three Songs for Alto (pub.1851)
Op.9 Symphony No.1 in E flat (1846 [2nd movement Andante Cantabile] - pub.1852)
Op.10 Four Songs (1849-50, pub.1852)
Op.11 Three Songs (pub.1854)
Op.12 Three Songs (1854-5, pub.1856)
Op.13 Fantasy & Capriccio for Piano and Clarinet (or Violin) (1857, pub.1859)
Op.14 Three Lieder for Soprano, Alto, Tenor & bass (1851, pub.1859)
Op.15 March, Intermezzo & Scherzo for Piano 4 hands (pub.1860)
Op.16 Concert Overture in D (pub.1861)
Op.17 Three Songs (pub.1862)
Op.18 Lustige Musikanten for Men's Chorus with optional accompaniment of four horns (pub.1865)
Op.19 Three Lieder for Tenor or Soprano (pub.1869)
Op.20 Lieder & Ballads (7 nos.) (pub.1872)

In manuscript:
Entre-Acts for orchestra (1841)
Passions-Cantata - for 3 Sopranos, Choir & Orchestra (1842)
Gebet während der Schlacht for Male Voices (1846)
Piano Trio (1846 - Scherzo & Trio and Rondo extant)
Colma's Klage - Song (1847)
Aus dem Schenkenbuch - Song for Baritone (1851)
Osterlied: Song of the Nuns - for 4 part Women's Choir (1852)
Aller Anfang ist schwer- Four Piano Pieces (1853)
Im Herbste - Song for Soprano & Alto (1863)
Three Hungarian Lieder for Mixed Choir (1866)
Two Hungarian Folk Songs for 4 part Mens' Choir (1876)
Three Lieder for Mixed Choir (1878)
Seemanns Abschied for 4 part Choir (1879)
Three Pieces for Piano (1884)
Heraus for 4 part Women's Choir (undated)
Frühlingsglaube - Song (undated)
Melodrama for a Festival Play in honour of Mosenthal Rothschild for Speaker, Chorus & Piano (undated)
Four Folk Songs for 4 part Women's Choir  (undated)
Overture in C for Orchestra (undated)

[eschiss1]

Hrm. The three quartets Op.1 are in D major, F major and C minor- I think- but that's based on information that may be misleading (guessing exact keys and modes of works from HMB or other contemporary sources without having and looking at the scores is not a 100% or even 90% thing...) or similar such things- capital letter. The first quartet of the set is definitely D major, though- the parts are clear on that point. Thanks for the composition dates!

(Now I'm wondering if "No.1 in d" means "No.1 in D" or "No.1 in F"... (as mistakes by parallel-minor/major (d-D) and by relative-minor/major (d-F) were equally common, so backtracing is... oh... ... .hush, Eric...)

(I wonder who "August Walther" (of New York maybe?) is, who wrote at least 3 works - his "Scenes on the Hudson" - Op.3 - for piano has been scanned in by the Library of Congress.) (New Yorker, regular accompanist (to Dudley Buck? Might be coincidence of placement) in the 1890s. Hrm!)

Oh, I see- the 3 quartets op.1 are given a separate entry in the list, with composition date 1840-42, and "click here to digitize"- tempting to learn to do that... since IMSLP has only no.1 (no, not a masterwork, but - eh, fine, I admit it, I get into things. )

[Mark Thomas]

Eric, I simply copied at their face value the keys quoted in the listing for each quartet in the catalogue of Walter's manuscripts in Basel. No.1 being d-moll (D minor) and No.2 c-moll (C minor). As the dates corresponded with them being two of the three quartets which comprise Walter's Op.1, I took them to be just that. Of course, they could be two further unpublished quartets!