Jan Levoslav Bella (1843-1936)

[Balapoel]

Greetings all.

In tracking down some of Jan Levoslav Bella's works (1843-1936) (aka Johann Leopold Bella), I came across a great find: a 3-CD set of most of his chamber music (Moyzesovho Quartet):
String Quartet 1 in g minor (1866)
String Quartet 2 in e minor 'Hungarian' (1871)
String Quartet 3 in c minor (1880)
String Quartet 4 in Bb (1887)
Nocturne for string quartet (1930)
String quintet in d minor (1867)
String Trios in G and Eb (1890, 1909)

http://www.mjuzik.sk/product.asp?Nosic=CD&Id=199880
There is relatively little information about his works, but I've been able to cull various sources, to identify about 148 works, including a wide variety of chamber, orchestral, and vocal music.

Also, by way of introduction, I have two older editions of Grove's - it's amazing how much material from earlier composers (particularly Romantic-period) was excised in later editions - particularly the modern Grove online version.

Since this is my introduction to the group, I thought I would list some of the (unsung) composers I have enjoyed recently:
Jan Bohuslav Foerster, Fibich, Eduard Franck, Gernsheim, Fuchs, Herzogenberg, Jadassohn, Jenner, Juon, Kalivoda, Novak, Rontgen, Ropartz, Volkmann, and Weyse.

My musical background is pretty varied - I have composed classical as well as alternative music (and played in a group in the 1980s-1990s).

Okay, back to lurking mode...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Greetings! Your choice of 'unsungs' whom you've enjoyed will get you a warm welcome on this site!

Lucky me picked up a whole bag-full of Marco Polo recordings about 10 years ago in a clear-out sale in the HMV store in Manchester where they were to be got for £1.99 a disc. It included 2 CDs of the Moyzes Quartet recordings of Bella's quartets, plus the String Quintet. I hadn't encountered him before (nor since - until your posting). But, yes, they are super works!

I guess the two string trios and the G minor quartet forms a third disc in your 3-CD set? Thus I'm missing something - and hope they're not as good as the works I have on my 2 individual CDs! There are some interesting items on this Mjuzik site - have you dealt with them?

Peter

[eschiss1]

There's also piano music on Marco Polo played by Daniela Ruso (1994), and another on MDG- played by Ursula Philippi- MDG O 3414-3415- contains Bella's fantazia-sonata for organ and works by Baußnern, Bakfark, Ciortea, Croner, Dressler, Diruta, Paul Richter,  Rudolf Lassel, others, from 1992. Also, a 1982 LP had several chamber and orchestral works on the Opus label.

[Mark Thomas]

I too have the Marco Polo recordings and find Bella unaccountably neglected, as the String Quartets and String Quintet are very attractive pieces. Maybe the towering presence of his near-contemporary Dvorak contributed to his relative obscurity in the outside world? There are off-air recordings of some of his orchestral works knocking around which show that he could write very persuasively for that medium too.

[Balapoel]

Quote:
I guess the two string trios and the G minor quartet forms a third disc in your 3-CD set? Thus I'm missing something - and hope they're not as good as the works I have on my 2 individual CDs! There are some interesting items on this Mjuzik site - have you dealt with them?

Peter
--

I am working with them now to secure the CDs. If all goes well, I'll report back - a lot of obscure Czech music is to be had. I too have heard the Marco Polo sets. Great stuff.

I agree that Dvorak (and to a lesser extent Janacek and Suk) have helped obscure several Czech romantic composers, notably Foerster, Fibich, and Novak. But probably the more immediate cause was the 'revolution' of atonal music of the early 20th century.

Balapoel