Luise Adolpha Le Beau

[Mark Thomas]

BBC Radio 3's Composer of the Week is Luise Adolpha Le Beau. Much of the music being played during the week's five programmes is from commercial releases, but tomorrow there'll be a performance of her Concert Overture Op.23 and the episodes on Thursday and Friday will feature the first two movements of her Symphony in F major Op.41, an Allegro con fuoco and an Adagio . These orchestral pieces are played by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Geoffrey Patterson. The series will be available on catch-up for a four weeks or so.

[Alan Howe]

Hi Mark: might you be recording the movements of her Symphony?

[Mark Thomas]

Not this week as I'll not be at home but, if no one else has, then I'll record the two Symphony movements next week.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Mark. Very good of you.

[Richard Moss]

Mark

Tks for uploading her Overture. Much appreciated. I already have her PC on a CD and (IIRC) I really enjoyed that but otherwise the cupboard seems somewhat bare of her orchestral works.

Best wishes

Richard

[Richard Moss]

Mark,

Is this work to be broadcast her Op 41?  If so, a score publisher I came across (https://furore-verlag.de/en/women-composer/luise-adolpha-le-beau/) says the whole work lasts about 60 mins, which suggests a full, 4-movement work for her Op 41.

With respect to the two forthcoming movements from her symphony, do we know if the orchestra is only performing two movements or if they were all performed (recorded?), of which only the first two are being broadcast? 

Any early info much appreciated

Best wishes

Richard



I ask because if the whole work has ben performed then hopefully it was recorded at the same time (or else a recording is planned for a later date or a glorious recording opportunity was wasted - whichever!)

[Richard Moss]

Mark,

PS Just noticed the original post confirms this is Op 41. Sorry I have taken 3 posts to convey what should have  been in just 1.  Getting a bit muddle-headed these days

Richard

[Mark Thomas]

With respect to the two forthcoming movements from her symphony, do we know if the orchestra is only performing two movements or if they were all performed (recorded?), of which only the first two are being broadcast?

I have no idea, I'm afraid.

[Gareth Vaughan]

There appear to be 3 extracts from her Symphony Op. 41: the Allegro con fuoco on Thursday and the Adagio, plus something uninformatively called "excerpt" on Friday. It would be helpful to know precisely what this "excerpt" is but it is hopeless these days to expect scholarly discipline from Radio 3.

[Mark Thomas]

Quite so. I assumed that it was just a repeat of part of one of those two movements to close the episode and series, so I didn't mention it.  I'll record it of course, just to be on the safe side.

[semloh]

Many thanks for uploading the Concert Overture, Mark.
I wonder if this is a rehearsal. It maybe me, but I find the usually excellent BBCSSO sounding a bit amateurish in this performance. The opening discord (lasting a full 3 seconds - 0.27 to 0.29) surely isn't what the score indicates? And, throughout it sounds as if the orchestra is uncertain what comes next. Nonetheless, it comes across as an accomplished and enjoyable work.

[tuatara442442]

plus something uninformatively called "excerpt" on Friday.

The third part is the scherzo and finale movements. So the entire symphony is broadcasted

Not this week as I'll not be at home but, if no one else has, then I'll record the two Symphony movements next week.

Mark, I've recorded the three latter movements broadcasted in the last episode, but I'm unable to play and record the fourth episode that contains the opening movement ("This content doesn't seem to be working")

PS: Now I have recorded the first movement successfully. Will upload soon.

[Mark Thomas]

Thank you very much (and thank you to Ilja too). That's great. How odd that the BBC didn't announce that they'd be playing the final two movements. Still, we should be grateful and I'm very much looking forward to hearing them all when I get home. What do friends think of the Symphony? I can't say I was over-impressed by the Concert Overture.

[Jonathan]

Hi All,
I caught a few moments of COtW on the way home from work a couple of times this week and I was very impressed.  I shall have to make an effort to get to know her works better, thanks for uploading the Symphony, it sounded great.
Best regards,
Jonathan

[Ilja]

For me, the issue with this symphony is that it just offers so little contrast, both dynamic and emotional. I took my time to listen to the whole thing this morning, but found myself having real problems concentrating on the music and not think about today's shopping. It just chugs merrily along without any real highs or lows, until it's suddenly over. Of course it's all competently done and quite pretty in places, but also feels eminently inconsequential. To be honest, Le Beau's piano concerto also suffers from this, albeit to a lesser degree. It's possible that her life in a rather rigid military bourgeois milieu may explain this tendency to "colour within the lines", as it were.