Joseph Holbrooke(1878-1958)

[kyjo]

I'm not too familiar with Holbrooke's music, but I really enjoy his Piano Concerto no. 1 The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd:

[asin]B00004I9T2[/asin]

Anyone who loves late-romantic PCs is bound to enjoy this work. It's lush, dramatic, and tuneful. I found it much more engaging than the accompanying Haydn Wood concerto on this disc.

[Papy Oli]

I've been quite happy with 90% of the Marco Polo releases,
and this one does not disappoint.

[asin]B000024OEE[/asin]

I have listened to the above yesterday and today. I have found the Sextet and the Symphonic quintet particularly entertaining (top marks for the Andante of the latter, very moving).

Another one for you, Lol !!  0:)

[Irons]

I have listened to the above yesterday and today. I have found the Sextet and the Symphonic quintet particularly entertaining (top marks for the Andante of the latter, very moving).

Another one for you, Lol !!  0:)

Coincidentally I listened to his Violin Sonata No.3 "Orientale" early this week. I have no idea where the title comes from as there is nothing remotely oriental about it. More jazz, modern not traditional, a really good violin sonata. So yes, Olivier, I'm tempted. 

[Papy Oli]

Coincidentally I listened to his Violin Sonata No.3 "Orientale" early this week. I have no idea where the title comes from as there is nothing remotely oriental about it. More jazz, modern not traditional, a really good violin sonata. So yes, Olivier, I'm tempted.

I could only find the Violin sonata No.1 & 2 on Qobuz, nothing on YT. I've queued the two for later. thank you.

[Albion]

Bogey Beasts, Op.89a was a 1923 collaboration between Holbrooke and his friend the artist/ poet Sidney Sime (1867-1941) dealing with fantastical, imaginary creatures (with more than a hint of satire). Here is an excellent illustrated recitation-performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtsWxggYVw4

and here is the piano score (Holbrooke subsequently made a shorter orchestral suite):

https://imslp.org/wiki/Bogey_Beasts,_Op.89a_(Holbrooke,_Joseph)

[Albion]

Some Holbrooke items:

Annabel Lee, Op.41b:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFzQ5bxqCuE

Apollo and the Seaman, Op.51 (extract) - does anybody know anything more about this recording? It is from Section VI (The Rebuke) and begins at the Maestoso con moto seven bars before figure 73, ending at figure 78 (pages 128-133 in the full score, pages 55-58 in the piano reduction):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0ut-QJBx5U

Three Dramatic Songs, Op.69:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZJIbZHC4Vw

[Reverie]

Your wish is granted!

PART 1 :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eZp3YbJ-Tc

PARET 2 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjWS227_7pw

[Roasted Swan]

As part of my fixation for British 20th Century Music I have just about every commercial disc of Holbrooke there is.  By I have yet to have a "lightbulb" moment with any of it.  I quite like it but most of the time I think the orchestration is too dense (Bantock without the jokes), over-thought and ultimately unmemorable.  I watched the link to the composer who was intrigued to reconstruct Apollo & the Seaman because of the references to that work in the orchestration book by Cecil Forsyth.  That was genuinely very interesting but ultimately you're not a good composer/orchestrator because you include saxophone parts in 1908!

[vandermolen]

As part of my fixation for British 20th Century Music I have just about every commercial disc of Holbrooke there is.  By I have yet to have a "lightbulb" moment with any of it.  I quite like it but most of the time I think the orchestration is too dense (Bantock without the jokes), over-thought and ultimately unmemorable.  I watched the link to the composer who was intrigued to reconstruct Apollo & the Seaman because of the references to that work in the orchestration book by Cecil Forsyth.  That was genuinely very interesting but ultimately you're not a good composer/orchestrator because you include saxophone parts in 1908!

I rather agree with you about Holbrooke. I liked your 'Bantock without the jokes' comment. I've always thought that Robert Simpson's music (much admired here) was like 'Nielsen without the tunes'. I have enjoyed some of the chamber music more than the orchestral music, like the Piano Quartet:

[Figaro]

Interested about the Welsh connection in Holbrooke's music. He doesn't seem (from what I can tell) to have had any Welsh ancestry himself but seems to have drawn on Welsh mythology extensively as inspiration for his music - Gwyn ap Nudd, the Mabinogi etc.

He could be said to have the same relationship with Wales as Bax did with Ireland in that sense.

Anyone know any more about why Wales inspired him?

[Scion7]

Interested about the Welsh connection in Holbrooke's music. He doesn't seem (from what I can tell) to have had any Welsh ancestry himself but seems to have drawn on Welsh mythology extensively as inspiration for his music - Gwyn ap Nudd, the Mabinogi etc.
He could be said to have the same relationship with Wales as Bax did with Ireland in that sense.
Anyone know any more about why Wales inspired him?

