FRMS BULLETIN Autumn 2002 No. 137
Ed i tor: CONTENTS Arthur Baker All Ed ito rial copy to him at: page STRATFORD 4 Ramsdale Road, NEWS Bramhall, Stockport, Week end intro 26 Cheshire SK7 2QA Commi ttee shakeup 2 Re cord ings of year 27 Tel: 0161 440 8746 Tony Baines 2 Dr John Ev ans 28 [email protected] New Cen tral Re gion 3 Belshazzar’ feast 28 Asst. Ed i tor: Philip Ashton 3 Sir William Walton 28 Reg William son (see back FRMS and you 4 Techni cal Forum 28 page for ad dress). Sibelius re cord ings 5 Coull Quar tet 29 Ed i to rial dead lines: Next years ‘Week end’ 6 Blowing in the wind 29 Spring is sue - 31st Decem ber Hungariton Records 7 Au tumn is sue - 30th June Danesborough Chorus 7 Scotland Mar keting Man ager: Scottis h Group 30 Ca thy Con nolly (see back LETTERS page). Ad ver tise ments are THE REGIONS avail able from £35.00, de - The Old Days 8 tails from her. Increases in subs. 9 Sus sex Re gion 31 Financial matters 10 Yorkshire Reg ion 33 Copies are distributed to all Rail ways in mu sic 10 Federation affiliates with THE SOCIETIES additional copies through FEATURES society secretaries. Estimated Hinckley 36 readership is well over 10,000. Mar tinu: his life & works 11 Put ney Mu sic 36 Individual Subscriptions are Martinu: recom. record ings 15 Rochdale 37 available at £6.80 for four Overtures and encores 17 Stafford 37 issues. Direct orders and Un fin ished sym pho nies 19 subscriptions for the Bulletin Audio Bulle tin 1. New ray 20 CROSSWORD should be sent to the FRMS Music quot ations 22 Treasurer (see back page). Crossword 39 The cover picture is of the BOOK REVIEW Carpet Gardens, Eastbourne, FRMS OFFICERS permission of Eastbourne Oh, My Horses 23 Borough Council. Of fi cers, Board and CD REVIEWS Com mit tees 40 Type set by the edi tor us ing Corel Ventura. Galuppi - so natas 24 Please Note: No ma terial con - Respighi - Belkis etc. 24 tent of this mag azine may be Schu bert- Pi ano mas ter works 25 re pro duced else where with - out permis sion from the pub - lish ers, Fed er a tion of Re corded Mu sic So ci eties Ltd. Printed by Maxiprint, de - page signers and colour printers, Kettlestring Lane, Clifton Visit the FRMS Website: Moor, York YO30 4XF ISSN 09628150 www.musicweb.uk.net/frms NEWS FRMS COMMITTEE SHAKEUP n February of this year a number of changes John Davies was con firmed as Chair man and Tony occurred to the FRMS Committee, starting Baines, the sec retary of the City of Stoke on Trent Iwith the unexpected resignation of Allan Child Gramophone Society was co-opted to the as Chairman. This stated as being for “Personal Com mit tee as the new FRMS Secre tary. A short Reasons”. However, Allan has subsequently made por trait of our new Sec retary is given below. the following statement to The Bulletin: Ca thy Connolly also agreed to be Vice “No doubt a lot of peo ple will be won der ing what lies behind my abrupt de par ture from of fice part way through the year. Maybe a few words of expla na t ion would be helpful. “Very simply I had (and still have) other commitments which made it difficult to give FRMS matters the attention they deserved at that particular time. I therefore felt that it would be better to allow someone else the opportunity to make a more effective contribution. “I am con fi dent that the lead ership of the Feder a tion is in safe hands with John Davies as Chair man, and both he and the rest of the Com mit tee have my full sup port. I am not to tally dis so ci at ing my self from the af fairs of the Fed era tion — I am keep ing a ‘watch ing brief’ on regional developments and am still available to pres ent programmes for So ci eties on an oc casional basis. I also remain Sec retary of Derby Recorded Music Society. Should the oppor tu nity arise in the not too dis tant fu ture I would be prepared to consider further involve ment in FRMS mat ters. “Finally, may I thank Soci etie s and indi vid u als for their sup port dur ing my term of of fice, and John Davies, our new Chairman send my best wishes to all mem bers”. Chairman for the remain ing part of the year. It was At the same time, Pe ter Lerew in di cated that he also agreed to co-opt Keith Cheffins to the was resign ing as Feder a tion Secre tary, also for Commit tee , where he will continue to look af ter per sonal rea sons; as also did Richard Rance who certain as pects of the Insur ance Scheme. left the Commit tee at the same time. In the last edition of the Bulletin, we reported Consequential Changes the sad death of Dennis Bostock who had been responsible for the Federation’s technical matters After Allan’s res ig nation, John Davies as the for so many years. The vacant position has now Vice-Chair man im me di ately be came act ing been filled by Philip Ashton who has been co-opted Chair man. To en sure con ti nu ity, fol low ing to Committee as Honorary Technical Officer. A con sulta tion with all members of the Com mit tee, short portrait of Philip is given on page 3. he asked Reg William son to act as Secre tary until a per ma nent re place ment could be ap pointed. Tony Baines At the Meet ing of the Com mit tee of 15th April ony Baines, the new Federation Secretary qualified as a teacher in 1959, worked in Tprimary schools in Birmingham and was a Please support our advertisers and quote headmaster from 1971 until his (early) retirement the Bulletin when you contact them. in 1992. At Teachers Training Col lege in 1957, his col lection of exactly 100 LPs was used to set up a
2 NEWS FRMS recorded music so ci ety. This thrived to the extent with Graham Kiteley as its Secretary will cease to of be ing given a grant by the col lege to set up a exist. Tributes are due to Graham for all the hard work he has done in the past. His organisational skills are recognised throughout our movement. Few who were there, could forget the well planned Federation AGM at Kidderminster in 1989. It is good that he is part of the new team. As a first step a day event at the historic Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury is planned for next March, 2003. The 40 affiliates will be advised of the final details in a mailing in September or October. Naturally any other affiliates would be welcome, Mick Birchall will be happy to send the details to any contacting him. Another important point is that it is intended to have similar events all around the region; these are likely to be held in March and October each year, at a price all can afford! If these day events are successful, in 2 or 3 Tony Baines, Federation Secretary years the possibility of a musical weekend will be record li brary, no doubt helped by the fact that the considered. Watch this space. Vice-Prin ci pal was one of its keen est members. In 1974 Tony joined the Shir ley RMS, and Philip Ashton be fore long the So ci ety was ex chang ing pre sent ers hilip Ashton, who is the new Federation with the so ci ety in his na tive Stoke. He also Honorary Technical Officer started his en joyed ex change vis its with so ci et ies at Solihull, Pcareer as an Air Radio Apprentice in the Olton, Newcas tle, Stafford and Stone. Royal Air Force. During his subsequent life in the Tony was a com mit tee member at Shir ley electronics industry he became interested in music befo re mov ing to Redditch in 1981. There, the and Hi Fi. This had started at an early age. away-days took us to Kidderminster, Worces ter and Tewkesbury. Af ter taking early retire ment, he returned to Stoke in 1996 and has been the secre tary of the lo cal so ci ety for the last three years. New FRMS Central Region he Federation is committed to develop the Regional Groups. With that background TGordon Wainwright of the existing West Midlands Regional Group initiated a meeting of interested people who have already played their part in the past, in organising events in the West Midlands, East Midlands and the North Mercia Regions. A priority on the agenda was to consider whether we should combine all these regions into one, whilst still encouraging contacts and activities that neighbouring societies have with each other. This is exactly what was agreed to be done, and means there are now about 40 affiliates within a new Central Region. Gordon Wainwright was appointed Chairman Philip Ashton, Hon. Technical Officer of the new Group. Mick Birchall has agreed to take When he was was about 15 years old he built a on the new job of Central Regional Secretary. tape recorder, a Williamson Amplifier and various The existing West Midlands Regional Group
3 NEWS FRMS other electronic gear such as mixers, radio tuners publicised, it was a completely democratic etc. His father helped in the construction of his decision by the meeting and can be overridden any first home made loudspeaker cabinets (Goodmans time by an appropriate Motion at any future AGM. 12 inch and a Tannoy unit of similiar size). His And this is as it should be. technical interest in the reproduction of sound Let me now discuss with the matter of allied to a large collection of recorded music has licensing by two organizations with which we deal become a lifelong hobby. on your behalf. First, the Performing Right Society He joined the Hitchin Re corded Mu sic So ci ety, aka the PRS. It is a wide spread misconception that fi nally being elected as its Chairman. After some having bought a commercial recording, the buyer years and with a declin ing member ship he (with can then do anything he or she likes with it, other help from the North Herts Arts Coun cil) re formed than play it within the domestic circle. Read round the soci ety as an af fili ate of the Benslow Music the label in the centre. All the artists involved, from Trust. the composer to the performing artists have Now re tired, he finds he seems to have less free established their copyright and it is implicit in that time, as he is in volved with var i ous char i ties such recording. The same would apply to a photograph as the lo cal hos pice, the U3A and other taken, a painting, or a piece of writing. These rights organ isa tion s. are embodied in law, and rightly so. Such Philip is now trying to negociate discounts for copyright lasts up to 70 years after the creator’s equipment supplied to affilated Societies and their death. members. Accordingly it is worth checking with The PRS is an independent organization that Philip before any purchase is made. not only oversees the interests of all creative artists such as composers, painters and writers, but also The FRMS and You has the full backing of the law. It also has the ohn Tay lor’s letter in the Spring is sue of the vested ability to grant licences for use of the Bul le tin re veals a wide spread mis un der stand- copyright under defined circumstances. This is Jing per sist ing about the sums we levy on each where your FRMS comes in. Many decades ago, af fil i ate annu ally. So, for a start, let’s get out of the the FRMS reached a unique agreement with the way the im pli cation that your FRMS Commit t ee is PRS, in that a licence would be granted to us that reg u larly rais ing the af fil i a tion charges. This is would permit all affiliates to play commercial quite untrue. recordings at their meetings, virtually where they In truth, the cost of affiliation to the FRMS has like, when they like and as many times as they like. remained unchanged for a number of years and to It is unique to us as far as I am aware. Up to about 3 be frank, it was remiss of a previous Treasurer not years ago, those charges for our licence had to have recognised a simple fact. To leave them remained unchanged for quite some time and it unchanged each year whilst costs for the FRMS was only when activities on the Internet led to wide administration rose inexorably by roughly 3% in spread infringements of copyright, that a steady real terms meant that inevitably the chickens tightening on the PRS’s legal obligations began to would have to come home to roost. A rise would have its effect on us. It was calculated by the PRS then have to be large and painful. As it was, the that our licence charge had fallen in real terms due widely publicised one-off 10% increase proposed to erosion over the years by at least 64% and the and accepted at the 2001 AGM in Cardiff only proposal was put to us that our annual charge partially makes up the loss. The sensible proposal should increase by that amount. to link our affiliation fee henceforth to the mean Acting on your behalf, the FRMS felt that between the AEI/RPI indexes to prevent this whilst it could not be questioned, such an increase progressive erosion in the future was also could have a devastating effect on some of our accepted. It is after all, sound accounting practice smaller affiliates. It took a whole year to reach an and I might add, one that ought to be emulated by agreement, to have it spread over three years and a all our affiliates. The proposal was widely nominal 15.5% per annum. I stress “nominal” since our agreement is based on a per capita assessment of our total membership the preceding Please support our advertisers and quote year. Inevitably, we lose affiliates and of those that the Bulletin when you contact them. remain, membership declines. It requires the wisdom of Solomon and the predictive ability of a Cassandra for a Treasurer to determine the
4 NEWS FRMS appropriate increase. He has to try and avoid that season about 20 meetings a year. You would have part of our accounts running at a loss and so paid this past year, a total of £67.67, which starting a drain on our reserves. I might add, too includes our affiliation fee as well as the PRS and we have to maintain a large reserve, since all the PPL contribution. From information available to charges become due just as we are starting to me, to meet the Society’s legal obligations if collect our revenues. The good news is that the last unaffiliated would cost close to a total of £400 a of these increases is this year and thereafter, all monies levied — our affiliation fee as well as your proportion of the licence fee — will be based on a mean of the AEI/RPI factor each year. This has over the past few years been close to 3%. So what of your contribution to our licence? As always, for many years it has been recognised that smaller Societies need as much financial support as possible. We operate a grading system, inasmuch very small Societies pay proportionally less than larger and more prosperous Societies. It is a complex formula, again requiring some fiscal skill to make sure the revenue coming in closely matches that Which we pay in total to the PRS; and so far, we have been successful with a tiny surplus for the past year. We must deal now with the Phonographic Performances Ltd. aka PPL. It too, operates on year. Need I say more? behalf of the recording industry and under recent All this ignores what other benefits affiliation legislation, is required to pay half of what it collects brings, such as free administrative and technical to the performing artists. This factor, plus again advice, a free Website, inexpensive Public Liability the growing infringements of copyright on the cover and Equipment Insurance and a Bulletin Internet, revived interest in our licence with them. twice a year; and can I mention, the camaraderie of It was in the 1980’s the PPL decided unilaterally a movement that is now 65 years old. All this by not to collect from us any monies for all activities unpaid volunteers, working for you. Support it at by our affiliates and it was a unique privilege. all costs. Lose it and the movement will not Inevitably, a couple of years ago, PPL felt this had survive. Of that, I am quite certain. to end and so there followed more protracted Reg Williamson negotiations. In this case, we pay for our licence on Sibelius Re cord ings the basis of the number of Societies affiliated and is a straightforward figure. Again, we take into n May, Philip Ashton our Hon. Technical account the special problems for small Societies Officer, who is a member of the Sibelius Society Iattended a reception at the Finnish Embassy and accordingly, the proportions we levy are graded according to the size of the Society. It still on the occasion of the presentation of annual required no small ability on the part of the awards to people/groups/orchestras etc who have Treasurer to predict what that should be and this furthered the cause of Sibelius. year and the first year of its imposition, we seem to Edward G Clark the Society President asked have got it right. whether we could find out if any member of any I do hope this highly complex activity on the part FRMS affiliate had a recording from a broadcast of the FRMS will convince all that we enjoy something of:. Sibelius 3rd Symphony or Sibelius 6th that, so far as is known, is not achieved by any other Symphony conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. musical body. It is something that we must seek to He said that neither had been commercially preserve at all costs if our movement is to survive. recorded by Sir Thomas. The BBC and other Someone may ask, what is the alternative? authorities had all been approached, but that Imagine that you are a Society affiliated to us nothing had been unearthed. and decide to go it alone — which, of course, any If any member has a copy of this Broadcast or Society may do at any time. You are a typical has any information, please contact Philip (see last Society of say, 30-35 members meeting for a page for address).
