Dutton Epoch futures

[albion]

The enterprise of the Dutton Epoch label is astounding. Enthusiasts for British music can look forward to a whole raft of exciting releases in the near future. According to the latest British Music Society newsletter (in reports by Lewis Foreman, Rob Barnett and Desmond Scott) the following have been either recently recorded or are planned:

Cyril Scott: Oboe Concerto (with other oboe repertoire including the concertos by Armstrong Gibbs and Christopher Wright)
Rutland Boughton: The Queen of Cornwall
Rutland Boughton: Three symphonic poems
John Foulds: Suite Francaise,  Keltic Overture, Incidental music to Henry VIII, Keltic Suite, Sicilian Aubade, Florida Spiritual, Holiday Sketches, Suite Fantastique, Strophes from an Antique Song, Darby and Joan, The Isles of Greece, An Arabian Night and Music Pictures (4th group) - to be released over a series of discs

As if this were not enough, perhaps the most eagerly awaited release will be a disc of major orchestral pieces by Josef Holbrooke - Symphony No.4, the Cambrian 'Cello Concerto and The Pit and the Pendulum.

With it's unwavering commitment to exploring the byways of British music, Dutton Epoch truly has become the Lyrita for our times and deserves the strongest support.

[Pengelli]

I Can't wait! I'm a bit suprised about Boughton's 'Queen of Cornwall',though. I thought Hyperion were lined up for this project. Not that I'm going to complain,mind!

[albion]

Here is the quote:

"The Boughton Trust is sponsoring a commercial recording of three early symphonic poems which will appear under the Dutton Epoch label. Plans are also being made to sponsor a commercial recording of The Queen of Cornwall with the New London Orchestra, soloists and chorus under Ronald Corp also for Dutton Epoch"

I was also surprised by the change of recording company, given Corp's previous discography and Hyperion's previous commitment to Boughton, but perhaps their schedule is already too full of other treasures!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Or maybe it's a mistake. Rob Barnett, in his short report on the recording sessions for the Holbrooke disk (which, by the way, will also contain three or four pieces of Josef's light music unearthed by Lewis Foreman) commits two minor errors: he says that "The Pit and the Pendulum" lasts 20 minutes - in fact, its duration is about half that (9 mins. is written on the score); he also says that there is no harp in the 4th Symphony - the harp actually has a prominent part in the lovely 2nd movt. (a sort of "Pastorale"), though it is not employed elsewhere in the work.

[albion]

Rob was probably so delirious hearing the wonders of Holbrooke that he lost all sense of time and his ears started playing tricks on him! It seems as though Holbrooke is finally beginning to enter the consciousness of recording companies as a major prospect and hopefully within a couple of years we should have a much more representative body of his work available in fine performances. What is really heartening is the fact that both CPO and Dutton have looked beyond the 'successful' years 1900-1914 and embraced works from Holbrooke's later period - especially Amontillado and The Pit and the Pendulum. This approach indicates an informed and open-minded attitude which can only bode well.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Well, up to a point, Lord Copper. I'm afraid it really has a lot to do with COST - not surprisingly. The works of Holbrooke we would all particularly like to hear - The Bells, Queen Mab, Apollo and the Seaman, The Cauldron of Annwn - are scored for enormous forces, often with numerous unusual instruments as well (mushroom bells, concertina and steerhorns in "The Bells"; cimbalom in "Queen Mab"; sarrusaphones in "Apollo"). I was responsible for advising CPO on what to include on their first Holbrooke disk, so you can blame me for "Amontillado"; in discussing with George Vass possible couplings for the 4th Symphony and "Pit" it was clear that they did not have the budget to employ a lot of extra musicians. The 4th Symphony, "Pit" and the cello concerto are all scored for the standard symphony orchestra: double woodwind, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion, strings. "Pit" adds a gong, harp and an E flat Alto saxophone (which, in fact, could be dispensed with with little audible loss); the 4th symphony uses a harp in the 2nd movt. only. Also only 2 horns are called for in the 4th.

Incidentally, the text on the website of the Rutland Boughton Trust re. the recordings they are supporting reads:
"The Boughton Trust is sponsoring a commercial recording of three early symphonic poems which will appear under the Dutton Epoch label. Plans are also being made to sponsor a commercial recording of The Queen of Cornwall with the New London Orchestra, soloists and chorus under Ronald Corp on the Hyperion label."

