Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 2:03 pm
Haha, where could that have disappeared to?? :)jaybee wrote:used to have a lovely Chopin disc played by Malcolm frager
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Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Page 7 of 7
Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:51 pm
Just completed listening to
John McCormack, Songs & Arias by Brahms, Elgar, Rachmaninov, Schubert Wolf, Vaughan Williams.
A bit crackly... as it was my grandfathers vinyl.
Earnest Newman summed up the man as well as the artist when on McCormank's death on September 16th, 1945 he was inspired to write,
"He was a supreme example of the art that conceals art, and sheer hard work that becomes manifest only in its results, not in the revolving of the machinery that has produced them. He never stooped to small and modest things; he invariably raised them, and with them the most unsophisticated listener, to his own high level. I never knew him in his public or his private singing, to be guilty of a lapse of taste, of making an effect for mere effect's sake. he was a patrician artist, dignified even in apparent undress, with a respect for art that is rarely met among tenors. There is no one to take his place."
John McCormack, Songs & Arias by Brahms, Elgar, Rachmaninov, Schubert Wolf, Vaughan Williams.
A bit crackly... as it was my grandfathers vinyl.
Earnest Newman summed up the man as well as the artist when on McCormank's death on September 16th, 1945 he was inspired to write,
"He was a supreme example of the art that conceals art, and sheer hard work that becomes manifest only in its results, not in the revolving of the machinery that has produced them. He never stooped to small and modest things; he invariably raised them, and with them the most unsophisticated listener, to his own high level. I never knew him in his public or his private singing, to be guilty of a lapse of taste, of making an effect for mere effect's sake. he was a patrician artist, dignified even in apparent undress, with a respect for art that is rarely met among tenors. There is no one to take his place."
Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:23 pm
James Wilson:
James Wilson was born in London in 1922. After wartime service in the Royal Navy he immigrated to Ireland and in 1999 he adopted Irish nationality. As a composer Wilson is largely self-taught. He taught composition for many years both in Dublin and in the summer school which he ran in the west of Ireland. He has experimented with many compositional styles, but has never given allegiance to any one of them, remaining his own man. His output is both large and varied, including a number of concertos, two symphonies, choral and instrumental works, about two hundred songs, several ballets and seven operas, at least five of which have been staged.
The majority of Wilson’s works have been performed in Ireland and he has also worked extensively in Denmark. His opera “Grinning at the Devil”, based on the life of Karen Blixen, was warmly received in Copenhagen in 1989. Another opera, “Letters to Theo”, based on the life of Vincent van Gogh, won an Independent Arts Award and has been produced for television as well as the theatre. Later works include the triple concerto “For Sarajevo”, “Calico Pie”, a cycle of Edward Lear settings and “Concerto Giocoso”, a concerto for wind quintet and orchestra, heard in Dublin in June 1998. His “Clarinet Concerto” was composed in 1999 and had its premiere in January 2000.
Wilson has an interest in some of the less usual instruments and has written substantial works for the free-bass accordion, the cor anglais and an electrically modified flute. In 1969 he was invited to Toronto the Canadian premiere of his quintet for accordion and strings. Hi output also includes a number of works for children. It was his children’s opera “The Hunting of the Snark” that first brought him to public attention in 1965.
Menorah/Concertino/Pearl and Unicorn:
Menorah:
The viola concerto “Menorah” was Wilson’s response to a visit to the memorial, outside Jerusalem, to the children who died in the Holocaust. It is the composer’s most deeply felt work. The music begins with violins, divided into six parts, playing at the top of their register; a sort of aural cloud is created and this cloud drifts, as it were, over the music of the first movement. This may sound like an arbitrary proceeding, but the movement is constructed on a complex mathematical basis. The soloist’s music is meditative rather than showy. The second movement, a scherzo in 8/8, begins with a passage for timpani and tom-toms. Soon they are joined by the soloist in rhythmic, spiky music, and then by the orchestral brass. Woodwind and orchestral strings are silent in this scherzo. The third movement is slow and marked Con tenerezza. It is the core of the work. The basis of it is Brahms’ “Cradle Song”, which is hinted at but never heard. For the first time, harp and vibraphone are heard in mysterious nocturnal music, which will be understood by anyone who has ever visited that heart-breaking memorial. The orchestral writing contains several sections where improvisation is used. The solo viola’s peroration concludes with a single harp and vibraphone chord.
