Chris Fifield's new book...

[Alan Howe]

...entitled The German Symphony between Beethoven and Brahms: The Fall and Rise of a Genre is publicised here:
http://www.ashgate.com/default.aspx?page=637&title_id=&edition_id=1209349310&calcTitle=1

[mbhaub]

This certainly seems worth looking into. I wish the description would list what composers are of central importance. Fifield certainly writes well, as his bio of Bruch is very well done. The price is higher than I would like, even the e-book edition, but how big of an audience is there for books like this anymore? On my order list.

[Mark Thomas]

A very hefty price tag, to be sure, but required and enthusiastic reading for me.

[Alan Howe]

I can assure friends that the contents will comprise a veritable cornucopia of unsung symphonists. Beyond that, we must wait and see what the author makes of particular composers and their importance to musical history in the half century between Beethoven 9 and Brahms 1.

[chill319]

A very hefty price tag, to be sure...

Even with today's software, a book with 200 musical examples cannot be cheap to make. Also, there's a matter of practical economics: the core market for this volume is likely university and college libraries with the budgets thereby implied.

...but required and enthusiastic reading for me.

What's not to love about this site?

[Alan Howe]

The book's going to be ground-breaking...

[eschiss1]

I vaguely recall Mr. Fifield may have mentioned this book before, or something like it, in a discussion on this site having to do with Franz Lachner (something about the latter's symphonies getting some serious, detailed attention within?) But I may be misremembering in detail or in general...

[christopherfifield]

Ashgate's website announces publication of my book in April 2015. There are 324 (not 200!) music examples, which I suspect is where the production costs have set the price. I am currently awaiting a proof copy for indexing.

I am also about to start work on a new edition of my 1993 biography of Hans Richter. The Appendix will include a transcription of all his six conducting books, which list every one of his 4351 appearances in concert, opera and Imperial Chapel services which he conducted between 1865 and 1912 in Budapest, Vienna, London, Manchester, Bayreuth and throughout Europe. That will be published in 2016 to mark the centenary of his death.

Thank you for some very positive comments and feedback. Much appreciated. 

By the way : I shall be conducting Frederic Cliffe's Coronation March (1910) and Thomas Dunhill's Symphony (1916), a fine work, on 6th December with my Lambeth Orchestra at All Saints Church, West Dulwioch, London SE21 8LN. Fenella Humphreys will play Elgar's Violin Concerto. It would be wonderful to see UK-based forum members, or worldwide members come to that!

[christopherfifield]

In answer to mbhaub.

Here's a sneak preview for Forum members, I am happy to list below the works discussed in varying detail in my book. The music examples are in short score, a few in full score. There are no illustrations/composer portraits (the quid pro quo for 324 music examples!) Whilst Ashgate were understandably nervous the book would be too long, they did not ask for any cuts, for which I am grateful.

This posting gives me the opportunity to thank publicly (I do so in the book of course) my good friend Alan Howe for his patience, understanding and willingness to read or translate whatever I threw at him, for believe me, those 19thC German previews and reviews, as well as current academic German, can be extremely dense.

Listed chronologically:

