Recordings of the composer as performer

[makropulos]

That's interesting about the Virgil Thomson performances - I don't think I've ever heard him conducting.

I'll check when I get home on monday Makropulos, but I believe Thomson is conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, one work is Sea Piece with Birds. I've also forgotten about Hanson conducting Hanson, interestingly he's almost 5 minutes quicker than the more recent Schwarz in his 4th Symphony a much more dramatic performance too.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Suffolkcoastal. And I warmly agree with you about Hanson's own recordings - but then he was a jolly good conductor of other people's stuff too.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I've got a copy of that Don Petter, I'll investigate further, but I think that was the only commercial recording he made.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Just found it makropulos, Thomson is conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra, it was briefly available commercially, though my tape is an off air performance, presumably he conducted the works live then shortly after went into the studio to record them, the other work is the Blake Songs with Mark Harrell.

[Don Petter]

I've got a copy of that Don Petter, I'll investigate further, but I think that was the only commercial recording he made.

Prodding around the ether, I find that Amazon only has vendor copies of the CD from about £30. The cheapest current source seems to be ArchivMusik at $25, including delivery to UK. The CD combined Thomson's Four Saints with the first of Stokowski's recordings of The Plow That Broke the Plains.

[umslopogaas]

Here are some details of recordings on LP (some of these have been mentioned in passing already):

Kodaly conducts 'Summer Night' and 'Concerto for Orchestra', with the Budapest Phil. O. DG 138 687 (1961)

Rostropovich and Britten play cello sonatas by Schumann, Debussy and Britten. Decca SXL 2298 (1962)

"Composers' Interpretations" Constant Lambert conducts his 'Rio Grande' (Halle, 1930); Jean Francaix plays his piano concerto in D Major with the Paris Philharmonic O. conducted by Nadia Boulanger (1937); Reynaldo Hahn conducts an un-named orchestra in his piano conc. 1 with Magda Tagliafero on piano (1937); Milhaud and Marcelle Meyer play Milhaud's 'Scaramouche' (1938). World Record Club SH 227, sleeve notes dated 1975.

[Chris Newman]

Sir Michael Tippett made recordings of quite a bit of his own music including Symphonies 2 and 4, A Child of Our Time, Concerto for Orchestra, Piano Concerto, Concerto for Double String Orchestra, Triple Concerto, Corelli Fantasia.

He also recorded Tallis's Spem in Alium and Purcell's "Hail Bright Cecilia" Ode.

[Roehre]

....This recording was issued in the US as a double LP by Vanguard and in the UK as two single LPs by Philips (all with the same cover design and sleeve notes, there must have been some link between those two companies, but I dont know what it was)...

Philips represented Vanguard and Columbia (CBS) in Europe in the 1950s.
The famous original CBS 4LP Webern/Craft set was released here by Philips e.g.

The composer playing own work which I treasure most is Charles Ives, playing (and singing ) songs, movements and excerpts from i.a. the 2nd sonata and "Here they come". Not only an artistic, but a very human document as well, as e.g. in the last "take" Ives suddenly stops and is heard saying "I must stop. I am exhausted". In another take there is a kind of expletive escaping from his mouth as he touches the wrong keys (not that anyone else but the composer could tell the difference.... )

[Serial_Apologist]

I will give it another spin, ta S-A. Whose the soloist again...?

Hi Caliban!

Just back from the afternoon choral Prom - - so, sorry for the delay in responding.

The recording (1959) has Walton conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus on "Belshazzar's Feast" with Donald Bell (baritone) as soloist - coupled with the Partita for Orchestra.

[Serial_Apologist]

Agreed! It's a wonderful performance, and I love Donald Bell's solos. The mono First Symphony's pretty good too.

Sorry Makropulos Just spotted your reply to Caliban.

[Roehre]

Just back from the afternoon choral Prom - -

and there a composer was performing a work of her own as well

[Serial_Apologist]

and there a composer was performing a work of her own as well

Didn't do a lot for me, I have to say, Roehr. Given Ms Wishart's background in electronic, experimental and improvised music, the result was rather flat, I thought. Rather a disappointing choral prom in toto, in fact. The only really "modern" work was the Hildegard von Bingen - listening to which was rather akin to listening to an integral serial work from the early 1950s, inasmuch that its absence of goal-centredness made one concentrate on every sound. The other pieces - including the Birtwistle - were quite conventional. I was thinking how some of Hugh Wood's choral settings of Edwin Muir, James Joyce, Ted Hughes and I'm sure others, from the 60s, would have livened things up, and put some steel into the concert; it was as if Messiaen had never written his "Cinq Rechants".

I probably should have posted this on the thread I posted advertising the concert, but no one has answered my call...

[Roehre]

Didn't do a lot for me, I have to say, Roehr. Given Ms Wishart's background in electronic, experimental and improvised music, the result was rather flat, I thought. Rather a disappointing choral prom in toto, in fact. The only really "modern" work was the Hildegard von Bingen - listening to which was rather akin to listening to an integral serial work from the early 1950s, inasmuch that its absence of goal-centredness made one concentrate on every sound. The other pieces - including the Birtwistle - were quite conventional. I was thinking how some of Hugh Wood's choral settings of Edwin Muir, James Joyce, Ted Hughes and I'm sure others, from the 60s, would have livened things up, and put some steel into the concert; it was as if Messiaen had never written his "Cinq Rechants".

I probably should have posted this on the thread I posted advertising the concert, but no one has answered my call...

S_A, I missed that posting then, I'm afraid. Grosso modo I do agree with your comments. I like the Birtwistle, but knowing that and the Hildegard pieces, not really fond of the Britten (for some reason it leaves me cold, contrary to e.g. the contemporary 3rd quartet or the bleak A time there was), I hoped the Wishart would be someting "up-to-date". Which it isn't as you rightly discovered as well. I thought the performances well done btw.

[Serial_Apologist]

S_A, I missed that posting then, I'm afraid. Grosso modo I do agree with your comments. I like the Birtwistle, but knowing that and the Hildegard pieces, not really fond of the Britten (for some reason it leaves me cold, contrary to e.g. the contemporary 3rd quartet or the bleak A time there was), I hoped the Wishart would be someting "up-to-date". Which it isn't as you rightly discovered as well. I thought the performances well done btw.

Oh yes, Roehr, one can't fault the BBC Singers. I can't anyway. I just felt I could have been in that ensemble and have had no difficulties with singing any of that music, the H von B aside, which must take a huge amount of concentration. It was so... unchallenging. I may be feeling gloomy, post hoc, for reasons other than the music... but that is an unrelated matter.

[Petrushka]

Elgar, Strauss, Stravinsky and Britten were those who jumped immediately to mind when I saw this thread. I doubt if there is a more wonderful performance of the Elgar 1st Symphony than the 1930 recording from the composer. Roehre will remind me that the playing is scrappy but I'm not greatly bothered as it transcends all limitations.

No-one has mentioned Stravinsky's traversal of virtually his entire output. An amazing treasure trove.

One favourite disc is Shostakovich playng the piano in his two PC's with Rostropovich in the Cello Sonata in recordings made in 1957/8 on Russian Disc RD CD 15 005.

[Roehre]

Elgar, Strauss, Stravinsky and Britten were those who jumped immediately to mind when I saw this thread. I doubt if there is a more wonderful performance of the Elgar 1st Symphony than the 1930 recording from the composer. Roehre will remind me that the playing is scrappy but I'm not greatly bothered as it transcends all limitations..

Thank you for reminding me Petrushka
But we agree that it is an overwelming performance.