Concertino:
Wilson’s Concertino is a one movement piece which, though written for a fairly large orchestra, is economically scored, as one of his aims in orchestral writing is to achieve the maximum degree of transparency. There are very few bars in which an orchestral tutti is heard. The work opens with muted strings, supported by harp and percussion, and gradually brings in other sections of the orchestra. A central section, at half the speed of the opening, introduces a melody for solo cello, soon joined by solo violin. The final part, which contains a canon for percussion, ends with a passage for muted strings similar to that at the beginning, over which the solo violin plays a snatch of the melody from the central duet.
Pearl and Unicorn:
Pearl and Unicorn is essentially a violin concerto. The orchestra used is small, with single woodwind and no heavy brass. The soloist enters in the fourth bar with an arching, son-like melody interrupted by brief flurries of faster music. The whole movement is lyrical in character, and leads to a scherzo with a five beat rhythm. The work was written for Alan Smale, the performer in this recording, and the scherzo employs certain uncommon features of string writing to which he introduced the composer. A slow third movement begins with solo violin, joined by flute, solo double bass and horn, one after the other. It is a meditative piece. The finale is another example of Wilson’s partiality for irregular rhythms: each bar has seven beats, divided into two plus three plus two. The clarinet begins this dance-like movement, more rumbustious in character than its prececessors. Sustained orchestral chords lead to a tranquil coda, slowing in the final bars to an adagio.
[Notes by James Wilson]
James Wilson was born in London in 1922. After wartime service in the Royal Navy he immigrated to Ireland and in 1999 he adopted Irish nationality. As a composer Wilson is largely self-taught. He taught composition for many years both in Dublin and in the summer school which he ran in the west of Ireland. He has experimented with many compositional styles, but has never given allegiance to any one of them, remaining his own man. His output is both large and varied, including a number of concertos, two symphonies, choral and instrumental works, about two hundred songs, several ballets and seven operas, at least five of which have been staged.
The majority of Wilson’s works have been performed in Ireland and he has also worked extensively in Denmark. His opera “Grinning at the Devil”, based on the life of Karen Blixen, was warmly received in Copenhagen in 1989. Another opera, “Letters to Theo”, based on the life of Vincent van Gogh, won an Independent Arts Award and has been produced for television as well as the theatre. Later works include the triple concerto “For Sarajevo”, “Calico Pie”, a cycle of Edward Lear settings and “Concerto Giocoso”, a concerto for wind quintet and orchestra, heard in Dublin in June 1998. His “Clarinet Concerto” was composed in 1999 and had its premiere in January 2000.
Wilson has an interest in some of the less usual instruments and has written substantial works for the free-bass accordion, the cor anglais and an electrically modified flute. In 1969 he was invited to Toronto the Canadian premiere of his quintet for accordion and strings. Hi output also includes a number of works for children. It was his children’s opera “The Hunting of the Snark” that first brought him to public attention in 1965.
Menorah/Concertino/Pearl and Unicorn:
Menorah:
The viola concerto “Menorah” was Wilson’s response to a visit to the memorial, outside Jerusalem, to the children who died in the Holocaust. It is the composer’s most deeply felt work. The music begins with violins, divided into six parts, playing at the top of their register; a sort of aural cloud is created and this cloud drifts, as it were, over the music of the first movement. This may sound like an arbitrary proceeding, but the movement is constructed on a complex mathematical basis. The soloist’s music is meditative rather than showy. The second movement, a scherzo in 8/8, begins with a passage for timpani and tom-toms. Soon they are joined by the soloist in rhythmic, spiky music, and then by the orchestral brass. Woodwind and orchestral strings are silent in this scherzo. The third movement is slow and marked Con tenerezza. It is the core of the work. The basis of it is Brahms’ “Cradle Song”, which is hinted at but never heard. For the first time, harp and vibraphone are heard in mysterious nocturnal music, which will be understood by anyone who has ever visited that heart-breaking memorial. The orchestral writing contains several sections where improvisation is used. The solo viola’s peroration concludes with a single harp and vibraphone chord.