5 NEWS FRMS Next Year’s Musical Weekend aintaining the undoubted artistic success always good for a few amusing stories which she of previous Musical Weekends means not may choose to do about her many experiences Monly continuous attention to quality of travelling the world giving recitals. Jennifer is also content, but to always introduce an element of known for her definitive interpretation of the innovation. Plans for the FRMS Stratford organ works of Olivier Messiaen. Weekend 2003, now well advanced, will prove no Antony Askew was for 33 years a BBC studio exception. manager, announcer and producer. He was also active in the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop. Now a free lance, he has a special interest in archive recordings and equipment. Antony is a member of an organization known as the Institute of Broadcast Sound, a select group of professional audio engineers which this year, celebrates its silver jubilee. Our Record Company spot will be Chandos and we hope again, will be able to provide some CDs for a raffle. Finally, the live recital, that most important part of any FRMS Weekend. It has been suggested on more than one occasion that we should be encouraging young talent. With the willing assistance of Professor Edward Gregson, Principal Reg Williamson — Weekend Organiser of the Royal Northern College in Manchester, we have engaged a talented group of young graduates New will be the performance from the from the College, the Singh Quartet. More details emerging DVD medium of a complete opera, will be available later. projected on a 6’ screen. The actual choice of the Our equipment problem has been solved again, opera will obviously be dictated by length (and no, and whilst that we were fortunate to have last year we did not consider “Gotterdammerung” at somewhat short notice, it was nevertheless very suitable!). At the moment, two are favoured and “high end” domestic equipment. After taking are outstanding — Strauss’ “Salome” and Puccini’s counsel of Anthony West-Samuel and Robert “Tosca”. Both are the ideal length. One idea being Swithenbank, who bear the brunt every year mooted is that Weekenders will make the choice operating and setting up the equipment, I turned themselves on arriving at the hotel. At the time of to my colleagues in the IBS and we are very writing, because of the considerable technical fortunate in that all our technical needs will be met preparations involved, it is likely to be Friday by a company that manufactures monitor evening after dinner. loudspeakers for the professional market, PMC As always a distinguished guest will be with us; Ltd. Its managing director Peter Thomas has also Edward Greenfield in Conversation with Dame offered to give a demonstration of Surround Margaret Price. Sound, one of the company’s special areas of Bryce Morrison is a critic, writer, and lecturer expertise. Our Technical Officer Philip Ashton on all music subjects, a contributor to many will, of course, be in overall charge of equipment. publications as well as the Gramophone. Bryce As before, the Weekend will be at the Moat travels worldwide, lecturing and adjudicating, and House Stratford Upon Avon, April 25 - 27th. The has been recommended highly as an entertaining hotel charges remain unaltered and at the same and witty speaker. He has indicated he’d like to talk level as four years ago when we first went there. about up and coming young pianists. This represents a reduction in real terms of over An old friend, who first came to a FRMS 9%. All information along with the programme we Weekend back in the late seventies, is the hope will be sent out to Society Secretaries internationally distinguished organist Jennifer immediately after Christmas; but, if you would like Bate. Organists are like orchestral wind players, your own individual copy by post, just let me or the
6 NEWS FRMS
FRMS Secretary Tony Baines know and you will be added to a special list. By all means contact me at any time for more up-to-date information. Reg Williamson
Hungariton Re cord - ings ince the demise of distributors Red Hedgehog (squashed?), SHungariton records have not been readily available in the UK. Recently, however, CD Classics of Stroud have been able to supply Hungaroton by mail order. For more information contact: Who are these Gentlemen and what are they CD CLASSICS, 6 Copp Hill Lane, discussing? (See bottom of page for answer). Budleigh Salterton, Devon, EX9 6DT. Danesborough Chorus Tel/Fax: 01395 443364 Email: [email protected] he Danesborough Chorus has produced a CD-ROM entitled “Guide to Choral Singing” Tas a teaching aid to choristers of all abilities. It will not make you into an expert singer but will Federation of Recorded Music Societies help people to start. Annual General Meeting It is designed so that at the end of level one the user will know enough to be able to follow a Commences 2.15p.m. conductor and sing in a basic choir. It also gives on Saturday 19th October 2002 at plenty of advice to take you further. If you are The Mansion House Hotel, leading a group, it will help to train members of the Grand Parade choir. Eastbourne BN21 3YS To order a copy, send your name and address and phone no. With a cheque for £10 to: Following the meeting, bar facilities The Danesborough Chorus will be available. 4 Chetwood Ave, Monkston Milton Keynes MK10 9EJ Hosted by Eastbourne RMS
and the Sussex Region Mys tery Pho to graph
e l b a t
A three-course dinner will be followed in the .
e h t n o x o b t a t s a r a P a e e s n a c u o y d n a s d r o c e r
evening by a recital by The Tyler Quartet
f o e r a c e h t t u o b a g n i k l a t e r e w d n a z i u q l a c i n h c e t
g n i v a h e r e w y e h T . r e w e i v e r d n a r e c i f f O
Tickets (£19.50 each) for the dinner and a
l a c i n h c e T S M R F r e m r o f , b b e W t r e B , t s a l d n a
recital should be obtained from FRMS
; e n o h p o m a r G e h t o t r o s i v d a l a c i n h c e T , c i w r o B
Secretary: k
n h o J ; r e c i f f O l a c i n h c e T S M R F n o s m a i l l i W
Tony Baines, 2 Fulmar Place, Meir Park,
g e R ; s r e k a e p s d u o l r e h t w o L e h t f o r e n g i s e d , v a h C
Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 7QF e
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Please enclose a DL size stamped addressed d
m i t e n o , s u o d l A d l a n o D ; t h g i r o t t f e L . 6 - 5 7 9 1 . a c
envelope with your application. All cheques to e
n o d s e d d o H n i d n e k e e W l a c i s u M e h t t a n e k a T be payable to the Federation of Recorded Music Societies Ltd.
7 LETTERS FRMS LETTERS LETTERS The Old Days month on a Thursday morning. There was no choice in those days, he was sent whatever was At the risk of inundating your magazine with available. So was often landed with stock it was contributions from Southampton, I feel compelled difficult to shift. I always tried to fiddle a half-day to support Peter Powell when he disputes the off to coincide with the delivery Thursday but even statement by Arthur Butterworth in the Autumn when successful, by the time I reached Elgin all the 2001 issue that ‘sixty years ago there was not a lot locals had sorted through the stock and taken what of interest in records’. they considered the best. It was seldom that more At the tender age of four I was given a tiny than two or three records remained but I always wind-up gramophone with six records of about 5" took what was there unless I already had a copy, diameter (Peter converted his to take 10" records and in this way I was introduced to recordings and but then he is two years my senior and obviously a performers I would not otherwise have mechanical genius). I can only remember two of considered. the recordings, one was of Al Jolson singing ‘When By now the old Gramophone Company had the Red Red Robin’, and the other was a Sousa acquired Columbia Records and, after being march. At this time Woolworths sold records at declared bankrupt, had re-emerged as His Masters sixpence each (2 ½ p) and sheet music at the same Voice under which title it continued until price. The records were produced by a company becoming EMI after the war. called Oriole Records but sold under the Although some progress had been made Woolworth label. including the standardisation of the recording Most middle class homes had a gramophone speed, a twelve inch record gave only about five and, when in 1927. Ernest Lough recorded ‘Hear minutes playing time, so the quality of a My Prayer’ with the Temple Church Choir, it sold Beethoven symphony was often judged by how the over a million copies and thousands of extra gramophones were purchased in consequence. In those days each recording company used a ATTENTION different speed, and there was a regulator beside ALL PROGRAMME SECRETARIES! the turntable so the speed could be adjusted as required. I well remember annoying my parents by changing the speed up or down halfway through a Book a FREE RECITAL from record so that Caruso either had a slow deep bass CD, BOOK &. VIDEO SELECTIONS voice or a fast high-pitched treble. (DORCHESTER) At the age of seven I was taken into hospital with an infectious disease and placed in a ward with about twenty other lads in ages ranging from “PROGRAMMES - BY- POST” about seven to sixteen. A gramophone was also available - details on request provided in the ward and a library of perhaps a dozen records among which I remember was a popular song at the time ‘Why is My Bacon so Stock available for sale at meetings Tough?". This was too much for the older boys Bargain prices and wide selection because we had a young Welsh nurse called Nurse No hard sell - the music sells itself! Bacon and whenever she appeared a group of them would sing ‘Why is Nurse Bacon so Rough’. She always pretended to fly into a temper but we all Please ring or write to:- knew it was just an act— she was a lovely girl, not a Brian Bishop nasty thought in her head. 39 Walker Crescent At an early period of the war I was posted to Wyke Regis Lossiemouth in Scotland and took my portable WEYMOUTH gramophone with me, of course. There was a Dorset DT4 9AU record shop in Elgin (six miles away) named Barr’s Tel: 01305 759 505 I think, and he received a delivery of records once a
8 LETTERS FRMS engineer had arranged the ‘breaks’. The best came “FRMS merely acts as a collecting agency for little out on Red Label recordings at five shillings each or no reward”. I thought this was one of the (25p) and the dodgy ones on the Plum Label at four reasons why the Federation was set up i.e. to shillings (20p). Some of these latter ones were facilitate the organisation and running of affiliate pretty dreadful with the break coming when the societies. In addition it should also be pointed out track ran out irrespective of the effect upon the that the FRMS while acting as a “collecting agency” listener who had to wait perhaps a full minute does have the option to invest subscription before the music resumed — and this could be monies, according to cash flows, on a short or repeated seven or eight times during a long piece longer-term basis thus earning revenue for the such as the Beethoven Ninth symphony. Federation. The advent of the LP record was a sensation. As Finally, there will have been substantial one of my friends exclaimed upon first hearing the increases in the subscription fees over the last two Mendelssohn Violin Concerto on LP ‘You can even years largely due, I acknowledge, to the PRS & PPL hear the whisper of the violin’. We were hooked agreements. However, the figures that Mr and sales of records rocketed. Cartwright supplied were helpful but of course Those of us who know only the pleasure of CDs relate only to the affiliation element. If my have little idea of the situation in the earlier days of understanding is correct the index increases will recordings. Our equipment may have been also apply to the PRS & PPL elements as well. The primitive by modern standards but we were just as cumulative effect of the adjustment increases in enthusiastic. the PRS and the PPL, the 10% affiliation increase One thing that has always intrigued me. Steel and the subsequent index increases will still needles were available in three grades, soft, require considerable financial effort by the medium and loud — how was this variation in affiliated societies. volume achieved? Were they made from different Norman Castleton, Treasurer, Lowestoft RMS grades of steel? Harold Bagust, Southampton RMS
In creases In Sub scrip tion Fees Thank you for publishing my letter on behalf of the Lowestoft Recorded Music Society re the Increase in the Affiliation and Associated Fees. Thank you also to the treasurer Mr Brian Cartwright for responding to the letter, and to Mr The Hanover Band is one of Britain’s Reg Williamson and Mr Richard Rance for their most internationally acclaimed period follow up interest and helpful advice. instrument orchestras. After considering the correspondence and the points raised therein, there are some issues to Treat your club to an entertaining and which I would like to respond. enlightening talk illustrated by some of the Firstly, my letter did imply and acknowledge the role played by Mr Reg Williamson and the 150 recordings made by The Hanover Band. other officers of the Federation in improving the Caroline Brown the Artistic Director organisation and finances of the FRMS. However, it was still disturbing to learn of the previous lack and Founder of The Hanover Band shares of proper financial records, controls and with you early memories of founding the procedures (outlined by Mr Williamson in the orchestra and it’s plans for the future. previous bulletin) which gave rise for the need for corrective action. I was also pleased to note that Mr The Hanover Band at The Old Market, Cartwright has given his reassurance that this kind Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS of mismanagement will not occur again during his tel: 01273-206978 ext 1 term of office. fax: 01273-329636 Secondly, I think it was unnecessary of Mr Cartwright to state re the PRS & PPL fees that the
9 LETTERS FRMS
Fi nan cial Mat ters. treasurer, FRMS fees represent 5.44% of our total expenditure and we are a small society of currently I note with interest, the correspondence from only 28 members. Norman Castleton, Brian Cartwright and Mr J.T. If affiliates are to survive they must have Taylor ( March 2002 issue) regular income, at Wolverhampton we now levy a It will, sadly, be always a matter of dispute weekly attendance charge of £2.00 per member in about the reference to mismanagement and lack of addition to a modest subscription, it is the only financial controls and who was really responsible way we shall survive and make a surplus each year. for that, it is worth remembering that it all began When you think that £2.00 is the average cost on a simple presentation issue. However assuming of a concert programme, being a member of my the concerns expressed by one of the auditors John society is good value plus the friendship of course! Rowden, who happens to be a chartered Gordon Wainwright, Telford. accountant, and which were reported at last year’s Rail ways in Mu sic AGM can be satisfied, it will be time to move on. Mr Taylor refers to a balance of £27,000 it should With reference to part 3 of the Article ‘Railways be noted that this is before the necessary budgeted in Music’ in the Spring 2002 issue (and just for the expenditure is deducted in the weeks leading up to record!) I cannot believe that even a U.S. composer Christmas, the true balance or what might be with a ‘passion for locomotives’ would have described as a reserve is around half that amount. intended an album track entitled ‘K4 Pacific’ to Whatever your view on increases in affiliation refer to Sir Uijee Yesley’s A4 Pacific’s (LNER) and associated fees, Brian Cartwright is correct to when a more likely candidate would have been the point out that the impact of FRMS fees has little U.S. home produced Pennsylvania Railroad’s effect on most affiliates. famous K4 Pacific. In the case of Wolverhampton RMS where I am Tony York (Member) Kettering & District RMS SQUIRES GATE MUSIC CENTRE LTD A Specialist Source for Classical Music
