Continuing my exploration of works first heard at the 1970 Cheltenham Festival of Music...
Although there are plenty of
adverts on the internet for the score of Robin Holloway’s Scenes from
Schumann, op.13, I could not locate a CD, download or YouTube recording.
The composer has written a delightfully quirky programme note for this 22
minute piece: ‘[It]was composed in haste (after many months of feeble doodling
with some favourites of his Lieder for a handful of players) in response to a
sudden, unexpected deadline...My feeling about this defiant denial of/escape
from the imprisoning Zeitgeist was guilt, doubt, shame, fear; but none of this is audible for a second in
the notes: which also, from the very first rehearsal onwards, sounded right and
good, pleased the (sometimes quizzical) players and then the (ditto) audience
too.’
Formally, the Scenes
feature seven paraphrases of six Schumann songs. These include ‘Widmung’ and
‘Die Lotosblume’ form Myrthen (1840) op.25; ‘Allnächtlich im Traume’
from Dichterliebe (1840) op.48, ‘Auf einer Burg’, ‘Mondnacht’ and ‘Frühlingsnacht’
from Liederkreis, op.39. Holloway
states that he has re-composed the original: ‘in a manner for which
Stravinsky’s treatment of Tchaikovsky in Le Baiser de la Feé is the
nearest precedent. I have attempted to get ‘inside’ the songs and from the inside
to send them in different directions…there is hardly a bar left which could
have been written by Schumann, the intention is not to distort but to amplify
and intensify the originals.’
Robin Holloway's ‘Souvenirs de
Schumann’ (sic) was first performed by the BBC Welsh Orchestra under John
Carewe on 10 July. Writing in the Musical Times (September 1970), Gerald
Larner explains that ‘...certain songs by Schumann...provide the basic material
of Holloway's piece, though it is his grotesque treatment of romantic melody
which is its most interesting characteristic: it has that equivocation between
affection and send-up typical of Ives's attitude to musical Americana (Holloway
claims his innocence from all parodistic intention, but, surely, even the title
is ironic).’
The Scenes from Schumann
were due to be heard at a Promenade Concert on Wednesday 23 July 1980 at the
Royal Albert Hall. Unfortunately, due to industrial action by the Musicians'
Union this concert was cancelled. The work was later revised in 1986.
I can find no trace of Ian
Kellam’s Festival Jubilate. This Sheffield born composer, who latterly
lived on Moreton, Gloucestershire died in 2014, aged 81. Many of his works were
choral, both secular and liturgical. There are several settings of the Anglican
Morning and Evening Canticles and an important Gloucester Te Deum composed
for the 13th centenary of the founding of the Cathedral. He also wrote a deal
of incidental music as well as two operas.
Elizabeth Poston’s Benediction
for the Arts was a setting for SATB choir and organ and dedicated to Lucian
Nethsingha and the Choir of St. Michael’s College, Tenbury. The text was taken form Part III in the Devotions
of John Austin (1613-1669). I was unable to locate either a printed score
or a recording.
To be continued...
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