Concertino:
Wilson’s Concertino is a one movement piece which, though written for a fairly large orchestra, is economically scored, as one of his aims in orchestral writing is to achieve the maximum degree of transparency. There are very few bars in which an orchestral tutti is heard. The work opens with muted strings, supported by harp and percussion, and gradually brings in other sections of the orchestra. A central section, at half the speed of the opening, introduces a melody for solo cello, soon joined by solo violin. The final part, which contains a canon for percussion, ends with a passage for muted strings similar to that at the beginning, over which the solo violin plays a snatch of the melody from the central duet.
Pearl and Unicorn:
Pearl and Unicorn is essentially a violin concerto. The orchestra used is small, with single woodwind and no heavy brass. The soloist enters in the fourth bar with an arching, son-like melody interrupted by brief flurries of faster music. The whole movement is lyrical in character, and leads to a scherzo with a five beat rhythm. The work was written for Alan Smale, the performer in this recording, and the scherzo employs certain uncommon features of string writing to which he introduced the composer. A slow third movement begins with solo violin, joined by flute, solo double bass and horn, one after the other. It is a meditative piece. The finale is another example of Wilson’s partiality for irregular rhythms: each bar has seven beats, divided into two plus three plus two. The clarinet begins this dance-like movement, more rumbustious in character than its prececessors. Sustained orchestral chords lead to a tranquil coda, slowing in the final bars to an adagio.
[Notes by James Wilson]
Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:33 pm
Philip Martin
Philip Martin is an Irish pianist and composer, and Professor of Music. He was born in Dublin in 1947 and won an Associated Board scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London where he studied with Franz Reizenstein. Reizenstein was a pupil of Solomon, Hindemith and Vaughan Williams. While there, Martin won many prestigious awards and prizes. He later studied under Lennox Berkeley, Richard Rodney Bennett and Louis Kentner. He went on to a dual career as both a pianist and composer.
Among his compositions are four piano concertos, Through Streets Broad and Narrow for piano and chamber orchestra, a concerto for harp dedicated to the Irish harpist Andreja Maliř, a symphony, much chamber music including seven piano trios and over 250 songs. Major choral works include "Thalassa" and a Chamber of commerce commission to celebrate the millennium "In Dublin's Fair City".
As of 2011, his music appeared on eight CD's and he recorded regularly for Hyperion records including the complete piano music of the colourful 19th century pianist and composer, Louis Moreau Gottschalk. One major interest is his passion for American music and he has given many first performances in the UK of works by William Schuman, Lukas Foss, Leonard Bernstein, and the first performance in Ireland of Samuel Barber's piano concerto.
Martin's interest in art led to him gaining an Open University degree in art history in 2009. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London and a member of Aosdana, Ireland's academy of creative artists and Professor of music at Birmingham Conservatoire, England.
Among his best known piano works are 'The Rainbow Comes And Goes' and "In a Thousand Valley's Far and wide", both commissions from the GPA (now AXA) International piano competition in Dublin.
Piano Concerto No. 2
The Piano Concerto No. 2 was commissioned by RTE and the committee of Dublin, European City of Culture 1991 and is dedicated to Mabel Swainson. It is in single movement form. In it the soloist, the Dubliner, moves through a series of memories of the city, in which the early morning bustle and the echo of Gregorian chant are among the more obvious. The music is not intended to be directly pictorial but rather leaves the listener free to fit his or her own experiences of the city to the musical canvas. The concerto is in five unbroken sections; the composer has provided the following notes:
The Concerto opens with a cadenza for the soloist, a descending scale, which very soon becomes the prevailing theme of the work. It is first hinted at, and then fully stated.
With the first theme the piano material becomes more agitated (the city awakens?) and eventuallycajoles the orchestra into life. This gives rise to a Scherzo which could suggest the bustle of the city.
In the second theme the orchestra completes the first section working its way up to a high held A. This key becomes more important as the work continues. The first “rush of traffic” is over. The oboe introduces the second section using the acciaccaturas of the Scherzo in the Elegy theme.
A third theme follows. Here the piano introduces the first of the Chorales, (memories of Gregorian Chant at school) then the order is Chorale II, woodwind; Chorale I, piano; Chorale II, strings. The piano states the first Chorale for the third time, pianissimo, and the brass reply with the third chorale, accompanied by and eventually swamped by two sets of timpani.