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10 FEATURES FRMS BOHUSLAV MARTINæ His Life and Works, by Gregory Terian lthough the Czech composer Bohuslav ex otic ex am ple of the Martinç was one of the most prolific in flu ence of De bussy. Acomposers of the 20th Century with over During World War 1 400 works to his credit, for many music lovers his Martinç was deemed un fit name brings to mind the fairy-tale circumstances for mil i tary ser vice and of his birth in 1890 in the church tower at Poli ka spent his time back at where he spent the first six years of his life. His Poli ka eking out a living father, a shoe maker by trade, was the bell teaching the vio lin and ringer/fire watcher for the town which is situated add ing to his mount ing in the Bohemian-Moravian highlands. tally of compo si t ions. The frail child When the Czechoslo vak came down from the Re pub lic was es tab lished tower to at tend at the end of the war school and at the age Martinç was moved to of seven com menced compose the Czech In Policka, ca.1912 vi o lin les sons with Rhap sody, a cantata Josef Cernovský, the giv ing voice to the pa tri otic sen ti ments of the day. local tailo r and It achieved the dis tinc tion of perfor mances by the part-time mu sic Czech Phil har monic, one be ing in the pres ence of teacher. He soon the new country’s Presi dent, T. G.Masaryk. recog nised Bohus’s Thanks to the in flu ence of Nov
11 FEATURES FRMS tions; Half-time (1924) owes some thing to Stra- many pro duc tions since. vin sky; La Re vue de cui sine (1927) became the most pop ular of his jazz in spired works; Echec au Roi (1930) is another ballet score but speaks with a de cid edly Gal lic ac cent while Špalí ek (1931) re- verts to a Czech folk id iom. La Bagarre (1926), a work for large or ches tra, was dedi cated to Charles Lindbergh but was composed before the fa mous trans-At lantic flight. It was taken up by Koussevitsky in Boston and with its top ical asso ci - a tions achieved a con sid er able suc cess. The usu ally ret i cent Martinç had initial ly ac costed Koussevitsky with the score at the Café du Dôme, a meet ing place of the ar tis tic elite. Equally un char ac ter is ti cally, around the same time, when vis it ing the Medrano Cir cus he made an ap proach to a girl sit ting nearby in the au di ence. She was Char lotte Quennehen who in 1931 would become his wife. Like other com pos ers of that era Martinç be came en am oured with the fash ion able Atelier of Jan Zrzavy, Paris 1924 neo-classi cal movement and declared him self to be “a con certo grosso man” (af ter Correlli). He was At the time of Julietta’s pre mier Martinç took also taken with the early Eng lish Mad ri galists. As on as his protégé in Paris the youthful Czech the 1930s pro gressed his pro file as a com poser composer/con duc tor Vít.slava Kaprálová and he took on an in ter na tional di men sion. In ad di tion to soon becam e emotion all y involve d with her. It per for mances in Paris and Prague his works were devel oped into a fraught re lation ship which is be ing heard at con tem po rary mu sic fes ti vals re flected in the Fifth String Quar tet of 1938, around Eu rope. Apart from Koussevitsky and per haps the most passion ate of his chamber music Talich his mu sic was taken up by the conduc tors works. The haunt ing sequence of chords from Paul Sacher, Charles Munch and Rafael Kubelík Julietta ap pears in many of Martinç‘s later works who would all become life-long promot ers of the and may be indic a tive of his contin u ing obse ssion Martinç cause. The Sec ond Pi ano Con certo with the mem ory of. Kaprálová. achieved some pop ular ity when pre miered by the War Breaks Out young Rudolf Firkušný who was A ma jor turn ing point in the life of Martinç to be come another came with the Mu nich cri sis in Sep tember 1938. lifel ong friend. He was staying with Paul Sacher whose es tate near The crown ing Basel overlooks the Franco-Ger man border. It was achieve ment of in this setting that the Dou ble Con certo for two these years came in string or ches tras, pi ano and timpani was 1937 with the opera com posed, one of his most admired and pow erful Julietta, based on a works. It expresses his an ger at the abandon ment sur re al ist play by of Czechoslo va kia by Britain and France to the Georg es Neveux, in ten der mer cies of Hit ler. He was never again to see which the hero his home land. Michel is ob sessed A year later World War II commenced. with the elusive Para dox i cally, Martinç’s ma te rial cir cum stances Julietta in a town initial ly im proved. Many wealthy Pa risians where all the abandoned the cap i tal fear ing a bomb ing Prague, 1923 in hab it ants have on slaught and their prop er ties be came avail able at lost their mod est rents. The Martinçs moved into an memo ries. It achieved an out stand ing suc cess apart ment in the exclu sive Passy dis trict. He when pre miered in Prague and there have been ob tained a po si tion as Czech cul tural attache and
12 FEATURES FRMS com posed the Field Mass for the free Czech Army Ini tially Martinç felt lost and depressed in an in France in co-oper a tion with the writer JiÍíi alien en vi ron ment where he could not even speak Mucha. It was intended for per for mance in the the lan guage and his cre ative en ergies waned. open-air and tai lored to the re sources of the Czech Koussevitsky came to the res cue, giv ing the first Army band whose di rector was Vilem Tausky. It perfor mance of the already exist ing Con certo was des tined not to be per formed un til af ter the Grosso and sub se quently com mis sion ing the First war. Martinç took part in anti-Nazi broad casts to Sym phony. He also pro vided teach ing work at Czechoslo va kia which ensured his blacklist ing by Tanglewood. Martinç was soon to become an them. One such broad cast was trans mit ted on hon oured mem ber of the East Coast mu si cal Christ mas day and Mucha and Kaprálová also com mu nity where a galaxy of tal ent had gath ered, par tic i pated. She com posed and con ducted a little mostly refu gees from war-torn Europe like orches tral Pre lude de Noel spe cially for the him self. He wrote works for Elman, Piatigorsky oc casion which has not been heard since. and Kreisler among oth ers while such con ductors The pe riod of as Mitropoulos, Ormandy, Reiner and Rodzinski pho ney war came to took up his latest or ches tral works. a trau matic end Martinç was deeply af fected by events in within a few short Eu rope, re flected in such works as the Me mo rial to months. The Lidice, the Third Symphony, com posed at the time Ger man ar mies of D.Day, and the Fourth Sym phony, writ ten launched their during the last days of the war in Eu rope. His blitzkreig on 10 Polkas and Dances reflect his joy at the ar rival of May and were soon peace and renewed contact with fam ily and deep into France. friends, tinged with sad ness over news of the death On 19 May Pi erre of his mother and of Stanislav Novák. Fournier and Martinç was enjoy ing great success and his Firkušný gave the finan cial circum stances seemed secure. Some first perfor mance of com menta tors have sought to cre ate the the First Cello im pres sion that he hated Amer ica. He certainly Sonata . This dis liked New York City but far from reflect ing the effec tively marked feel ings of an un happy man, his mu sic sug gests a Prague, 1938 the end of Martinç’s composer who spent happy months away from the sev en teen years of city, in New Eng land. In any event, he took musi cal life in Paris. Kaprálová was too ill to at tend Ameri ca n citi z ens hip in 1946. and within two weeks she was dead. She had In that same year his sit u ation was to be mar ried Mucha, who was serv ing with the Czech dra mat i cally af fected by a near-fa tal fall from his Army, shortly before. bedroom bal cony when teach ing near On 10 June the Martinçs fled the city by train Tanglewood. De spite the severe af ter-ef fects and taking what they could of their pos sessions in a slow re cov ery he soon re turned to compos ing sin gle suitcase. Four days later the Ger man armies although it was said en tered Paris. The cou ple even tu ally found their that he was never the way to Aix-en-Provenc e in unoc cu pied France same man again. where they took ref uge in im pov er ished An other trauma cir cumstances. Among the few works he com posed was to oc cur in 1948 there was the Sinfonietta Giacosa, one of with the Com munist Martinç‘s most ap peal ing works for piano and take-over in Czecho - or ches tra. It seems like a wist ful look-back to a slo va kia. Im me di - hap pier world which had now ceased to exist. ately af ter the war ç Amer ica Martin had been of - fered the posi tion of With fi nan cial as sis tance from Paul Sacher the Profes s or of Compo - Martinçs even tu ally suc ceeded in ob tain ing the si tion at the Prague neces sary travel doc uments to es cape to the USA. Con ser va toire but Travelling through Spain to Lisbon they arrived in the mat ter never pro - New York on the last day of March 1941. gressed with some in Paris, ca.1948-9
13 FEATURES FRMS the Czech musi cal estab lish ment resent ful of his in - in 1979. Charlott e who died in 1978 is buried terna tional sta tus and at the pros pect of his re turn. alongside him. A short dis tance away one can visit The coup, how ever, was the de fin ing fac tor in his the church tower where it all be gan. The room in deci sion not to re turn. Lovers of Martinç’s music which the Martinç fam ily lived is pre served much will be thank ful that he made that choice. With an as it was in the 1890s. of fi cial post in Prague his freedom to travel would Pres ent Rep u ta tion have been severely restricted and it is unlikely that we would have seen the pro fu sion of mas terworks Thanks largely to a steady flow of re cord ings which emerged dur ing his fi nal decade. from Supraphon since his death, in terest in The stream of com po si tions in cluded three Martinç‘s mu sic has been main tained. In this op eratic works, all very differ ent. The comic op era coun try the BBC also con tributed with a Mirandolina (after Goldoni) is Italian in spirit, succes sion of per for mances which en abled us to while the an tique one act Ariane was said to have hear much of his prolific output of chambe r mu sic. been inspired by the voice of Maria Callas. The Martinç‘s music is re flective of its times and crown ing achieve ment was the Greek Passion that is part of the fas ci nation for older lis teners. based on a book by Kazantzakis (of Zorba fame) For tu nately suc ceed ing gen er a tions of mu si cians whom Martinç came to know. Among or ches tral con tinue to be attracted by his work and works was the ul ti mate Sixth Symphony , per for mances abound. Mu sically his Czech or i gins Fantaisies Symphoniques for Munch, Les are always evi dent but he ab sorbed and Fresques de Piero della Francesca for Kubelík and as sim i lated a va ri ety of in flu ences along the way, the Epic of Gilgamesh for Sacher. Three folk creat ing an idiom uniquely his own, approach abl e can ta tas hark back to his Poli ka or i gins, for au di ences then and now. The en dur ing place of re flect ing Martinç’s nostal gia for his homelan d. Bohuslav Martinç among the ranks of 20th Last Years Century compos ers is secure. Martinç never owned a home and dur ing those Thanks to the gen eros ity of Char lotte Martinç last years he moved be tween the USA, France, It aly and her es tate the Bohuslav Martinç In sti tute was and Swit zerland. His favoured resi dence was a es tab lished in Prague in 1995. Its en er getic rented cottage on Mont Bo ron over look ing the Bay di rec tor Ales BÍezina and his young team have of Nice and the mountains beyond. Soon after done much to promote Martinç’s music return ing there in the spring of 1959 he became ill. world-wide. In turn, it has spawned the He travelled to Swit zerland for treat ment, staying Inter na tional Bohuslav Martinç Soci et y which with Paul Sacher. Martinç was di agnosed as hav ing is sues reg u lar news letters and a unique an nual CD stom ach can cer and died on 28 August. He was of live per for mances drawn from the Martinç buried in the grounds of the Sacher estate. Fes ti val in Prague. During his For de tails ap ply to [email protected] last years the or telephone 01625 523326 (UK). Czech au thor i - The Dvorak Soci ety of Great Britain issue s ties actively can- quarterly newslet ters with full de tails of Martinç vassed for events in the UK and else where. Reg u lar So ci ety Martinç’s return trips to the Czech Repub lic are or gan ised. The next to his native is due in 2004 to coin cide with the festiv i ties land. Af ter his marking the 100th anni ver sary of DvoÍ 14 FEATURES FRMS MARTINæ, Recommended recordings ç artin composed more than 400 works Op era and a profusion of recordings exists. MThose listed below provide a selective Supraphon has the 1981 recording of The entry into some of the best of his music. It is Greek Passion conducted by Mackerras. There is necessarily curtailed and has an additional also a Koch-Schwann recording of the original objective of avoiding duplications. version which was seen recently at Covent Garden. Or ches tral A Supraphon recording of Julietta dating back to 1971 is still available but new productions are The Czech Philharmonic under Vaclav scheduled for 2002 and at least one modern Neumann was the first to record the complete cycle recording will result. The 2002 Wexford Festival of symphonies and a complete set is still available is staging Mirandolina and a first recording on Supraphon. The discs can also be purchased should appear next year. The 1987 recording of individually in their mid-price series. These Ariane has recently been re-issued by Supraphon. performances have stood the test of time. The same The Comedy on the Bridge radio/TV opera has artists accompany Josef Suk in the two Violin been paired with Alexandre bis on Supraphon Concertos and the Rhapsody Concerto for Viola which also has a recording in its catalogue of The and on another Supraphon disc, Angelica May in Three Wishes, a novelty film/opera from 1929. the two Cello Concertos. For those requiring the Cham ber/In stru men tal latest recording technology, Supraphon is re-recording the symphonies with the Czech The Martinç Quartet has recently recorded Philharmonic under the much admired Martinç Martinç’s earliest surviving work, Three Riders, interpreter JiÍi Blohl 15 FEATURES FRMS for Naxos and CDs of the remaining quartets are Magdalena Koñen< in songs by DvoÍ 16 FEATURES FRMS Overtures and Encores by Arthur Butterworth here appears to be a fashion at or chestral con certs nowa days to of fer but three works, column inches are only for the national moronic Tand not in fre quently, (espe cially when some obsession with football. vast, tedious Mahler sym phony is the awesome rite How ever, con cert or gani sa tions them selves being in dulged in), just two, or even just this one (rather like the choco late manu fac tur ers) are and noth ing else. This is largely to be held re- a situ a tion not unlike sponsi b le for the that of the dimin ish ing steady decline of the size of a bar of choco - concert overture. Con - late: a few de cades ago cert promot ers will this was of a satis fy ing evince sev eral rea - size for the money, but sons, some of them, as over the years for the al ready re marked, same sum, or even con cern ing re hearsal more, the size of the time, but proba bly al- choc o late bar seems ways in some way re- ever to de crease. His - lated to the eco nom ics tory re veals that con - of concert-giv ing, and certs a hundred years perhaps not infre - ago or more, would be quently to the rather mam moth mu si cal pre cious way we re- events, per haps some - gard them. thing like this: a Bee tho ven over ture, a Mo zart op - This is something akin to the ex clu sive coutu - eratic aria, a Mendels sohn pi ano con certo, a rier’s shop win dow which dis plays but one fear- Haydn sym phony. Af ter the in terval another per - fully ex pen sive and al most re motely un at tain able haps Rossini or Weber, an oper atic vo cal quartet, designer cos tume. On the other hand the over-full or a cou ple of Schu bert songs, a Cho pin Nocturn e, ‘Last Night of the Proms’ kind of con cert can be and fi nally a Bee tho ven sym phony. Prob a bly all com pared to a chain-store’s win dow at an an nual this never took less than three hours, or even lon- sale: ev ery avail able inch of space be ing taken up ger; to say noth ing of the in con gru ous programme with an in con gruous col lection of skirts, trou sers, plan ning. Some of Beetho ven’s own con certs were blouses, linge rie, gloves, handbags, scarves and no table for their long-winded con tent; not just one other trivia of dress. symphony, but two, in terspersed with a con certo Concert-promotion has certainly become as well as vo cal music and maybe a move ment of a irritating in many ways: the presentation, like all string quartet; all pre ceded by an overture. other kinds of mass advertising, over-done and Since the 1960s, or thereabouts, such concert precious in its hype of the one or two works offered openers, the operatic or concert-overture has to a (as if one had never heard of this or that Beethoven large extent disappeared. It is as though such or Brahms before, but now describing it as ‘this incidental ‘trifles’ are