William George Cusins (1833-1893)

[pcc]

Has anybody here taken the trouble to look at the Cusins manuscripts in the British Library? I'm curious about the Piano Concerto (1866) and his Symphony in C (1892), both of which received performances at least, and the autograph scores are there. I just looked at a "Sarabande & Gavotte" and a "Valse de concert" for piano on the Bodleian's website and they're rather interesting. Both are fairly elaborately written, have some harmonic imagination, and are more demanding than standard drawing-room piano pieces (one solid page of rapid right-hand parallel thirds in the Valse, for instance). The generally available personal descriptions of him as conductor for the Philharmonic concerts tend to make him sound dull, but I wonder; there's a score of the Brahms First Piano Concerto in the BL's Philharmonic Society collection which has conductors' markings presumably by him, and I'd like to know what they consist of -- especially as I think he only was allowed one rehearsal for each concert, as I recall, and would have to work pretty efficiently.

He might not be an entirely ignorable figure - maybe? Any thoughts?

[pcc]

I should mention that there's a very interesting and rather forceful piece questioning Cusins' appointment to the Philharmonic post in the 1 June 1867 MUSICAL WORLD, pp 356-57, followed by a milder redress saying "he might be the very man the Philharmonic needs -- Who knows?" signed "A.S.S." I'll bet that's Sullivan, whose MARMION overture was soon to be given by the Philharmonic. 

http://books.google.com/books?id=CosPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA356&lpg=PA356&dq=philharmonic+cusins&source=bl&ots=VvLVLXE_8Z&sig=FAYDE_CMKFQ6xLV9C1KQaQpwZ-A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-byuU7nsHMqfyATelYKYBg&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=philharmonic%20cusins&f=false

[eschiss1]

btw, one can really stop such a link after the PA356 (or similar) or perhaps the lpg=PA356 - the rest is highlighting material (for search) but usually the reader can find the search terms on a page 'selves... e.g.:

Musical World

However, the review ("Philharmonic Concerts. From the 'Pall Mall Gazette'" continued on p358, which contains the remarks you quote, is signed by "Z.", not by A.S.S. - it is a brief and concurring bracketed response on the next page that is signed by A.S.S. Since there are a number of people on this forum who may be unable to use this Google link (it does not work outside of the US or similar places, I think; there are, I think, now Google Books (UK) services and sim., but I have no idea whether or not the equivalent page will show as readable on the parallel sites) - I am summarizing.

[thalbergmad]

The prospect of a pianist like Howard Shelley playing the Tarantella from the PC is mouthwatering. Littered with left hand tenths, arpeggios and jumps, it is certainly more demanding than drawing room pieces.

Would make a good partner to the Bache G minor. Both being cut from a similar cloth.

Thal

[pcc]

That's kind of nifty to have a tarentella in a piano concerto written by someone Hanslick reported  "strongly resembles a clergyman of the Established Church, and also conducts most devoutly", but that was in 1886 when Cusins was in his fifties and the PC is from 20 years earlier. It sounds as if Cusins might have had a bit of flair as a composer that contradicts the impression given by the side-whiskers in his portraits. Does anyone know any of his other music?

[thalbergmad]

If lack of side whiskers were a mark of flair, I guess Moscheles would have been pretty boring.

Thal

[pcc]

Depends on the portrait!

[giles.enders]

To copy the MS of the piano concerto to Sibelius and edit it would be likely to cost £1,000, and a similar amount for the Bache.  Neither adds up to sixty minutes of music so yet a third work by either would be needed.  If someone out there is willing to sponsor this it might just get an airing.

[thalbergmad]

One could add on the Bache Morceau Op.22. Only 72 pages and probably less than 20 minutes though.

Could be a good release. Cusins had some craft and Bache is exciting.

Thal

[JimL]

Bache G minor what?  Is there another Bache PC besides the E Major work recorded by Hyperion, coupled with the Sterndale-Bennett 4th?

[thalbergmad]

Indeed, there is another Bache PC in G minor.

Thal

[pcc]

There was a post by Mr. Easick on 26 Sept. 2011 that mentioned work he was doing on tracking down parts in the US for the J. F. Barnett op. 25 concerto -- does anyone know of any progress there? As the Barnett was almost exactly contemporary with the Cusins, there's another piece to fill the CD -- if the parts materialize.

[Mark Thomas]

We are straying from William Cusins, folks. Back on topic, please, and start a new one for the Bache and Barnett concertos if need be.

[giles.enders]

In reply to Jiml there are 4 works for piano and orchestra by Bache.  I posted the info. on this site some while ago. 
Cusins is worth pursuing but he is so far below the radar of the music buying public that a careful plan to promote performances of his music is needed unless of course there is someone out there willing to sponsor a recording. 

[pcc]

We aren't straying that far from Cusins - we're trying to find ways to make recorded dissemination of his one work for piano and orchestra viable, a major composition which seems to be worth hearing. The Barnett and Bache were entered to aid this conception.  One substantial weave often requires several strands.

Judging from the small amount of other Cusins piano music I've looked at, and Thal's familiarity with the concerto, the man had serious chops; his reviews as a pianist are always laudatory, and he seems to have been a highly competent violinist as well.  I did mention the Symphony earlier; has anyone looked at that?

And as to Cusins as a conductor, frankly, under the Philharmonic Society's one-rehearsal per gigantic concert rule, as well as both English players' heavy dependence on sight-reading and reckless use of the deputy system, Bennett, Cusins, Sullivan, and Cowen had the cards stacked against them in getting any kind of rapport with or polished performance out of the Society's orchestra. The "careful" style held against some of these conductors' performances may have simply been their need to keep things together in some semblance of public order.  Hanslick's criticisms are crudely amusing, but based upon ignorance and a lack of sympathy (which he really lacked personally). At one point even Shaw praised Cusins as a conductor!  (He belittled him later, with true Shavian crassness).