Carl Friedrich: Abel EMS 27 April

[doversoul1]

As part of the BBC's 18th Century Season, Lucie Skeaping looks at the life and music of the German composer Carl Friedrich Abel, who spent most of his career in London.
Abel arrived in London in 1754 as a virtuoso viola-da-gamba player, and soon became one of the biggest names on the London music scene. Along with his fellow German musician JC Bach, Abel set up England's first subscription concerts, which allowed them to promote not only their own pieces, but also those of other composers - including Joseph Haydn.
He composed many pieces for his own instrument, the viola da gamba, as well as trio sonatas, concertos for the new-fangled square piano and early forays into the classical-style symphony which were a huge influence on the young Mozart

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b041vfxq

Incidentally, Composer of the Week from tomorrow is JC Bach (repeat from 2009).

[Pabmusic]

Abel was effectively half of a double act with J C Bach. They in fact shared rooms for years and contributed the bulk of the concerts at the Hanover Rooms (built for them and decorated by their good mate Joshua Reynolds). I like to picture them as an Eighteenth Century Morecombe and Wise (remember them in bed?).

I've conducted three Abel sinfonias and the music what he wrote is very good.

[MickyD]

And I think both had their portraits painted by Gainsborough.

[Pegleg]

Yes he did :




Thomas Gainsborough was a close friend. Supposedly both shared a love for the viola da gamba. They traded paintings for lessons and Gainsborough himself also became accomplished on the instrument.


Surely this edition of EMS will have some of his gamba pieces in the playlist? Played by Paolo Pandolfo and/or Susanne Heinrich perhaps.

According to WIKIWHATSIT :

One of Abel's works became famous due to a misattribution: in the 19th century, a manuscript symphony in the hand of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was catalogued as his Symphony no. 3 in E flat, K. 18, and was published as such in the first complete edition of Mozart's works by Breitkopf & Härtel. Later, it was discovered that this symphony was actually the work of Abel, copied by the boy Mozart—evidently for study purposes—while he was visiting London in 1764. That symphony was originally published as the concluding work in Abel's Six Symphonies, Op. 7.

Not a bad recommendation.

[Pabmusic]

And I think both had their portraits painted by Gainsborough.

And I should have said Gainsborough...

[Roehre]

...
According to WIKIWHATSIT :

One of Abel's works became famous due to a misattribution: in the 19th century, a manuscript symphony in the hand of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was catalogued as his Symphony no. 3 in E flat, K. 18, and was published as such in the first complete edition of Mozart's works by Breitkopf & Härtel. Later, it was discovered that this symphony was actually the work of Abel, copied by the boy Mozart—evidently for study purposes—while he was visiting London in 1764. That symphony was originally published as the concluding work in Abel's Six Symphonies, Op. 7.

Not a bad recommendation.

since it turned out not to be Mozart's work, this symphony is heard/played very rarely, if at all.
Leinsdorf's "complete" Mozart however does include this, and the JCBach Symphony no.2 KV17 as well, btw.
and these are definitely works to be heard: if Mozart's KV19 or 22 are played, these non-Mozart symphonies deserve at least the same. But it doesn't state Mozart on the label...........

[Pegleg]

since it turned out not to be Mozart's work, this symphony is heard/played very rarely, if at all.
Leinsdorf's "complete" Mozart however does include this, and the JCBach Symphony no.2 KV17 as well, btw.
and these are definitely works to be heard: if Mozart's KV19 or 22 are played, these non-Mozart symphonies deserve at least the same. But it doesn't state Mozart on the label...........

Many thanks for pointing that out. Assuming this particular Abel Symphony(Overture) should be numbered Op.7 No.6, I've not seen it on CD.

But it can be heard in full as no. 3 in E flat, K. 18 on youtube: http://youtu.be/ukImpxbXm78 Performers: Northern Chamber Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Ward. According to the notes: Mozart copied the symphony and replaced the oboes by clarinets (version heard here with clarinets).


Now all we need is someone like Richard Egarr and the AAM to give it the "Birth of the Symphony" treatment.

[MickyD]

There are some excellent discs of Abel symphonies, flute concertos and piano concertos on the CPO label, by The Hanover Band and La Stagione. Well worth acquiring.

[gamba]

I have a copy of this picture hanging on the wall of my ' music room, ' truly a joy to behold.

[Tony Halstead]

There are some excellent discs of Abel symphonies, flute concertos and piano concertos on the CPO label, by The Hanover Band and La Stagione. Well worth acquiring.

Is Abel's Symphony Opus 17 no 6 really in 'F flat' as the cpo Hanover Band CD claims? It just sounds like G major to me... in any case, 'F flat' would be E!