Standard Symphonies

[chill319]

In another thread a certain interest was expressed in a 19th-century survey of symphonies I have started to explore. Rather than take that thread off topic I have started a new one, inspired by George P. Upton's "The Standard Symphonies: A Handbook," dedicated to Theodore Thomas and (c)1888 A. C. McClurg and Company, Chicago.

The volume immediately resolves any ambiguity attaching to its titular adjective: "The programmes of the concert-stage, running through a series of years, are sufficient to indicate what may be considered standard." The author admits to allowing one non-standard work into his canon: Beethoven's Choral Fantasie, opus 80. The following list of post-Beethoven symphonies, then, may be considered as ones that were not unsung in 1888 Chicago. At time of publication quite a few of the composers below were still alive. An asterisk below indicates that the composer was deceased.

*Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique and Harold in Italy
Brahms, Symphonies 1-4
Cowen, Symphony 3 (Scandinavian)
Dvorak, Symphony 3 [=6] in D
Gade, Symphonies 1 and 4
*Goetz, Symphony 1 in F
Goldmark, "Rustic Wedding"
Hofmann, Symphony (Frithjof)
*Liszt, Faust and Dante symphonies
*Mendelssohn, Symphonies 3, 4, 5
Paine, Symphony 2 (Spring)
*Raff, Symphonies 3, 5, 8
Rheinberger, Symphony 1 (Wallenstein)
Rubinstein, Symphonies 2 and 5
Saint-Saëns, Symphonies 3 [=2, a minor] and 5 [=3, c minor]
*Schubert, Symphonies 8 and 9
*Schumann, Symphonies 1-4
*Spohr, Symphony 4 (Consecration of Sound)
Stanford, Symphony 3 (Irish)
Sullivan, Symphony 1, e minor
*Volkmann, Symphony 1, d minor
*Wagner, Symphony, C major

The author appends discussion of "Symphonic Poems" by six composers:
Mendelssohn, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Liszt, "Les Préludes," "Tasso," "Festklänge," "Mazeppa," "Hunnenschlacht," "Todtentanz" [!]
Paine, "The Tempest"
Reinecke, "Hakon Jarl"
Moskowski, "Joan of Arc"
Saint-Saëns, "Rouet d'omphale," "Phaeton," "Danse macabre"

Particularly noteworthy, I think, is the inclusion of the Saint-Saëns c-minor symphony, premiered only two years before publication of this volume in Chicago. The boonies were not all that far off the beaten track, it seems. More important, perhaps, is the fact that the author had no doubts that this new work and also Brahms's newish symphony 4 were instant "standards."

Worthy of mention, also, are some of the composers missing from this list -- Tchaikovsky, for one. He was already well established on America's northeast coast, but apparently not in the heartland.

[eschiss1]

... Dvorak's symphonies were renumbered
3-->5, 1-->6, 2--->7, 4-->8, 5-->9. So "symphony 3" would be in F major, not D major or minor, and I would be in confusion.

(And Reinecke's Hakon Jarl was considered a symphonic poem, not, as he did, his 2nd symphony? That's interesting! Smetana's Hakon Jarl -is- a symphonic poem, but I didn't know Reinecke's was thought of as one.)

[chill319]

Hi Eric. The Dvorak enumeration  _is_ interesting, as are the Saint-Saens numbers. The book makes it clear that the Symphony 3 referred to is in D Major, which is why I equated it with 6.

I thought of the Smetana, too, with respect to Hakon Jarl. The reason I put 'Symphonic Poems' in quotes was because of the Midsummer Night's Dream (less of a stretch) but especially because of Hakon Jarl and Liszt's concerto Todtentanz.

[sdtom]

The first thing that I noticed was the exclusion of Tchaikovsky along with including Rubinstein. Now if we were to do it today it would be a 180 degree turnaround.
Tom

[Jimfin]

Sullivan's symphony is in E (major) rather than E minor.

[chill319]

I'm sharing the transcribed appendix which follows simply because I find it interesting for what it purports to be, a list of all important symphonies. With respect to publication dates especially, members will find inaccuracies that no doubt indicate difficulties faced by the compiler. Again, for me the value of the appendix lies in its vantage point and broad outline rather than in its most granular details -- though sometimes the inaccuracies themselves are suggestive and interesting.

* * * * *

APPENDIX

The following alphabetical list has been prepared with the view of presenting the reader a catalogue of all the important symphonies, with names of composers and dates of composition. It has been compiled with much care and labor, and it is believed will furnish musical students, as well as the general reader, with as complete and accurate a reference list as can be desired.

