Georges Onslow

Started by snyprrr, July 19, 2009, 12:17:35 AM

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snyprrr

I just heard some snippets from his Op.47 SQ, and it sounded pretty advanced. A few other snippets revealed more of the same...gargantuan? maybe...definitely independent of Beethoven.

He wrote as many SQs as Spohr, with many Quintets also. I've read his bio, but the music is something else altogether, no?

SonicMan46

For those interested, first check out the 8-page thread started by Gurn on the Old Forum HERE;) :D

snyprrr

Just read the old thread...typically, for GMG, there is a page long Schnittke off topic conversation, haha! Well, I don't think we have any new cds since 2005, and I don't see anyone else really contributing (keep in mind, if a thread here is 8 pages, then at least half of those pages are devoted to butt kissing and/or general off-topic-ness).

Any detail on Op.47 SQ (c/C) or Op.56 SQ (c/Eb)? My SQ index seems to list many Onslow SQs as "minor" whereas SilverTrust Editions list them as "major." Strange. Op.47 has been called a masterpiece.

DavidW

Yeah D Minor and I just really wasted space on that thread. ::)

I'm surprised by two things,
(a) I've heard Onslow, I didn't remember!
(b) that somehow those posts survived my ocd culling of the 10,000 or so posts I deleted back then!

Sean

I've tried a few of the quartets but found them a little derivative and without great personality.

assadourian

try the 4 symphonies  (he was surnamed the "french Beethoven")
The piano-trios and 4 hands sonatas are very fine.

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: assadourian on August 05, 2010, 07:58:36 AM
try the 4 symphonies  (he was surnamed the "french Beethoven")
The piano-trios and 4 hands sonatas are very fine.

If you click the link at the bottom of my signature, it will take you to the Classical Corner, where we are discussing a new Onslow quartets disk now. It's a peach, too! :)

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

snyprrr

I never mentioned the Erato disc of String Quintets, from the library a few months back, and, they are both large, wrought works, which, many might say strike the perfect balance. I believe both came from around 1850. I was comparing it to the Schubert at the time, and, of course they are not on that scale, but, that I can remember their summery cypress studded crags should speak for itself, ha! ;)

SonicMan46

Thought that I'd 're-activate' this thread - quote below from a post that I left in the 'listening thread' this morning - just acquired several new SQ discs of George (also re-posted in Gurn's thread, but wanted to make a few more comments about Onslow here which might stimulate some interest -  :D

The liner notes in the Naive CD were written by Viviane Niaux who runs a website dedicated to George(s) Onslow - check HERE (English & French language options) - his catalog of works HERE; the Opus numbers are nearly all chamber compositions.

Also, there are two fairly recent bios on the composer, one by Niaux - for those interested, check HERE:D


QuoteSome 'new' arrivals the last few days but just getting a chance to listen on this Labor Day weekend!

Geroges Onslow (1784-1853) - String Quartets but with two different groups & labels; these include 6 different works (2 from Op. 9, and also Op. 47, 54-56) - we've had previous discussions on this rediscovered composer who was French born w/ an English father, and mainly German-trained - he wrote about 70 String Quartets/Quintets (nearly split in half);  many likely yet to be found, published & performed!

 

kishnevi

Quote from: SonicMan on September 04, 2010, 07:22:58 AM
Thought that I'd 're-activate' this thread - quote below from a post that I left in the 'listening thread' this morning - just acquired several new SQ discs of George (also re-posted in Gurn's thread, but wanted to make a few more comments about Onslow here which might stimulate some interest -  :D

The liner notes in the Naive CD were written by Viviane Niaux who runs a website dedicated to George(s) Onslow - check HERE (English & French language options) - his catalog of works HERE; the Opus numbers are nearly all chamber compositions.

Also, there are two fairly recent bios on the composer, one by Niaux - for those interested, check HERE:D


I got the Quatour Diotima CD recently; the first few listens have impressed me greatly.

SonicMan46

#10
Piano Trios, V.3/4 w/ Trio Cascades - these 2 discs (packaged nicely in a single disc sized jewel case) conclude their recordings of the 10 piano trios by Onslow - I now own all 4 discs in this project; the Trio Cascades is an excellent group and the recording sound is superb as usual from the CPO label; style is late classical/early Romantic (Onslow's teachers were Dussek, Cramer, and Reicha) - he was much more popular in Germany than in France, his country of birth (English aristocratic father & French noble woman mother) where his chamber works were greatly appreciated - limited review from the American Record Guide (Nov-Dec 11 issue) quoted below, but not of much help in making a purchasing decision - could not locate other reviews at the moment, but there are some videos available, if interested!  :)



QuoteONSLOW: Trios - Cascades Trio—CPO 777 232 [2CD] 150 minutes

This contains no surprises. It is more of George Onslow's music (1784-1853). As regular readers of this magazine will know, Onslow's British father settled in the Auvergne area ofFrance and married into a noble family.  Because of royalist sympathies the family sought refuge in Hamburg, where young Onslow studied with Jan Ladislav Dussek.  When the ban on Onslow's settlement in France was lifted in 1800 they returned. The father took the son to England to visit family several times. This enabled him to learn fluent English and to meet Johann Baptist
Cramer.  He became interested in composing and studied further with Antonin Reicha. He concentrated his efforts on the classical style, and his music is not unlike Mendelssohn's.

