Bonvin, Ludwig (1850-1939)

[Reverie]

Bonvin,Ludwig  (1850-1939)

Ludwig Bonvin was born in Sierre, Switzerland on February 17, 1850.  As a young child, Bonvin took piano lessons for two years but eventually stopped - not because he was disinterested but because his music teacher failed to keep many of his appointments.  These were his only music lessons.

As Bonvin grew older and it came time for him to choose a career, he decided to enter medicine, a field he was not particularly interested in but was the profession of his father.  One year into his studies, he became sick and was removed to the mountains of Switzerland for recovery.  There, while walking among the woods, he was inspired to write his first composition, "Das Voeglein", "The Little Bird".

After Bonvin's recovery, he decided to study law.  This he did for two years until his religious calling drew him to Exaten, Holland where he began his novitiate with the German Jesuits.  In the third year of his religious life, Bonvin was appointed organist and choirmaster. 

It was at this time that Bonvin decided to study music theory, of which he was only able to do ten minutes every day due to the rigorous demands of the novitiate.  After completing his philosophical studies in Holland, Bonvin continued his theological studies in England and was received into the priesthood on August 30, 1885.  During this time, he continued writing his compositions and was in charge of the community choir and children of the parish school.

Sent by his superiors to America, Bonvin arrived in New York on July 31, 1887.  From 1887 to 1905, he directed the Canisius College choir, from 1888 to 1907 the Canisius College Orchestra, and from 1922 to 1929 the S.H.A. Orchestra at Sacred Heart Academy.

In 1891, after attending a symphony orchestra concert Bonvin decided he had a compelling urge to write orchestral music and composed his first orchestral work entitled "In Gehobener Stimmung" (Elevation).  So impressed was the conductor with this piece that he played it at his next concert.  The composition was a success.  A pupil of Lizst, who happened to be present, wrote to him immediately after the concert in an enthusiastic letter of congratulation.

Bonvin's compositions are now completely forgotten.

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Bonvin's music is very much under the influence of Wagner. The orchestral texture is quite thick and to my ears rendolent of Delius in its harmonic shifts and phrasing.

Here is the Allegro movement from the "Zwei Symphonische Sätze" Op.71 (1905)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i28h4klg-XQ&t=29s

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Martin, great work as always. As you say, the influence of Wagner is very clear. Reading your biographical summary I must say that I identified with Bonvin's father: first medicine, then law, then the church - "just when is this lad going to settle on something"?

[Alan Howe]

IMSLP has a Symphony in G minor, Op.67, dated 1902:
https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony%2C_Op.67_(Bonvin%2C_Ludwig)

Go on, Martin...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja9RIXyAbRw

[tpaloj]

A digitization of the aforementioned "In Gehobener Stimmung" is available at least as an organ transcription here: https://urresearch.rochester.edu/institutionalPublicationPublicView.action?institutionalItemId=12965&versionNumber=1 The orchestral version was published in 1893 as part of a three-piece orchestral set Drei Tonbilder für grosses Orchestra, Op.12.

Looking forward to listening to this reconstruction later. Thanks as always Martin.

[eschiss1]

Canisius College, at least, maintains substantial materials about Bonvin on their website, as I found when I first saw his stuff at IMSLP. (There's even an entry for him at WQXR's website, suggesting they've played something of his- possibly from this CD.) -Almost- completely forgotten, unlike some composers of whom the "almost" could more certainly be removed...

(tangentially, his Festival Procession Op.27 was performed at the Proms in 1901.)

[Reverie]

Very good Alan. 

As a "lapsed" catholic I have always enjoyed Fr Ted immensley. Rest assured I need very little encouragement to get to work on that symphony. 

[Reverie]

So ..... here it is. I've had this almost finished for a while. Now it is!

Symphony, Op.67 (1902)

1st mov  -  Allegro non troppo
2nd mov  -  Largo expressivo
3rd mov  -  Allegro vivace
4th mov  -  Allegro risoluto

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBvsJa0xBqg/edit

[Alan Howe]

I'm afraid I get an 'oops, something went wrong' message from the link. Is it just me?

I imagine this is the finalised link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBvsJa0xBqg

[Reverie]

Thank you Alan - now corrected on the other post too.

[Alan Howe]

You're welcome. No doubt another gem - and quite a concise one, I note.

[Alan Howe]

Well, Bonvin certainly packs a lot into his 25½-minute Symphony! It's full of incident and interest - and really attractive in its Wagner-inspired manner. I'll certainly be returning to it. Thanks very much for unearthing this fine work.