BARGIEL, WALDEMAR. No. 1, C major (1861).
BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VON. No. 1, C major (1800); No. 2, D major (1802); No. 3, E flat (Heroic) (1804); No. 4, B flat (1806); No. 5, C minor (1808); No. 6, F major (Pastoral) (1808); No. 7, A major (1812); No. 8, F major (1812); No. 9, D minor (Choral) (1823); Battle SYmphony (1816); Choral Fantasie (1808).
BENEDICT, JULIUS. No. 1, G minor (1862).
BENNETT, WILLIAM STERNDALE. No. 1, G minor (1864).
BERLIOZ, HECTOR. Symphonie Fantastique (1830); Harold en Italie (1834); Romeo et Juliette (1839); Grand Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale (1840).
BIRD, ARTHUR G. No. 1, A major (1886).
BRAHMS, JOHANNES. No. 1, C minor (1876); No. 2, D major (1877); No. 3, F major (1883); No. 4, E minor (1885).
BRISTOW, GEORGE F. No. 1, E flat (1845); No. 2, D minor (1855); No. 3, F sharp minor (1856); Arcadian (1874).
BRUCH, MAX. No. 1, E flat (1868); No. 2, F minor (1869).
BRUCKNER, ANTON. First six unpublished; No. 7, E flat (1879).
BURGMULLER, NORBERT. No. 1, C minor (1830); No. 2, D major, unfinished (1850).
COWEN, FREDERICK H. No. 1, C minor (1869(; No. 2, F major (1872); No. 3, C minor (Scandanavian) (1880); No. 4, B flat minor (Cambrian) (1884); No. 5, F major (1887).
DAVID, FELICIEN. No. 1, F major (1835); No. 2, E major (1835); No. 3, E flat (1841); Le Désert (ode symphonique) (1844); Christopher Colombe (ode symphonique) (1847).
DIETRICH, ALBERT H. No. 1, D minor (1869).
DIETRICH, ANTON. No. 1, D minor (1866).
D'INDY, VINART. Wallenstein, Symphonic Trilogy (1887).
DVORAK, ANTON. No. 1, F major (1871); No. 2, E flat (1874); No. 3, D major (1884); No. 4, D minor (1885).
FLORIO, CARYL. No. 1, G major (1887); No. 2, C minor (1887).
GADE, NIELS W. No. 1, C minor (1843); No. 2, E major (1844); No. 3, A minor (1845); No. 4, B flat (1854); No. 5, C minor (1855); No. 6, D minor, with piano (1856); No. 7, F major (1861); No. 8, B minor (1869).
GERNSHEIM, FRIEDRICH. No. 1, C minor (1887).
GOETZ, HERMANN. No. 1, F major (1875).
GOLDMARK, KARL. Ländliche Hochzeit, op. 26 (1884).
HAMERIK, ASGER. No. 1, Symphonie poetique in F major (1880); No. 2, Symphonie tragique in C minor (1882); No. 3, Symphonie lyrique in E major (1884).
HAYDN, JOSEPH. Twelve Symphonies. Salomon Set: No. 1 (1790); No. 2(1791); No. 3 (The Surprise) (1971); No. 4 (1792); No. 5 (1791); No. 6 (1791); No. 7 (1795); No. 8 (Mit dem Paukenwirbel) (1795); No. 9 (1795); No. 10 (1793); No. 11 (The Clock) (1794); No. 12 (The Military) (1794).
                      Symphonies with Titles: Le Soir (1760); Le Midi (1761); Der Philosoph (1764); Le Matin (1764); Lamentations (1772); Mercury (1772); Letter L (1772); Letter I (1772); Farewell (1772); Maria Theresa (1773); La Passione (1773); Feuer Symphonie (1774); The Schoolmaster (1774); Letter H (1774); Il Distrato (1776); Roxelane (1777); Laudon (1779); Letter A (1780); La Chasse (1780); Kinder Symphonie (1780); La Reine de France (1786); La Poule (1786); L'Ours (1786); Letter T (1787); Letter V (1787); Letter W (1787); Letter Q "The Oxford" (1788); Letter R (1788); Concertante (1792); and eighty-four others.
HILLER, FERDINAND. Nos. 1 and 2, dates unknown; No. 3, E major (Spring) (1840).
HOFMANN, HEINRICH. Fritjof Symphony (1874).
HOLMES, HENRY. No. 1, C major (Boscastle) (1871).
HUBER, HANS. Eine Tell Symphonie (1879).
JADASSOHN, SOLOMON. No. 1, C major (1861); No. 2, A major (1863); No. 3, D minor (1875).
KALLIWODA, JOHANN W. No. 1, F minor (1826); No. 2, E flat (1827); No. 3, D minor (1829); No. 4, C major (1835); No. 5, B minor (1836); No. 6, G minor (1840); No. 7, F major (1845).
KLUGHARDT, AUGUST. No. 1, Lenore (1880); No. 2, D major (1882).
LACHNER, FRANZ. No. 1, E flat; No. 2, F major; No. 3, D minor; No. 4, E major; No. 5, C minor (Appassionata); No. 6, D minor; No. 7, G minor. Dates unknown.
LESLIE, HENRY. No. 1, F major (1847).
LISZT, FRANZ. Divina Commedia (1859); Eine Faust Symphonie (1862). Symphonic Poems: (1) Ce qu'on entend sur la Montagne; (2) Tasso; (3) Les Preludes; (4) Orpheus; (5) Prometheus; (6) Mazeppa; (7) Festklänge; ( Heroide funèbre; (9) Hungaria; (10) Hamlet; (11) Hunnenschlacht; (12) Die Ideale. All written during his Weimar period.
LOEHR, G. S. L. No. 1, A minor (1874).

