Ebenezer Prout - Clarinet Concerto

[Justin]

Found on YouTube a performance of Prout's Clarinet Concerto performed by the Greenwich Chamber Orchestra with David Cutts conducting and Peter Cigleris on the clarinet. According to the video, it is a world premiere performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIETCwZdYxY

Similar to Prout's fourth symphony which I posted in higher quality here a couple months ago, the concerto sounds like it was written in a late classical or early romantic style. I recommend that everyone reads the description of the video as it gives an interesting story on how the work was discovered.

[Alan Howe]

I'm sorry to say that the story behind the work is more interesting than the work itself. I'm still waiting for something by Prout that's really worth a modern performance.

[Mark Thomas]

This is very thin stuff, I'm afraid. It's not downright bad, just devoid of any substance. That Prout didn't include it in his oeuvre and referred to "some rubbish perpetrated" says it all, I think.

[Justin]

Concur. It's one of those works you listen to out of curiosity to see what was lost to history, then realize exactly why it was lost. Doesn't hurt as background music.

[Alan Howe]

I still hold out hope that something worthwhile will emerge from Prout's oeuvre.

[Justin]

I still hold out hope that something worthwhile will emerge from Prout's oeuvre.

Off topic from the concerto, but I want to reply directly to your message, Alan. Do you like his 4th symphony? I find it the most memorable of his works.

[Alan Howe]

I like it, but that's a pretty feeble 'like it', I'm afraid. Again, I just don't rate it.