Their excitement whirls into a toccata-like dance based on the acciaccatura idea from the Scherzo. This is a bravura section culminating in a fugato for full orchestra, out of which the piano produces a short virtuosic Cadenza. The main theme is finally central to the last section, introduced by the piano and taken up by the trumpets over a meandering triplet accompaniment. At the climax, the piano restates the first chorale, leading to a blast of fury based on that A harmony for the entire forces, before the Coda brings the work to a peaceful resolution. The quiet city is asleep..
[I found this to be a lovely and exciting work on both an intellectual and visceral level. The music is very accessible and the structure really does give the work great shape. The music creates a wonderful sound world and I think that it really is a wonderful piece of modern musical composition].
Beato Angelico
Beato Angelico was inspired by a visit to Tuscany in 1989. It is one part of a projected longer orchestral work called Renaissance Triptych. In this work Martin tried to convey the flavour of a Fra Angelico painting called Annunciation. In particular you will hear the flutter of the brilliant angels’ wings in the woodwind, a recurrent theme in the first section. The other sections in the triptych are also based on two other paintings by Fra Angelico. The work was commissioned by RTE, and was first performed by the National Orchestra of Ireland in June 1990.
[The colours, textures and sonorities are wonderful in this work.]
Harp Concerto
In the Harp Concerto Martin used the idea of Elegies and Dances, light and darkness, happy and sad, the two contrasting yet present sides of our personalities. In each of the movements this contrast appears. The work was written in 1993 and involved considerable revisions before he was satisfied with it.
[I really enjoyed this work with all of the aforementioned contrasts. The solo writing for the various instruments in this work is very colourful and inventive and I particularly like the more meditative sections of the work. This is a most enjoyable concerto.]
Notes and texts from Philip Martin and Wiki.
Philip Martin is an Irish pianist and composer, and Professor of Music. He was born in Dublin in 1947 and won an Associated Board scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London where he studied with Franz Reizenstein. Reizenstein was a pupil of Solomon, Hindemith and Vaughan Williams. While there, Martin won many prestigious awards and prizes. He later studied under Lennox Berkeley, Richard Rodney Bennett and Louis Kentner. He went on to a dual career as both a pianist and composer.
Among his compositions are four piano concertos, Through Streets Broad and Narrow for piano and chamber orchestra, a concerto for harp dedicated to the Irish harpist Andreja Maliř, a symphony, much chamber music including seven piano trios and over 250 songs. Major choral works include "Thalassa" and a Chamber of commerce commission to celebrate the millennium "In Dublin's Fair City".
As of 2011, his music appeared on eight CD's and he recorded regularly for Hyperion records including the complete piano music of the colourful 19th century pianist and composer, Louis Moreau Gottschalk. One major interest is his passion for American music and he has given many first performances in the UK of works by William Schuman, Lukas Foss, Leonard Bernstein, and the first performance in Ireland of Samuel Barber's piano concerto.
Martin's interest in art led to him gaining an Open University degree in art history in 2009. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London and a member of Aosdana, Ireland's academy of creative artists and Professor of music at Birmingham Conservatoire, England.
Among his best known piano works are 'The Rainbow Comes And Goes' and "In a Thousand Valley's Far and wide", both commissions from the GPA (now AXA) International piano competition in Dublin.
Piano Concerto No. 2
The Piano Concerto No. 2 was commissioned by RTE and the committee of Dublin, European City of Culture 1991 and is dedicated to Mabel Swainson. It is in single movement form. In it the soloist, the Dubliner, moves through a series of memories of the city, in which the early morning bustle and the echo of Gregorian chant are among the more obvious. The music is not intended to be directly pictorial but rather leaves the listener free to fit his or her own experiences of the city to the musical canvas. The concerto is in five unbroken sections; the composer has provided the following notes:
The Concerto opens with a cadenza for the soloist, a descending scale, which very soon becomes the prevailing theme of the work. It is first hinted at, and then fully stated.
With the first theme the piano material becomes more agitated (the city awakens?) and eventuallycajoles the orchestra into life. This gives rise to a Scherzo which could suggest the bustle of the city.