Beethoven, Ludwig van
   Symphony No.9
Schubert, Franz
   Symphony No.9
Spohr, Louis
   Symphony Nos.1-10
Kalliwoda, Johann
   Symphony Nos.1-7
Burgmüller, Norbert
   Symphony Nos.1 & 2            
Lachner, Franz
   Symphony Nos.1-8            
Kittl, Johann Friedrich
   Symphony No.2 'Jagd'                    
Czerny, Carl
   Symphony No.5
Schneider, Friedrich
   Symphony in A
   Symphony in F minor         
Markull, Friedrich Wilhelm
   Symphony No.1                  
Lührss, Carl   
   Symphony in E flat                   
Pape, Ludwig   
   Militärsinfonie                     
Ritter, August Gottfried
   Symphony in C minor                  
Marxsen, Eduard
   Symphony No.5                  
Herrmann, Gottfried
   Symphony in C minor Pathétique                      
Hesse, Adolf
   Symphony No.6                        
Fesca, Alexander
   Symphony No.1                     
Müller, Friedrich
   Symphony No.1 & 2               
Müller, Christian Gottlieb
   Symphony No.4                   
Verhulst, Johannes
   Symphony in E minor                      
Gade, Niels
   Symphony No.1                         
Drobisch, Karl   
   Symphony in G minor                   
Rosenhain, Jakob
   Symphony No.1 & 2   
David, Félicien
   Ode-symphonique: Le Désert                      
Wichmann, Hermann    
   Symphony No.1 & 2
Dorn, Heinrich
   Symphony in C                      
Taubert, Wilhelm
   Symphony No.1                     
Litolff, Henri   
   Concerto-symphonique No.2 & 4                                 
Leonhard, Emil
   Symphony No.1                     
Schnyder von Wartensee, Franz
   Symphony No.3
Macfarren, George
   Symphony No.7
Sullivan, Arthur
   Symphony No.1 Irish
Svendsen, Johann
   Symphony No.1               
Franck, Eduard
   Symphony in A
   Symphony in B♭                       
Hermann, Friedrich
   Symphony       
Rietz, Julius   
   Symphony No.3                      
Hiller, Ferdinand
   Symphony in E minor 'Es muss doch Frühling werden'
Reinecke, Carl
   Symphony No.1                     
Vierling, Georg
   Symphony in C                     
Abert, Johann Joseph
   Symphony No.4 Columbus                      
Bargiel   , Woldemar
   Symphony in C                  
Reinthaler, Carl
   Symphony in D                     
Volkmann, Robert
   Symphony No.1                     
Raff, Joseph Joachim
   Symphony No.1 An das Vaterland, 2, 4, 6
Bruch, Max
   Symphony Nos.1 & 2
Dietrich, Albert
   Symphony in D minor                      
Draeseke, Felix
   Symphony in C, Nos. 1 & 2
Gernsheim, Friedrich   
   Symphony No.1               
Goetz, Hermann
   Symphony No.2
Grimm, Julius Otto
   Symphony in D minor
Brahms, Johannes
   Symphony No.1

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Chris, for giving us this glimpse into the contents of your book. Personally, I can't wait...

[Mark Thomas]

This promises to be an extremely important book, Chris, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy next year.

[Balapoel]

I too can't wait to read it. I wonder why a number of other variously influential German symphonists weren't covered (I'm sure I'll find out in the text):

Mendelssohn (Nos. 1-5), Romberg (No. 3), Kuffner (No. 7), Moscheles, Schumann (Nos. 1-4), Wagner (Nos. 1-2), Loewe (No. 2), Ries (No. 7), Rietz (No. 1), Staehle, Mayer (Nos. 1-8), Jadassohn (Nos. 1-2), Krug (No. 1), Klughardt (No. 1), Rauchenecker (No. 1).

If Austrians were considered, then also Bruckner (Nos. 0-4, f minor), Herzogenberg (Odysseus), Rufinatscha (Nos. 1-5).

Of these, I would consider Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Bruckner to be the most influential (not necessarily in that order).

[Aramiarz]

Dear Christopherfifield

   Welcome to this site! Your work as conductor And researcher is Titanic!

I like very much your performance in Sterling, have You near  one release? Maybe the Cliffe's second Symphonie?

[eschiss1]

Balapoel:
he -does- list Vierling... and Bruch 1 & 2...
and I look forward to finding out about some of Rosenhain's symphonies, and Wichmann's (didn't know he wrote any), and Brahms' teacher Marxsen, ... (&c.)

(The challenge is there for someone who wants to write a book or books on the string quartet, string quintet and piano quartet and quintet of the unsungs of the Romantic and early 20th century eras that might be anywhere near as interesting or (I strongly suspect, anyway, sight unseen) as good...)

[Alan Howe]

Chris avoided the sung symphonists - and decided not to venture into Austria!