Frans Coenen (1826-1904) Symphony No.2

[Alan Howe]

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv2UJn46OhY

Info here:
https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/coenen-frans
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frans_Coenen_(musicus) (in Dutch)

[Ilja]

I've been interested in Coenen for a while now, and I really had no idea that he wrote any major orchestral pieces without choir. The Youtube channel is apparently the work of the ProNeM foundation, which is dedicated to the cause of unsung Dutch composers: here's more information about Coenen. His older brother Johannes's Ali Baba overture is here.

Edit: I'm wondering what their source is, though. I can find absolutely nothing about either of Coenen's symphonies in the Netherlands Music Institute or one of the standard work. Will email them. The YT channel has quite a few works.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Ilja. Looking forward to any information you can find for us.

[Ilja]

None of the reference works I have consulted so far make mention of symphonies written by Frans Coenen. However, Letzer (Letzer, J.H. Muzikaal Nederland 1850-1910. Bio-bibliographisch woordenboek van Nederlandse toonkunstenaars en toonkunstenaressen, alsmede van schrijvers en schrijfsters op muziek-literarisch gebied. Utrecht: J.L. Beijers, 1913; online here.) does mention multiple (at least two) written by his brother Johannes. I rather suspect the channel has swapped the brothers around.

I'll report back once I receive a reply from the foundation.

[Reverie]

I have the score of Johannes Coenen's Symphony in B minor (1865) and started a realisation of it some time ago. I've just listened to it and it comes across as very attractive. I only managed the slow intro as far as the Allegro. I'll do a bit more and stick a link to it if anyone is interested.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks. It'd be good to know whether it was Frans or Johannes who composed the symphony uploaded to YouTube.

[eschiss1]

btw, his violin sonata in G minor can be viewed @ Google Books.

[eschiss1]

Also, _here's_ the score of the Johannes Coenen symphony in B minor, the only one I have found, for comparison. If it's the same work as on the YouTube, that solves the problem?

(Actually, I see Reverie has the score too, and would have mentioned if they were the same work. Sorry...)

[Alan Howe]

Well, for a start the symphony on YouTube doesn't have a slow introduction, so...

[Ilja]

It might be Johannes's second, of course. But the site of the foundation is quite adamant that Frans wrote two as well. We'll see; I'm off to the Netherlands Music Institute tomorrow (where I was going to go anyhow, so this is a lucky coincidence).

[Alan Howe]

My old Grove (4th Edition) says that Frans wrote 'a symphony' and that Johannes wrote 'two symphonies'.

We now need proper evidence!

[Alan Howe]

The above information is confirmed in 'Musik der Romantik' (by Alfred Baumgartner/pub. Kiesel Verlag 1983). Of course, this could simply have been copied from one reference book to another.

[Alan Howe]

Question: were Frans and Johannes actually brothers, or merely related to each other? 'Musik der Romantik' (see above) suggests the latter.

[Wheesht]

According to myheritage Frans (Franciscus Hendrikus) Coenen was the son of Louis (Ludovicus) Coenen and Anna Francisca Coenen née Schmidt – whereas Johannes Meinardus Coenen (1824-1899) was the son of Cornelis Coenen and Johanna Elisabeth Coenen, née De Barnsten. Not brothers, then.

[Ilja]

It seems that we're dealing with more confusion here, since there are actually two Dutch composers called Frans Coenen. The first, Franciscus Hendrikus (1826-1904) wasn't the brother of Johannes (1824-1899), and neither was the much younger Frans (1866-1936), who belonged to the same generation as Zweers and Daniël de Lange, with whom he founded the Amsterdam Conservatory. The latter one seems to have written more orchestral music, and seems like a better match as the author of this symphony (but for the moment, that's mere speculation on my part). Investigations continue.