British Composers of Cello Concertos

[Dundonnell]

Wow, Guido, that is certainly an impressive reply! Thanks for taking the time to discuss the topic at such length(and you certainly did not bore me when I read it the post!). You have a much greater knowledge of the number of cello concertos composed by both British and American composers than I and you mention a considerable number of whose very existence I was unaware.
I did not know-for example-that Lennox Berkeley had written an early Cello Concerto; it does not appear to have been given an opus number.
You are also right to draw attention to the naturalised concertos by Goldschmidt and Panufnik. I did actually mention the Holst Invocation in one of my supplemental posts but I am delighted that you have highlighted the two concertante works by Alun Hoddinott(when is that most prolific of our 'senior' composers going to receive the attention his considerable achievements deserve!)

I quite agree about the number and quality of such works compared to many other countries and the point you make about the maturity of most composers who finally produced a work for cello and orchestra. You might have added that Rawsthorne was 61 and George Lloyd 84 when they added to the repertoire.

The two concertos which you don't mention and I wonder if you know are the Malcolm Arnold and the Robert Simpson. Again, both are late works-the Arnold is from 1988(op.136) shortly before Arnold ceased composition and the Simpson dates from 1991 and is one of Simpson's last compositions.

It would be interesting to hear your impressions of these two works.

[Guido]

I have yet to hear the Simpson concerto - has it been recorded? I would certainly like to hear it. Arnold's concerto is really not one of his better works, and Julian Lloyd Webber, the dedicatee, actually didn't record it because he felt it didn't do him justice. He had planned to reord it with the Walton because the two men were good friends.

Yes I should have mentioned those two - Rawsthorne's concerto is a tough nut to crack but I actually think that it is a superb score. Lloyd's I am less convinced of, but it has been a while since I last listened so I will listen again.

Another work by a naturalised citizen that is worth mentioning is Gal's concerto which is a very large scale work, but ultimately I don't think that it can quite sustain the length, despite it having some very lovely moments. He also composed a lighter concertino that has never been recorded. Gerhardt also composed a concerto which I would like to hear.

Matthews' two concertos (1983 and 1995) are good modern works and the Berceuse for Dresden is quite a beautiful piece (composed this century).

By the way all the dates I have listed have been from my memory so they may be wrong!

[Dundonnell]

Sad about the Malcolm Arnold but the fires did burn pretty low before the end.

No, the Simpson has not been recorded. As with so many composers, since his death interest has tended to wane a bit. Hyperion have us all the symphonies and string quartets but the Cello and Flute Concertos from his later years remain unrecorded(the Piano concerto is on an old BBC Clasics-no doubt difficult to find-and the Violin Concerto was withdrawn for a revision which, sadly, Simpson did not live to undertake).

I agree about the Rawsthorne-not a work which gives up its secrets easily-but I do also admire the elegiac George Lloyd Cello Concerto.
I would have to confess however having a soft spot for Lloyd's conservative idiom!

Hans Gal-ah! Another refugee from Central Europe and a distinguished teacher at my old University in Edinburgh. Now there is another composer whose music merits re-discovery!

[Guido]

Well this is good news - A CD has just been released of 20th century works for cello and strings. Review:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Feb08/Wallfisch_NI5815.htm

I just recieved the CD this morning and am listening through it. Maconchy's Epyllion and Kopytman's Kaddish are the two pieces I haven't heard before (the Patterson concerto was played in Cambirdge last May but it's good to have it on record). Maconchy's piece is quite a revelation - I've only heard it once but it makes a powerful impression and may well be an important contribution to the repertoire. I have only known her from the highly inventive and resourceful variations for solo cello on a theme from Job (dedicated to the composer of the theme - Vaughan Williams) The Lutoslawski and Hindemith are more standard fare (at least on recordings) - both given lovely readings here. Actually the whole CD is great - great playing and interesting repertoire - 3 premiere recordings. Wallfisch is a cellist who I respect immensely for certain recordings and for his commitment to playing unknown, especially English repertoire. Some of his recordings are amongst my favourite in my collection, but live he can sometimes be awful - just check the Finzi concerto clips on his website - the portamento is unbearable and speaks of being ill prepared.

EDIT: I upgrade my assessment of Maconchy's solo cello variations - to brilliant and beautiful as well as inventive and resourceful. This is a composer that demands to be explored.

[The new erato]

EDIT: I upgrade my assessment of Maconchy's solo cello variations - to brilliant and beautiful as well as inventive and resourceful. This is a composer that demands to be explored.

In which case you should promptly buy her complete string quartets on 3 Regis CDs. Slightly derivative, but very beautiful and occasionally inventive and original quartets.

[Dundonnell]

I can also certainly recommend the Lyrita CD(SRCD 288) with Elizabeth Maconchy's Symphony for Double String Orchestra, Serenata Concertante for Violin and Orchestra, Music for Strings and Overture "Proud Thames", the Dutton CD(CDLX 7186) of British Viola Music containing her Romance for Viola and Small Orchestra, and the Clarinet Classics CD(CC0034) containing her Concertino No.2 for Clarinet and Small Orchestra.

Maconchy is another British composer deserving of more exposure. I would love to hear her Variazioni Concertante for Orchestra(1965) and her big Cantata "Heloise and Abelard"(1977). One wonders if the fact that she was (a) a woman and (b) more of a minaturist worked against her. If you look at the list of her works on the Chester Novello website there are few pieces over 20 minutes in length which may make them more difficult to programme in orchestral concerts.

