Request for assistance

[eschiss1]

Is Stenhammar too sung by now? His first symphony of 1903 exists in a nice (relatively) new typeset (freely available, I think, though the parts may require some rental fee- hopefully not extortionate though; question of contacting the typesetter?...) score (downloadable from Swedish Musical Heritage). (First edition, I think, or second- not sure if MPH's publication, which I believe was a reprint of the manuscript, came first, or no. MPH has published some first-typesets - Magnard's first two symphonies e.g. - but I'm not sure about availability of typeset _parts_- a project for someone? (The ms scores of both of those are @IMSLP...)

[minacciosa]

Where is DeWolfe, and what works of Bowen did you see?

[jdperdrix]

All of Magnard's symphonies were published by Salabert. Parts are available from Durand-Eschig-Salabert. I don't know the rental fee, though.
See http://www.durand-salabert-eschig.com/formcat/location/symphonie_francaise.pdf
for Magnard, Boëllmann and possibly others (Lazzari, Witkowski).

[Christopher]

Vasily Kalafati, Russian, 1869-1942.  Nothing of his has been recorded bar a couple of orchestrations form Schumann's Carnevale, totalling about 4 minutes' worth.   In books about that period, he is often described as "one of the most important composers in Russia during his lifetime", or words to that effect.  He was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov.  His symphonic poem Legenda won the prize at the 1928 International Schubert Competition in Vienna and for that reason I think it would be well worth (re)discovering.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Where is DeWolfe, and what works of Bowen did you see?

De Wolfe's is at:
De Wolfe Music
Shropshire House
11-20 Capper Street
London
WC1E 6JA
UK
Tel: 44 (0) 20 7631 3600
info@dewolfemusic.co.uk

The main scores I looked at were:

Fantasy Overture on 'Tom Bowling', Op.115
Sinfonietta Concertante for brass & orchestra
Somerset Suite
Holiday Suite
Symphonic Suite (movements 1, 2 and 4) - movt. 3 is missing

Ralph Couzens of Chandos told me he was hoping to record some more York Bowen, including the Tom Bowling Fantasy and the Sinfonietta. He had booked sessions with the the BBC Philharmonic and Andrew Davis for spring of this year, but I have heard nothing and I suspect this project has not been brought to fruition, but I will contact him again and ask.

[Wheesht]

Here are my ideas, some composers may be sung in certain countries and unsung or indeed unknown in others. I travelled 200km recently to experience RVW's A Sea Symphony live for the first time in my life - just to give an example.

In chronological order, but not necessarily in order of either easy availability or my personal preference:

1. Sigurd Lie (1898' - 1903): Symphony in A Minor, 31'. Worldcat lists a score in Naxos music Library, but I have never used this. There is a 2004 CD with the Kristiansand SO conducted by Terje Boye Hansen. The score and parts are available from the Norwegian National Library: here


2. G. W. L. Marshall-Hall: Symphony in E-flat (1903), about 36'. Presumably, performing materials could be obtained from or with the help of the University of Melbourne: here

3. John McEwen: A Solway Symphony (1911), 34'. This was recorded by Alasdair Mitchell conducting the London Philharmonic, so presumably performing materials should be available. A score is on IMSLP, but not PD in the EU.

4. Granville Bantock: Hebridean Symphony (1913), 35'. This has been recorded and a full score is available on IMSLP, but it may not be PD everywhere.

5. And finally, why not one of the symphonies by Noskowski? I haven't heard Symphony 3, which seems to be the one most favoured by UC members. It dates from 1904.

[Mark Thomas]

Wheesht, this might help your link problem...

[Wheesht]

Thanks a lot, Mark it has helped and I have duly amended my post.

[minacciosa]

Gareth, thanks for that information. Bowen is of great interest to me. His 2nd Symphony would make a terrific impression in concert.

[Cheah SC]

My suggestion are

Ernest Schelling (1876-1939)
      1. Légende Symphonique
      2. Impressions from an Artist's Life - Symphonic Variations for Orchestra and Piano
      3. Violin Concerto
Henryk Bobinski (1861-1941)
      1. Piano Concerto in e min, Op.8

All scores are from IMSLP. 

Another suggestion (but slightly out of year limit)
Eduard Frank (1817-1893) - early work
     1.  Piano Concerto in D min, Op13
          score published by Pfefferkorn Musikverlag. Leipzig
          ISMN : 9790501390342 (score); 9790501390359 (piano reduction)

[Gareth Vaughan]

The Ernest Schelling performance material (scores and parts) are available from Fleisher. The score and parts for the Legende and the VC are printed; those for Impressions are slightly worn ozalids.
I don't know where the orchestral score and parts for the Bobinski PC are. Probably in Moscow somewhere - or it is possible the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin has copies.
I have a photocopy of the full score of the Franck, and I think I can lay my hands on a set of parts.
This is the sort of information Ilja needs.

[minacciosa]

I would certainly play the Schelling Violin Concerto. If it has s problem it is that the scoring is for a large orchestra, including two harps. It can be difficult to persuade orchestras to commit such resources and commensurate rehearsal time for a worthy but unknown work when they can run through Mendelssohn in 30 minutes or less. A craven wind blows across the majority of orchestras these days.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Yes - triple woodwind required for all the Schelling, works and 2 harps and 3 trumpets in both the VC and Variations. So perhaps a bit too big.

[chill319]

So many wonderful works worthy of promotion. But I notice that discussion seems to focus almost exclusively on "important" multi-movement works. Were I in Ilja's position, I should think single-movement works might be easier to sell as introductions to their composers. Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice rather than his Symphony in C, for example. Rimsky's Russian Easter Overture rather than his Symphony 3, for example.  Brahms'  Academic Festival Overture rather than his Symphony 4, for example. Works that show their composer's special talents and craft in a good light, as Romeo and Juliet does Tchaikovsky's. Make sense? Or am I missing something?

[minacciosa]

None of those mentioned works are unsung, and indeed are overexposed.

As for Schelling, triple woodwind isn't as bad as two harps and extra percussionists; in the USA cartage fees are involved, so that is a further strike against those scores. What a shame.