[Pengelli]

When I buy a cd like the cpo one of Josef Holbrooke,one of the things that intrigues me,besides the music,is how many people are actually buying the cd,besides me. I mean,let's face it,allot of people who think they enjoy classical music haven't even heard of Moeran or Frank Bridge,let alone Josef Holbrooke! How many copies  of a cd like this get sold? And how many does a record company like cpo have to sell to break even?
I know that Hyperion use their more 'mainstream' & popular titles to sell their more esoteric releases,and I suppose/assume Chandos do,likewise.
  Incidentally,I rather liked the inclusion of 'Amontillado' as an opener to the cpo disc. The lean,sinewy,steely textures and compactness of the piece contradicting the old lie of Holbrooke,the 'Cockney Wagner' writing huge,densely written, overlong works for colossal orchestra's,never knowing when to stop.

[Ilja]

I would imagine, from experience, that this CD from Dutton would sell 800-1500 copies worldwide, depending on a number of factors. Global distribution helps enormously to make these operations financially viable, as do downloads.

Cpo and Hyperion are likely to have somewhat (but not much) higher numbers.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I suspect that's probably right, Ilja - maybe even fewer. The initial costs of the Dutton disk were covered by a generous sponsor - as are quite a few of the more esoteric releases. CPO work closely with German radio and I think a lot of the costs are absorbed by the Radio Company. The Holbrooke compositions were broadcast on radio in a programme in which Franz Groborz, the Dramaturg Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, was interviewed about Holbrooke and introduced the pieces. (I got an honourable mention!)

[Pengelli]

Lucky Germans! I only wish they would take an interest over here. Apparently,my Welsh speaking father watched a programme on S4C,the Welsh language channel,which apparently included a mention of the composer. I think the item or programme was about the de Walden family,although I'm not sure. I wil ask  them about it the next time I see them.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I'd be very interested to hear more about that programme, Pengelli. Holbrooke did a bit for Wales in his music and deserves some recognition in the principality.

[albion]

Well, up to a point, Lord Copper. I'm afraid it really has a lot to do with COST - not surprisingly. The works of Holbrooke we would all particularly like to hear - The Bells, Queen Mab, Apollo and the Seaman, The Cauldron of Annwn - are scored for enormous forces, often with numerous unusual instruments as well (mushroom bells, concertina and steerhorns in "The Bells"; cimbalom in "Queen Mab"; sarrusaphones in "Apollo").

The economics of recording anything by a little-heard composer are quite frightening, especially a composer like Holbrooke, who had such an extravagant (and adventurous) ear for orchestral colour. I think that both the already-issued CPO disc and the forthcoming Dutton recording are exemplary in terms of repertoire selection, giving us as broad a view of Holbrooke as any initial foray could.

The combination of the two discs will give us a vastly expanded awareness of Holbrooke's achievement across the three core genres of symphony, concerto and symphonic poem. Perhaps the more ambitious scores lie a little way in the future, but with fine performances of great music an appreciative audience can generally be found, and there is greatness in Holbrooke. One of the problems is that not very much has been published about his life and work, and it is difficult to generate interest in what is undoubtedly a fascinating story without primary (or even secondary) material. A compact biography with a sympathetically annotated catalogue raisonne would be an invaluable aid and propaganda weapon.

A release from the Dutton stable will undeniably give weight to the cause and I would like to applaud Gareth for his pro-active approach to a composer that many of us never thought would appear above the parapet.

[Pengelli]

Wales could definately do a bit more for Holbrooke,I agree. But even important Welsh composers like Grace Williams and Daniel Jones seem to get ignored here. The only available recordings of major works consisting of recordings made over thirty years ago. So,I'm not too hopeful about Holbrooke. I only hope I'm proved wrong. Indeed a programme on S4C about Holbrooke's Welsh connections could be of interest to more than just a few 'fans',like us. My parents were able to watch TG4,the Irish equivalent of S4c,when they lived on the Pembrokeshire coast. (They've got dreary old Sky tv now!) And  I remember my mother telling me that she had watched an interesting programme about the Dublin born,artist and illustrator Harry Clarke (1889-1931),who, incidentally,did illustrations for an edition of Edgar Allan Poe's 'Tales of Mystery and the Imagination',and is regarded by some as Poe's finest illustrator. Not exactly a household name I would have thought,these days,even in Ireland. So,why not a Welsh programme about Holbrooke? I mean,who else has created such an ambitious cycle of opera's inspired by 'The Mabinogion',albeit via Lord Howard de Walden. Who,was himself another intriguing Wales based character. I know that the programme I referred to dealt with some of the famous people who hung out with him. Plenty of scope there, I would say! All it would need is a bit of imagination from a programme maker.

[JeremyMHolmes]

Enthusiasts may want to check out the Dutton website, where seven (yes, seven!) very tasty looking new releases have been posted, including the Boughton Symphonic Poems AND Queen of Cornwall.

[vandermolen]

Hello, I am a new member here.

Havergal Brian's 10th Symphony (one of his finest) is scheduled for release on Dutton later this year.