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As a performer (pianist) of the rare and forgotten, I know all too well the frustration.  I discover music of extraordinary beauty by composers whose music once filled our auditoriums.  Now, their voices are as mute as they are dead!  It is a crime and humanity should be ashamed of itself...this is a wondrous part of our world culture.   

A belated hello Ignaceii,

I fully understand your dilemma...and pain.  As a former concert pianist, now part of a piano trio, I confronted myself with that exact same question.  After exploring literally hundreds of forgotten piano trios by a vast array of composers from numerous countries I discovered a shock...The forgotten masterpieces that are languishing and begging to be performed is mind numbing and countless more are rotting in manuscript form in numerous libraries.  The trio I perform with plays no...repeat NO standard compositions.  Don't misunderstand....while the Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Brahms etcetera are wonderful compositions...if I've heard 30 times by numerous professional trios I don't need to hear them again.  The same holds true for solo piano music and piano concerti (I dare say the same can apply to all instruments).  Keep digging, you will soon be rewarded by finding a plethora of gems that are begging to be played and performed.

P.S.  Your English is excellent...

The Brinkler Trio has tried to include one Zitterbart trio on all of their concerts.

David,

This is in response to your posting on: Sunday 03 March 2013, 16:42.
Being new to Unsung Composers I couldn't reply when I was supposed to...

I cannot make any statements regarding Zitterbart's string quartets but I surely can regarding his piano trios as I have copies of all of them...even the hacked up 'Scotch Suite' that was published.  All of the published material from the 1930s (some 15 years) after his demise was butchered.  The "original" manuscript version of the Scotch Suite is a delightful 5 movement romp that appears easy to the eye but is in fact rather tricky to play, this is especially true of the fugue in the last movement.  The published version is reduced to 4 movements, changed keys, removed measures and phrases and in places rescored.  The original manuscript has rich harmonies, delightfully flowing themes (some are quite Scotch in fact) that paint visual pictures to the listener.  His C.E.D. piano trio written for his grandson "CEDric" is probably the closest to a Kindertrio written by an American, at least from that time period.  The CED is equal in difficult to the more advanced  kindertrios by M. Klengel.  The "Pastoral Trio" is again a visually provoking composition.  In the third movement, "The Mill" one cannot help but see water pouring down the sluice and merrily slapping its way over the spinning water wheel in order to grind the wheat. 

In fact, these trios (including the first four which are truly Grand in nature) are wonderful compositions which run the gamut in difficulty.  Some are listed as "amateur;" although way I haven't a clue since the musical language is quite complex.  Zitterbart was unusually fond of 9ths and 10ths (piano score) and in many cases almost cruel to the pianist with awkward chords, runs etc.  However, from everything I have read and in one case heard (from a now deceased family member), F. Zitterbart was also a virtuoso on the piano, not just the violin.  In short, his trios (there are about 28) are well written, playable, flowing, compositions with rich and at times strange harmonies.  It would be interesting to revive more of his music.  Heaven knows there is enough to select from...well over 1500.

David,

This is in response to your posting on: Sunday 03 March 2013, 16:42.
Being new to Unsung Composers I couldn't reply when I was supposed to...

I cannot make any statements regarding Zitterbart's string quartets but I surely can regarding his piano trios as I have copies of all of them...even the hacked up 'Scotch Suite' that was published.  All of the published material from the 1930s (some 15 years) after his demise was butchered.  The "original" manuscript version of the Scotch Suite is a delightful 5 movement romp that appears easy to the eye but is in fact rather tricky to play, this is especially true of the fugue in the last movement.  The published version is reduced to 4 movements, changed keys, removed measures and phrases and in places rescored.  The original manuscript has rich harmonies, delightfully flowing themes (some are quite Scotch in fact) that paint visual pictures to the listener.  His C.E.D. piano trio written for his grandson "CEDric" is probably the closest to a Kindertrio written by an American, at least from that time period.  The CED is equal in difficult to the more advanced  kindertrios by M. Klengel.  The "Pastoral Trio" is again a visually provoking composition.  In the third movement, "The Mill" one cannot help but see water pouring down the sluice and merrily slapping its way over the spinning water wheel in order to grind the wheat. 

In fact, these trios (including the first four which are truly Grand in nature) are wonderful compositions which run the gamut in difficulty.  Some are listed as "amateur;" although way I haven't a clue since the musical language is quite complex.  Zitterbart was unusually fond of 9ths and 10ths (piano score) and in many cases almost cruel to the pianist with awkward chords, runs etc.  However, from everything I have read and in one case heard (from a now deceased family member), F. Zitterbart was also a virtuoso on the piano, not just the violin.  In short, his trios (there are about 28) are well written, playable, flowing, compositions with rich and at times strange harmonies.  It would be interesting to revive more of his music.  Heaven knows there is enough to select from...well over 1500.

David,

I assume the Nicholl you speak of is the one found in New York Public Library?

Gareth Vaughan,

Sounds like a wonderful project.  If memory serves, being a pianist, the full score is there.  Hopefully, it is in good condition.  I dealt with an exceptionally helpful gentleman there.  Bradley Short, Music Librarian, Gaylord Music Library, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, (314) 935-5529.  His email is: short@wustl.edu.  I hope this helps.

