Percy Sherwood

[giles.enders]

Percy Sherwood, died Hampstead, London 1939.  Does anyone know where the score of his other piano concerto is? I know of the one on C.

Giles Enders

[Gareth Vaughan]

A lot of Percy Sherwood's MSS are in the Bodleian Library. I have not viewed the collection so I don't know, but it may be there - if you have not already tapped this source.

[Alan Howe]

No.2 is also in the Bodleian, but not the full score - only a reduction. I was there in October 2005 and looked at the collection...

[giles.enders]

I have now found that the Bodleian has the full score of the second concerto.  Thanks to those who pointed me in the right direstion. I understand it is a late work.

Giles.Enders

[JimL]

While you're stopping by, Giles, check out that other thread and let us know what you have on the concerto by Louise Farrenc!

Oh crud!  Looks like I just missed him!

[giles.enders]

Thanks, now have both pc 1&2 scores from Bodleian.  They will get played within the next few months assuming a concert promoter can be persauded.

[Alan Howe]

Great news, Giles. Do keep us informed!

[Gareth Vaughan]

That is very exciting news, Giles. Do please keep me informed. I would like very much to hear Sherwood's concerti.

[albion]

Percy Sherwood was born in 1866 and died in 1939. He studied with Draeseke, Schulz-Beuthen and Kirchner in Dresden between 1885 and 1888, winning the Mendelssohn German State Prize in 1889 with a large-scale setting of the Requiem. Four years later he was teaching at the Conservatorium in Dresden, where he became Professor in 1911. Around 1914 he returned to London and the outbreak of war meant that this country would now be his permanent home. He continued to compose and give private lessons in piano, harmony and counterpoint.

His works include -

Requiem for soloists, chorus and orchestra
5 Symphonies (two lost)
2 Piano Concertos
2 Cello Concertos
Violin Concerto
Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
Overtures, including one to Goethe's Gotz von Berlichingen
Piano Quintet
Piano Sonata
Sonata for 2 Pianos
Suite for Clarinet and Piano
2 Cello Sonatas

Unlike his near contemporary Algernon Ashton, many if not most of Sherwood's large-scale works seem to have survived and there is a substantial collection of his manuscripts and papers at the Bodleian (MSS. Mus. b. 37-40, c. 404-16, d. 260, e. 47, f. 39-51). Supposedly written in quite a 'modern' (i.e. Wagnerian/ post-Wagnerian) style it would be fascinating to hear some of his orchestral music.

[Alan Howe]

I've inspected the Sherwood collection in the Bodleian and as a result came up with this near-complete list of his compositions (I'm sure I've posted it before)...

Percy Sherwood (1866-1939)

1887 Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor***
1887 Symphony No.1 in C major***
1889 Requiem for Soli, Chorus and Orchestra**(*)
1889 Sextet for Piano, Horn, 2 Violins, Viola and Cello*** (Dresden)
1890 Konzertouvertüre***
1890 rev. 1893 Cello Concerto No.1***
1891? (pub. 1897) Cello Sonata No.1 in D major, Op.10~
? (pub. 1892) 10 Miniaturen für das Klavier, Op.1
1892 Symphony No.2 in B minor*** (Dresden)
? (pub. 1893) Sechs Lieder, Op.2~
? (pub.1894) Walzer, Op.3
1897 Serenade for Orchestra No.1 in F major**
1898 (pub. 1906) Violin Sonata No.1 in F major, Op.12~ (Dresden)
1899 (?) String Quartet in G major (lost)+
? (pub. 1899?) 3 Romanzen, Op.11
1900 (pub. 1908) Cello Sonata No.2 in A major, Op.15~
? (pub. 1900) Humoresken, Op.20
? (pub. 1900) Nachtgesang und Nachtstück, Op.21
1901 Trio for Piano, Oboe and Horn***
1901 Sonata for 2 Pianos in C minor***
1902 Violin Concerto in F major (ded. Marie Hall)** (Appenzell, Switz.)
1902 Cello Concerto No.2 in D minor***
1902 Violin Sonata No.2 in G major*** (Taufers, Tirol - Italy)
1905 Piano Sonatine in B flat major (ded. daughter: Therese
           Sherwood)*** (Dresden)
1905-7 Symphony No.3 in E flat major*** (Highcliffe, UK/Dresden)
1907 Piano Quintet**(*)
? (pub. 1908) Songs from the Golden Treasury, Op.16
? (pub. 1908) Elfin Song, Op.17
1908 Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra*** (Dresden)
1908 Viola Sonata in C major*** (Highcliffe)
? (pub. 1913) 2 Sonatine (unclear if x2 or No.2), Op.22
? (pub. 1913) Suite for 2 Violins, Op.23
1920 Idyls (for piano)*** (London)
1920 Serenade No.2 for Orchestra*** (Bournemouth/London)
1920-1 Violin Sonata No.3 in C minor*** (Bournemouth/London)
1922 Episode for Violin and Orchestra*** (London)
1922-30 String Quartet 'No.6' in A major*** (Nayland, Suffolk)
1925-6 Suite for String Orchestra with Flute, Oboe, Clarinet & Horn***
                (London)
1931-2 Piano Concerto No.2 in E flat major** (Nayland, Suffolk)
193? String Quartet in B minor*** 
** Autograph manuscript (reduction) in Bodleian Library, Oxford, UK
**(*) Copyist's full score in Bodleian Library
*** Autograph full score (bound, or all parts intact) in Bodleian Library
~ Published score in Bodleian Library
+ See www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~admv/1899.htm

[Martin Eastick]

Alan, many thanks for the Sherwood works list - you may wish to add the following items, which may not be in the Bodleian collection::

(6) Kleine Poesie(e)n fur das piano Op5 (Ries & Erler n.d.)
3 Stucke fur Violoncello und Pianoforte Op14 (Legende, Intermezzo & Saltarello) Op14 (Louis Oertel, Hannover, 1908)

The above cello pieces, together with the two cello sonatas, were 'read through' here at home several weeks ago by Joseph Spooner with David Owen Norris, with the idea of interesting Dutton in producing a recording - this is still in the melting pot I believe but hopefully will go through!

Martin

[Alan Howe]

Lovely, Martin! Thanks!

[albion]

Alan, thanks very much for providing the Sherwood list - I was contemplating contacting the Bodleian! So orchestral works in full score are:

1887 Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor
1887 Symphony No.1 in C major
1889 Requiem for Soli, Chorus and Orchestra
1890 Konzertouvertüre
1890 rev. 1893 Cello Concerto No.1
1892 Symphony No.2 in B minor
1902 Cello Concerto No.2 in D minor
1905-7 Symphony No.3 in E flat major
1908 Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra
1920 Serenade No.2 for Orchestra
1922 Episode for Violin and Orchestra

Perhaps enough here for a series of Dutton discs! 

According to Grove V there were five symphonies (so two are now probably lost) and "overtures", whilst Brown & Stratton (1897) mentions an overture to Goethe's Gotz von Berlichingen (which is possibly the same 1890 overture listed above).

I'd especially love to hear the symphonies and concertos - I wonder if the relevant pioneering record companies are even aware of Sherwood's existence! 

[JimL]

I seem to remember somebody else doing something based on Götz von Berlichingen.  Was it Raff?  I'm not sure but isn't the Overture Ein Feste Burg lifted from incidental music to a play based on the same character by his brother-in-law?  Or are my neurons misfiring again?

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Paul Dukas? There's an overture to Gotz von Berlichingen.