The Confession of Isobel Gowdie

[Tapiola]

Perhaps a bit of a long shot, but, help, please, if possible!

I am looking for a research copy of the Proms premiere of MacMillans's "The Confession of Isobel Gowdie". I am due to deliver a talk in a few weeks as part of a series on 17th Century witchcraft in these isles and had hoped to illustrate it with reference to MacMillan's work. I have the Vanska recording on BIS but was hoping to use the premiere performance of the work - easily the most visceral rendition I know. My own cassette research copy of this premiere performance, is, upon recent inspection, too badly degraded to be of much use.

If anyone could possibly direct me to to a source of this premiere, please pm me!

Thank you!

[Bryn]

It's fairly unlikely as I do not have much time for MacMillan's work in general but if you can give the date of the broadcast I will check whether I have the DAB mp2 somewhere (I think it was before the age of the iPlayer).

[Stanley Stewart]

Google lists the date as PROMS 1990!

[Beef Oven!]

It's fairly unlikely as I do not have much time for MacMillan's work in general but if you can give the date of the broadcast I will check whether I have the DAB mp2 somewhere (I think it was before the age of the iPlayer).

I’m not crazy about Sir James, but Gowdie’s good.

[Alison]

I was there but haven't got a recording. It did create quite a stir in the audience.

[Beef Oven!]

I was there but haven't got a recording. It did create quite a stir in the audience.

Always touched by your presence, dear?

[Pulcinella]

Of no help to Tapiola (sorry!) but I was pleasantly surprised to see how many different recordings are available when I did a little search, though the first recording, by the BBCSSO under Maksymiuk, c/w Tryst, which I have, seems no longer to be generally available (some ridiculous prices on Amazon, but also used copies from £0.98):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/tn0/MacMillan-Confession-Isobel-Gowdie-Tryst-Maksymiuk/B000001SPI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1484512079&sr=1-1&keywords=Macmillan+confession

Are the more recent recordings/renderings better?

[Bryn]

Google lists the date as PROMS 1990!

Ah. In that case I will not have it. Had I recorded it from FM to cassette, I would have soon discarded it.

[Tapiola]

It's fairly unlikely as I do not have much time for MacMillan's work in general but if you can give the date of the broadcast I will check whether I have the DAB mp2 somewhere (I think it was before the age of the iPlayer).

I think it was a live relay - 22nd August 1990. My copy is a (virtually unplayable now) third-generation dub from a composer friend (now long since uncontactable) who captured it. I share your's and Beefy's lack of complete love for Jimmy's oeuvre, but this work stands out, for me.

[Tapiola]

Of no help to Tapiola (sorry!) but I was pleasantly surprised to see how many different recordings are available when I did a little search, though the first recording, by the BBCSSO under Maksymiuk, c/w Tryst, which I have, seems no longer to be generally available (some ridiculous prices on Amazon, but also used copies from £0.98):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/tn0/MacMillan-Confession-Isobel-Gowdie-Tryst-Maksymiuk/B000001SPI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1484512079&sr=1-1&keywords=Macmillan+confession

Are the more recent recordings/renderings better?

Thanks Pulcinella. I recall a broadcast years ago of this studio version under Maksymiuk, but, alas, I found it very earthbound in comparison to the premiere. Of course, I think the RAH did its inimitable thing that night, affording the massive tuttis huge affecting resonance.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I’m not crazy about Sir James, but Gowdie’s good.

The premiere was televised - I have it on a videotape somewhere. I'd hoped it would be somewhere on youTube (everything else is!), but alas no. There is this, however, the introductory documentary that JM gave for use before the performance, which might be of some use/interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNPolWpX9no

[Tapiola]

The premiere was televised - I have it on a videotape somewhere. I'd hoped it would be somewhere on youTube (everything else is!), but alas no. There is this, however, the introductory documentary that JM gave for use before the performance, which might be of some use/interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNPolWpX9no

Cheers ferney

Another friend, of similar vintage to myself, started a doctorate on JMac and went to interview him 'back in the day'. Upon her return from Glasgow, she promptly had a change of heart and switched career. Purely coincidentally, I imagine...

[Beef Oven!]

The premiere was televised - I have it on a videotape somewhere. I'd hoped it would be somewhere on youTube (everything else is!), but alas no. There is this, however, the introductory documentary that JM gave for use before the performance, which might be of some use/interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNPolWpX9no

New to me, thanks.

[Serial_Apologist]

At the time I thought it to be a work of considerable promise.

[Beef Oven!]

At the time I thought it to be a work of considerable promise.

Not sure if you’re being serious, but that is exactly what I thought at the time - a great composition, tremendous future potential. What the hell happened????