He was more highly regarded in Germany, where he became a friend of Mendelssohn.  This is a young German group that plays with flair and
panache. We can expect the complete Onslow Trios—these are labeled Volumes 3 and 4. The notes are exceptionally good and the recordings first class.

BAUMAN

snyprrr

Quote from: SonicMan46 on November 26, 2011, 07:37:48 AM
Piano Trios, V.3/4 w/ Trio Cascades - these 2 discs (packaged nicely in a single disc sized jewel case) conclude their recordings of the 10 piano trios by Onslow - I now own all 4 discs in this project; the Trio Cascades is an excellent group and the recording sound is superb as usual from the CPO label; style is late classical/early Romantic (Onslow's teachers were Dussek, Cramer, and Reicha) - he was much more popular in Germany than in France, his country of birth (English aristocratic father & French noble woman mother) where his chamber works were greatly appreciated - limited review from the American Record Guide (Nov-Dec 11 issue) quoted below, but not of much help in making a purchasing decision - could not locate other reviews at the moment, but there are some videos available, if interested!  :)



Shockingly dry review, haha! Starch that collar much Bauman?

SonicMan46

Quote from: snyprrr on November 26, 2011, 10:10:48 PM
Shockingly dry review, haha! Starch that collar much Bauman?

Hey Snyprrr - LOL!  ;D   Agree that the review basically STUNK! The guy should be fired - just quoted some liner comments and said the performance was good - not much help; plus, I searched for other much more informative reviews w/o success!

BUT, I do own the first 2 volumes and enjoy - the group Trio Cascades is excellent and the members have played together for a while; and like the packaging, so thought that I'd simply complete the set - not disappointed at all!  Dave :)

snyprrr

I've heard that Erato disc of Quintettes above. I believe they're from around 1850, around the premiere of Schubert's Quintett(no?), and they have a rugged quality,... like the cd cover, haha, very out-doorsy. I don't recall them bowling me over, but I still haven't scratched the surface yet, probably with that Diotima disc.

Any current opines on that Diotima disc? I wonder how weak I am this week? ;) 8)

snyprrr

Quote from: toucan on November 28, 2011, 06:37:10 AM
Well, the Quintets are Schubertian, in the end, moderated Schubert, Schubert without the spirituality of Schubert and the affect of Schubert and the premonitions of death of Schubert. In his life time Schubert was at the vanguard & a precursor of the Romantics; yet within a lifetime he - or rather, composers who like Onslow took after him - was the embodiement of tradition & a renewed classicism. Funny how things pan out.

Aye! ;)

SonicMan46

Well, I've really enjoyed most of Onslow's chamber works - I have that Erato disc w/ Hubeau on the Apex label, of course at a great budget price (not sure if it is still available); and a bunch of String Quintets - quite a bit of his music available! :)


 

 

SonicMan46

Well nearly 2 years w/o a post to poor Georgie's thread - now, he deserves better!  :D

Just acquired the disc discussed recently in the listening thread - quite nice - quality compositions & excellent performances - Dave :)

QuoteOnslow, Georges (1784-1853) - Cello Sonatas w/ the performers on the cover art - own a lot of Onslow's music, so not a hard decision for me, especially after several excellent reviews, including THIS ONE; Onslow was superb in writing chamber works and also played the cello, so these performances are highly recommended to fans of the composer & the instrument - :)


SonicMan46

Well, after probably 10 yrs of collecting Onslow recordings, I have nearly 20 discs - just updated my classical music database w/ the cello CD in the previous post - made a screen capture which is below for those interested in some of the offerings for this English-French composer.  NOW - as a recommendation, Onslow along w/ several other composers in a collection of Piano Quintets is available on two Brilliant CDs w/ the Nepomuk Fortepiano Quintet - :)

Now Georges has his own 'Online Association' HERE w/ plenty of information available; there is a short bio HERE by Baudime Jam, who is the author of a much larger biography of the composer - I actually was able to reserve this here as in inter-library loan but only the French copy was available (in fact, not sure if there is an English translation?).  Dave


SonicMan46

Poor George - no activity here for 3 1/2 years!   :o  8)

And I left the previous post w/ my list of about 20 Onslow CDs - well, just added another of String Quintets, Op. 68 & 80 - the link above to his website seems to have changed - the current one is HERE, for those interested; stated in his 'catalogue' there are a listing of 36 String Quartets & 34 String Quintets - the disc shown below is about all that I could add after an Amazon search - now, I'm up to 10 SQuartets & 9 SQuintets! :)  Dave


Jo498

FWIW the Mandelring Quartet(t) is spelled like this not like above. I'd have to try again but I used to find Onslow somewhat "dry" (or lacking in memorable melodic ideas).
I have had some cpo discs (one each with symphonies and trios, two with string quartets and the nonet/quintet), also the Archibudelli and I somewhat recently got the Apex disc with the wind/string/piano music but I cannot quite remember that any piece "grabbed" me.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal