"Recent" Toccata Releases

[Dundonnell]

Recording and releasing particular works by "obscure" composer by small record companies must be one of the most mystery-enshrouded activities within the world of classical music

Who decides on what to record? Who decides on the performers? Who puts up the money?

In some cases it seems to come down to the personal tastes of the company's owner. BIS in Sweden was an obvious case in point, certainly in years gone by. Robert von Bahr-as I understand it- owned the company so what got recorded and equally what did not get recorded came down to him. von Bahr appears to have had little interest in, for example, the music of Hilding Rosenberg.

Some companies rely heavily on a trusted repertoire adviser. CPO have Burkhard Schmilgun. Dutton have Lewis Foreman. Lyrita have a board of trustees of the Itter Trust, presumably advised to some extent by Paul Conway  but with Antony Smith heavily involved. Martin Anderson runs Toccata.

CPO seem financially sound. Certainly their particular modus operandi enable them to issue several cds every month. But they also appear to have a substantial backlog of recordings which means that it can take years, sometimes many years, before a particular recording is released to the public. The reasons why some of these recordings take longer than others to reach the public domain are seldom clear and usually completely inexplicable!

Other companies- one guesses- operate on a "shoestring" budget. They must seek external support/funding from wherever it can be obtained. It is very well known how generous the Havergal Brian Society have been in funding Dutton's recordings and, at least, helping Naxos.
The recent Hyperion cd of Erik Chisholm's Violin Concerto was paid for by the Chisholm Trust.
I suppose however that sources of funding may dry up or be diverted elsewhere so that the continuation of funding ceases. Thus projects stall.

Ultimately, I don't know. I am guessing.I know no more than other people. It would be nice to know more and I shall try to find out a little more soon. Perhaps Gareth can tell us how the CPO Holbrooke recordings were funded and when CPO will release the latest??

[Grandenorm]

I'm not sure that I can, suffice it to say that all the works recorded were broadcast first on Deutschland Radio Kultur, so perhaps the radio station paid a lion's share of costs. Certainly, the Holbrooke family has no sort of "Trust" or "Holbrooke Society" to fund recordings of Joseph's works.
As to a release date for Volume 3 of CPO's Holbrooke disks I am hoping that it will be some time this year. I will make enquiry.

[Dundonnell]

This is exactly what I was referring to when I spoke about CPO's modus operandi. It is a well-tried formula which works through the structure of radio within the Federal Republic.

There does appear to be a growing relationship between record companies and BBC3. A number of recent labels carry the BBC3 logo denoting that the content of the disc has been broadcast previously.

[Gauk]

Many thanks to the contributors to this thread. I have put together a nice Spotify playlist out of it all.

[Dundonnell]

It is not often that four British symphonies completely unknown to me and by three composers, two of whom were equally unknown to me, arrive by post in a largie box :)

Steve Elcock's Symphony No.3 is described on the back of the cd as being in "the Nordic-British tradition of Sibelius, Nielsen, Simpson, Brian and similar fugures".

David Hackbridge Johnson's Symphony No.9 (he has apparently written fourteen!!) is described as being written in "a language inherited in part from Brian, Copland, Janacek, Rubbra, Sibelius, Simpson, Tippett...."

Rodney Newton's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4 are written in the tradition of "Vaughan Williams and Arnold".

Well.......if these descriptions turn out to match what I hear then I shall be a very happy chap indeed :) :)

Watch this space!!

[Dundonnell]

All three of these discs merits attention. The Rodney Newton symphonies, particularly the 1st, are heavily influenced by the music of Vaughan Williams without quite attaining the same heights of inspiration. The Hackbridge Johnson symphony is, I think, over-extended and discursive but is a powerful piece. It was actually the short orchestral Motet which gripped me the most. Paul Mann likens it to the Samuel Barber Essays for orchestra and the immense power conveyed in a short orchestral work is certainly valid. The Elcock I need to listen to again; it is the least immediate of the three.

I note that all 3 discs are labelled Volume One so it appears that Martin Anderson has the funding to record more! There are always the Derek Bourgeois symphonies

[Toby Esterhase]

Dear Hibbard
Where have they announced it?
Best

[relm1]

There are always the Derek Bourgeois symphonies

THIS!!!!!  Of course we don't need all of them right now because I do live in reality but I enjoy everything I have heard of his and some of it is deeply moving and substantial.  It definitely needs better representation.  With that said, I am currently enjoying David Hackbridge Johnson's Symphony No. 9 very much and look forward to listening to Steve Elcock and Rodney Newton afterwords.  These are wonderful works so Dundonnell, you need to update your list of unrecorded English symphonies to include the rest of the output of these previously unknown to me composers.  I do agree with the association of Robert Simpson, Nielson, Sibelius, Tippet, Havergal Brian, Prokofiev in what I have heard so far and those are all great symphonists. 

By the way, I might be wrong about this but I believe it is Rodney Newton who has written 14 symphonies and not David Hackbridge Johnson as you say.

[Expi]

I am hoping we see Volume 1 of the Zolotareyev symphony cycle this year !!   ???

and why not a Micky Mouse symphonies cycle !!! seems every composers name snapped open must have his own symphonies cycle. My goodness ...

[Gauk]

I recall Andre Previn saying that his ambition was to hear every piece of music ever written. A worthy aim, even if he didn't do much to realise it. Unless one explores, one doesn't know what interesting things are hidden in the shadows. This is particularly the case with composers like Erland von Koch and André Gedalge who were self-effacing and very loath to push their music forward during their lifetime. Success often goes to the people with the sharpest elbows.

[guest224]

I am hoping we see Volume 1 of the Zolotareyev symphony cycle this year !!   ???

David - is this just a random hope or have you heard something?  Sorry to ask, but you do quite often put up postings like this... Any more news on the recording of Ilyinsky's Noure et Anitra; the disc of Lemba music, etc?

[Toby Esterhase]

Yes,  I did hear something... that was a remark from Martin Anderson owner of Toccata.. hoping we see the Siberian Symphony bringing us the Zolotarev symphony cycle this year. 

Dear Mr Hibbard
Siberian Symphony should complete also Shebalin's  cycle stopped from years
Best

[guest145]

I recall Andre Previn saying that his ambition was to hear every piece of music ever written. A worthy aim, even if he didn't do much to realise it. Unless one explores, one doesn't know what interesting things are hidden in the shadows.

On a somewhat related topic:

A number of years ago, Martin Anderson mentioned that a conductor friend of his had smugly declared that he planned to record every sinfonietta ever written (obviously believing there weren't all that many). I did some quick research and sent him a list of over 400 composers who had written sinfoniettas (and I'm sure the number is actually substantially higher). Martin was pleased to present the list to his friend and set him straight. Obviously the project never materialized.  ;)

[Grandenorm]

I don't understand the mention of a second Lemba disk on Toccata. I can't find the composer listed at all on the Toccata website. Have I misunderstood, or am I missing something?

[calyptorhynchus]

"I recall Andre Previn saying that his ambition was to hear every piece of music ever written. A worthy aim, even if he didn't do much to realise it."

How do you know he didn't do much to realise it? and he is still alive, so he could still be listening.