of no account, or take up too sensational, well-loved symphony’ or the much rehearsal time. Critics rarely have much to ‘electrifying, yet romantic piano concerto which say about such short opening works anyway, but will send you into ecstasy on your way home’). this might well be due to their editors who no Similarly the tedious and utterly boring list of longer allow the kind of space for in-depth concert previous orchestras, concerts or jet-setting places reporting as in more expansively-cultured around the world that the conductor or soloist has Edwardian times when perhaps even two visited. This is not necessary; a performer is only full-length columns would be the prerogative of as good as his last performance - not the ones he distinguished critics such as Bernard Shaw, Ernest might have done ten years ago. Newman or Neville Cardus. Nowadays such Amid all this hype and pre cious programme-plan ning the over ture seems ever 17 FEATURES FRMS more of ten to be dis placed. Yet it serves an ex cel - Encores of course, have been part of concert lent func tion - not just that of al low ing late-com ers life from very early times. But they are invariably to get to their seats before the main work in the ill-conceived and spoil the intended emotional first half - but to set the mood and at mo sphere for effect of a carefully designed concert programme. what is to follow. Like a good, well-balance d - and What does encore really mean? Does it literally prob ably expen sive meal - it needs a starter to cap - mean: do the same piece again; or does it mean ti vate and pre pare the ap pe tite. There are ba si cally simply just play something again — no matter two kinds of over ture: the op eratic one which is what. tra di tion ally com pounded from the main themes I have never liked en cores, they are em bar rass - and motifs from the opera to follow, and the con- ing and miss the emo tional point of what the whole cert overture, usually in the pre-planned concert has na ture of a one-move ment been leading up to. The symphoni c piece, com plete first time I heard the in it self. Exam ples of both Bee tho ven Vi o lin Con certo kinds are numer ous in - (in Ger many in 1946) it deed: oper atic overtures by made a tre mendous, over - Mozar t, Rossini, Wagner , pow er ing im pres sion. But Auber, Verdi, Ambroise the dis tin guished so lo ist Thomas, Weber et al. Con - followe d it with what then cert overtures by DvoÍák, seemed a triv ial, throw Brahms, Tschaikowsky, -away lit tle non en tity. Mendels sohn, Elgar, I turned to my German Shostakovich, Berlioz and hostess and asked what it Bee tho ven; to say noth ing could be. It was in fact part of the count less twenti eth of a Bach partita for violin century purely concert works in tended as compar - alone. In its right context this can be a wonderful atively short opening pieces to dis play an or ches - piece of baroque music, and I have heard it many tra’s prow ess. Such works deserve their place in the times since; but as an encore to the Beethoven complete concert. Concerto it sounded trite and totally devoid of any Similarly the concert suite, often descriptive or nobility of its own — Just a throw-away piece of programmatic, often derived from opera or ballet trivia. More often than not it is the ego of the has its place along with larger scale works such as performer which “milks” the audience for more and the symphony or concerto. The full-blown more applause, by not completely disappearing concerto has also tended to oust the shorter solo modestly from sight, but by dallying in the wings so works with orchestra; such the Two Romances for that the audience can see he is just waiting to be violin of Beethoven, the Humoresques for violin of invited back on to the platform. Sibelius, or the Elgar Romance for bassoon. All Conductors are the very worst offenders in this this seems to say that there is only room for major respect. It seems that at concerts in earlier times, works. Slighter things (except at down-market the decision whether to allow an artist to perform ‘Last Night of the Proms’ inanities) seem no longer an encore was more or less strictly regulated by to have a rightful place. The analogy with a meal in “someone in authority” — at the Three Choirs an exclusive restaurant might be further extended: Festival it was usually the dean of the cathedral Just as we would expect some kind of hors d’oeuvre who assessed the appropriateness or otherwise of - an overture - at the beginning of a dinner or an encore, and at the Norwich Festival (not held in performance; and would expect the meal to end the cathedral but in the secular St Andrew’s Hall) it with some well-planned dish that complements was usually the Lord Mayor! (if he were attending the gastronomic overall plan of the meal, so would the performance). “The Musical Times” always we expect the concert to end in a well-designed seems to have had a lot to say — usually critically — way. Just as we would not expect after a about this pernicious practice of totally finely-served and sophisticated meal to be offered, uncalled-for encores. just as an extra, a few fish and chips, or a bit of toast So — let us have proper programme planning: and strawberry jam — neither ought we to expect a good overture to start with, but NO unplanned and unannounced trivial encores at a inappropriate or unnecessary extras after a concert. satisfying concert. The encore should be banned. 18 FEATURES FRMS Unfinished Symphonies Finished here are many instances where composers have died leaving their compositions Tchaikovsky subsequently restored the abandoned Tincomplete. Other composers or two movements after Tchaikovsky’s death and it musicologists have then taken them up and became known as Andante & Finale for Piano and endeavoured to effect a completion or performing Orchestra. version. Whether this is ethical will always be open As for the projected symphony, this was taken to debate. My own view is that so long as strict up by the musicologist Bogatyryev who restored adherence is given to all available material left by the orchestral first movement of the piano the composer, this is better than allowing the work concerto and orchestrated the sketches of the three to sink into oblivion. In many cases works are left remaining movements, also drawing upon music more or less complete in composition but not fully in the Third Piano Concerto and from the Scherzo orchestrated. fantaisie from the Opus 72 My first example is that piano pieces. This of Elgar’s Third Symphony. symphony was completed in Prior to his death he had 1956 and entitled apparently left instructions Symphony no. 7. that as nobody could Thus arising from understand his intentions it Tchaikovsky’s abandoned should not therefore be symphony we therefore tinkered with. He had left at have three works: the single least 130 pages of sketches movement Piano Concerto upon his death in February No.3, Andante & Finale for 1934. In 1993 Anthony Piano and Orchestra and Payne commenced the task the reconstructed Seventh of completing the work, Symphony. having first reviewed the Although the Third sketches in 1972 but not at that time being given Piano Concerto is in the concert repertoire, the permission by the Elgar family to carry his other two works are seldom if ever performed in investigations any further. the concert hall. The work was first recorded in October 1997 Much conjecture surrounds the various and made its first appearance at the Proms in unfinished symphonies of Schubert. The last of London on 13th August 1998. There is a poignant these has been dated to the last two months of his note from the rehearsals for that Proms life, October and November 1828. This is the performance when a member of the orchestra said Symphony No. 10 in D, D936A. There survives a that he found it an eerie experience, just as though piano sketch of three movements. The third Elgar was glancing over his shoulder at the score. movement shows Schubert attempting Since that performance it has been heard counterpoint for the first time, having attended a worldwide on more than 100 occasions lesson on this given by Simon Sechter. We have to We turn now to Tchaikovsky. He completed six thank Professor Brian Newbould for his work in numbered symphonies plus a programme attempting a realisation of this work. As he says in symphony entitled Manfred. In 1892 he the notes to this symphony “it was fraught with commenced work on a new symphony but set it problems of decipherment and orchestration as aside after two months to work on what was to the style adopted by Schubert in this symphony is become the Sixth Symphony, ‘Pathetique’. After new and has no precedents”. He concluded that “if this had been completed he returned to his the world is to hear what are possibly the last notes abandoned work and decided that only the first he penned, one has to face these problems and movement was worth preserving and this was accept that any performing version must be an act eventually transformed into a one movement of speculation”. piano concerto, his Third. Unfortunately as with Tchaikovsky pieces The composer Sergei Taniev, a pupil of mentioned earlier, it does not appear to have found its way on to the normal concert repertoire. 19 FEATURES FRMS On now to another of Schubert’s unfinished idea stemmed from the sounds made at a fireman’s symphonies, his Symphony No.8. This consists of funeral in New York which Mahler watched from two movements but he had started work on a his hotel window, his face streaming with tears. scherzo though no trace exists of a final movement. The last pages of the score are said to be the most The scherzo was left virtually complete but not bittersweet music that he ever wrote. fully orchestrated. There exists a melody line for On a personal note I would like to add that I the first part of the trio. played this work to a friend at home many years Here again Brian Newbould has completed the ago. At its conclusion he was obviously so orchestration and composed the second half of the overcome with emotions that he was oblivious to trio. As for the last movement, there is conjecture his surroundings and started clapping as though in that the B minor entr’acte from Rosamunde was a concert hall. The muffled drum strokes he found borrowed by Schubert from the symphony and in almost frightening. his haste to complete Rosamunde he failed to Brian R. Smith, Croydon RMS return these pages to the score. It is in the same key as the symphony and seems to fit in with the Discography: tonality of the remainder, apart from which the music seems too long for Rosamunde. It just could Elgar, Symphony No. 3 - BBC SO/An drew Davis; be the symphony’s finale. In fact it had been NMC NMCD 052 performed as such at the Crystal Palace in 1881. Elgar, Sym phony No. 3 - Bournemouth SO/Paul Once again, however, the entire work has not to Dan iel; Naxos 8.554719 my knowledge ever been heard in the concert hall. It does infuriate me to see the work advertised as Tchaikov sky, Piano Concert o No. 3 - Geoffrey Symphony No.8 (Unfinished) when we have the Tozer, piano; London PO/Neeme Järvi; Chandos composition in its completed form. We have the CHAN 9130 Elgar Third and Mahler Tenth receiving Tchai kov sky, Symphony No.7 - Lon don performances, why not the Schubert? PO/Neeme Järvi; Chandos CHAN 9130 So we come to my last work which in fact is the Schuber t Symphonic Frag ment, D615 - Sym- Mahler’s Tenth Symphony. phonic Frag ment,D708a - Symphony ‘No 10’, In the summer of 1910 he made sketches for D936a - Scot tish CO/Charles Mackerras; this symphony and would normally have revised Hyperion CDA67000 and orchestrated it in the winter. Unfortunately at this time he was preoccupied with revisions to the Mahler, Sym phony No. 10 - Berlin SO/Simon ninth symphony. In May 1911 Mahler died leaving Rattle ; EMI CDC5 56972-2 the last two movements (4 & 5) sparse in Mahler, Symphony No. 10 - Bournemouth SO/Si- orchestration. Deryk Cooke began work on a mon Rat tle; EMI CDC7 54406-2 realisation of it in 1959 and was given its first Mahler, Symphony No. 10 - Berlin RSO/Chailly; performance at a Proms in 1964. Decca 444 872-2 The fifth and final movement opens with periodic muffled drum strokes. Apparently this Audio Bulletin No. 1 New Ray of Light his is the first of an occasional series of The Blu-ray disc is 120mm in diameter, the technical notes that I shall produce for you same as a CD and DVD, but uses a blue-violet laser Tthe reader of the FRMS Bulletin. instead of a red laser to record and read data. The In Tokyo recently, a new digital optical disc to shorter wavelength of the light (405nm instead of replace the DVD was unveiled. Together nine 650nm) enables smaller pits to be burned in the major international technology firms unveiled the recording media, upping the amount of data that “Blu-ray” Disc. Shizuo Takashino, corporate vice can be recorded in a single layer to 27GB. president of Sony Corporation is quoted as saying Eventually it is planned to double the capacity. ”It is a truly remarkable format marking a new era". 20 FEATURES FRMS Licensing to other industry groups to develop record digital high definition broadcasting while products for the technology is scheduled to have maintaining high quality and other data begun, but the firms said they would head in their simultaneously with video data if they are received own directions in developing formats for the together. In addition, the adoption of a unique ID format and none was written on a BLU-ray prepared to name a date disc provides high when its version would quality copyright become available. functions. At this stage BLU-ray It has been an is basi cally a speci fi ca - accepted fact that most tion, al though Panasonic, DVD players are not very Philips and Sony are said good at playing the to have dem on strated humble CD disc to the proto t ypes. Compan ies quality of reproduction wary of alienat ing DVD that we demand. At least fans said BLU-ray prod - those at the lower end of ucts could be made to be the market, which are com pat i ble with DVD’s. mainly Chinese sourced Because the BLU-ray models. disc utilises global Now I can tell you standard ‘MPEG-2 Transport Stream’ that there is one model available from an unlikely compression technology, which is highly source, want to know more? compatible with digital broadcasting for video Then please contact me for details. recording, a wide range of content can be Philip Ashton, Hon Technical Officer recorded. It is possible for the Blu-ray disc to London Mozart Players 21 FEATURES FRMS Some Music Quotations “My sole inspiration is a telephone call from a producer.” - Cole Porter “When she started to play, Steinway himself came down personally and rubbed his name off the “[Musicians] talk of nothing but money and piano.” - Bob Hope, on comedienne Phyllis Diller jobs. Give me businessmen every time. They really are interested in music and art.” - Jean Sibelius, “Never look at the trombones, it only explaining why he rarely invited musicians to his encourages them.” - Richard Strauss home “In opera, there is always too much singing.” - “The amount of money one needs is terrifying Claude Debussy ...” - Ludwig van Beethoven “If a thing isn’t worth saying, you sing it.” - “Writing about music is like dancing about Pierre Beaumarchais, The Barber of Seville architecture.” - David Byrne, Talking Heads “Opera is where a guy gets stabbed in the back, “I am not handsome, but when women hear me and instead of dying, he sings.” - Robert Benchley play, they come crawling to my feet.” - Niccolo Paganini “Flint must be an extremely wealthy town: I see that each of you bought two or three seats.” - Victor Borge, playing to a half-filled house in Flint, Michigan “If one hears bad music it is one’s duty to drown it by one’s conversation.” - Oscar Wilde “Life can’t be all bad when for ten dollars you can buy all the Beethoven sonatas and listen to them for ten years.” - William F. Buckley, Jr. “You can’t possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven’s Seventh and go slow.” - Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket “Oh how wonderful, really wonderful opera “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.” - would be if there were no singers!” - Gioacchino Mark Twain Rossini “Berlioz says nothing in his music, but he says it “Movie music is noise. It’s even more painful magnificently.” - James Gibbons Hunekar than my sciatica.” - Sir Thomas Beecham “There are still so many beautiful things to be “I think popular music in this country is one of said in C major.” - Sergei Prokofiev the few things in the twentieth century that have made giant strides in reverse.” - Bing Crosby “I never use a score when conducting my orchestra ... Does a lion tamer enter a