Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996)

[Madiel]

I've got up to 160 releases and I'm still not quite finished. Maybe about 10 left. Who knew there were so many? 

This includes a lot of choral releases with, like, 2 minutes of Holmboe on them. But what's interesting is to see just how many of the old LPs have now made their way onto streaming and download sales. It really seems to depend on the record company. Some rights holders have clearly thought "hey, we can make at least a little money from our catalogue with not much effort". And others... well, with companies going bust over the years I wouldn't be surprised if some of these LPs nobody is even aware these days who they theoretically belong to.

Once I've run out of entries I'll try to solve some of the display issues so that it's more useful to people.

[Madiel]

Okay, done. It's ended up with 180 releases in total, some of which I'd not had decent information on until the last couple of days. It now has everything mentioned in the catalogue published in 1996 except for one thing that only ever came out on cassette!

https://airtable.com/shr7soGPTQtu3GiZs

I might leave it a few days before tackling the usefulness of the display.

If you have any questions about data, additions, corrections, please do let me know. I know there's some things I've been a fraction inconsistent about at this point (e.g. some choirs get their conductors and some don't), and in some cases the year of release or recording is an educated guess rather than something I've got definitive data about. And I definitely need to update what's available on streaming or download.

Now... I really want to see if I can listen to as many of these as possible. Though some of the ones with limited Holmboe might be a chore. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Okay, done. It's ended up with 180 releases in total, some of which I'd not had decent information on until the last couple of days. It now has everything mentioned in the catalogue published in 1996 except for one thing that only ever came out on cassette!

https://airtable.com/shr7soGPTQtu3GiZs

I might leave it a few days before tackling the usefulness of the display.

If you have any questions about data, additions, corrections, please do let me know. I know there's some things I've been a fraction inconsistent about at this point (e.g. some choirs get their conductors and some don't), and in some cases the year of release or recording is an educated guess rather than something I've got definitive data about. And I definitely need to update what's available on streaming or download.

Now... I really want to see if I can listen to as many of these as possible. Though some of the ones with limited Holmboe might be a chore. 

It's done?!  What a labor of love!  Congrats!

PD

[Irons]

Well done you. Scrolling through an impression of more string quartet recordings then other genre?

[Madiel]

Well done you. Scrolling through an impression of more string quartet recordings then other genre?

Yes, especially early on, it seems that the quartets were taken up. That and certain choral works.

[Madiel]

I went and had a look on a page that isn't currently accessible to others, and here are the pieces that have been recorded quite a number of times. I'm not yet counting the Nightingale Quartet's volume 3 which I know is about to be released.

9 recordings
A Lyke-wake Dirge, op.110a
The Wee Wee Man, op.110b (most choirs do both together, but sometimes only one of the pair is recorded - each has 9 in total)

7 recordings
Brass quintet no.1, op.79

6 recordings
Benedic Domino, anima mea (choral), op.59a

5 recordings
Notturno (for wind quintet), op.19
Hemlängtan (Homesickness), a song for male choir, op.34/1
Moya (7 Japanese songs), op.57 (complete recordings, there's also one with a single song) - basically the only solo vocal that anybody does.
Laudate Dominum (choral), op.158b

4 recordings
Trumpet concerto, op.44
String quartet no.1, op.46
String quartet no.2, op.47
String quartet no.3, op.48
Lauda, anima mea (choral), op.59c
Sonata for solo flute, op.71 (if I'm right that one flautist has recorded it twice and it's not just a rerelease)
Sonata for solo cello, op.101

It's also worth mentioning Sange mod Vårdybet (Songs Towards the Deep of Spring), op.85, where there's only 3 complete recordings but also another 5 extracts. People seem especially keen on a song called "Haymaking by the sea".

The first 3 string quartets have the most recordings because when the first recordings were being made, only 3 quartets existed!

[Irons]

Checked out eBay for Fona release by Kobenhavns SQ they are not inexpensive! Am I correct in thinking these issues are not available on CD?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123882769590?_nkw=holmboe&itmmeta=01J7BS1P2NQ44DTNTXBCT1FJ8W&hash=item1cd7fd0cb6:g:1MEAAOSw7iJdXooI&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJ

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Checked out eBay for Fona release by Kobenhavns SQ they are not inexpensive! Am I correct in thinking these issues are not available on CD?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123882769590?_nkw=holmboe&itmmeta=01J7BS1P2NQ44DTNTXBCT1FJ8W&hash=item1cd7fd0cb6:g:1MEAAOSw7iJdXooI&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJ

Youch! 

Irons,

I just sent you a PM with a link.

PD

[Madiel]

Checked out eBay for Fona release by Kobenhavns SQ they are not inexpensive! Am I correct in thinking these issues are not available on CD?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123882769590?_nkw=holmboe&itmmeta=01J7BS1P2NQ44DTNTXBCT1FJ8W&hash=item1cd7fd0cb6:g:1MEAAOSw7iJdXooI&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJ

You are correct, no sign that they've ever been rereleased. But PD might have just helped you the way I've been helped.

Also try Discogs, there are sales there I think.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

@Irons and @Madiel

I hadn't noticed at first, but it looks like the link that Irons had posted was for five LPs, so not so bad price-wise.

And, yes, initially I had thought that I had found a less expensive one on sale at Discogs, but that was for only one LP!

PD

[Madiel]

I hadn't noticed either, yes it's the whole set. But for one they have the older original cover that doesn't match, that would drive me crazy 

[Irons]

@Irons and @Madiel

I hadn't noticed at first, but it looks like the link that Irons had posted was for five LPs, so not so bad price-wise.

And, yes, initially I had thought that I had found a less expensive one on sale at Discogs, but that was for only one LP!

PD

I hadn't noticed either, yes it's the whole set. But for one they have the older original cover that doesn't match, that would drive me crazy 

£20 a pop too rich for me.

[foxandpeng]

Well, the Nightingale SQ release of SQ4, 5 and 16, appears to be the winner yet again. I love the rawness of the Kontra Quartet SQs, but the improvements in immediacy, sound quality and broadly slower approaches, really work.

Has taken me until today to play this new release, but good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, anyway. 

[calyptorhynchus]

Well, the Nightingale SQ release of SQ4, 5 and 16, appears to be the winner yet again. I love the rawness of the Kontra Quartet SQs, but the improvements in immediacy, sound quality and broadly slower approaches, really work.

Has taken me until today to play this new release, but good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, anyway. 

I agree the Nightingales are getting better and better!

[krummholz]

It appears that the Nightingales are now selling out of a new site, La Boîte à Musique, and that there is no longer a download option. I ordered the CD through Amazon, as the price through La Boîte seemed a little steep for a single CD.

[Maestro267]

I'm seeing downloads are dropping like flies. Chandos are closing their download store soon as well.

[Papy Oli]

You can buy the Nightingale's albums directly from their label DaCapo records (CDs and downloads).

[DavidW]

I'm seeing downloads are dropping like flies.

Eh... I don't think that is right. We're seeing consolidation of the download stores, not downloads just going away.

[calyptorhynchus]

I bought a download of the Nightingales latest from Presto, but the last track cut off about 30 seconds from the end, very frustrating.

It happens surprisingly often that downloads have faulty tracks. Sometimes I think I must have been the only person every to buy the download when I encounter this with an album that has been out for some time. But Presto have always been very good at replacing the faulty tracks... so far.