Francis J. Morgan

[matesic]

Does anyone have any info on this Englishman, b.1866? His published scores, all produced by Curwen/Goodwin and Tabb in the early 1920's and quite widely available in libraries, seem to consist only of 4 violin sonatas (nos 1, 3, 4 and 6; No.3 is the "Sonata Romantica" which I hope locates him within the UC pale!), 2 piano trios (nos 4 and 5) and a suite for solo piano. In Cobbett's chamber music survey Victor Olof writes glowingly of him, also mentioning an unpublished string quartet and 2 "chamber concertos" for solo violin, string quartet and piano. I may be able to post a rendition of the Sonata Romantica before too long.

[Mark Thomas]

I know nothing of him, Steve, but the prospect of the Sonata Romantica is a beguiling one.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. Seems I won't be able to listen to it if/when you do, since Goodwin & Tabb first published the sonata 1923>1922... (assuming it was also properly renewed &c)

[matesic]

He might even be copyright in the UK still, but what if I were to email you (or link you personally to) the mp3 file...? Actually it could be some time, because he writes a BIG piano part.

[eschiss1]

I wonder what the copyright rules are/status is in D+50 (Canada)/D+70 (EU) countries for "date of death unknown", actually...

[matesic]

His Sonata Romantica No.3 for violin and pianoforte, Goodwin & Tabb 1923, "rendered" by violin and synthesized piano

www.mediafire.com/?spj0a5ew20271dn

I still don't know anything about him but I do think there's some substance here

[Gareth Vaughan]

seem to consist only of 4 violin sonatas (nos 1, 3, 4 and 6

1,3,5 & 6, according to my researches. There is also "Six Tone Poems for piano" (Joseph Wlliams, 1920). Can't find his dates anywhere.

[eschiss1]

ah, thanks, looking forward to hearing.

[matesic]

Gareth is correct - No.5 was actually the first VS to be published in 1920 so I can put it on imslp where Eric will be able to listen with a clear conscience! The dedicatee is Horace Ayckbourn, one-time deputy leader of the LSO. I tried to contact his son, Alan Ayckbourn the playwright, but was told he knows very little about his father and wasn't even able to identify him in a photograph of the orchestra. Another lead gone cold.

[eschiss1]

Also... hrm. "M. Isaac Losovsky, at Aeolian Hall, on October 26, was responsible for a new Sonata by Mr. F. J. Morgan." (from December 1 1921 Musical Times, p847. Not sure if Losovsky is the pianist- the paragraph this belongs to is mainly about Jacques Thibaud (though his appearance wasn't until October 29th according to the writer, and at Wigmore Hall)- or if this is a digression and if Losovsky was a violinist. Since I can find out nothing about Losovsky, that means I can't find out what role he played in the performance of Morgan's sonata- though I tend to assume it was one of Morgan's earlier ones, given the date (October 1921) of the concert.) (The next paragraph mentions a Nov. 2 1921 performance of Bax's E major (the lovely much-revised first) sonata- probably nowhere near the premiere, that...)

[matesic]

Losovsky was the dedicatee of Sonata No.1, Dan Macmillan No.3 and Victor Olof (the violinist who wrote the article in Cobbett and went on to become a record producer for Decca and HMV) No.6. Dedicatees of Morgan's piano suite In Our Garden are Olive Shepherd, Jeanie Tidey, Mrs Dan Macmillan and Florence Mertens. I thought Olof might be the best lead. He trained at the Guildhall School where Max Morgan (1914-2007) taught violin up until the 1980's, so could Francis have been his father/grandfather? I guess I'll try their librarian to see if Max left any survivors I could contact.

[matesic]

There does seem to have been a Morgan dynasty connected with the Guildhall School. Robert Orlando Morgan (1865-1956) was a prolific composer who taught there for many years. His papers including much music were presented to the Corporation of London Records Office by his grandson "Mr M.D.Morgan", who I suspect must have been Max. No mention of Francis, though, who was a year younger than Robert

[eschiss1]

Hrm. University of Pittsburgh library- not very near me - has not just the first violin sonata (just scanned and uploaded in full score and violin part- thanks, Matesic!) - but also the 4th piano trio, in F, also ©1922 (just the full score). (and the 6th sonata, published by Curwen in 1924, plate 94037, also.)

[matesic]

I found what seems to be the right Robert Morgan in the 1881 census but no brother Francis, so the possible Guildhall School connection has hit the buffers. I notice Francis's 6 chamber pieces are all in the RCM library catalogue but only 1 is in the RAM, so I'll make some overtures (groan) to the RCM and see if he could have been one of their earliest students