cage with a “Theirs [the Beatles] is a happy, cocky, book on how to tame a lion?” - Dimitri Mitropolous belligerently resourceless brand of harmonic primitivism ... In the Liverpudlian repertoire, the “God tells me how the music should sound, but indulgent amateurishness of the musical material, you stand in the way.” - Arturo Toscanini to a though closely rivaled by the indifference of the trumpet player performing style, is actually surpassed only by the ineptitude of the studio production method. “Already too loud!” - Bruno Walter at his first (Strawberry Fields suggests a chance encounter at rehearsal with an American orchestra, on seeing a mountain wedding between Claudio Monteverdi the players reaching for their instruments and a jug band.)” - Glenn Gould 22 BOOK REVIEW FRMS Oh, My Horses! Oh, My Horses and Circumstance Marches and the Elgar and the Great War. finale of Enigma Variations for their Edited by Lewis Fore man jingoism i.e. patriotism and imperialism. Elgar Edition s He discusses Elgar’s life and psychology 512 pp, HB, pp496 + CD (78 mins) to ascertain whether he was a jingo. This £24.95 (in clud ing post age) abeyance to 21st Century political I must confess to approaching this correctness seems to me to be overplayed book with some trepidation, I feared it and overlooks the pleasure that the above might be heavy and humdrum. The works have given to so many people. He reality was quite different as I found this also fails to recognise that a love of one’s volume to be quite fascinating. This was country is not universally despised or not just a book about a particular that some commentators even believe composer but which explored the effect of this war that British Imperialism on balance did more good on a whole society. than harm. The book is essentially in four main sections: a The chapter on Bournemouth by Stephen Lloyd, Prologue based upon Lady Elgar’s diary and giving gave a fascinating insight into the general state of an outline of the war itself; Part I describes Elgar and classical music at the time of the Great War by Music in England 1914-18; Part II describes Elgar’s describing the programmes and controversies music in wartime; there is a large reference section. associated with the Bournemouth Municipal The war itself appears to have been started Orchestra and its conductor, Dan Godfrey. almost by accident as using Lloyd George’s words, During this war, Elgar might have been European Nations ‘slithered’ inexorably into a expected to write rousing marches etc. However conflict which led to unimaginable suffering and Elgar’s mood was far too sombre for this. The numbers of deaths. Like most people in England, main works produced by Elgar during the war the Elgars had not anticipated war and a general period were Carillon; Fringes of the Fleet; The feeling of surprise was later changed to horror as Spirit of England; Polonia; The Starlight Express the nature of the conflict developed. This is and the Sanguine Fan. Of these, the last two were expressed very well in the extensive extracts from not associated with the war. These works are Lady Elgar’s diary which makes fascinating discussed in a chapter by Andrew Neill, and in a reading. Elgar was 57 when the war started and he series of detailed articles in Part Two of the book. tried to help the war effort by becoming a special The war works reflect well the resignation and constable and ‘volunteer’. His health deteriorated sorrow of the period and also contained tributes to but he drove himself to an endless round of our allies Belgium and Poland. During this part of conducting and fund-raising events with some the book the emphasis is largely on the words and composing. His health recovered after the war. literary background of the pieces and I would have A chapter by Jeremy Dibble describes how liked a little more musical analysis. influential German culture had been on England The CD included with the book, processed by especially in the field of music. The German influence Michael J. Dutton with his usual expertise, is a on Science, Literature, Philosophy and Music was all fascinating compilation not just of some of Elgar’s embracing. In music the influence of Wagner, Brahms war inspired music but also works of the same era and Mendelssohn was supreme and Hans Richter and by composers such as Bliss, Parry and Stanford. Max Bruch were important conductors. Elgar like In a book of this nature, a certain amount of many English musicians made pilgrimages to duplication is inevitable, but overall Lewis Bayreuth and he often holidayed in Bavaria. The Foreman is to be commended on the editing of this German oppression seemed like a deep betrayal. book. The book can be recommended to anyone When Thomas Beecham was asked where Elgar’s interested in music or musical history. friends had gone he was reported to have replied The book may be obtained from Elgar “They’re all interned”. Enterprises, 20 High Street, Rickmansworth, A rather surprising chapter by Bernard Porter Herts WD3 1ER (e-mail: [email protected]) condemns certain music by Elgar, notably the Pomp AB 23 CD REVIEWS FRMS Baldassare GALUPPI (1706-85) movements. All are of versions prepared by Peter Seivewright from the original manuscripts. Complete Piano Sonatas (Vol 1 & 2) It seems clear that Galuppi wrote most of these Pe ter Seivewright, pi ano sonatas for the pianoforte (which was just coming The Di vine Art 2.5006 & 7 into use at that time). On these discs, they are aluppi (nick named “Il Buranello” af ter the played on a Steinway Model D piano, but given a island in Venice where he was born) was in very close recording so as to try to capture the Ghis lifetime a well known and very success - more restricted sound of the 18th century ful mu si cian who also be came extremely rich. He instrument. is re ferred to in What about the music itself? I found it both the fa mous interesting and tuneful. Many of the sonatas “Memoires” of remind me of the style of CPE Bach (whom Giacomo Ca sa - Galuppi had met in 1765) but several of the nova. His name sonatas look forward to the music of Mendelssohn was im mor tal ised and Schumann and it is clear that here we have a in the no table composer of original and formidable talent. This poem by Rob ert music is unknown but certainly deserves hearing. Browning named Peter Seivewright (who has recorded piano “Toccata of music of Carl Nielsen and of contemporary Galuppi’s”. In his Scottish composers) plays with a caressing style lifetime he was which reminds me of Glenn Gould (a pianist most fa mous for whom I admire). He is also clearly a scholar and his opera s; he was in vited to Lon don in 1741 to musical historian of merit as the essays provided write op eras for the King’s Theatre in London, his by him in the record booklets demonstrate. The operas were success ful throughout Europe. Be - notes in volume 1 are about “Galuppi’s life and sides op era he wrote or ato ries and church mu sic Times” whereas that in volume 2 is a historical and and much in stru men tal mu sic. philosophical discussion of “Galuppi, the counter Most of Galuppi’s keyboard sonatas were enlightenment and the Roman Catholic Church” written in the last few years of his life and are — a fascinating study. mostly unpublished. He wrote 90 Piano Sonatas The CD’s are well presented and with excellent and the precise dating of them is an impossible notes as indicated in the last paragraph. The one thing task. The two discs here are the first two of a that is lacking are notes about the individual pieces. planned 10 disc set of all the sonatas. There are I enjoyed these two volumes and can eight sonatas on disc 1 and nine on disc 2. Most are recommend them to anyone looking for piano of two movements but some have three music away from the beaten track. A.B. Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) by Respighi himself and published in 1934. This is Belkis, Queen of Sheba-Suite the premiere performance of the Suite in the exact Dance of the Gnomes form specified by the composer and uses the tenor The Pines of Rome instead of a trumpet in the last movement. Min ne sota Or ches tra con ducted by Eiji Oue with The music is tuneful and in places very boister - Chad Skelton (tenor) ous and noisy. It has been criticised as being Ref er ence Re cord ings RR-95CD [62.30] rem inis cen t of a Hol lywood Bibli cal epic but it is proba bly more accu rate elkis, Queen of Sheba was amongst Respighi’s to com ment how last works, it was a full length ballet which Respighi’s style has Bused a large orchestra, an offstage band and been copied for use in numerous Eastern instruments, a chorus and such mov ies. This per - narrator. At the premier given at La Scala in 1932 an for mance is well played estimated 1000 performers were involved. and red bloodied where Respighi’s opulent score identifies himself as a neces sary, it is very ex- pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov. The Suite was prepared cit ing es pe cially in the last two move ments. It 24 CD REVIEWS FRMS is how ever perhaps not so bra zen as the Chandos Masterworks of Schubert. These offer a series of record ing with Geoffrey Simon and the balanced recital programmes each culminating in Philharmonia but of fers an equally valid and in ter - one of the last great sonatas, preceded by smaller esting inter pre ta tio n. scale works. The pianist suggests that the listener Dance of the Gnomes (sometimes called Ballad might take an interval before the main work. of the Gnomes) is based upon a poem by Carlo Clausetti which describes how the she-gnomes cavort with their mutual husband and then kill him and mutilate his corpse. This unpleasant subject has inspired Respighi to produce one of his best orchestral pieces which is surprisingly seldom played. It is an explosion of fascinating orchestration with occasional shrieks and touches of the exotic. There is a very well recorded version on Chandos in which Edward Douves conducts the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra but I find the conducting of Oue more satisfying and interesting. The Pines of Rome is of course probably Respighi’s best known score and the work which led to his international fame. It has numerous fine recordings including interpretations by conductors such as Reiner, Ormandy, Toscanini, Jansons, Karajan and Muti. It would be surprising if a potential purchaser of this new disc did not already possess a good version of this masterpiece already. However The two Scherzi are both delightful works, the this new recording is a fine one, although a lower key first having a catchy tune like a waltz with the third performance than some; the famous sound of the beat of the accompaniment omitted. The Three nightingale is almost inaudible and the final march is Piano Pieces, D946 were unfinished, but exciting but not overwhelming. completed for publication by Brahms, and to me The recording throughout is clear and accurate are like a three movement sonata. The Sonata in A but slightly recessed and without that in-your-face was the second of the three last sonatas written attitude which can make this music sound before Schubert died and is an undoubted overdone. The notes by Richard Freed are masterpiece. exceptionally comprehensive and the design which The programme in the second disc was features the ‘Queen of Sheba’ by Edward Dulac is designed to demonstrate the propensity of very attractive. Schubert to move from one key to another by a This record focuses on the exotic side of third above or below. It certainly makes a very Respighi’s work and contrasts two little known satisfying programme. Schubert was obsessed by pieces with a famous one, all in a good Waltzes and composed hundreds. The Twelve performances; well presented. Valses Nobles is an interesting example with most AB being written in the grand manner. The Adagio in E is a short but interesting early work. The Franz SCHUBERT Moments Musicale is a deservedly well known set - Pi ano Mas ter works Vol. 2 of minor masterpieces blended into a satisfying whole. The disc finishes with the first of the set of Two Scherzi D593; Drei Klavierstüke, D946; last sonatas which is a kind of homage to So nata in A, D959; Twelve Valse No bles, D969; Beethoven who had recently died. Ada gio in E, D612; Anthony Goldstone is in my opinion an ideal Six Moments Musicaux, D780; So nata in C min. interpreter of Schubert who always seems to be as D958 one with the music, without false emphasis or An thony Gold stone, pi ano exaggeration. The recording and presentation is The Di vine Art 2-1203; 2Cds first rate, with excellent notes written by the In the Autumn 2001, Bulletin I gave a warm pianist. It is recommended without reservations. welcome to Volume 1 of this set of Piano A.B. 25 STRATFORD FRMS Musical Weekend – Stratford his was the third FRMS Musical Weekend held at the historic town of Stratford on Avon. The weather was clement and the Moat House Hotel maintained the high standard which it had Tprovided in previous years. The organiser was Reg Williamson, who, of course, was able to draw upon the expert advice of his wife Marjorie who had organised so many excellent events in the past. Given this combination, the arrangements were impeccable and the event was deemed very successful. We give below a few photographic snapshots of some of the many delegates. 26 STRATFORD FRMS Re cord ings of the Year Har mo nia Mundi After an excellent reception and dinner, the Celia Ballantyne, Harmonia Mundi’s press and opening presentation was given by the three promotions manager and a singer and musician in authors of the famous Penguin Guide: Ivan March, her own right, started the Saturday morning with Robert Layton and the Federation President, an overview of the record label’s catalogue. Edward Greenfield. Founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz, it now It was revealed that it was Ivan March’s comprises a wide range of music. A recent birthday, and members broke spontaneously into a development, aimed at giving young musicians a rendition of Happy birthday to you! public platform, has been the creation of a budget priced ‘Nouveaux musicians’ label. Celia illustrated her talk with extracts on the Harmonia Mundi label from Purcell, Gluck, Franck, Handel, Telemenn, Stanford, Rimsky Korsakov, Schumann and Schubert. We were also delighted to have a sneak preview of some new releases. Cordula Kempe Ivan started the session off by choosing the Mrs Kempe gave a fascinating Prelude to Khovanshina by Mussorgsky, in a talk about her late husband, the distinguished recording by the LSO under Abbado. This, and all conductor Rudolf Kempe. Cordula herself had the other choices, were played through very been an orchestral violin player and gave a impressive Meridian equipment. hilarious description of how she had been Robert continued the theme of Nationalism by auditioned behind a screen to obtain a position in choosing the Nuptials from 100 Hardanger Tunes the orchestra. by the Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt played by Rudolf Kempe was born in Dresden in 1910 the Scottish National Orchestra under Bjarte and learnt the piano and oboe. As an orchestral Engeset. oboeist he had played in orchestras conducted by Edward’s first contribution to the Nationalist Nimsky, Furtwangler, Busch and other leading theme was an extract from Janacek’s Sarka, which conductors. He started his conducting career by he described as a modern opera before its time. working with amateur orchestras and at the age of This was in a performance with the Czech 24 conducted his first orchestra. In 1953 he first Philharmonic Orchestra under Mackerras. conducted at Covent Garden and in 1961 he was Ivan, Robert and Edward then continued to appointed as successor to Sir Thomas Beecham as alternate in choosing examples of recordings conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. which particularly appealed to them. Subsequently he became Conductor of the BBC Their choices ranged from early to modern Symphony Orchestra, an appointment sadly cut music and included transfers from historic short by his death in 1976. recordings as well as new recordings. They varied Kempe was not an autocrat like certain from large scale works to chamber music and solo German conductors but was popular with performances and included vocal, orchestral and members of the orchestra and achieved instrumental music. Altogether they played some outstanding effects by means of personal two dozen extracts and there was something to magnetism and persuasive body language. He appeal to everyone’s taste. became labelled as a Wagner and Richard Strauss A particular feature of the evening was the specialist, but as demonstrated by fascinating number of recordings chosen which came from recordings, his interests