Hans Franke (1882-1971)

[Alan Howe]

For the A major, I'd suggest either Eduard Franck or Jadassohn (No.2).
For F major, perhaps Gade (No.7), Kalliwoda (No,6), Küffner or Wüerst.

How on earth we would find out, though, is an open question, especially if we had no recordings - or computer realisations.

[Alan Howe]

Speaking personally, I don't feel too guilty about failing to question the provenance of these pieces. On the positive side, we did in fact assign the symphony to the correct decade:

It could easily have been written in, say, the 1880s

so at least we got the style right.

On the other hand, lessons have to be learned. The fact that, for instance, we might know a (genuine) composer who was extremely prolific (e.g. Röntgen) doesn't necessarily mean that another composer's extensive catalogue should be accepted as comparable. I suppose we must hope that this particular example of industrial-scale plagiarism is a one-off...

[Ilja]

I think I have identified the D major Trio - it seems that it's by Wilhelm Hill - more information here.

Oh, well done Ilja! I too have the Wilhelm Hill CD, but clearly my musical memory isn't in same league as yours.

The upshot is that we now have a recording of the Hill Trio that is rather better than the one we had previously.

[Alan Howe]

Yes, I noticed that too. How ironic.

[John Boyer]

I wonder if Erika Prokop was the perpetrator?  So fascinating!  And now that the Hill has been identified, it's only a matter of time before the true identity of the others is uncovered.  Nevertheless, it is sobering to think that nearly 800 fraudulent works -- a life time's labor in deception, dishonesty, and plagiarism -- perished in the flames of Dresden.  Imagine the work cut out for us had they survived?

[cypressdome]

Wanted to add two notes.  The website for Edition49 has a few perusal scores of Franke's scores published by Vogt & Fritz.  Search for Hans Franke. The scores available are the Quartetto eufonico per quattro sonatori Op.841, Kleine Suite für Streichorchester Op.863, and Drei konzertante Stücke.  I also note that among his Drei Lieder is Der Spielmann Op.261 for voice, violin, and piano.  Eugen Hildach (1849-1924) published a song for voice and piano also entitled Der Spielmann as his Op.15 No.1 in 1893.  In 1931 a version was published by Heinrichshofen's Verlag that included a violin solo.

[eschiss1]

re the Hill: and another kind of information here (score and parts.)

[John Boyer]

There is also a 106 page catalog of...well, I almost wrote "his works"...of his manuscripts, with musical examples:

https://www.abebooks.fr/Hans-Franke-Bestandsverzeichnis-erhaltenen-Werke-Klavierausz%C3%BCge/30431502687/bd

[eschiss1]

btw the Wolfl concerto, unpublished in years, suggests he would have had a good musicologist in him had he stuck to the good.

[Alan Howe]

Nevertheless, it is sobering to think that nearly 800 fraudulent works -- a life time's labor in deception, dishonesty, and plagiarism -- perished in the flames of Dresden. 

This may, of course, be a fabrication. To find and claim as one's own 90-odd compositions is one thing, but to do the same with another 800 would seem to be stretching credulity. My hunch is that the Dresden fire-bombing was a convenient (although horrific) opportunity to pull the wool over our eyes.
 

[terry martyn]

In the flurry of posts yesterday, I mentioned that the Franke Foundation had funded three CDs. Two of them, the chamber music and the Symphony No 6, we know about. What on earth would be the third one?

[terry martyn]

I tend to agree with Alan that the destruction of Dresden probably enabled Franke to pose as a composer of Czerny-like proportions.

I am beginning to think that this is really important work we are doing here, in attempting to expose a plagiarist and in rehabilitating the reputation of a composer (Kauffmann) who is well above the middle rank,if this symphony is anything to go by. Do we need, or could we in the future need, journalistic or other media help?

[Ilja]

There is also a 106 page catalog of...well, I almost wrote "his works"...of his manuscripts, with musical examples:

https://www.abebooks.fr/Hans-Franke-Bestandsverzeichnis-erhaltenen-Werke-Klavierausz%C3%BCge/30431502687/bd

I've just ordered the book (albeit from another source, since a 25-45 working days in the mail didn't sound particularly appealing). I should have it somewhere next week, perhaps earlier, and will scan it for further perusal. Perhaps more alarming is that this is apparently a thesis, perhaps even an Inauguraldissertation (the first stage of a German academic promotion cycle, equivalent to a Ph.D. in Anglo-Saxon countries, but typically somewhat more lightweight), which might not bode well for the candidate. Not much wrong if it was in library or archival studies, but musicology?... ouch. We'll see.

Interestingly, there's also this image in the book description on AbeBooks:


See top right. I'm not the greatest sight-reader in the world so I could be wrong (and am en route now so can't check), but at first glance it looks like a bit from the opening to Ernst Boehe's Odysseus Heimkehr, the final movement of his massive poem/symphony/thing Aus Odysseus' Fahrten, Op. 6 from 1903.

Nevertheless, it is sobering to think that nearly 800 fraudulent works -- a life time's labor in deception, dishonesty, and plagiarism -- perished in the flames of Dresden.

This may, of course, be a fabrication. To find and claim as one's own 90-odd compositions is one thing, but to do the same with another 800 would seem to be stretching credulity. My hunch is that the Dresden fire-bombing was a convenient (although horrific) opportunity to pull the wool over our eyes.
 

I fully agree. Also, there's the number itself which taken together with everything else suggests that this is something a competent psychologist might also have an opinion about. I seem to remember another case of a composer with an insanely large body of mostly non-existent works who suffered from a combination of delusions of grandeur and depression, but I can't find it right now.

By the way, I just emailed Oliver Triendl. Curious what he has to say.

[eschiss1]

Terry Martyn- I think I saw mention of a second disc of chamber music available, but I'm not sure.

[Mark Thomas]

There's a CD containing a String Quartet, Eric, coupled with works by Dvorak, Witte, and Kodaly.