Dutton have brought out vol.1 of the piano sonatas of Algernon Ashton (1859-1937), written in the great Austro-German tradition. I am currently listening to No.4 in D minor and am astonished that such spell-binding music - memorable, pianistically complex at times, but easily comprehensible - should have lain unperformed and unrecorded for so long.
Details here...
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/search.php?searchString=algernon+ashton+dutton (http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/search.php?searchString=algernon+ashton+dutton)
I don't yet have this CD - which has been placed high on my 'wants list'. I guess your copy, Alan, is very hot off the press.
And from what I have read of Algernon Ashton I am not at all astonished at your reaction. From my grubbing around in various musical biographies and reminiscences published pre Great War I gather he was then held in high regard. That War of course put an end to the world of which Ashton was a part. I guess what also contributed to his decline into unsungness was his own later eccentric crankiness. Years ago I browsed, and took some delight in, a book of his musical jottings called something like 'Wit and Wisdom'. The book is a very rich source of all kinds of strange and peculiar hobby horses and not to be recommended to the gullible.
Less frivolously, I believe the young Ashton studied at Leipzig, and there came into contact with Jadassohn and Reinecke. And later - around 1880 - had much to do with a fellow by the name of Raff. With such mentors, little wonder his music is illustrious!
I gather there are 24 string quartets, and the same number of sonatas. Gosh, what explorations lie ahead (with the good grace of willing performers and enlightened record companies)! Alas, I also gather the scores of 5-6 symphonies have disappeared. If only....!
Peter
Once again, someone entirely new and unexpected! The worklist compiled by Patrick Webb suggests that virtually everything that went unpublished was lost:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/Ashton/index.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/Ashton/index.htm)
I hope it's all lying in someone's attic.
David
Musically, one wonders whether Ashton would actually have been the equal of, say, Stanford and Parry. If so, we have really lost out.
Ashton wrote 4 symphonies, a piano concerto and a violin concerto - all of which are, very sadly, lost.
Confirmed lost, or simply lost track of? Did the place where the manuscripts were known to be take a direct hit from a buzz bomb, or is it that nobody knows exactly where they are?
The piano sonatas are very serious stuff indeed - and contrapuntally complex most of the time too. This is music by a big mind, I would say, and it is certainly demanding; if the predominant idiom is mid-to-late nineteenth century conservative Germanic, it isn't really like any of the obvious composers of that period. My mind is continually drawn back to Bach - a thought which I am glad to see the sleevenote confirms (I've just read it!) So, this is chiefly contrapuntal music - and some might say rather too samey and intellectual. I can understand that reaction but would say 'persist!'
I think "lost track of", Jim. I don't believe it is certainly known they were destroyed - so they might still turn up (which would be very nice).
Especially nice considering that they're not that old, which means they might still be in fairly good condition.
The galling thing about the Dutton Ashton release is that I recorded almost exactly the same repertoire for Toccata Classics well over a year before Leslie De'ath went into the studio for the Dutton recordings. Now forthcoming, as you can see at www.toccataclassics.com/inpreparation.php. Bugger, though! I can only hope that our version comes out better in the critical comparisons.
Talking of Jadassohn, too, our CD of Piano Trios Nos. 1–3 is nearly ready for the factory.
Cheers
Martin
Good news on both counts, Martin. Thanks!
I will put this high on my 'want list' too.Unfortunately,I have just spent my monthly quota on two of the D'indy Chandos discs,and the Roussel symphonies. What a shame about the lost works,including all the symphonies. I hope they are safe somewhere & eventually turn up.Hopefully,within my life time. Ashton sounds a very intriguing composer and I have been very curious to hear his music for a while now. and at last 'opportunity knocks',as the dreadful Hughie Green used to say.