were much wider and Dutton laboratories, with some impressive high included Shostakovich, Mahler and Bruchner. The quality transfers of historic recordings as well as highlight of the presentation was a video some new ones. presentation from the BBC with Kempe conducting and being interviewed by John Amis. 27 STRATFORD FRMS Mrs Kempe is now very much experience. Ischia on the Bay of Naples. concerned with the Kempe Walton was from Oldham but Tech ni cal Fo rum Society. went to Oxford. At the age of ten Dr John Ev ans he joined the Christchurch Choir Philip Ashton, the newly and was composing as a appointed Technical Officer, Dr Evans, who is now Head of schoolboy. He became an alongside Reg Williamson led a Music of BBC Radio 3, described forum based upon questions his early life in music. He studied from the audience. at Swansea University where he On Surround Sound, the obtained his doctorate. He was consensus was the Dolby 5.1 greatly influenced by a master was the best choice at the class given by Peter Pears moment. Valve amplifiers concerning the ebb and flow (expensive ones!) were a possible by use of rubato. present cult because they were Following this, he became perceived to sound better ¾ fascinated by the music of due to the slight harmonic Benjamin Britten. distortion which was thought to Subsequently Dr Evans went to Aldeburgh to work with Britten and was involved in the Festival and also with many of Britten’s recordings ¾ extracts of many of which he used to Edward Greenfield demonstrate facets of Britten’s undergraduate at the age of 16. music. In 1985 he joined the Later he was taken up by the BBC, where he was also involved Sitwells and Lord Berners and he with several rare BBC recordings admitted that he liked the rich of Britten’s music. life and he scrounged on them. Belshazzar’s Feast His reputation was made with Reg Williamson and Philip the composition of Facade, Ashton After the tea break on written in the 1920’s. Saturday, a recorded In the late 1920’s and 1930’s give a mellow effect. performance of Belshazzar’s he developed his own mature The advice on equipment Feast was played in full. This was style with works like Sinfonia for Societies was interesting ¾ a spectacular performance by the Concertante, Viola Concerto, Societies should buy the best CBSO under Sir Simon Rattle, Belshazzar’s Feast and First equipment they can afford. with Thomas Hampson, Symphony. Apart from film Amplifiers for larger rooms baritone. The recording sounded music he wrote little in the war should be at least 100w per really well using the top of the years and his later compositions channel. Durable and robust range Meridian Equipment took a long time to write. His equipment should be chosen which had been loaned to us. opera Troilus and Cressida was because unlike in the domestic Sir Wil liam Walton first performed in 1954 and had setting, many societies have to taken five years to write. It was store their equipment away As this is the Centenary Year not a great success and Britten’s from the room in which it will for Sir William Walton, it was operas were generally preferred. be used — with re-assembly very appropriate that Edward Edward Greenfield had every time they are used. Greenfield should present an interviewed Walton’s wife It was opined that illustrated history and tribute to Susana and played excerpts “Societies should never use this composer ¾ and our which proved exceptionally equipment worse than any president really excelled himself interesting as Lady Walton was member has at home”. Small in this talk. The fact that Edward very honest about their life speakers can be fairly good, but Greenfield had been a personal together (warts and all) and cannot reproduce deep bass. friend of Walton meant that he about their unusual home at Careful selection, following could speak from personal 28 STRATFORD FRMS audition, ideally in the room 135 in F. It was shorter than the natural grasses which are gown in where they will be used, is previous late quartets and the South of France. They are essential. archives near perfection in its capricious in nature and no Coull Quar tet. own humorous epigrammatic synthetic reeds are used. The way. It is still a mystery what oboe uses a double reed which The Quartet followed on from Beethoven meant when he gives a unique sound; its accuracy of pitch leads to it forming the basis of tuning of the orchestra. The sound of the bassoon is formed also by a double reed but this at the end of a tube coming from the main body of the instrument. The clarinet, ‘little trumpet’, uses a single wide reed which tapers at the end. Brian presented a series of CD extracts which well demonstrated both the sound of the instrument and also the way they have been used over the years. Handel used the oboe in a counterpoint to the voice in opera. Vivaldi wrote 37 bassoon The Coull Quartet concertos. The clarinet has their success in the previous inscribed on the score the been used by Mozart, Weber Stratford Weekend by giving a statement “Must it be? and others as a solo instrument very fine and varied recital. It must be”. in concertos and chamber music. The opening work was Blowing in the Wind Haydn’s Opus 33, No.2 in E flat The cor anglais, the English (The ‘Joke’). This showed Haydn Our former FRMS Chairman horn which is neither English at his peak being quite advanced John Gilks was prevented by nor a horn, is ideal for dark for its time and with entrancing illness from providing the last solemn passages such as the tunes. The joke is in the ending of Swan of Tuonela by Sibelius. the piece where the false endings In a particularly interesting are genuinely hilarious. section of his talk Brian This was followed by Walton’s discussed by use of wind Quartet in A minor, which was instruments in producing first played in 1947. It is in orchestral colour. For example Walson’s mature style, tough and Beethoven used much same with a feeling of tension but with orchestra as Haydn but even in hints of mellowness of early works such as his First expression. The first movement is Symphony, obtained a unique spiky and energetic; a bustling sound due to his use of wing scherzo tempered by a feeling of sounds for the main tune rather sadness follows. A largo than having a supportive or movement is romantic in feeling programme. Instead Brian purely decorative use. with some especially moving viola Cartwright, FRMS Treasurer, at A truly fascinating talk passages. The finale is energetic short notice agreed to provide a which formed a fitting with a staccato theme and some programme on the Woodwind. conclusion to a successful lyrical passages. Woodwind are mainly reed Musical Weekend. The recital finished with a instruments which use as prime stunning performance of source of their original sounds Beethoven’s last quartet, Opus 29 SCOTLAND FRMS FRMS – SCOTTISH GROUP he Scottish Group held its 49thth Annual 1936; the Galimer Quartet perfo rming Berg’s Lyric Conference at the Royal Hotel, Bridge of Suite and A. Atwater (so prano) with in stru men tal TAllan from the evening of Friday 10th May ac com pa ni ment (in clud ing an har mo nium) sing - 2002 to late afternoon on Sunday 12th May 2002. ing The Power of Love from Percy Grainger’s Dan - Once again we were fortunate to have glorious ish Folk Song Suite. Pe ter ended his pre sen ta tion spring weather and delegates were able to enjoy a with one of the most un usual of Charles Ives com - stroll around the town. posi tions , Gen eral Wil liam Booth en ters into Chris Hamilton, the Group Chairman, opened Heaven, performed by Radiana Pazmor (soprano) the week-end after dinner on Friday with a and Genevieve Pitot (pi ano). The audi enc e were programme of nostalgia called An Evening at amazed by how much de tail Pe ter was able to ex - 45rpm. Chris brought back memories of the era of tract from these old re cord ings. the classical 45rpm single and extended-play After lunch Jim Angus of the Dundee Chamber record with selections ranging from Weber’s Music Society gave us a programme called The Invitation to the Dance with NBC Symphony Innocent Ear. This followed the pattern of the old Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini, Myra Third Programme feature of the same name, Hess’s arrangement of J. S. Bach’s Jesu Joy of where the presenter Man’s Desiring played by Dinu Lipatti, selections played music selections from Wallace’s Private Zoo performed by Ian and delayed Wallace and Donald Swann and Kenneth McKellar announcing what they singing Handel’s Ombra mai fu and Silent were until the music Worship through to George Malcolm playing Alex finished. Jim Templeton’s Bach Goes to Town and his own encouraged us to listen composition Bach before the Mast. with an open mind and Saturday’s programmes started with Peter enjoy the music he Adamson of St.Andrews University talking about chose. His selections Old Records – New Music. Peter, who is an expert included Beethoven’s in transferring old recordings to CD, shared with King Stephen Overture, us his interest in modern music. the Prelude from Pe ter played a Mascagni’s Cavalleria Jim Angus wide va ri ety of 20thth Rusticana; the first cen tury mu sic, movement from R. Strauss’ Oboe Concerto; the which was com - last movement from Saint-Saëns’ Forthth Piano posed in the era of Concerto and excerpts from Walton’s String the 78rpm re cords Quartet and DvoÍák’s Stabat Mater. and recorded on Jim filled us in with information on the 78rpm record. We composers and performers he had chosen and was heard Ar thur given a well-deserved vote of appreciation by the Honegger con duct - audience. ing his own Pacific The after-dinner presentation on Saturday was 231 on a record ing given by Stephen Gray, representing Portobello he made in 1925 by RMS. His Evening Dreams comprised several the pre-elec tric Peter Adamson selections of music about evening. He opened with method of re cord - the Sir Thomas Beecham’s incomparable ing. One of the most extraor di nary pieces Pe ter performance of Delius’ Summer Evening. Stephen played was of the Amer i can composer Henry Cow - also played two other works called Summer ell playing his own compo sition Ad ver tise ment on Evening; one by Kodaly and the other by John the pi ano. The score of this work in di cates that the Ireland. Other composers covered by Stephen fist should be used when strik ing certain notes! included Sibelius, Lili Boulanger, Billy Mayerl and Other pieces in tro duced to us by Peter included Haydn Wood. This was an ideal programme with Werner Egk con duct ing Olympische Jugend which which to finish the Saturday all retired to bed with he com posed for the Berlin Olympic Games of many of these evening tunes buzzing intheir heads. 30 SCOTLAND FRMS Sunday’s activities were opened with Ron the Second Division Concertos. Malcolm Macdonald, who was a member of Tayside Opera explained that ndSecond Division did not mean that for many years, speaking on Fidelio – What Every the music was second-rate. He called the works he Woman Wants. had chosen to illustrate his talk Secondnd Division This was a because they were not often performed and he ‘tongue-in-cheek’ believed that they were worthy of more frequent ti tle for an ex cel - exposure to the public. Malcolm let us hear lent programme in excerpts from Mozart’s 9thth Piano Concerto; Bax’s which Ron com- Concertante for Piano and Orchestra; the Violin pared four dif fer - Concertos of Barber and Korngold; Delius’ Cello ent re cord ings of Concerto and Malcolm Arnold’s Secondnd Flute Fidelio Concerto. He ended his recital with Arve Tellefsen (Furtwängler, playing Franz Berwald’s Violin Concerto with the Karajan, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ulf Klemperer and Bjorlin. Malcolm put forward solid arguments for Maazel). We heard orchestra managers to encourage their orchestras sing ing from to perform lesser-known works and make them Helga Dernesch, Ron Macdonald known to a wider audience. Kirsten Flagstad, Ray Blair of Dunfermline RMS concluded the Christa Lud wig, Birgit Nilsson, Eliz a beth week-end with a programme called A Little Light Schwarzkopf and Jon Vickers. Ron spiced his pre - Music. Ray treated us to works by Eric Coates, senta tion with lots of amusing an ecdotes. The Edward German, Charles Williams and Anthony writer was encour aged to hear Ron say his fa vour - Collins to name a few. The last work she played was ite version of Fidelio was the one con ducted by Hubert Bath’s Cornish Rhapsody and the Klemperer as that was the ver sion he had bought. delegates were sent home with its melodies ringing After lunch Malcolm Cloke of Stirling RMS in their ears. presented a programme called A Browse Amongst Chris Hamilton Sussex Regional Group roup meeting No.48 ‘The Concert Guide’ in the music. There followed a detailed breakdown of was held at Pyke House, Battle on Debussy’s Images for Orchestra, drawing attention to GSaturday/Sunday 23rd/24th March 2002. the use of the Northumberland song The Keel Row Bright, dry spring weather greeted visitors to a and in the last part Rondes de Printemp the children’s meeting that was slightly different in that the game and poem. presenters dealt objectively with fewer works but On Sunday morning and appropriately, as it analysing them in some detail to enhance the was the start of Holy Week, Jonathan Parris gave listeners appreciation of works heard in the an ‘in depth’ analysis of Haydn’s Seven Last Words concert hall or on disc. of our Saviour from the Cross. Jonathan drew our Eileen Taylor took the first session, opening with attention to the various versions of this work; the Overture to Prince Igor by Borodin but completed string quartet, piano, choral and orchestral. by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov. Eileen then Haydn considered this to be his greatest work and played Caprice No.24 by Paganini followed by an quoted from it in his visitors book. analysis of the variations that Rachmaninov, using the After coffee and freshly baked biscuits, Alan 24th Caprice, builds into his Rhapsody on a Theme of Thomas read from Mozart’s letter to his father Paganini. Eileen concluded her session with a look at regarding the Linz Symphony which he had to the Seventh Symphony by Prokofiev, written towards complete in just four days. This fine work shows no the end of his life and for children. hint that it was written in haste. Alan played part of Alan Thomas, in his session, played Walton’s a rehearsal of the Linz taken by Bruno Walter; Portsmouth Point Overture. As a ‘nod’ in the direction before analysing each movement of Dvorak’s of Sir William’s centenary year. Copies of the Eighth Symphony, a work overshadowed by the Rowlandson cartoon were circulated to the audience ‘New World’ was looked at next in a ‘classic’ as a sort of ‘visual aid’ to what Walton describes so well performance by The Berlin Philharmonic 31 REGIONS FRMS Orchestra conducted by Karl Böhm. of Sir Hubert Parry, whose house I was able to see Following an excellent lunch and a stroll round thanks to Gerry Hayes of the Rustington and the garden, guests reassembled to enjoy a ‘concert Worthing Recorded Music Society. In my type’ programme chosen and presented by Alan programme ‘1902’ by I was able to include a Gilby. A rarely heard overture by Grétry; La number of works of Parry. Once again I was struck Magnifique opened the concert. The featured solo by the friendliness and the organisation of the artist was pianist Claudio Arrau who played the Society. They even put me up for the night which second movement of the Brahm’s Second Piano added to the enjoyment of my trip. Concerto. Barbara Bonney next was heard singing, I have visited the Hastings Recorded Music from her CD ‘Diamonds in the Snow’, Society several times, Alan Gilby (where have I Stenhammar’s The Girl Came Home from Meeting heard that name before?) is their genial host. They her Lover. Lili Boulanger was the younger sister of are small in numbers but not in interest or the more well known Nadia, Lili wrote a beautiful enthusiasm. Held in the hall of a Baptist Church setting of Psalm 24. A friend of Mozart and which is in a rather blighted area of St. Leonards, possibly a pupil was Anton Eberl, Alan played his the Society maintains a series of regular meetings. Symphony in C written in 1785. I recognised their loudspeakers which used to Augusta Holmes was popular in her lifetime belong to the Eastbourne Society. but virtually forgotten after her death in 1903. Alan I must take this opportunity to congratulate all introduced Augusta’s Le Nuit et Amour. He also Secretaries and committees in the Sussex Region played another track from Barbara Bonney, for all their hard work and dedication in keeping Solveig’s Song by Grieg; Chopin next with Claudio their respective societies going