-- to be continued --

[Balapoel]

Please continue with the rest  - fascinating. I'm checking now against my database - some new names...

[eschiss1]

I seem to recall btw that the New York Public Library has the mss of the Florio symphonies. Not positive. (Florio was a pseudonym. for the English-American composer William James Robjohn (1843-1920). Also belongs in that thread we had about early saxophone chamber works. Have we ever had a thread about him? Can't recall...)

Dietrich is listed twice- presumably the same composer, though different dates for that symphony in D minor?

(Re Bruckner: interesting. The 4th was published the year after this book came out, but I wasn't aware until checking just now that 1-2, 5 and 6 were it seems not published until 1891 or later... though the Standard Symphonies book -is- mistaken about symphony no.3 in D minor; it was published in 1879.)

[Amphissa]

I'm rather surprised that Chadwick does not appear on the list. I thought that he was pretty influential and that his symphonies received some play during his lifetime. But maybe his music was played mostly in the East and was not as well regarded as far West as Chicago. Or maybe I just have overestimated his prominence altogether.

[eschiss1]

Re Chadwick: his first symphony was never and has never been prominent (I'd like to at least hear it), his second was premiered in 1886 and published in 1888, the same year as this book, and may not have been considered "Standard" yet - don't know?... - and the 3rd didn't even exist until 1894. So the only real omission would be the 2nd, and - don't know. (Yes, I'm interpreting the topic coverage again to mean standard symphonies within the orbit/ambit of the book of that title, for the moment, but I think I'm on fairly well firm ground in doing so - this time.)

[Balapoel]

At first glance, almost all are available in recordings.  A few new composers to me.

Caryl Florio (pseydonym). There is a pdf available with more details - quite a few chamber works, including 4 string quartets and 4 violin soantas, etc.

Henry David Leslie - much less information on him, but some

GSL Loehr - I can find nothing on him - nothing in Groves, Hofmeister, etc.

[Simon]

I'm sharing the transcribed appendix which follows simply because I find it interesting for what it purports to be, a list of all important symphonies. With respect to publication dates especially, members will find inaccuracies that no doubt indicate difficulties faced by the compiler. Again, for me the value of the appendix lies in its vantage point and broad outline rather than in its most granular details -- though sometimes the inaccuracies themselves are suggestive and interesting.

* * * * *

APPENDIX

[...]
LESLIE, HENRY. No. 1, F major (1847)

I'm quite impressed to see Leslie's name here. I didn't thought he was known outside of the U.K. other than a choral composer/conductor... To the best of my knowledge, this symphony is now lost...

[eschiss1]

G.S.L. Löhr in the original, not Loehr, and it could G.S.L. might be an honorific rather than initials? I -think- Harvey Löhr's 1st (of 5) symphony is from 1874 (or was it one of the other Löhrs- some related, some not so closely? Must check!!) so G.S.L. might well be Harvey Löhr (1856-1927, bio at Baker's 1919.)

According to Baker's p 548 : Richard Harvey Löhr, son of George Augustus Löhr (the preceding) ... 5 symphonies ; ...

[eschiss1]

Erm, oh, wait. A Mr. "G. S. Löhr" is mentioned - distinct from "R.H. Löhr" (Richard Harvey Löhr??) - I'm guessing they were related, though- just a guess- I am not being sarcastic or witty when I say that I could be wrong; I know that I have been) who accompanied him as piano duettist or 2nd pianist - in a September 1 1875 Musical Times article. So there goes that thesis. (Again assuming that GS Löhr = GSL Löhr. It's not recently that I have been learning the trouble with such assumptions, see R. Radecke or Joseph Raff.)

(but could it be Georg Augustus Löhr, with G.S. Löhr being a stage nickname? Time to investigate. Apologies for this digression!!!!)

[eschiss1]

Re Florio: yes, there is this collection that can be viewed at Lincoln Center or near it, I think (the Caryl Florio papers).  We have a few of his few published scores at IMSLP, too. (Some works have been published recently too, like his quartet for saxophones. I see that NYPL has a microform of his 1882 opera based on Uncle Tom's Cabin...) There is a CD with Florio's symphonies, from 1996 (!! neat, I think I'd seen that listed but had forgotten) but the ms scores are at not NYPL (well, maybe in the Florio papers above!) but in the Fleisher Collection (yay for them as ever, cheers!)
Sullivan first symphony- first movement sonata-allegro is primarily in E minor, yes? I seem to recall it is. If so, the symphony is in E minor. There are few reasons not to apply such very reasonable rules, which depend more on what's heard than on what's written on the cover.
I assume Henry Holmes here refers to Henry Holmes (1839-1905), composer of at least 5 symphonies (5 is, I gather, no.5 "Cumberland" op.57 etc) known to Baker/Remy in 1919, after his death, but who knows) and violinist, not William Henry Holmes (... ok, of course).