Quote from: Martin Anderson on Tuesday 30 March 2010, 02:09
The galling thing about the Dutton Ashton release is that I recorded almost exactly the same repertoire for Toccata Classics well over a year before Leslie De'ath went into the studio for the Dutton recordings. Now forthcoming, as you can see at www.toccataclassics.com/inpreparation.php. Bugger, though! I can only hope that our version comes out better in the critical comparisons.
Cheers
Martin
Hmmm...says all one needs to know about getting to the market ahead of your competitors, doesn't it?
Quote from: Martin Anderson on Tuesday 30 March 2010, 02:09
The galling thing about the Dutton Ashton release is that I recorded almost exactly the same repertoire for Toccata Classics well over a year before Leslie De'ath went into the studio for the Dutton recordings. Now forthcoming, as you can see at www.toccataclassics.com/inpreparation.php. Bugger, though! I can only hope that our version comes out better in the critical comparisons.
Talking of Jadassohn, too, our CD of Piano Trios Nos. 1–3 is nearly ready for the factory.
Cheers
Martin
Likewise the Weinberg CD, though mostly music new or new to CD, contains one work (the F major-ish 4th sonata) that's been released on CD once or twice already (on cpo and, I think, one other label - not sure. I think the program on the other CD is sonatas 3 and 4, and on cpo is sonatas 4 and 5 plus two brief works.) Looking forward to it anyway, I only know the solo sonatas 1 and 2 from score (though I gather they were recorded on LP decades ago) - thanks :)
Eric
I've bought this double CD at Presto in the UK for a real bargain price, and it's without hesitation that I can say that this is the most inspiring piano music I've heard for a long time. So beautiful, fascinating, and most of all: individual. Is it Brahmsian? Yes, it's romantic, tuneful, and keeps you constantly concentrated listening. Sometimes you hear hints of baroque, followed by complex passages, silent moments, but you'll keep on listening. No, it's not Brahmsian after all, but really individual.
I'm completely astonished that this much more than ordinary piano music is so neglected for all those years. How would his orchestral music have sounded?
Very warmly recommended! You will be pleasantly amazed!
and there was I thinking I was the only person interested in Ashton... I managed to find the music for the Bb, G maj and D min sonatas - great stuff if not a little beyond me though the slow movements are not too hard. Any suggestions where the sheet music for the rest of his works may be available? drawn a blank on amazon so it may be back to trawling the second hand book shops!
Well, the (excellent) booklet notes by the pianist-professor Leslie De'Ath says "Ashton's many unpublished works, as well as the diaries, appear to have been lost in a disastrous air raid and resultant fire at his family home in December 1940."
Most, if not all, of Ashton's published music is in the BL, with duplicates in some of the other major libraries (e.g. Cambridge University, RAM, etc.)
Since this includes a great deal of piano music besides the sonatas, I am supporting Martin Anderson's "Complete Piano Music" project and have bought the Toccata release, which I can report is outstanding.
There is also a quantity of chamber music by Ashton in the BL, which I am sure would repay investigating.
I have had this cd for about a month and don't find it either memorable or spellbinding, it is inparts pianistically complex but that doesn't make it of any great value. In my opinion it is just a curiosity which I am pleased to have heard.
Although Ashton died before the 1939-45 started, most of his scores were still in his house which was bombed and it is thought that is how they came to be lost.
Remarkable, Giles, how we differ in opinion. The more I listen to Ashton's sonatas, the more I'm impressed.
I think it's also a coincidence that almost at the same time this year two labels (Toccata and Dutton) release a Vol. 1 of Ashton's piano music, although Martin recorded Ashton a year earlier. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the release of Vol. 2.
The greater coincidence is that they have languished for sixty years untouched. It will be interesting to see how they sell and what they do for Ashton.
The generous selection of audio samples,on the Toccatta website,sounds fantastic. Full of character. Allot of British piano music sounds a little anaemic to my ears,but this is full of strong themes which really draw you along. And yes,it does make me think of Bach,for some reason. Just imagine Glenn Gould playing this! (Since he's dead,that's all you can do).
