Edith Swepstone 1862-1942

[eschiss1]

Thanks!

[giles.enders]

I now have a copy of her birth certificate.  Edith Mary Swepstone, Born 4.1.1862 in Stepney, London  Her father was a solicitor.  She died in Tonbridge, Kent in 1942

[semloh]

According to Ebel's Women Composers (1902):
Several movements from an unfinished Symphonie were performed at Leyton, March 10, 1887. An orchestral
overture "Les Tenebres" was played at Queens Hall, Feb. 9, 1897.

.... but that's about it. I wonder if her music was regarded as too old-fashioned, as tastes changed after WW1?
Has anyone reading this ever heard anything by Ms Swepstone?

[giles.enders]

I first heard about her as she had a number of works played at The South Place Sunday Concerts.  As with so many women composers of her period she seems to have had some success during her lifetime and then almost sunk without trace. 

[Simon]

A Quintet in D (for wind instruments) was performed by the Musical Artists' Society, according to The Musical Times (April 1, 1891, p. 232).

http://books.google.fr/books?id=3ugEAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA232&dq=swepstone+quintet&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=fVEKUp66FOmfyQH-hICADQ&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBQ

[Simon]

Here is a previously unknown Piano trio in C minor (it wasn't on Giles' list), first performed in 1895 according to the Musical Courier (Vol. XXX, No 20. May 18th, 1895, p. 11) :

https://books.google.ca/books?id=JRtMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA71&dq=%22edith+swepstone%22+%22quintet%22&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA6cvtw5HTAhVK5yYKHSY9DTs4ChDoAQgmMAM#v=onepage&q=%22edith%20swepstone%22%20%22quintet%22&f=false

[Simon]

And while we are here, why not some reviews of Swepstone's Piano quintet in F minor?

The Athenæum (No. 3575. May 2, 1896, p. 593):

"The seventy-seventh performance of the Musical Artists' Society came off in the St. Martin's Town Hall on Monday evening, the principal novelties being a Pianoforte Quintet in F minor by Miss Edith Swepstone, written apparently to some extent under the influence of Brahms [...]"


Musical News (No. 270, Vol. X. May 2, 1896, p. 412):

"Musical Artists' Society
An interesting concert of this association of English musicians was given at St. Martin's Hall on Monday last, and one was glad to see so good an attendance to hear pieces, for the most part by native writers, chiefly interpreted by English artists. The opening number was a MS. quintet in F minor, by Miss Edith Swepstone. The work is furnished with pleasant themes, but little invention is shown in their development, and there is a lack of power throughout its whole course. The instruments are written for in a scholarly way, only their respective parts are too much sectionised, rather than made conversational, and this gives the work a patchwork effect. The pianoforte part is thick, and is not written so freely as one would expect from a pianist. Still, the quintet as a whole is a creditable piece of work, and in all probability its author will do still better. The scherzo is the freshest and most inspiriting part of the piece. It was satisfactorily played by its composer, with Iessrs. K. Henkel, Mistowski, A. Wright, and B. Albert."


The Musical Times (No. 640, Vol. 37. June 1,1896, p. 406):

"We were glad to notice some improvement in the performances at the Musical Artists' Society's Concerts given at St. Martin's Town Hall on April 27 and the 11th ult. At the former we heard a Pianoforte Quintet in F minor by Miss Edith Swepstone, a well-written and effective work, well played by the composer, Messrs. Karl Henkel, Mistowski, Wright, and Albert."