Bernhard Stavenhagen 1862-1914

[Gareth Vaughan]

Apologies for not realising Elgin was a lady. Oh dear! Thanks for the correction.

[Jonathan]

Not to worry Gareth!

[declan.murphy]

There's a lot of Liszt societies around the world haha. Is the one you're all referring to the one based in England. Because I find that site very difficult to navigate. There's no search bar for finding that person, don't suppose any of you have Elgins email? I just can't find it.
Thanks

[Gareth Vaughan]

Try an email to: enquiries@lisztsoc.org.uk
Ms Strub has also written about Stavenhagen for the European Piano Teachers' Association Journal (EPTA) - see: Elgin Strub-Ronayne, "Bernhard Stavenhagen; Pianist, conductor,
composer and Liszt's last pupil." EPTA Piano Journal, No 40, Vol. 14. You could try them too: https://epta-europe.org/

[declan.murphy]

Okay Guys HUGE Update:

I feel like we're getting closer and closer to this because each lead I find narrows it down to the source of this concerto.... and possibly other works...

So Gareth your lead was fantastic. Elgin Strub Ronaynes article on stavenhagen was so much more comprehensive and informative than any of the other websites on the pianist. And rightfully so - because its turns out she's the grand niece of Stavenhagen herself! And she's still alive! I sent her an email about a week ago and I hadn't expected to get a reply but I just got one this evening, delighted to hear about the fact we were rooting for Stavenhagen. She explained her relation to Stavenhagen and knows that the 2 hands piano concerto is owned by Hans Rudolph Jung, Professor, Doctor. She has sent an email to him enquiring about the concerto. I will update you soon when I get a reply.

As per the article she sent to me that she wrote all that time ago, I found out that Stavenhagen actually DID have children. None with his first wife, Agnes, but with his second wife Victoria. Also the 2 dramatic scenes for voice and orchestra have actually been declared lost.

I'm the middle of all this, I also sent an email to the Vogtland Philharmonie, enquiring about the concerto in their archives. We're getting closer and closer!

[semloh]

Exciting, Declan!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Terrific work. Well done, sir!

[declan.murphy]

Hello folks.

It's been a while since I've posted here, excuse the time lapse, college work has swamped me. I've been unsuccessful in tracking down the A major piano Concerto. Elgin Ronayne used to know the owner of the Concerto but he died about 8 months ago. The wife has died too so no one actually knows where it is. However what she does know is that the owner had a son named Hans-Rainer Jung who was a violinist in the Leipzig Philharmonic (he's retired now). We cannot get contact details off them because they do not have the privelege to dispense such information. Therefore I ask if anyone has any leads on this person I would greatly appreciate it as this is one of the few leads I have.

In the meantime, I have also acquired "Drei Clavierstucke op. 13". It's the only set of pieces he composed in Geneva, and funnily enough it's not mentioned in Elgins article on stavenhagen. About a week ago too I participated in a competition in which I played the Stavenhagen Concerto in B minor. I didn't win but I did get a commendation, so that's something.
So if anyone is able to help me with this I'd greatly appreciate this and thank you for everything you've all done so far.

[rosflute]

Nothing helpful but of interest that, only a few days ago, I discovered that I own a letter written by Stavenhagen from Weimar in May 1890. It belonged to my (pianist) grandmother previously, although she was not born until 1889, and I do not know how she came by it.  It may be addressed to Augustus Manns, but it's hard going to read the two sides of old German script written with a careless hand!

[Gareth Vaughan]

We cannot get contact details off them because they do not have the privelege to dispense such information. Therefore I ask if anyone has any leads on this person I would greatly appreciate it as this is one of the few leads I have.

You could try writing to Herr Jung c/o the Leipzig Philharmonic and marking the envelope "Please Forward". They may still have an address for him and be willing to forward his mail.

[Holger]

Recently, I bought the CD with Stavenhagen's A Major Piano Concerto – years after this discussion. In fact, as Gareth suggested contacting Joachim-Dietrich Link at some point, I should add that this is no longer possible – Link (b. 1925) already died in 2001. He was a composer himself, in his earlier years he seems to have written two operas and a symphony, for instance, but also quite a bunch of film music.

His orchestration of the concerto is certainly not very idiomatic and probably does not even really try to be. However, as I was expecting a vibraphone as suggested by Gareth, I should add that Link actually does not employ this instrument. Sure there is a lot of glockenspiel (most probably much more than in Stavenhagen's original score if at all), often also combined with a harp, but no vibraphone.

[giles.enders]

Some further information: Stavenhagen married his second wife Victoria Bogel in early 1909.  He met her at the Geneva Conservatoire where she studied piano. They had a son Hans Bernhard William born 17.8.1909.  Victoria was a concert pianist and is recorded as having been in Chicago with her son in in 1921.  She later returned to Europe taking up residence in Zurich. 
Bernhard Stavenhagen had a sister and I suspect that it is from her that the grand niece is descended.

I cannot trace a child by his first marriage but there is a record of a grandson named Lutz who died aged 52.

I have to thank a cousin for this information.