Ludvig Norman Viola Sonata

[Alan Howe]

Evidently a world premiere recording:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nordic-Connections-G%C3%B6ran-Fr%C3%B6st/dp/B0874JFF5H/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1588624937&sr=1-34

[Mark Thomas]

Norman was a fine composer. Should be a worthwhile buy.

[Alan Howe]

Here's the first movement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk9ItrkVQ6s

[eschiss1]

For a moment I had that confused with Ernst Naumann (or rather, Norman's accomplishment with Naumann's, since the latter's viola sonata was the first to be published (1855)), and I was interested for entirely different reasons. (Norman's is still fairly early as publication-date viola sonatas go, 1869 by Kistner. Onslow doesn't count- alternates for other instruments, not really true viola sonatas at all - nor do certain others...) (Mendelssohn beats them all for composition date but then lost a century for actual publication )

[Alan Howe]

My copy of the CD has finally(!) arrived.

Norman's Viola Sonata in G minor Op.32 of 1869 (pub.1875) turns out to be a big work - nearly 34 minutes in length in four movements - and is largely serious, even occasionally unbearably intense in tone, especially in the opening movement. How this magnificent work has disappeared from view is anyone's guess. Violists now have no excuse not to explore it...

[eschiss1]

Hrm. it was indeed, you're right, published by 1875 (HMB) and while HMB is not really meant to be used as a publication date ascertainment tool (except in the no-later-than sense, and even then it can be imperfect sometimes) I admit I don't recall why I thought it was published in 1869...

OTOH, -this- advertisement lists it as a new Kistner publication, same 1875 date...

[Alan Howe]

The sleevenote gives 1869 as the date of composition and 1875 as the date of publication by Kistner.