Joseph Kuffner (1776-1856)

[John H White]

I'm always interested in finding out about contemporaries and rivals of Beethoven.
According to the Wikipaedia, this violinist turned military bandmaster wrote 7 symphonies between 1818 and 1826. I'm wondering if any of his music has ever been recorded. particularly the symphonies. Can anyone please provide further information about the availability of recordings and/or scores of his works?

[Mark Thomas]

A new one on me, John. A quick google throws up a few CDs with odd works, mostly for wind instruments. This one looks promising...

[thalbergmad]

Outside of IMSLP, a few scores have been digitalised, notably by the darlings at the BSB.

I have bundled them up and they can be downloaded on the following link.

   http://rapidshare.com/files/334770342/Kuffner.zip                                     

I am unaware of this composer.

Thal

[John H White]

Many thanks, Mark & Thal, for those two leads. I've now downloaded the scores, but, at $39 , I reckon that CD is a bit pricey; particularly if its subject to import duty and VAT. I reckon I might get it a lot cheaper from Bayer Music or one of their European distributors.

[thalbergmad]

For contempories and rivals of Beethoven, Joseph Woelfl has provided me with endless enjoyment, but his music generally lacks the emotional turmoil one often finds in Beethoven.

Several sonatas have been recorded and 3 of his piano concertos as well, the first of which is charming. Well worth investigation if you have not done so already.

Others that spring to mind are Steibelt (not always the charlatan) & the sonatas of Dussek and Tomasek are well worth visiting.

Thal

[JimL]

What of Daniel Steibelt survives?  I thought all his music (or at least the concertos) is lost.

[thalbergmad]

A large percentage of Steibelt's scores survive, albeit perhaps none in modern editions. All the concertos survive apart from the 8th. There was hope that it would turn up on Moscow, but searches have failed thus far.

I was fortunate enough to find an original of his most famous (infamous) piece, which made him well known & the toast of Europe (much to the annoyance of Field). It was not too delicate, so I whizzed it through the old scanner a few months back and here it is.
    http://rapidshare.com/files/334893578/Steibelt_-_L_Orage_precede_d_un_Rondeau_Pastoral.pdf                                                                                 

Thal

[JimL]

A large percentage of Steibelt's scores survive, albeit perhaps none in modern editions. All the concertos survive apart from the 8th. There was hope that it would turn up on Moscow, but searches have failed thus far.

Thal

The 8th was the one with the chorus, right?

[edurban]

At my first wedding, (oh, how many years ago!), my then-wife and I assembled a 26 piece orchestra of our friends to play waltzes, polkas and a few tangos for dancing.  One of the pieces we did was Kuffner's waltz arrangment of La Marseillaise.  Unpretentious and entertaining.  I think I found it at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts and I'm pretty sure I copied the parts for it myself.

There were several musical Kuffners, if I remember...

David 

[thalbergmad]

A large percentage of Steibelt's scores survive, albeit perhaps none in modern editions. All the concertos survive apart from the 8th. There was hope that it would turn up on Moscow, but searches have failed thus far.

Thal

The 8th was the one with the chorus, right?

Yes Jim, that is what i have read, but until I track it down, one cannot be certain.

Regards

Thal

[Gareth Vaughan]

Jim,

The British Library have scores of Steibelt's PCs 3-7, together with sets of parts for 3 (L'Orage), 4, 5 (La Chasse) & 7 (Militaire). No. 6 is the one subtitled "Voyage to Mount St Bernard".

[thalbergmad]

1 & 2 are in Paris, but on old card index if memory serves.

Thal

[John H White]

Many thanks, gentlemen, for all those interesting leads, some of which I hope to follow up. My main interest is symphonies, but any instrumental music approaching the quality of Beethoven, Schubert, Spohr, or the Lachner brothers would also suit me.
   

[thalbergmad]

Some Woelfl Symphonies have been recorded, but i have not heard them myself. 

If they are at the same level as the sonatas and pc's, they could well be worth a listen.

Thal

[Peter1953]

Another unsung contemporary of Beethoven was Rochus Dedler (1779-1822). Famous for his Passion Play music, he also wrote a symphony in D major. I don't have it anymore, but according to my notes (from the 1970s) it must be a pleasant work, but by no means up to the level of Beethoven or Schubert. But who does?
Anyone familiar with Rochus Dedler's music?