In the second theme the orchestra completes the first section working its way up to a high held A. This key becomes more important as the work continues. The first “rush of traffic” is over. The oboe introduces the second section using the acciaccaturas of the Scherzo in the Elegy theme.
A third theme follows. Here the piano introduces the first of the Chorales, (memories of Gregorian Chant at school) then the order is Chorale II, woodwind; Chorale I, piano; Chorale II, strings. The piano states the first Chorale for the third time, pianissimo, and the brass reply with the third chorale, accompanied by and eventually swamped by two sets of timpani.
Their excitement whirls into a toccata-like dance based on the acciaccatura idea from the Scherzo. This is a bravura section culminating in a fugato for full orchestra, out of which the piano produces a short virtuosic Cadenza. The main theme is finally central to the last section, introduced by the piano and taken up by the trumpets over a meandering triplet accompaniment. At the climax, the piano restates the first chorale, leading to a blast of fury based on that A harmony for the entire forces, before the Coda brings the work to a peaceful resolution. The quiet city is asleep..
[I found this to be a lovely and exciting work on both an intellectual and visceral level. The music is very accessible and the structure really does give the work great shape. The music creates a wonderful sound world and I think that it really is a wonderful piece of modern musical composition].
Beato Angelico
Beato Angelico was inspired by a visit to Tuscany in 1989. It is one part of a projected longer orchestral work called Renaissance Triptych. In this work Martin tried to convey the flavour of a Fra Angelico painting called Annunciation. In particular you will hear the flutter of the brilliant angels’ wings in the woodwind, a recurrent theme in the first section. The other sections in the triptych are also based on two other paintings by Fra Angelico. The work was commissioned by RTE, and was first performed by the National Orchestra of Ireland in June 1990.
[The colours, textures and sonorities are wonderful in this work.]
Harp Concerto
In the Harp Concerto Martin used the idea of Elegies and Dances, light and darkness, happy and sad, the two contrasting yet present sides of our personalities. In each of the movements this contrast appears. The work was written in 1993 and involved considerable revisions before he was satisfied with it.
[I really enjoyed this work with all of the aforementioned contrasts. The solo writing for the various instruments in this work is very colourful and inventive and I particularly like the more meditative sections of the work. This is a most enjoyable concerto.]
Notes and texts from Philip Martin and Wiki.
Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 4:25 pm
yes, doing some catch up.. I have the Philip Martin disc above and it is quite good. I need to dust it off and revisit. Colorful and interesting, even if Beato Angelico is a bit Respighi-like in sonority.
Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:58 pm
Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:04 pm
Thank you for that Seán; all relevant information thankfully received here.
Re: Irish Classical Music Composers in my collection
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 9:03 pm
John Kinsella: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 10....
Symphony No. 5, completed in 1992, is a fully text based work drawing on the work of three Irish poets who were executed after a revolution in 1916 [hence the subtitle]. The [non political] words are delivered by two soloists, a baritone soloist and a speaker. The work constantly shifts between pure music and music to accompany the text. This does not provide any jarring effect as each transition is seamless and the musical content is robust throughout.
Symphony No. 10, completed in 2010, is scored for a small orchestra. There is great drive and delivery throughout the first movement with its energetic rhythms and propulsing tempos. The slow movement is full of contrasts juxtaposed with great effect. Even with small forces the orchestration and textures are wonderful. The final movement reverts to the energy and drive of the opening movement and the tension steadily builds culminating in a fine conclusion and the work drifts quietly away in a very attractive coda.
Symphony No. 5, completed in 1992, is a fully text based work drawing on the work of three Irish poets who were executed after a revolution in 1916 [hence the subtitle]. The [non political] words are delivered by two soloists, a baritone soloist and a speaker. The work constantly shifts between pure music and music to accompany the text. This does not provide any jarring effect as each transition is seamless and the musical content is robust throughout.
Symphony No. 10, completed in 2010, is scored for a small orchestra. There is great drive and delivery throughout the first movement with its energetic rhythms and propulsing tempos. The slow movement is full of contrasts juxtaposed with great effect. Even with small forces the orchestration and textures are wonderful. The final movement reverts to the energy and drive of the opening movement and the tension steadily builds culminating in a fine conclusion and the work drifts quietly away in a very attractive coda.