Anton Edouard Pratté

[Revilod]

Mention of Franz Lachner's Harp Concerto reminded me of the one by Anton Edouard Pratté, a composer and harpist who seems never to have been mentioned on this forum. He was born in Bohemia in 1797 and died in Sweden in 1875. There is even a festival and competition devoted to him. It began in 2019 and is held in Norrköping. If you've got 3/4 of an hour to spare, his harp concerto is well worth a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIEO7VZMR68&t=2050s

[Alan Howe]

It's uncertain when this piece was composed, although this source suggests that it may have been performed in 1817:
https://www.swedishmusicalheritage.com/composers/pratte-edvard/SMH-W6181-Grand_Concert_pour_la_Harpe_avec_accompagnement_de_grand_orchestre

What's amazing is that a 45-minute harp concerto was written in the early part of the nineteenth century! Mind you, there's a fair bit of padding here.

[EarlyRomantic]

Revilod, Thank you for employing Lachner as a launching pad to Pratte! What a time for Harp Concertos here on UC! Have you also seen that his Quartet for Harp and Winds was uploaded to YT? I've heard into the opening movement. What a beguiling sonority this blend of instruments creates! What an original concept for the Early 19th Century. The Norrkoping Festival is fascinating. Artistic Director/ Principal Harpist Delphine Constantin- Reznik discovered the Concerto manuscript accidentally. Pratte never published his works during his life. What a rescue!( Exactly what Unsung Composers Forum cherishes). The Festival supports young harpists, and intends to endorse not only  Pratte, but other contemporaneous Harpist-Composers, expanding what we know of Early Romantic Harp Compositions. Its exhilarating to think where that might go! So, thank you for really enhancing our discussion of the World of the 19th Century Harp. Im so glad you did.

[semloh]

Yes, thank you indeed, and what a sheer delight this harp concerto is. Over the years the concertante repertoire available on LP/CD has been so restricted, and suddenly we are becoming aware that there is actually so much more.

[Alan Howe]

I'm not so sure about this bloated concerto. Seems rather long for its material to me - although I personally find that the harp is too unvaried in its sonority to be a solo instrument capable of sustaining a work of this length.

[semloh]

Bloated? Ooh, that's a bit harsh, Alan. 
I agree it may be a tad too long, but for those of us who just enjoy the sound of the harp that's fine. As you say it's all a matter of personal taste. Of course, some harp concertos do exhibit a wide range of sonorities - but they fall outside our remit.

[eschiss1]

Not the first time that issue's come up, so to speak.

[Alan Howe]

Must have been having a bad day. But I'll settle for 'too long'!

[eschiss1]

Forthcoming from BIS in October: a "grand concert" by Antoine Edouard Pratté (1796-1875). (See Presto Classical.) More details as available, but I am guessing it is _this_ work in G minor from 1817 (possibly a little early for us, but.)

[Revilod]

Yes. That will be it judging from the movement descriptions which match those of the Youtube performance here. The 20-25 minute timing is wrong, though. The first movement alone lasts that long. Here's a recent thread on this work.

[terry martyn]

I´m glad that harp concertos of this period are appearing from time to time on CD.    It does sound like Bochsa, which , for me, can only be a good thing, as I regard Bochsa´s First as one of the most enchanting pieces in my whole collection. But Alan is all too right. Bochsa can convey all he needs to ,with almost agonisingly emotional simplicity, in about 25 minutes. The musical Rasputins should have intervened with this work to cut it back severely,as the bough bends and breaks in its bloat. What a shame!

[eschiss1]

Ah, I remember that thread now. I erred in restricting my search to recent recordings. Thanks!

[terry martyn]

As these two threads have such similar content, would it be possible to merge them?

[eschiss1]

Their contents have overlap, but they are in different boards, and a good reason would gave to be given for moving one from one board to the other. I don't think this should be subsumed into the more general Composers board, eg.

[Mark Thomas]

Threads merged....