'Toccata',sorry.
Ordered the Dutton from hmv,£7.99.post free. My punishment,I'll have to wait 14-17 days,for the saving. But,hopefully less. I ordered the Holbrooke direct from Dutton,but for economic reasons,I'm afraid I have a strict budget for cd's. But this one sounds so good I just had to get it,somehow,even if it's through the 'big boys'! Incidentally,how much difference does ordering direct from the actual record label mean,for them,financially?
I do try to do this,when I can,but sometimes the budget just doesn't allow it.
just listened to the excerpts of the d minor sonata by Daniel Grimwood - sounds good though he plays the second movement too fast - the score gives a speed of quaver = 40 and i reckon he is around quaver = 65 picky picky , i know and in reality I am just glad to have a recording!
The 'Toccata' website sample is a kind of compilation of the contents of the Ashton cd. Unlike allot of samples of it's kind.it's on a kind of 'loop',which plays through the snippets over & over again,until you stop it or leave the page!
I do feel a bit guilty about 'using' Toccata's website for this purpose & then buying the rival cd.
So,if the Toccata release gets good reviews,and I'm sure it will, I think I will buy it,anyway,later on in the year. Anyway,in rare repertoire like this a different interpretation is always very useful. Off topic a bit,I know,& apologise for this,but I remember buying the early French 3D Classics cd of Marie-Catherine Giraud playing York Bowen's complete 'preludes',and later on hearing Hough's performance on the Hyperion cd & hating it. (Giraud seemed so poised & aristocratic,Hough's approach seemed far too rushed. But then again,who am I to criticise?).
Fair play to HMV. I just got an email from them,now. Apparently,my £7.99,post free,two for the price of one Dutton cd set of the Algernon Ashton sonata's is 'on the way'. (Please note I have no connection with HMV UK,whatsoever!!!) That's pretty quick for a 'special order'.
The Dutton Ashton set arrived today,so the order from hmv took around 9 days, between placing the order, and the cd's being dropped through my letterbox.
Impressions so far. Lovely,melodious music,and very relaxing too!
I am wondering what has happened to volume 2 of Algernon Ashton's piano sonatas.. Neither Dutton nor Toccata seem to have issued theirs though both expressed intentions to do so.
It is now June 2012 and still no sign of volume two of the Ashton Sonatas from either Dutton or Toccata!
Several pieces of interesting-looking chamber music (well, I think it is) by him @IMSLP (and hopefully even more in the worklist that at least still survive and are performable). I hope a concurrent series of his larger-ensemble works might be planned too, even though that's even more doubtful.
Quote from: giles.enders on Saturday 23 June 2012, 10:19It is now June 2012 and still no sign of volume two of the Ashton Sonatas from either Dutton or Toccata!
There's no sign of
anything yet from Dutton in terms of July releases,
:(
unless any other members have insider information ....
???
Quote from: Albion on Saturday 23 June 2012, 18:20
There's no sign of anything yet from Dutton in terms of July releases
They don't usually advertise particularly early, do they?
With only one week of June remaining, I would hardly regard advertising releases for July now as 'early'. Usually, additions to the Dutton website can be found at least a couple of weeks in advance (albeit squirreled away in the back pages, often requiring final editing).
???
Indeed - we usually seem to find out what's coming before the official announcement.
In case anyone is still out there, 2 years after the conversation seems to have ended, I can report that Dutton will not be issuing Volume 2 of the Ashton sonatas, even though the master with the other 4 sonatas has been ready to go for a long time. They have changed their focus, and it doesn't include solo piano, British or otherwise, at least at the moment. You might find the album released within the next year or two on another label though.
I cannot speak for Toccata's plans re Ashton.
What a shame. I love the first volume and hoped for the second.
Sadly in all these projects is envolved the economical aspect, maybe they don't sell good the first volume!!! :'(