in spite of Arrau playing the Andante Spianato for piano and difficulties. I am now looking forward to visits to orchestra. Ravel’s lush, swirling La Valse provided Burgess Hill and Bognor Regis in the autumn and Alan with a splendid finale to his concert. will report on them in due course. The next Pyke House meeting (No.49) will be Alan Thomas, Regional Secretary on Saturday/Sunday 26th/27th October and the theme will be ‘Mainly Mozart’. Alan Thomas TCHAIKOVSKY The Sussex Region WEEKEND or many years I have submitted reports of our A Tchaikovsky Weekend Course will be held ‘Pyke House’ Regional weekends at Battle and on Friday 14th to Monday 17th March 2003 at Fthe Editor has kindly made room for them picturesque Flagstone Farm, Stow on the even though some are quite lengthy! However, I Wold. Good facilities, including excellent find that I am somewhat remiss in reporting on the cuisine with 4 or 5 course dinners every other affiliated societies in the Sussex Region and evening. drawing attention to their work. In my capacity as Regional Secretary I do try to The tutors are: Terry Barfoot, a well known writer and travel around the region visiting societies. As this talker on music who is Publications is mostly by train, it is perforce, somewhat limited! Consultant for the Bournemouth SO. I receive a number of regular invitations to present Gwyn Parry-Jones who has played with programmes and I am always impressed by the the Hallé and Liverpool RPO and is lecturer at warmth of the welcome and the enthusiasm and Reading University. friendliness with which I am greeted. Works studied include Swan Lake, Symphony Over the last six months I have been to the no. 6, Quartet no. 1 and Piano Concerto no. 1. Hove Recorded Music Society to present a programme on Sir Adrian Boult. David Bayley is Special price to FRMS affil i ates of £250, which their indefatigable Secretary, coping with several in cludes all meals, wine, aper i tifs, course fees changes of venue and managing on a limited and ac com mo da tion. budget to present such celebrities as Sarah Walker, £50 de posit with booking. Dame Felicity Lott, Valerie Masterton and James Bowman. It is always a pleasure to visit Hove and Booking: Arts in Residence, 25 Mulberry Lane, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 2QU pick up a few ideas. Telephone: 02392 383356 This January saw me in Rustington, the home 32 REGIONS FRMS Yorkshire Regional Group Music Weekend here are fourteen societies in the Yorkshire was a choirmaster, and Oxford, where he couldn’t Regional Group, mostly based in Yorkshire pass exams in non-music subjects, up to the time Tbut with honorary incursions to Durham and when the Sitwell family befriended him. They gave to Clitheroe in Lancashire. . him a home and, with a few of their friends, Fri day Night is Music Night guaranteed him an income, and thus he was spared the need to get a “proper job” for some The formal weekend runs from 2.30 pm fifteen years. Saturday until lunch on Monday but this year, for Michael played excerpts from Façade, with the first time, we had a programme on Friday Lady Walton, and the Viola concerto, with Yuri evening (26th th April). Robert Seager, who is a Bashmet, before turning to Belshazzar’s Feast, member of both Horsforth and Barnsley RMSs, which many consider to be the greatest British started us off with Friday Night is Music Night and work since Elgar’s Gerontius. created a happy mood which prevailed throughout We heard of Walton’s great romances: first the weekend. The emphasis was light on music with the tempestuous Baroness Imma Doernberg, such as Fingal’s Cave, but others were not too then with Lady Alice Wimborne and finally his light. whirlwind pursuit, proposal and marriage to Susana, now Lady Walton. This all ran in parallel The Music Week end with the music: the long gestation period of the Before the main programme started we had a first symphony; the violin concerto which Heifitz short silence in which to remember the passing of commissioned but didn’t play; successful ventures two long-term, well-respected YRG members: into film music; and his labour of love, Troilus and Dennis Bostock (see the obituary in Bulletin No. Cressida, the critical reception of which was so 136) and John Spink. disappointing to Walton. Re duc tio ad Ab sur dum The next phase of this remarkable career was his acceptance by the establishment, the This was the title chosen by Ron Downes, commission for coronation music and the Te Chairman of Bradford Society, to describe as Deum. Then came the regular pattern of life: Ischia invalid arguments of those claiming that Richard in winter and London in the summer. Whilst the Strauss was a Nazi sympathiser and an mature works tended to be on a smaller scale than anti-Semite. the, arguably, greater ones of his early years, Ron was able to point to Strauss’s many Walton’s style remained fairly constant from the working collaborations with leading Jewish 1930s until his death in 1983. writers and artists and his defence of the librettist, Ivan’s Choice Stefan Zweig, when the Nazis tried to remove his name from posters advertising The Silent Woman Ivan March is probably the most regular visitor in Dresden. We heard extracts from that opera, to the Scarborough Weekend. If he isn’t reviewing from Arabella and from Salomé, with her Dance the recent entries in the Penguin Guide, he is of the Seven Veils; together with other items. participating as a member of the audience. The piece which attracted most interest and This year, for a change, we asked Ivan to leave comment was not by Strauss at all, but a genuine the Guide to one side, and he gave us a fascinating Eastern Belly Dance, Gamil Gamal by Hossam insight into the development of his musical life Ramzy. from the time of his wartime evacuation up to the Wil liam Walton: A Cen te nary present day. Cel e bra tion As a schoolboy, his wish to purchase Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony (five discs at 8s Michael Aston is a freelance pianist, lecturer 7½d each) was not economically viable, so he and writer who has made a special study of settled for Stokowski and Bach’s Toccata and Walton’s life and music. He took us briefly through Fugue in D minor, which was currently very Walton’s early years in Oldham, where his father popular because of Disney’s Fantasia, then 33 REGIONS FRMS showing in Oxford Street. This purchase was soon being issued by Chandos and, in the same vein, we followed by Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours, with heard the BBC Philharmonic and Rumon Gamba Sir Malcolm Sargent’s recording being traded in playing part of Malcolm Arnold’s score for No Love for the much more exciting Boston Pops version. for Johnny. Eventually he saved up for the Beethoven Amongst other ambitious Chandos issues we symphony and we heard it played by Bruno Walter heard an Allegro con brio, from a five-volume set of and the VPO. music by Frank Bridge, and the Sanctus from the Ivan attended music appreciation classes, Nicholas Mass, part of an eight-volume set of enjoyed meeting people, and started a Haydn Masses. Richard Hickox conducts both sets, gramophone society. He studied at Manchester the first with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales College of Music and, after service in the RAF, and the second with Collegium Musicum 90. toured and played the horn in the D’Oyly Carte and There was strong vocal representation Carl Rosa companies, in between which he had a including extracts from Opera-in-English series, spell with the BBC Scottish Orchestra. sponsored by the Peter Moore’s Foundation. For It soon became apparent that Ivan intended to piano-lovers we heard movements from have a go at the world record for the most pieces of Dohnányi’s Piano Concerto, and from Prokofiev’s music played in 75 minutes. He did extremely well Third Piano Concerto. This made a fascinating to reach a total of 25 because there was still plenty concert from many of new issues from this of narrative and he gave such an interesting enterprising company. account of his life and music. Glo ri ous John! Town and Coun try Saturday Evening saw a welcome return by Sunday morning was opened by Stewart Ball, Betty Roberts, reminiscing on her career as an who has been Chairman of Sheffield Recorded orchestral ’cellist and her memories of Barbirolli, Music Club for over 50 years! (Is this a record? particularly in his time with the Hallé. Comments to the Editor!) Stewart gave us musical It was in 1943 that John Barbirolli, then views of the town and country, starting with Elgar’s conductor of the New York Philharmonic, received Cockaigne, a proud but rose-coloured view of a telegram asking him to take over the Hallé. He London’s character, which was seen as “honest, was pleased to accept, but of course, this was healthy, humorous and strong, not vulgar”. wartime England and there were not very many Haydn was a countryman, son of a musicians. What he was required to do was not so wheelwright, and he was represented by the String much conduct, as to re-form and reconstitute this Quartet Op. 64 No.5, nicknamed The Lark. This leading orchestra, a Herculean task. work was dedicated to the memory of Mavis Betty illustrated her talk with favourite Beardshaw, Secretary of Sheffield Recorded Music excerpts from works such as Elgar’s String Club for over twenty-five years. Town and Country Serenade and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Sir came together with an extract from Verdi’s John did not often conduct opera, but the Puccini Falstaff. was in memory of a particularly fine concert Stewart’s programme finished with performance which he gave in Manchester’s Free Goldmark’s Rustic Wedding Symphony, chosen Trade Hall in the 1960s. His popular name partly because he hadn’t heard it for ages. Karl ‘Glorious John’ came from 1956 and was first used Goldmark was one of twenty children and was by Vaughan Williams in the dedication of his familiar with the music of both countryside and the Eighth Symphony, which said “For Glorious John local synagogue, where his father was cantor. His with love and admiration from Ralph” and it stuck. musical style is like Mendelssohn, tempered by Betty Roberts joined the Hallé as a ’cellist in Wagner and Liszt. The Symphony was written in 1960 but she had already encountered Sir John, 1876 and, due to its folk-tune base, is often who was a popular guest conductor, when she described as a symphonic poem. played in the Leeds-based Northern Philharmonia Chandos Presents The oboe was an important instrument for both Betty and Sir John, which was reflected in her The Chandos presentation, by James Skeggs, choice of two movements from the Marcello Oboe opened with a fine fanfare from Arthur Bliss’s concerto. It was played by Evelyn Rothwell with music for the film War in the Air. Music from the the Hallé and it was one of the works which films is one of the many interesting ‘theme’ series Barbirolli asked to be played at his funeral. 34 REGIONS FRMS Hommage á Clara Haskill playing the slow movement of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. David Patmore, a music critic and member of Tony Pook, Chairman YRG Sheffield GS, rounded off the weekend with a tribute to the memory of the Romanian pianist First-Rate! Clara Haskill. She was a remarkable musician First-rate music who, due to illness or persecution, had to rebuild Re-acquainted with friends her career three times. At the mu sic week end Born in Bucharest in 1895, Clara’s father died In Scarborough. when she was four and she very much came under the influence of a guardian uncle. He recognised Thank you pre senters her early, natural talent and gave up his career as a For in trigu ing in sights doctor to guide her. She gave her performing debut Sharing with us in Vienna, aged seven and went to the Paris your en thu si asm. Conservatoire at the age of ten. Town and Coun try recital She knew no one in Paris and found the Rustic Wedding Sympho ny included language difficult but she studied with Fauré and Reward for being an atten tive audi ence then Cortot, gaining the First Prize in Violin in A one-min ute tongue wag gling or leg stretch. 1909 and the First Prize for Piano in 1910. In 1909 she suffered from scoliosis (curvature of the spine) Free bies! and had to give up playing the violin and, later the Tee shirts piano. She was then encased in a steel brace and Sam pler discs didn’t play for four years. Cour tesy of Chandos. At the age of 24 she started to rebuild her Again musical life and five years later she started giving Many thanks to all con cerned concerts. For mak ing this weekend With the outbreak of the Second World War Mem o ra ble. Clara, whose family were Jewish, found she was Ian Hammerton banned from French Radio. Whilst she managed to avoid the Nazi concentration camps, she suffered THE YORKSHIRE REGIONAL GROUP from a brain tumour, which affected her optic The York shire Regio nal Group’s next Spring Weekend will nerve. She had an operation in Marseilles, which be at required three months convalescence, and in 1943 ***The Crown Hotel, Scarborough*** she managed to escape to Switzerland. 2.30 pm Sat ur day 12th April to 1.00 pm Mon day In 1945 she again rebuilt her musical career 14th April 2003 and in 1946 came to London for the first time. She Booking for local societies opens in October. All the single rooms and single-supplement rooms will gave a recital in the Wigmore Hall and signed a be taken up immediately. General booking, via the recording contract with Decca, but only two Secretary, will open on 4th November and close on recordings survive. 31st December 2002. There will be plenty of In 1949 her career finally took off again and, twin/double rooms available from a Swiss base, she appeared in Salzburg. In The food is very good! You’ll be beside 1950 she met Arthur Grumiaux and in 1954 they the seaside! The sun may shine! formed a strong musical partnership. Incidentally, As usual, we’re planning some good in 1953, for the very first time, she was able to buy speakers. Details later her own piano! Clara’s health was never good and The Conference Fee is £10, payable to the in 1953 her sister left Bucharest to look after her. Secretary on booking The Cost of the weekend is Despite her health problems, she pursued an £100, payable to the Hotel. Dinner, active and busy concert life and in 1959 she was Bed & Breakfast on Friday 11th is £35 awarded the French Legion d’Honneur. In DIARY DATES!! DON’T FORGET!! December 1960 she fell at a station, hit her head COME AND JOIN US!! and died the following day. For further details contact the YRG This was a first-rate account of a most Secretary: Dennis Clark, 227 Tinshill interesting musical life and David brought our Road, Leeds, LS16 7BU weekend to a fitting conclusion with Clara Haskill 35 SOCIETIES FRMS Hinckley Gram o phone So ci ety programmes, one in the latter half of the current season, one in the first half of next. Also coming up The precise foundation date of the society is not is a programme on the oratorio in the nineteenth known, but it was certainly more than fifty years century, curiously including music by Haydn but ago. Meetings are held on the first and third excluding Beethoven’s only example. Tuesdays of each month during the autumn and During the summer the society holds an annual spring terms of the academic year, in the lunch, and had planned a day trip on 5 August to Conference Centre of the town’s Further Education Brigg Fair (famously celebrated in music by Delius College. The building was originally the mortuary and Grainger), an annual event whose origins date of the local workhouse, but it is now very well back to the reign of King John. However, there will appointed, even to the extent of including a grand be no Brigg Fair in 2002 (further proof, if such piano. were needed, of the infallibility of Sod’s law). At The majority of programmes are presented by the time of writing, a traversal of the Elgar Route in the society’s own members, with visiting Worcestershire, visiting sites associated with the speakers giving between a quarter and a third. composer, is being planned instead for this year. All have a common aim: to share the experience Members of the society exchange visits with of the pleasure that music can bring. Diversity other societies in the midlands and are active in comes from the bill of musical fare, ranging from the affairs of the FRMS nationally and regionally. the familiar (meeting an old friend) to the Mick Birchall esoteric (the pleasure of new discovery). Sometimes information on the historical or Put ney Mu sic social context of the music is given, and a little The end of Putney Music’s fifty-second season learning is, almost co-incidentally, acquired. also marked the end of