Walter Gaze-Cooper

[s.cawthorn]

I am new to this site and I am not sure whether this is the correct place to make my inquiry.
I and others are trying to get the music of Walter Gaze-Cooper into the public domain.
He was from the Nottingham area and lived from 1895-1981 and founded  the local symphony orchestra which still performs today.
I see on the website of pianist Joyce Hatto that she made an ep of his third Piano Concerto and was wondering if anyone knew how to contact her estate to try to make a copy of this or to get hold of this record,
If anyone wishes to reply you can email me at cawthorn@btopenworld.com.
Thanks
Stuart Cawthorn

[Alan Howe]

Of course, many/most? recordings attributed to Joyce Hatto are now suspect, so I'd be very careful here...

[Mark Thomas]

But I thought that it was her later CDs which were suspect, not her earlier LP/EPs? Hatto's fakes were digital re-engineerings of existing recordings by other pianists, so either it's a genuine recording by her, or someone else recorded the Gaze-Cooper, which is still good news, always assuming that a recording does exist. There are several online references to her having recorded it on a Concert Arts EP in the 1950s, and a photo of her and Gaze-Cooper together here.

[Alan Howe]

You would appear to be right, Mark...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Hatto

[Gounod21]

The chances of it being genuine are about as high as ALL artists on the delta/Fidelio/Summit/early Concert artist LPs/EPs; ie we will never really definitively know; remember, this all has to be put into the context of Barrington-Coupe's(and others, eg Saga Records) utilization of tapes from USSR/Eastern Europe of recordings which for (alleged?) copyright reasons, had pseudonymous names anyway. The entity known as Hatto DID definitely, as pointed out above, record Gaze -Cooper; but who the artist really is is moot. I tend, but perhaps is wishful thinking, to (want to) think she DId actually make all the Saga and Delta(etc) early/mid 60s recordings, as well as the Bax Revolution label 1971 Symphonic Variations, but I do not think this can be ever proved definitively. Steve

[Alan Howe]

...and there's the problem. Once deceit is the name of the game, trust is virtually impossible to restore. Unless, that is, there are first-hand accounts of the recording sessions - or photos.

[Alan Howe]

This link suggests the Gaze-Cooper was at least performed by Hatto. So the question is, does the apparent fact that she gave a performance of the G-C mean that the recording is also by her?
https://archive.is/2Rh4

[Mark Thomas]

I suppose all that one can say is that it maybe makes it more probable than not but, as you say, Barrington-Coupe's track record means that there'll always be doubt unless more concrete evidence comes to light. All that said, there is a recording out there by someone of Gaze-Cooper's Piano Concerto No.3.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I have spoken with Gaze Cooper's grandson and he confirms that Joyce Hatto did indeed perform the 3rd PC. Whether she actually recorded it I can't say. I didn't know a recording existed.

[Alan Howe]

...and there's the problem.

[Gareth Vaughan]

See also this link: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.music.classical.recordings/oFkUvcwA27w

I should think it VERY likely that all Hatto's early recordings - up until about 1970 - are genuine. She became ill and retired from the concert platform; it was Barrington-Coupe's claim that she went on recording in private after her retirement that proved to be a hoax and one that fatally damaged what reputation she had managed to build up.

[Alan Howe]

Seems to be identical with the material in my link.

[Gareth Vaughan]

So it is.