Unsung Composers

The Music => Composers & Music => Topic started by: FBerwald on Monday 18 May 2009, 15:02

Title: Benjamin Godard
Post by: FBerwald on Monday 18 May 2009, 15:02
Has there been any recording of the Piano concertos of Godard. I just heard his Violin concertos and they are outstanding!
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Monday 18 May 2009, 16:45
I believe they are on Hyperion's long-term list - or so Mike Spring told me about 18 months ago.
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: Alan Howe on Monday 18 May 2009, 17:12
I have a reasonable dub of a recording of PC1 made by Gerhard Puchelt with the Bamberg SO under Jan Koetsier. It's an enjoyable work - pretty Lisztian in its pianism, but with a vein of sentiment and lyricism typical of the composer. It's in four movements with a scherzo placed third. A Hyperion CD of Godard's two PCs would be a most welcome addition to the catalogue!
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: Steve B on Monday 18 May 2009, 20:09
FBerwald(great nomdeplume!),

Godard's greatest writing is in the solo piano music- there is a lovely cd of Jean Martin(marco Polo) playing a selection of Godard's late Etudes. If you like early Faure and Moszkowski solo piano, you will probably like these. They are beyond verbal description in their cool, languid but melodic beauty; rapt, is the word. Very pianistically written.

Steve
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: FBerwald on Monday 18 May 2009, 20:41
Well its nice to know that Hyperion has decided to record the 2 Godard piano concertos . I believe there is one other concertante work for piano and orchestra!?!
On a different note how about the Novacek - Piano Concerto Op 8. I had a look through the score and its dynamic stuff. has it ever been recorded?
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Monday 18 May 2009, 21:34
Not to my knowledge. It's a very good piece - dynamic is the word for it. Mike Spring is aware of it, but I don't know whether Hyperion have any plans to record it in the near future. Another good piece is the Concerto Symphonique by Jakob Julius Major (Hungarian).
Why not write to Mike Spring at Hyperion recommending the Novacek Concerto Eroica? The more voices he hears apart from mine, the more likely he is to be persuaded to record it.
Incidentally, the other concertante work for piano & orchestra by Godard is the Introduction and Allegro, Op. 49. I expect Hyperion will record that too on the same disk.
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: JimL on Monday 18 May 2009, 23:09
Welcome to the new and improved Forum!  Well, maybe it's not improved but it's certainly turning out every bit as good as its predecessor at the Joachim Raff Society.  It looks like we'll be having some fun with Benny in the future.  That Hyperion CD will make a fine companion to the Naxos CD of the 2 Violin Concertos.

J:D
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: Alan Howe on Monday 18 May 2009, 23:21
Of course it's improved, Jim: it's now securer than before! Do give us - Mark in particular - some credit for actually improving the situation.
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: JimL on Monday 18 May 2009, 23:29
Sorry. :(  I didn't mean to imply that the new Forum isn't better.  It's just that the security factor isn't something immediately tangible.  I just didn't want to give the impression that I was putting down the old Forum!
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Tuesday 19 May 2009, 08:46
At the risk of dampening enthusiasm, I must emphasise that there are no immediate and concrete plans for a recording by Hyperion of Godard's PCs. The works are on their "consideration" list. That's all.
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: FBerwald on Friday 07 August 2020, 17:59
Has anyone noticed this - An "unknown" Violin Concerto by Godard albeit in Violin & Piano version - An Op. 29. I believe the one recorded as No. 1 Concerto romantique is Op. 35.

https://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto%2C_Op.29_(Godard%2C_Benjamin) (https://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto%2C_Op.29_(Godard%2C_Benjamin))
Title: Re: Benjamin Godard
Post by: eschiss1 on Saturday 08 August 2020, 21:09
No idea whether or not he orchestrated Op.29 (an opus number he applied to another work, as BNF notes). The autograph manuscript - which they have only in the violin/piano form - may be a first attempt at a concerto, a "#0" unacknowledged...