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/nov03/Holbrook_wales.htm

[Albion]

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/nov03/Holbrook_wales.htm

I think that Holbrooke was just caught up with the whole Celtic vibe, as were Bantock and Boughton. Listening again to my Holbrooke discs I'm again impressed by Howard Griffiths' three volumes on CPO which now comprise:

The Raven, Op.25
The Viking, Op.32
Ulalume, Op.35
Three Blind Mice Variations, Op.37 No.1
The Girl I left Behind Me Variations, Op.37 No.2
Grasshopper Violin Concerto, Op.59
Auld Lang Syne Variations, Op.60
The Birds of Rhiannon, Op.87
Symphony No.3, Ships, Op.90
Amontillado, Op.123

All these performances are very strong indeed and Griffiths never ceases to bring character and finesse to this often very quirky music. These discs should definitely be supplemented with two excellent CDs from Dutton under George Vass which offer:

Pandora
Saxophone Concerto, Op.88
Symphony No.4, Op.95
Cello Concerto, Cambrian, Op.103
Aucussin and Nicolette, Op.115
The Pit and the Pendulum, Op.126

Once again, Vass has a great feel for Holbrooke's idiosyncratic idiom.

Major omissions from the commercial catalogue remain Queen Mab, The Bells, Apollo and the Seaman, A Dramatic Choral Symphony and Piano Concerto No.2, L'Orient.

The Hyperion recording of Piano Concerto No.1 Gywn ap Nudd is not very striking and for completists only (unfortunately I fall into that particular bank-busting category).

I spent months on end constructing the Wikipedia entry on Holbrooke and an accompanying catalogue of his works - he was both quixotic and damned chaotic...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Holbrooke

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Joseph_Holbrooke
 

[Albion]

Although there isn't a hope in Hell of the massive trilogy The Cauldron of Annwn being revived and recorded complete, here are substantial excerpts from the final opera Bronwen, Op.75 (1915-28)...

https://www.mediafire.com/file/hef8iz5qymqwoor/Holbrooke_-_Bronwen%252C_Op.75_%25281915-20%2529_-_excerpts.wma/file

 

[kyjo]

I wasn't previously too familiar with Holbrooke's large and eclectic output until listening to these two CPO releases. With one major exception, the works featured on the them proved to be very nice discoveries:



First, the bad. The Grasshopper Violin Concerto is a behemoth lasting 54 minutes long (with a 26-minute first movement)! And it most certainly does not sustain its length with its uninspired thematic writing. I had to turn it off less than halfway through the first movement! Maybe I'm missing out on some good stuff in the remaining two movements, though - anyone out there listened to the whole work? Fortunately, the remainder of the disc is much better! The Auld Lang Syne Variations put the famous tune through the paces in an often witty way. And finally The Raven, one of several of Holbrooke's works inspired by the literature of E.A. Poe, is a pretty fascinating tone poem. The opening few minutes, in particular, are very unique and mysterious in mood with solo passages for double bass and divided celli, successfully capturing the atmosphere of Poe's poem.



The major work on this well-filled disc is the Clarinet Quintet No. 2 Ligeia. Also inspired by a rather tragic Poe short story of the same name, the quintet is actually a quite optimistic, good-natured, and melodious work overall. As an added bonus, a later alternative version of the finale is included at the end of the disc. It's certainly one of my favorite works in the genre alongside the ones by Mozart, Weber, and Brahms. The disc is filled out with various shorter works: the one-movement Clarinet Quintet No. 1 (Cavatina and Variations), the Nocturne Fairyland for clarinet, viola, and piano, Cyrene and Phryne for clarinet and piano, and Eilean Shona for clarinet and string quartet. It's all atmospheric, rewarding music, expertly performed here by clarinetist Robert Plane and co.

[springrite]

I wasn't previously too familiar with Holbrooke's large and eclectic output until listening to these two CPO releases. With one major exception, the works featured on the them proved to be very nice discoveries:



First, the bad. The Grasshopper Violin Concerto is a behemoth lasting 54 minutes long (with a 26-minute first movement)! And it most certainly does not sustain its length with its uninspired thematic writing. I had to turn it off less than halfway through the first movement! Maybe I'm missing out on some good stuff in the remaining two movements, though - anyone out there listened to the whole work? Fortunately, the remainder of the disc is much better! The Auld Lang Syne Variations put the famous tune through the paces in an often witty way. And finally The Raven, one of several of Holbrooke's works inspired by the literature of E.A. Poe, is a pretty fascinating tone poem. The opening few minutes, in particular, are very unique and mysterious in mood with solo passages for double bass and divided celli, successfully capturing the atmosphere of Poe's poem.

The Grasshopper is the one worked that turned me off from this composer.
The PC one is, I think, rather bland. But it was not a turnoff.

I may try some chamber music...

[Symphonic Addict]

The Violin Concerto only lasts 26'20'':