Elmas PCs 1 & 2 on Hyperion

[eschiss1]

I'd have the same gripes about a "UC Label" which would of course refuse to record certain works I was quite certain deserved it, though you're right about the Raff at least not suffering from an even better recording and performance; if one wants a work to enter the repertoire, one should no more be satisfied with 2 or 3 good recordings than people geneally are with works that already are in the repertoire

[terry martyn]

It would be nice if Hyperion combined in a CD Elmas´s Third (reputedly his best) with the Pabst, which in my opinion is no thirdrate work.

[eschiss1]

Jeremy Nicholas' notes are wrong, however. There was a Steingräber publication of the 2nd concerto- and many other Elmas works- in 1923 or so; but it was not the work's first publication (which was no later than 1906.)

Also I -think- the first concerto is dedicated to the 19-year-old (at the time of publication in 1906) Arthur Rubinstein, not to Anton as claimed. ... hrm. The typeset two-piano reprint gives "A. Rubinstein"; if it was dedicated at time of composition, it could have been Anton; if dedicated at time of publication as seems more likely to me, probably Art[h]ur. Actually, I don't know...

[Mark Thomas]

... but a fair enough assumption, Eric, as Anton died in 1894.

[Alan Howe]

Wouldn't PC1 have carried a dedication from the date of its composition rather than that of its publication? According to the sleevenote, the concerto was written in 1882, so I think it's far more likely that it was dedicated to Anton, rather than Arthur.

[Mark Thomas]

I'm not sure that follows. I can only speak with certainty of Raff, but in several cases the dedication of the published work was different to the one he originally intended. If Elmas' concerto was dedicated to Anton Rubinstein when published then I assume it would have to be "in memory of". The score available at IMSLP looks like a modern re-setting and gives no clue.

[Alan Howe]

On the other hand, this article states:

<<During his travels, Elmas became closely acquainted with the Russian composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein, the French composer Jules Massenet, the French pianist Joseph-Edouard Risler, the Armenian lexicographer Guy de Lusignan, among others.>>
http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phan_Elmas

And here's the apparent clincher:

<<Au cours de ses voyages, Elmas devient un ami proche du compositeur et pianiste russe Anton Rubinstein (à qui il dédie son premier concerto).>>
https://www.wikiwand.com/fr/St%C3%A9phan_Elmas

Translation: <<In the course of his travels, Elmas became a close friend of the Russian composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein (to whom he dedicated his First Concerto).>>

...until one comes across this entry:

Concerto de jeunesse (non orchestré) Dédié à Anton Rubinstein.
=Youth Concerto (not orchestrated) Dedicated to Anton Rubinstein.

And there is no dedication mentioned here in respect of PC1!
https://www.wikiwand.com/fr/St%C3%A9phan_Elmas#/Piano_et_orchestre

Oh dear - not exactly clear, is it?

[Alan Howe]

...I think that last entry is a mistake - see this article:

<<...et fait la rencontre du compositeur et pianiste Anton Rubinstein à qui il dédiera bientôt son premier concerto pour piano.>>
(= ...and meets the composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein to whom he will soon dedicate his first piano concerto.)
https://www.imprescriptible.fr/archives/france/achkhar/446.pdf

[eschiss1]

thank you.

[eschiss1]

btw he did dedicate his unpublished (unfinished?) early pre-first youth concerto to Anton- it depends on which one that latter article means- but I think I can take the case as shown from the rest despite the A.Rubinstein on the retypeset reduction.

[Mark Thomas]

What's needed is sight either of the manuscript, or the title page of the original published score, and probably both!

[eschiss1]

I will see if the person who uploaded the typeset scores on behalf of the now defunct Foundation is contactable, for starters. Hyperion's notes at least say where many of the extant manuscripts are.

[Alan Howe]

I'll be honest here: although it's a possibility, I don't believe for one moment that Elmas dedicated his PC1 to Arthur Rubinstein when all the evidence points to his close acquaintance with Anton in the 1880s when he composed it.

[eschiss1]

I agree. Still, won't hurt me to double-check, I suppose. A number of times I'm surprised (as shouldn't be...) to see the cases in which (now) well-known 20th-century performers (a century-plus ago) performed pieces we're currently rediscovering...

[Mark Thomas]

Yes I agree too, of course, but I've learned during a long bout of research into Raff's oeuvre that there's truth in the old tag that to assume sometimes makes an "ass" of "u" and "me".