Incidentally, I note from Raphael Wallfisch's website that he has the Robert Simpson cello concerto in his repertoire! Maybe that should encourage someone to invite him to record the work!

[Dundonnell]

Oh...and thanks, Guido, for recommending the new CD of cello works by Patterson, Hindemith, Lutoslawski etc. Ashamed to admit that I have never heard a note of music by Patterson but will definitely investigate now!!

[Guido]

WE've all forgotten three very good concertos by Alan Ridout. The first concerto is for cello and Strings, the Second concerto is for cello and choir and the third for solo cello and 8 orchestral cellos. The first is perhaps the best, mixing a sort of ancient and modern feel, and the second occupies a similar sound world but with wordless voices replacing the strings often with some very powerful and moving effects. The third is programmatic in a sense, and is subtitled 'the prisoner' - he solo cellist tries to escape the clutches of his oppressors - the other 8 cellists.

[vandermolen]

Just listened to the Cyril Scott Cello Concerto which, diffuse as it is, I greatly enjoyed.

[sound67]

The two concertos which you don't mention and I wonder if you know are the Malcolm Arnold and the Robert Simpson.

The genesis (and outcome) of the Arnold Concerto is described in some detail in Anthony Meredith and Paul Harris' "Malcolm Arnold: Rogue Genius. The Life and Music of Britain's Most Misunderstood Composer". Apparently, by the time Arnold completed the Cello Concerto (which came after his troubled Symphony No.9, a work nobody was willing to play for some years until Charles Groves negotiated the premiere), he had completely run out of ideas. Novello, Arnold's publisher, then suggested to his life's partner that Arnold should continue to compose for his own private amusement, but that they would not publish any more of his works.

Julian Lloyd-Webber, the soloist in the premiere of the CC, was apparently embarrassed by its low quality, as was everybody else. He said that during rehearsals Arnold insisted on shaking hands with every one of the orchestra players, which embarrassed them because they felt the concerto was so poor. Lloyd-Webber added a movement from Arnold's previous "Fantasy" for Cello to the program to make sure, and I quote, "that there was some GOOD Arnold in the concert". The premiere went ahead as planned, but after that, Lloyd-Webber saw to it that the concerto was quietly forgotten.

Years later, a friend of Arnold's, David Ellis, prepared a new version, filling out the many empty pages in Arnold's original manuscript. That version has, to the best of my knowledge, never been recorded either.

If that story sounds depressing, I'd advise you not to read the above-mentioned biography of Malcolm Arnold, thrilling though it is. It is a chronicle of a sad, troubled life, and it is preoccupied with his inner torments (the suicide attempts, his atrocious behaviour against his wife and children, the binge drinking, his many stays in lunatic asylums, and so on) more than it is with his successes.

Thomas

[Dundonnell]

That is a very sad story about the Arnold Cello Concerto!

The initial reaction of both the BBC and Arnold's publishers to the score of the 9th symphony was of alarm at what seemed the distressing thinness of the work and this, of course, led to the symphony not being performed until the late Sir Charles Groves-who believed in the work-conducted it in Manchester in 1992. The 9th has now been recorded and is accepted. However, from what you say, the cello concerto was at least performed but proved to be of poor quality.

There is an article in today's Daily Telegraph about more unfortunate controversy regarding Sir Malcolm Arnold's will. He appears to have left most of his estate to his companion Anthony Day. I don't really want to comment on that but Day seems to have done a remarkable job in looking after the old boy during his last years.

Isn't it tragic that so many composers either died so young, had years of sad decline or were blighted by personal unhappiness. Even in more modern times one can think of composers like Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Prokofiev, Miaskovsky, Arnold, Malcolm Williamson, Britten, Mahler, Lennox Berkeley, Webern. Oh...this is material for another thread!!

[tjguitar]

This looks like a good pickup.....anyone familiar with this recording?

[karlhenning]

Time to ask again 

Bridge's Oration is, by far, my favourite British Cello Concerto.

Do you have a preferred recording?

[karlhenning]

This looks like a good pickup.....anyone familiar with this recording?

I am not familiar with it, but I feel I should like to be.

[tjguitar]

I am not familiar with it, but I feel I should like to be.

I found I had to keep turning the volume up and down for both pieces on this CD.  Strange.

[tarantella]

Hoddinott's Noctis Equi performed by Rostropovich (dedicatee) and the LSO conducted by Kent Nagano is a superbly atmospheric work!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Time to ask again 

Do you have a preferred recording?

The first recording of Bridge's Oration I ever heard is still the best, in my opinion:

[karlhenning]

I've since acquired the Isserlis/Hickox, which I like very well, Johan. I shouldn't really punish Lloyd-Webber in thought for his father, I suppose . . . but, the acorn does not roll far from the tree, does it? ; )

[Luke]

I've since acquired the Isserlis/Hickox, which I like very well, Johan. I shouldn't really punish Lloyd-Webber in thought for his father, I suppose . . . but, the acorn does not roll far from the tree, does it? ; )

It's not the father we really need to worry about, though, is it. Perfectly respectable composer, he was. It's the brother where the horror lies....

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I've since acquired the Isserlis/Hickox, which I like very well, Johan. I shouldn't really punish Lloyd-Webber in thought for his father, I suppose . . . but, the acorn does not roll far from the tree, does it? ; )

Luke has pre-empted me... ;-)