British Music

[albion]

Eric, you're quite right - I'd missed this error and have got absolutely no idea where '1947' came from!

According to Michael Barlow and Rob Barnett

Bate's Second Piano Concerto Op. 28 [2-2-2-2 4-3-3-1 Perc strings, Lengnick, 22'] completed in May 1940 to a commission from Sir Henry Wood was another successful vehicle to display the virtuosity, both technical and poetic, of the 29 year old composer. The initial dedication was to Boulanger but he later substituted his wife's name. Vaughan Williams and Malcolm Sargent were fervent admirers of the concerto. Its first performance was given by the New York City Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham with the composer as soloist. The concert took place on 8 February 1942 in the Carnegie Hall and was the third concert of the orchestra's W.P.A. Music Project season. The Bate work was flanked by Haydn's Symphony No. 99 and Berlioz' Harold in Italy (William Primrose). The reviews commented on the abundant vitality of the music. The Lengnick score with the orchestral part transcribed for a second piano shows the work dedicated to Peggy Glanville-Hicks. This may later have been changed.

Ross Parmenter's review appeared in the New York Times the next morning: "... the concerto which received its world première, was by the 29 year old British composer-pianist Stanley Bate, who made his local début playing the solo part ... Mr Bate proved to be an excellent pianist ... The eighteen minute concerto suggested a chase. From the start it moved at a headlong pace, and even though the slower second movement had a pastoral quality there was still the underlying unrest of a man being pursued. In the last movement the flight was resumed. The piano was used as an integral part of the orchestra and there was original and effective use of instruments in the scoring. It showed the influence of Hindemith, under whom the composer studied, but it had the vitality of a work of individual inspiration."

Duly amended in the listing.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. Interestingly as to Sterndale Bennett's symphony no.5 WoO 31 in G minor I see that it had a studio recording with Leppard - wonder if they ever rebroadcast that... I like the H Davan Wetton one in the folder. There's also listed at Cadensa a recording of his first symphony in E-flat. Starting to have to triage my iPod which I thought had lots of space (not necessarily a bad thing of itself, just moving things elsewhere. Again, thanks for all the gladdening music...)

[mahler10th]

Utterly fantastic to see so many little heard Scottish Composers in here!!!     

[albion]

Utterly fantastic to see so many little heard Scottish Composers in here!!!     

If all goes well with Colin's tapes, there should be further important works by Iain Hamilton, Robin Orr, Ian Whyte and Thomas Wilson coming soon.

[Dundonnell]

I intend to begin uploading my collection of British music tonight

There are 140 separate works-all orchestral or choral. (There are also a much lesser number of works by non-British composers).

This programme will take some time Perhaps......a month?

I shall organise the uploads, as far as possible, by composer and the links will be sent to Albion in the first instance to allow him to add those dates of the BBC Radio broadcasts as far as he can.

Please remember that these recordings were all made between 1973 and 1981, sometimes in far from ideal work conditions The recordings therefore vary in quality.

What I shall attempt to do after the works have all been uploaded is go back to them to seek to improve the quality where I can, for example to attempt to remove any glaring 'blips'.

I would very much appreciate any helpful suggestions or comments on what will be a major undertaking

[semloh]

I intend to begin uploading my collection of British music tonight

Wow! Well done, Colin!     I'm still trying to find appropriate audio equipment, so I won't even begin on my r2r until next year.    But, in view of your marvellous collection, it will be a case of "after the Lord Mayor's Show' 

I'm really looking forward to your uploads, regardless of any quality problems, and I hope you'll give me some advice down the track, as it were.
Good luck!

[Dundonnell]

Well...I certainly do (at last) understand the basics of getting the music transferred into mp3 format using Audacity and uploaded to Mediafire

There was a glitch last night but that has now been overcome.

I still have to learn much more about optimal re-recording of the music on the tapes and all the effects which can be used to improve sound quality.

I shall, of course, be happy to share my experiences with you

I should also have added that I have included the BBC announcer's often very detailed introduction to each piece.

[albion]

I have added the Arnold Cooke recordings to Folder 6 - these comprise the Concertos for Oboe (1953-54) and Violin (1958), and Symphonies 4 (1974) and 5 (1978-79). As usual, you can find the performance details and broadcast dates (where known) in the BMB listing.

Many thanks to Dundonnell for this very auspicious beginning to his exciting transfer programme!

[Dundonnell]

By triangulation with other recordings made around the same time I think that it is virtually certain that the recordings of the

Arnold Cooke Violin Concerto dates from 1976
Arnold Cooke Oboe Concerto dates from 1973.

