BritSymphCup

I recently wrote about Maconchy's v fine Serenata Concertante for BBC NOW (worth remembering BBC orchestras/Singers in discussions about the organisation's future). The violinist who premiered and recorded the work was Manoug Parikian (hi @levparikian.bsky.social)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fegz...

YouTube video by London Philharmonic Orchestra - Topic Music for Strings: I. Molto moderato

youtu.be/wUhiaMyDfUE?...

The commission for the Proms was a recognition of her stature in British music, & the work itself reflects her mature style—bold, contrapuntal, & emotionally nuanced. It stands as a testament to her enduring creativity and her refusal to conform to stylistic trends, even late in life.

Music for Strings represents a culmination of her lifelong dedication to string writing. By 1983, she had composed 13 string quartets & numerous chamber works.

The first recording of Music for Strings was released in 2007 on the Lyrita label, conducted by Barry Wordsworth with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This recording helped bring renewed attention to Maconchy’s orchestral output, which had long been overshadowed by her celebrated string quartets.

The 3rd movement, Mesto, is marked by a haunting solo viola that sets a melancholic tone, later building into a more vigorous section before subsiding into solitude again. The finale is rhythmically buoyant & extroverted, tossing melodic fragments between sections & ending with a cheeky flourish.

The 1st movement opens with sombre, low chords that gradually break into contrapuntal lines, returning to the opening material with a solo violin soaring above. The 2nd movement is a pizzicato scherzo, rhythmically playful and light, interrupted by a broad descending melody in 5/4 time.

The piece is cast in 4 movements, each showcasing Maconchy’s command of string textures & her affinity for contrapuntal writing.

It is a vibrant & structurally rich work for string orchestra, composed during the final decade of her life. It was commissioned by the BBC for the Proms, & received its premiere on 26 July 1983 at the Royal Albert Hall.

Music for Strings: I. Molto moderato

Died #OTD in 1994, English-Irish composer, Elizabeth Maconchy. Her Music for Strings was premiered at the 1983 BBC Proms by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Downes. open.spotify.com/track/1kWVlr... #britsymphyear

YouTube video by Fisher Center at Bard THE WRECKERS • Bard SummerScape Opera 2015

Full staging: youtu.be/3mIyT62cBA4?...

As a suffragette, composer, and trailblazer, Smyth poured her passion and conviction into this opera, which many now regard as the most significant English opera between Purcell and Britten.

In Smyth’s life, The Wreckers represents her most ambitious operatic achievement. It reflects her fierce independence, her commitment to dramatic storytelling, & her defiance of societal norms.

The 1st recording of came much later. A concert performance at the BBC Proms in 1994 was recorded & released on CD, marking a significant revival of interest in Smyth’s work. More recently, a 2015 staging at Bard SummerScape in New York brought the opera to U.S. audiences for the first time.

The opera was later championed by Sir Thomas Beecham, who staged it in London in 1909 & included it in his 1910 Covent Garden season, finally giving the work its full English-language staging.

Smyth struggled for years to get it staged, facing resistance due to her gender & the unconventional themes. The premiere was marred by unauthorized cuts, prompting Smyth to famously storm the orchestra pit, retrieve her score, & leave for Prague, effectively halting further performances there.

The story, inspired by Smyth’s walking tour of Cornwall in 1886, explores the grim practice of wrecking—where coastal villagers extinguish warning lights to lure ships onto rocks & plunder their cargo.

The Wreckers is a powerful opera in three acts. It was composed between 1902 & 1904, with a libretto by Smyth’s close friend Henry Brewster, originally written in French as Les Naufrageurs.

The Wreckers: Overture

Premiered #OTD in 1906, the opera The Wreckers by English composer & conductor, Ethel Smyth. It was given at the Neues Theater in Leipzig under its German title, Strandrecht. open.spotify.com/track/63zeHm... #britsymphyear

I see there was also an earlier 1st private performance at 1910 Gloucester 3 Choirs, Elgar piano Reed violin though some say Kreisler. seenandheard-international.com/2023/07/elec...

YouTube video by LiveSoundCapture The Elgar Violin Concerto - rare footage with Sir Yehudi Menuhin and Desmond Bradley.

Documentary masterclass with Menuhin youtu.be/N50a2JZpmMA?...

YouTube video by incontrario motu Elgar - Violin concerto - Menuhin / LSO / Elgar

youtu.be/eioIa_ELIUU?...

Composed at the height of his fame, the work’s introspective tone foreshadows the more intimate chamber music of his later years & reflects the fading optimism of the Edwardian era.

The concerto represents a deeply personal statement. Elgar inscribed the manuscript with the enigmatic phrase: “Aquí está encerrada el alma de …..” (“Herein is enshrined the soul of …..”), a mystery that has never been solved.

However, the most iconic recording was made in 1932 by the 16-year-old Yehudi Menuhin, with Elgar conducting. This version remains in print and is celebrated for its emotional depth and historical significance.

The 1st recording was a truncated acoustic version made in 1916 by Marie Hall with Elgar conducting. The 1st complete recording came in 1929, performed by Albert Sammons with Sir Henry Wood conducting.

Elgar, a violinist in his youth, sought technical advice from W.H. “Billy” Reed of the London Symphony Orchestra during composition, ensuring the solo part was both playable & expressive.

The concerto was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1909, following Kreisler’s personal request. Kreisler had long admired Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius & publicly declared Elgar to be among the greatest living composers, comparing him to Beethoven & Brahms.

The performance was a triumph, with Kreisler receiving multiple ovations and Elgar recalled to the stage 15 times. It marked one of the high points of Elgar’s career & remains one of the most emotionally expansive & technically demanding concertos in the violin repertoire.

Elgar: Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61: I. Allegro

Premiered #OTD in 1910, the Violin Concerto in B minor, by English composer & conductor, Edward Elgar.
It was launched at Queen’s Hall, London, with Fritz Kreisler as soloist & Elgar conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. open.spotify.com/track/3oGLl2... #britsymphyear