Julius Bittner (Cello Sonata and an anniversary)

[brendangcarroll]

Dear List Members

The Museum of Music History in London recently asked me to create a special page devoted to the Austrian composer Julius Bittner (1874-1939) to mark the centenary of the world premiere of his opera Das höllisch Gold (The Hellish Gold) at Darmstadt.

This page has just gone "live" at this link:

http://www.momh.org.uk/exhibitions-detail.php?cat_id=5&prod_id=338&iotm=1

I thought it might interest some of you

In spite of the renewed interest in almost every late romantic composer from the first half of the 20th century, Bittner remains forgotten and unrecorded. Apart from two ancient radio broadcasts of two of his operas in dismal sound and a few of his songs, he has been ignored by the recording industry, in spite of my trying to stimulate interest in his music for the past 35 years.

However, I have another reason for posting this link.

I am trying to locate the Mss of Bittner's unpublished Cello Sonata composed in 1915, which is not amongst his papers deposited in the Vienna City Library. It was performed in Vienna by Friedrich Buxbaum with the composer at the piano, but never published.

The Mss certainly survived the war because Bittner's biographer, Hermann Ulrich refers to it in some detail in his book, written in 1966.

So where is it?

Any suggestions would be gratefully received, thank you.

Kind regards

Brendan Carroll

[Mark Thomas]

Is it worth trying to contact either Herr Ulrich or, if he has passed away, his family? Maybe he had a copy of the manuscript which might have survived, or his papers may indicate where he had access to it.

[Alan Howe]

We have, of course, considered Bittner before:
http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,4450.msg49069.html#msg49069
...but it's good to have this update. Thanks!

[brendangcarroll]

Thank you Mark - Herr Ulrich is sadly deceased and I have so far failed to trace his estate. Vienna is terribly bureaucratic and also secretive about its heritage for non-Austrian researchers. Ulrich is a very common name in the German-speaking world so it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

[Mark Thomas]

Presumably you've tried his publisher?

[brendangcarroll]

Lafite Publishers in Vienna is now owned by another firm. His book is long out of print and they have no details of his family ((in fact they were totallly unhelpful). The internet has little to offer and one German site says he died in 1982, but there is no trace of any details. It is very frustrating.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Have you contacted the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde? I have always found them very helpful. The library and archive is here: www.a-wgm.com
Even if they don't have it they may be able to assist with further information.

[brendangcarroll]

Dear Gareth

Alas the the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde have already said they do not have this Mss score and were NO help whatsoever in advising where I might look. But thanks for the idea and the reply. The search continues....