[eschiss1]

Not discussion per se, but finally listened to the Thalassa symphony of Somervell. Another work I can give very high marks to for both passion and good argument (the other work I wanted to single out was the Bronsart trio in another thread)- now I look forward to the upcoming recording, too.

[gasman]

Many thanks to 'Holger' for providing the Gipps recording - I think it is an excellent work and deserves a pristine CD recording/performance - if the quality of her other work is anything like the standard of this piece then we are missing out on something here! Thanks again.....

While I am sure my own British collection is really much less extensive than those of some other members here, I think I can nevertheless provide some rarities for download. One of them is the following:

Ruth Gipps (1921–1999)
Symphony No. 5, Op. 64 (1982)
London Repertoire Orchestra / Ruth Gipps
http://www.mediafire.com/?9hri5algbmmukly

Taken from the radio, no idea about the day of broadcasting however.

[Dundonnell]

Since Albion is away from home until tomorrow evening can I give advance notice that the following works have been sent to him and should be added to the British music folder in the next couple of days:

Peter Racine Fricker(Part I):

Symphony No.4(1966):                                        BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra/Maurice Handford (recorded 1978)

Symphony No.5 for organ and orchestra(1976): Dame Gillian Weir(organ) and the BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Colin Davis  (recorded 1976)

Piano Concerto(1954):                                        David Wilde(piano) and the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra/Albert Rosen

Viola Concerto(1953):                                         Csaba Erdelyi(viola) and the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra/Sir Edward Downes

Havergal Brian:

Symphony No.3(1932):                                      David Wilde(piano), Ronald Stevenson(piano) and the New Philharmonia Orchestra(Stanley Pope) (recorded
                                                                                                                                           18 October 1974)

Symphony No.20(1962):                                    New Philharmonia Orchestra(Vernon Handley)  (recorded 5 October 1976)

Violin Concerto(1935):                                       Ralph Holmes(violin) and the New Philharmonia Orchestra(Stanley Pope)      (originally recorded 1969)

Opera "Agamemnon"(1957):                             William McAlpine(tenor): Agamemnon, Milla Andrew(soprano):Clytemnestra, Ann Howard(mezzo-soprano):
                                                                             Cassandra, John Dobson(tenor): Watchman, Michael Rippon(bass): Herald, Dennis Wicks(bass): Old Man, the
                                                                             B.B.C. Northern Singers and the B.B.C. Northern Symphony Orchestra(Sir Richard Armstrong)
   
                                                                             With an extended Introduction by Malcolm MacDonald   (recorded 1973)

[eschiss1]

re van Dieren- his years are at least often "given" as 1887-1936 (and the 6th quartet was on an NM Classics CD, not an Olympia CD?), but as to the former, has new digging turned up something different? (MusicSack: 27 December 1887, with 1884 a date that turns up in many sources but the compiler of MusicSack- and VIAF also- goes with Leach's "British composer profiles." in deciding on 1887 here - to 1936 April 24.

Quartet no.1 was performed (or broadcast - I think performed/recorded) April 22 1976, according to Cadensa, and was the work's premiere.
A recording of Quartet 4 (for 2 violins, viola and double bass) is listed at Cadensa (performers Neville Marriner, David Martin, Elaine Grainger, Eugene Cruft) but I am not sure if I can figure out the date from the information given ("find format NP1958W" - 1958? probably not? and from the list of players I don't think they've ever been part of the Allegri lineup- have they? even though your listing should strictly speaking give the double bass player in any case *g*!)

[albion]

The following recordings have now been transferred, annotated and added to the archive:

Brian - Symphony No.3; Symphony No.20; Violin Concerto; Agamemnon - Folder 4

Fricker - Symphony No.4; Symphony No.5 for organ and orchestra; Piano Concerto; Viola Concerto - Folder 7

Many thanks to Dundonnell for his continuing generosity in allowing us access to his recordings.

[eschiss1]

Thanks for uploading the Stanley Pope Brian 3 - I have some of the other early Brian broadcasts, have been glad to augment my collection, but I think this (or sym.31? - probably sym. 31 because of brevity at first, but more important reasons soon after!- but then sym. 3 before long...) was- well, among the first Brian symphonies to come my way (at the University library in the early 1990s- it was awhile before I purchased the recording) and while the Hyperion recording is quite good in my opinion (an opinion I find not generally shared ) I have been assured that this performance is better (still). In which case- happier still to hear it.