a remarkable era in its Once each season, this goes a little further: one history, as two of its officers have retired after of our regular presenters illustrates an aspect of giving long periods of service to the Society. music theory, using recordings of familiar music, Felix Aprahamian, the Society’s President, has and also the grand piano. This may sound decided to step down after occupying the post for didactic, but it is not. They are among our best 44 years. In her annual report to the Society’s liked programmes. AGM, chairman Cathy Connolly, who took over at Another regular feature of each season is a extremely short notice after the sudden death of “Theme Evening” when music of a particular John Lawson, said that his knowledge of music country or region is complemented by a and his contacts within the musical world had buffet of food from the same area. Last season been of great assistance, and members had looked Italian wines, salads and delicatessen were forward with anticipation to his annual talk to the served at a programme of music by Verdi, Society, which, sadly, he had been unable to give marking the centenary of the composer’s this year. Unfortunately Felix, who celebrated his death. The 2002/3 season will include a 88th birthday in June, is not in the best of health South American theme evening, presented by but will retain his contacts with the Society as a member having family connections with President Emeritus, and it is hoped that he may that continent. In a previous year, music from still be able to visit us on the odd occasion. Hyperion’s English Orpheus series of CDs We are fortunate that David Cairns, the Berlioz was complemented by a ploughman’s supper expert and one of our Vice-Presidents, has agreed with real ale and cider. to take over as President and we hope that he will For the most part, programmes consist of remain so for many years to come. classical music, but occasionally a pop song is Irma Tertsakian is retiring after 23 years as featured to illustrate a thematic programme. Programme Secretary and a total of 41 years on the However, last season, as a ‘one-off’, a programme Committee. Over that period she has worked with called ‘Happy Days’ was included, featuring true dedication, providing the Society with the popular music from the 1920s to early 1940s. marvellous programmes for which it has justly Autumn 2002 will have a programme of become so famous. Prior to that her husband ceremonial English Music from several centuries Armen occupied the position for a similar length of to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee (the main time and with equal flair, so it will be strange not to celebration occurred during our ‘close season’). have a Tertsakian on the Committee! Irma has, The Berlioz bi-centenary will be marked by two however, accepted Life Membership of the Society, 36 SOCIETIES FRMS so both she and Armen (also a Life Member) will Oakenrod. continue to grace our meetings. Arthur Kershaw was a member of Rochdale At the end of the AGM Irma was presented with Gramophone Society from 1979 until his death in an engraved goblet and a bouquet, and a dinner in 1987. her honour was held in May. Although a hard act He was very interested in the technical side of to follow, Margaret Lyons has agreed to step into recorded music and always had the latest model, the breach and, with the help of George Isserlis, which he brought with him whenever he was has prepared a programme for the fifty-third presenting a programme. He was the first to use season that looks set to continue the long tradition CDs at the Society, using his own equipment. of ‘only the best will do’. At home he had an impressive array of We also have two new Vice-Presidents — the equipment. He used to invite individual members pianist Piers Lane and singer Ian Partridge, both to his house for a musical evening. To suppress the well known local residents. We are confident that noise he had thick cork tiles on the wall adjoining the Society is in safe hands and that it will continue his neighbours. Despite this they complained and to present its unique brand of programme for many he had to move all of his equipment into his large years to come. detached garage which he also equipped with home comforts — and still had room for his large car. Rochdale Gram o phone So ci ety He worked as a stockbroker right up to his - an anecdotal history by Jack Tattersall (Hon death and left a total of £250,000. After special President) and George Steele (past Chairman) bequests four Rochdale societies shared the Founding and meeting places: Mr Frank residue: Rochdale Gramophone Society, Rochdale Walkden, who lived in Milnrow, started the Music Society, Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society Society. He had an EMG Gramophone, which had and Rochdale Curtain Theatre. a huge horizontal horn. He and two friends met He did not specify how the money should be over a glass of beer in the Commercial Hotel and spent but one of the first things Rochdale they decided to try to form a Gramophone Society. Gramophone Society did was to improve its They canvassed a group of friends who showed equipment. Over the years other uses have been interest then placed an advert in the Rochdale found for the money such as an annual dinner and Observer. Only one person replied a Miss trips to concerts. There is still a considerable McCormick from Balderstone. Thus encouraged amount of the money left and he is now they went ahead and formed the Rochdale commemorated every year by two concert visits, Gramophone Society. which are free to members. The first meeting was held in the Drake Hotel in Present Day: November 1931. On the night of the first meeting Rochdale Gramophone Society currently has the EMG gramophone had not arrived. The about 30 members and a regular attendance of Railway Company had failed to deliver it on time between 17 and 22 people. They meet on Friday for the meeting. Mr Walkden had to run up to the afternoons to avoid clashing with other activities Fishwick Street sidings to collect it. There was a at the busy St George’s Church. The people holding ‘right to do’ in persuading the night staff to allow the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman him to take it away but they did and the waiting change each year alternating between lady and members had an exciting time trying it out. gentlemen. As many members as wish to can Jack Tattersall joined the Society on 20 March present programmes and everyone takes a turn in 1952 (see article in last Bulletin). Meetings were providing interval refreshments. In addition we then held in the Friends Meeting House in George have about seven visiting presenter each year and a Street. The next year they moved to Mr & Mrs similar number of ‘Members Programmes’ where Skurr’s private school in ‘Beech House’, members bring along music to be played. In the Manchester Road. At this time regular attendance opinion of Jack Tattersall, Honorary President, averaged about six people but, in 1954 in response the Society is as active and as healthy as at any time to an advert, a further nine people joined. he can remember. In 1956 the Society moved to the Trades & Labour building in Drake Street and 9 years later to STAFFORD RMS Rochdale College, first in the Main Hall and later Way back in 1956, an enthusiastic music lover (1972) to classroom 502. In 1974 they moved to by the name of Ronald William Davies felt that their present venue at St George’s Church Stafford needed a Gramophone Society, so he 37 SOCIETIES FRMS began discussions with Harold E Parkes, the room, excellent kitchen facilities and storage for proprietor of a well-known major record and our equipment. Most important of all, it was less equipment supplier in the town. Between them, costly and we were there for a number of years but they placed an advertisement in the local press. eventually, as attendances grew again, we moved The response was encouraging and after an back to the Blind Centre and here we have been inaugural meeting, the Stafford Society became since. reality. The (as it was) National Federation of Gramophone Societies came to our assistance with information on how to run such a society in a proper and professional way. The first problem, as for all such emerging Societies, was to find a suitable venue in which to hold our recitals and how to obtain the necessary first class reproducing equipment. It was always assumed that most people interested would possess their own equipment and so, it was seen to be important that we used top class equipment to present our programmes in order to entice listeners from the comfort of their own homes. Our first home was St Thomas’s Church Hall. The second problem was temporarily resolved by the generosity of Harold Parkes who agreed to loan us all the Arthur Bown (Chairman), FRMS V-P equipment we needed until we had enough funds to Marjorie Williamson (member) and Eric purchase our own. Of course, all we required in Martin (President). those far off days was a quality amplifier, loudspeaker and a turntable. For each evening, the The Society prospers and remained financially equipment had to be transported to St. Thomas’s sound and with a steady growth in membership. Hall and then returned to the Music House. So, with Along with the advent of the Compact Disc and top the two initial problems resolved, the Stafford quality cassette tapes, the original name of Gramophone Society began life. Between 60 to 70 Gramophone Society was obviously outdated. Our people attended and very appropriately, the first name was changed to Recorded Music Society and programme was presented by the founder Ron our equipment now includes facilities for playing Davies who sadly, is no longer with us. compact discs and cassettes. Over the years we Soon, however, we had to move with the have had some distinguished visitors presenting demolition of the Hall, so we quickly found a new programmes for us. They include Joan Coulson home at the Blind Centre in North Walls. Then, from EMI Records, Ivan March of the Blackpool disaster struck. The centre was of timber Long-playing Library, Donald Rooksby of construction and one Saturday morning our home Hyperian Records and David Denton of Naxos was nothing more than a burnt out shell because of Records. We have enjoyed over many years very fire. We lost everything, including our equipment. friendly and close relationships with other So we had to move yet again to another temporary Societies in the region. The South Cheshire home, but subsequently the Blind Centre was Recorded Music Society at Nantwich, Stone quickly replaced by a much more substantial brick Gramophone Society, Newcastle Gramophone building and we were able to return there to enjoy Society and Walton Music Circle at Stafford. All many more years of recitals. Eventually, with these societies send members to present attendances falling to between 30 and 40 but with programmes to us and we in turn visit them, the regularly increasing rent, we had to look for a making many friends in the process. new home. The Blind Centre was now really much Our season of music operates from early too large for our smaller attendances. One September to the middle of May, recitals, fascinating evening we organised was a French Cafe commencing promptly at 7.30 p.m. and usually style evening with candlelit tables, red and white finishing between 9.45 and 10 p.m. Details are check tablecloths and of course, food and wine. available on our Web page, accessed as always via Our next home was the conference room in St. the Federation’s Web site. Joseph’s Convent where we had a smaller cosier Arthur Bown 38 CROSSWORD FRMS Cross word Crossword 137 (Mainly Music!) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Hein Kropholler CHANDOS 9 10 11 12 Chandos Records have very kindly agreed to sponsor this crossword and will give a prize of a CD 13 14 15 16 from their catalogue to the winner who will be chosen by a draw from all correct answers received 17 18 19 20 21 by the editor before the 1st January. In the event of a correct answer not being received, the best attempt (at the discretion of the editor) will win the 22 23 24 award. If you are nearly there, chance your arm! ACROSS 25 26 1 Sec tion of the or ches tra. [7] 5 Sounds as though this Ameri can composer can manage in the country. [7] 27 28 9 Moving along, flow ing. [7] 10 Music to awaken a feeling. [7] 11 Sibelius’ only opera?? Changed o no winter.[2, 2,5] Solution to Crossword 136 12 Chose. [5] D I M I N I S H E D R C 13 Author of famous dictio nary of music. [5] 15 The 1970’s saw Joplin’s mu sic popu lar ised again. [7,2] S N N E I L I R A 17 Fa mous USA com poser/con duc tor. [9] F L U T E M U S I C M R 19 Type of asp Cle o pa tra used. [5] 22 Music has these. [5] E U E S T H R I L L 23 Schoenberg an early pro tago nist of this kind of music. [9] N T I N N 25 Fe male ruler. [7] 26 Strong desire to compose or write piece. [3,4] P E S E T A S R O S S I N I 27 17th cen tury vio lin ist and com poser. [7] E P L O G O N S E 28 Real great music lasts for ever. [7] G I R L U B L U L L DOWN S I A S S E T R S 1 One mari time shanty. [3,4] C A N T A T A D U R U F L E 2 Composer of guitar concer tos. [7] 3 And then there were nine. [5] H G T N S N 4 Been to that aw ful ama teur opera? [4,5] U P S H A W T E E F 5 The note of a bell can be this! [5] 6 Com posed fa mous Shake spear ean bal let. [9] R O O B O E F A M I L Y 7 Wagner’s sec ond ring opera ends with one. [1,6] 8 German city with fa mous orches tra. [7] C O N E O N U U A 14 This is what the ap pren tice thought. [4,5] H G D O E S L E G A T O 16 Sounds as though it’s the ge nie’s home. [3,6] 17 Rich ard Rodney ...? [7] 18 How fast per bar? [7] 20 One who is employed in produc ing copies of music. [7] There were two correct solu tions submit ted for 21 Multi ple ones in a fa mous even riot ous ballet piece. [7] cross word num ber 136, and the lucky winner 23 Musically very or ex tremely. [5] picked at random was Philip Blow of London. The 24 Ger man evening . [5] oth er cor rect answer was from Mrs L. Holmes of Shipley. Anthony Heywood from Huddersfield; J. T. Stonhall of Exeter; L. C. Warner of Godalming; Please support our ad vertis ers and quote Mrs Kath. Deem of Sale; Mrs Beryl Basey of the Bul letin when you con tact them. Whitley Bay and Ian Brydon of Bexley each submit ted good entries with only minor errors. 39 FRMS FRMS Fed er a tion of Re corded Mu sic So ci eties Ltd. Website: www.musicweb.uk.net/frms Pres i dent Edward Greenfield OBE MA (Cantab) Hon. GSM Vice Pres i dents J.R.Bulman; J. R. Shaw; M. B. Williamson Board Of fi cers Chairman: John Davies, 18 Hellath Wen, Nantwich CW5 7BB Tel: 01270 627 269 Vice-Chairman: Cathy Connolly, 49 Landford Road, Putney, London SW15 1AQTel: 020 8785 6809 Secretary: Tony Baines, 2 Fulmer Place, Meir Park, Stoke on Trent ST3 7QF Tel: 01782 399291 E Mail: [email protected] (Note: All Federation matters should be addressed initially to the Secretary) Treasurer: Brian Cartwright, The Woodlands, School Road, Luthermuir, Laurencekirk AB30 1YX Tel: 01674 840220 E-mail: [email protected] Bulletin Editor: Arthur Baker, 4 Ramsdale Road, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 2QA Tel: 0161 440 8746 E-mail: [email protected] Technical Officer: Philip Ashton, 27 Dunsby Road, Luton LU3 2UA Tel: 01582 651632 E-mail: [email protected] Board/Comm ittee Mick Birchall, 2 Burley Close, Desford, Leicester LE9 9HX Tel: 01455 823 494 Keith Cheffins, 4 Morningside Courtyard, Prestbury, Cheltenham GL52 3BU Tel: 01242 571810 Ronald Bleach, 48 Ravenswood Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 6BT Tel: 07866 307874 John Heyes, 46 Mayfield Drive, Newport PO30 2DR Tel: 01983 520885 Reg Williamson, 67 Galleys Bank, Whitehill, Kidsgrove ST7 4DE Tel: 01782 782419 Na tional and Re gional Sec re taries Scot land Ste phen Grey, 35E Forth Street, Dunfirmline, Fife BH25 7AD Tel: 01383 724 290 E. Surrey G. Kellie , 42 Kaymoor Road, Sutton, Sur rey. SM2 5HT Tel: 020 8642 3227 North East E Shepherd, 35 Elmfield Gar dens, Gosforth, New cas tle NE3 4XB Tel: 0191 285 7003 S.E. Lon don A.J. Walker, 13 Water er House, Beck en ham Hill Road, Catford, Lon don SE6 3PN Tel: 020 8461 1007 Sus sex A. Thomas, 5 Aca cia Road, Willingdon Trees, Eastbourne BN22 OTW Tel: 01323 509518 W. Middlesex Mrs. P Jiggins, 140 Holylake Crescen t, Ickenham, Middlesex UB10 8JH Tel: 01895 634485 Cen tral Region Mick Birchall, 2 Bur ley Close, Desford, Leicester LE9 9HX Tel: 01455 823 494 W. Surrey L.C. Warner, MBE The Stiles 22 Mar shall Road Godalming GU7 3AS Tel: 01483 417119 York shire D. Clark, 227 Tinshill Road, Leeds LS16 7BU Tel: 0113 267 1533 Reg is tered in Eng land No.700106. Reg is tered Of fice: 2 Fulmer Place, Meir Park, Stoke on Trent ST3 7QF 40