Gareth Vaughan,

Might one inquire as to your interest in Kroeger?

LateRomantic75,

Yes, my Kroeger and your Kroeger are one and the same.  You hit the nail on the head when you speak of the quality of his work.  He was a remarkably gifted and brilliant composer.   Yes, he wrote two piano trios but only the second trio still exists.  I will presume the first trio is lost since his entire archive is in one location and only the second (in manuscript) is present.  In my previous post I mentioned rotting scores...well this is one such case.  I recently contacted the university where the collection is kept and asked about acquiring a copy of said trio.  A few days later the curator of the music reproduction archive division contacted me and told me the score was rotting and falling apart.  Fortunately for music lovers, this was caught before total destruction occurred.  They also went through all of his other manuscripts.  Getting back to the musical aspects of this trio, plain and simple...it borders on genius.  The first movement (unusually short) is bursting with unbridled passion.  The second, a well planned out intermezzo; it is slightly disturbing and creepy in an impish sort of way.  The third is almost choral-like in places and well developed.  The fourth, is a lengthy movement.  It opens with a slow progression of chords which give way to a soaring but playful theme which effortlessly turns into a long, majestic and dramatic section of development.  This gives way to a romance/prayer-like central section which is searingly (is there such a word?) beautiful.  The whole lot is then shuffled up, developed and just when you think it is reaching the final climax, Kroeger has a little joke for the listener by restating a giddy version of the opening playful theme (3 measures), a rapidly rising run and bang...finis!  While this composition equals the Foote, op.5, it is technically easier for all three players.

Mark,

To answer your question about any recordings of those mentioned trios...negative.  Unfortunately, the powers that be have seen fit to ignore them.  Hopefully, this will soon change, after all...recordings of Foote, Chadwick, Beach, Parker etc. are now being recorded.  Hopefully, this trend will continue.  Tragically, some of the scores (autographs never published) are actually rotting away in major libraries.  Once they are gone.  Well, I think you get my point.

I should have also mentioned other well forgotten American composers of in my last post.  J. C. Moller (granted, he is a little bit of a stretch...German/British/American), but he finally came to this county, settled here and made it his final home not to mention resting place.  Louis A. Coerne should be on that list.  Joseph Taws' "Air and Variations" is the earliest known (at least to me) piano trio written by a native grown, reared and trained American composer...published in the 1820s.  Granted, it is not a work of genius but it holds a spot of historic worth...also, it is just downright good fun to play.  If you are a pianist and have facile hands capable of extremely rapid runs (both treble and bass) give it a try...you might get hooked.  Finally, John West's Trio in D Major should be mentioned; it is a lengthy, wonderful composition, not quite the equal of Foote but pretty darn close.   

David,

Thank you for your kind, quick and encouraging reply.  Unfortunately....I too am on the "wrong" coast; the coast of Maine to be precise.  I have contacted UCLA...nothing.  I have gone the OAC route...nothing.  I then re-contacted UCLA for uncatalogued manuscripts/archives/papers etc....nothing.   I then redid everything thinking his son George W. would have inherited the estate...nothing.  Then I tried Elsa Breidt (I believe she was Henry's niece or possibly half sister-in-law via his wife Ida).  Elsa appears to have moved into Henry's household at some point.  George dies in 1961.  Ida is still a mystery.  It also appears (according to the census) that George was somehow disabled.  Whether this means he wore glasses or confined to a wheelchair I couldn't say.  He was obviously healthy enough to get to and from Europe several times.  I know George taught from a studio but I have no idea if he was affiliated with a college/university/school.

I can't even discover where Henry, Ida, George and Elsa are buried.  They seem to have been an unusually close-knit (dare I say eccentric if not a bit strange) family.  I also wonder if (and this is a very big IF) they might have been Jewish and left everything to some establishment of that persuasion.  Finally, did the piano trio even leave Milwaukee (he wrote it before leaving WI and going to Europe for studies).  Also, Frederick (his father) and/or his brother (Theodore) might enter the picture.

The reason I want this trio is I am the founder and pianist for the Brinkler Trio.  Also, I refuse to accept defeat.  I even took several PhD level classes on Library research technique while in college.

The other possibility that it (the trio) is lost along with his other manuscripts does exist.

Now, the cello concerto.  If the Chicago Symphony is anything close to the Bangor, ME symphony (I live in the southern tip of Maine but have dealt with Bangor Symphony on several occasions) they may have kept a copy of the conductor's score for their archives.  Also, I believe Mr. Stock's papers to be housed in Newberry Library...at least that is where his piano trio is.  The piano trio is only a set of fragments.  This is unfortunate since he had several interesting musical ideas churning about on paper.  The cadenza you speak of might also be housed there (if that is where his papers are stored). 

In any event, thank you once again for your time and consideration.

Ken

I have been searching for more than three years for the Henry Schoenefeld (1857-1936) piano trio.  I know a great deal about the gentleman and his family, I know where he lived, where he taught and nearly all of the comings and goings of various relatives within his home.  Unfortunately, none of this information has helped me located his unpublished manuscripts (I believe this is the case with his piano trio).  If any good soul out there can aid me in this quest I would be very appreciative.