Proposal for a CD dedicated to a forgotten female composer

[eschiss1]

nit-pickily, I suppose that should be "declared" since Maconchy died back in '94 (only a very few years after I discovered her own music and even, in my one stint ever as a DJ- for a few minutes back in college- broadcast one of her quartets (the "Corto") over the radio...), but that was very interesting to learn- thank you.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Thanks, Eric. Verb tenses (and hence sentence) corrected.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Rosflute wrote:

I also have a private recording of the work on CD, given to me after I attended its performance in Berlin a few years ago.

How long is this performance of The Prison? Roughly.

[rosflute]

I am travelling and without access to either at the moment. As I remember, it was about 30 mins and included in a programme with the Schiksallied.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Then it cannot have been the complete work, which, according to the publisher, has a duration of 75 minutes, though it has been suggested that it might take as long as 1 hour 30mins.

[edurban]

Gareth, my 90 minutes was a typo...let's go with the publisher's 75...

David

[rosflute]

Gareth it was indeed the complete work, so my memory lapse regarding time just goes to show what a good work it is!

[Music33]

Sorry for arriving a little late on this topic, but I would suggest Else Headlam-Morley, composer of the first half of the XXth century who wrote in a late-romantic idiom. The full scores and complete orchestral parts of many of her major works ("Deutschland" Konzertstück for piano and orchestra ; "Herbststimmung/Autumn Moods" concert piece for orchestra ; "Suite in Three Movements" for orchestra ; "Am Anfang/The Creation" symphonic poem for orchestra ; Overture to "Leonarda" for orchestra) are extant, and are available on request at the Durham University Library :
http://reed.dur.ac.uk/xtf/view?docId=ead/mus/ehdlmmly.xml

[JeremyMHolmes]

There has been no commercial recording of Dora Bright's PC. The only work of hers to have been recorded (at least in modern times), to my knowledge, is the second of the 2 pieces for cello and piano, the "Polka a la Strauss", available on a disk called "A Cello Century of British Women": http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cello-Century-British-Various-Artists/dp/B00004U5FS/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1437157482&sr=1-1&keywords=Dora+Bright

It looks as though Gareth's request has been granted on a forthcoming Somm recording:

https://www.somm-recordings.com/recording/piano-concertos-by-dora-bright-and-ruth-gipps/

[Alan Howe]

What great news! Thanks for posting.

[Gareth Vaughan]

This is absolutely marvellous news. Both these concertos are lovely works IMHO. I wondered if Dora Bright's concerto might get a recording after the performance which Samantha Ward gave at Morley College a few years ago (and which, to my annoyance, I could not attend), but feared this might be just wishful thinking.
Angela Brownridge recorded Ruth Gipps' concerto with the Malta Philharmonic for Cameo (at my instigation) but that recording seems to be no longer available, although Lyrita should have the masters and may release it yet.

[semloh]

Yes, good news. Three cheers for Somm.
Gareth, can't you weedle your way onto the BBC Proms programme planning team?