Benoit "Benno" Hollander (1853-1942)

[eschiss1]

Was last mentioned here in 2012, twice, as a British composer born in Holland; the Netherlands Music Archive maintains a few of his manuscripts (not that few...) and some correspondence.
Because my new scanner (my last printer/scanner died on me) has a smaller scan-board, and I didn't think of using a library copier to shrink the borrowed parts to required size... well, I borrowed / interloaned the 1895 Schott parts of Hollander's 3 characteristic pieces (Zingara, Rhapsodie, Scherzo) for string trio (2 violins, and viola-or-cello) and am having to typeset them for the month before I return them. So, am also reading up on his biography if I want to do a good job of this.
Unrelated to Gustav, Victor Hollander etc.
I can probably put together an ok biography from sources available, but I notice this, too-

"Add MS 53769" (British Library) has "HOLLANDER PAPERS. Vol. III (ff. 209). Memoirs of Benno Hollander, 1853-1934; 1934 (f. 105). Draft.Benno Hollander, violinist and composer: Memoirs: 1853-1934: Draft, 1934." (Part of larger collection: "   HOLLANDER PAPERS: correspondence and memoirs of Benno Hollander, Dutch violinist, conductor and composer (b.1853, d.1942); 1880-1936, n.d. Some printed material. English , Dutch, French, and German . Purchased from Lieutenant-Commander David I. Aldrich, R.N., Hollander's nephew, on 11 June 1966. Paper. Four volumes. British Library arrangement.") Part II of this contains correspondence with Saint-Saëns, for instance...
Tempting if I had the funds to ask BL to photocopy them for me. Maybe I can still learn things though...

Anyone know anything about him, or heard any of his music? His 2nd string quartet looks intriguing. Cornell has the parts to his 1st quartet (of at least 5, the other 3 in manuscript, I think, just as 2 of his 3 violin concertos may only be in manuscript- if the 3rd ever was completed) but their parts to the first quartet might not circulate...

[KunstundKultur]

I have a large collection of Hollander's Manuscripts! His Roland Symphony, his Caesar Symphonic Poem, his concertos, etc.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Do you have his piano concerto, by any chance?

[BartekP]

anyone have some materials about Hollander? Biography or something?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Anyone prepared to answer these questions???

[semloh]

I suppose the absence of answers constitutes a "no we don't, Gareth"! 

[eschiss1]

Re Hollander, all I think I have offhand I provide in my opening post. (Also: " the teacher of Hammer Films' resident musical supervisor, Philip Martell (1906– 1993)." according to Huckvale (2012), "Ancient Egypt in the Popular Imagination". He taught at the Guildhall School of Music in the 1890s. A brief biography in French can be found here.

[Santo Neuenwelt]

W.J. Mitson (whomever he was) in his article on Hollander in Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music writes:

"Hollander is described as a Dutch violinist but was taught at the Paris Conservatory...He has undoubtedly a flair for the composition of chamber music...He was for some time a member of (Leopold) Auer's Quartet at the Musical Union and played viola at the 'Pops"...That he is entitled to respect as a composer is evidenced by the fact that whole evening have been devoted to his music at South Place. His Septet, dedicated to Saint Saens, is a great favourite with the audiences there and has been given seven performances. In writing for the piano he has recourse rather more often than is desireable to arpeggio accompaniment, but his scoring for strings, as might be expected, is exemplary.

"While for the most part he has been content to work on conventional lines, his music is occasionally interesting from the point of view of construction. The slow movement of the septet is unusual in form...His earlier string quartet is also unusual in character...The second violin sonata is a work of considerable charm...The works as a rule are not difficult, and are within the powers of amateurs."

Cobbett himself adds, "The velvety tone which he produced on the viola...I have never heard surpassed. As a teacher of the violin, chiefly at the Guildhall School of Music, he had much success."

Chamber Works Listed

String Quartet No.1 in b flat minor, Op.20
String Quartet No.2 in c sharp minor, Op.30
Fantasy Trio for 2 violins and viola WoO
Septet in E flat Major (piano, string quartet, 2 horns), Op.28
Violin Sonata No.1, Op.19
Violin Sonata No.2 in g minor, Op.35
Suite for Violin and Piano in D Major, Op.6