Symphonies the B.B.C. knows not of

[Dave2002]

For the period 1923-2009 the BBC Genome lists broadcasts of No. 1 (twice), No. 2 (5 times), No. 8 (once) and No. 9 (twice).

There are 51 references in Genome to Peterson-Berger. None of them are symphonies, as far as I can see from visual inspection. These date from 1983, so about 36 years to date. There are several mentions of Frösöblomster - I haven't checked back to see if they are mostly piano versions (original). There was also a broadcast of an overture which I hadn't heard of.

I didn't expect orchestral arrangements of any of the Frösöblomster pieces - but here are some - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAgSXL5-q3c I recommend hearing the piano versions - or perhaps I just didn't like the first of the orchestral pieces in the arrangement in the link. The other two are OK.

I recommend Noriko Ogawa - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Peterson-Be...SIN=B002X146CM rather than Stig Ribbing - example - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fr%C3%B6s%C...=dmusic&sr=1-3 and I don't know if Stig's CD is still available. The recording is less good, though it was my first exposure to these pieces.

Even allowing for many composers who have written symphonies, the "hit rate" by the BBC does seem rather low, over an extended period. Of course, where there are "hits", these are often in the middle of the night.

[Dave2002]

Hugo Alfvén seems to have done rather better - https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/2...+Alfven#search
with 27 hits, and a few of his 5 symphonies broadcast, one of them (I think number 3) more than once.

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=Hugo+Alfven+symphony&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search

Number 5 seems not to have been broadcast.

His most popular piece appears to be this one- with the theme which reminds me for some reason of the "red red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin along" song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN-n-UzG_dg

but not this one with the horns at the opening - https://youtu.be/zQQXpLHdk2o

An interesting tool that Genome project - which allows this form of investigation. Also note that Alfvén had works broadcast as early as 1938 on the National Programme.

[ahinton]

For the period 1923-2009 the BBC Genome lists broadcasts of No. 1 (twice), No. 2 (5 times), No. 8 (once) and No. 9 (twice).

Thank you for taking the trouble to check this. It's a very long period of time, of course and its commencement is four years before Sessions wrote his first symphony, but it's at least one per decade, so that's something, I guess...

[Once Was 4]

I think we are fighting a losing battle with Lloydy pg

There are some wonderful symphonies by John Kinsella,David Hackbridge Johnson and Steve Elcock

Sadly George Lloyd made himself a figure of fun with the BBC in Manchester. After a recording of one of his symphonies he addressed the orchestra and said "you've all done very well!" earning himself the nickname of 'Old Mr Grace'. His music perhaps deserves to be remembered far more than it is.

On a more sombre note and not part of this thread, the deaths have been announced of Robert Creech and Martin Binks.

Bob Creech was a Canadian horn player of some repute but known in Britain for running the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in the 80s.

Martin Binks was a mover and shaker of amateur music around Leeds (conductor for many years of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra). In my semi retirement I have helped out several amateur orchestras in Yorkshire and he was always a familier figure sitting on the front row of the audience and listening intently.

[cloughie]

Sadly George Lloyd made himself a figure of fun with the BBC in Manchester. After a recording of one of his symphonies he addressed the orchestra and said "you've all done very well!" earning himself the nickname of 'Old Mr Grace'. His music perhaps deserves to be remembered far more than it is.

On a more sombre note and not part of this thread, the deaths have been announced of Robert Creech and Martin Binks.

Bob Creech was a Canadian horn player of some repute but known in Britain for running the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in the 80s.

Martin Binks was a mover and shaker of amateur music around Leeds (conductor for many years of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra). In my semi retirement I have helped out several amateur orchestras in Yorkshire and he was always a familier figure sitting on the front row of the audience and listening intently.

Apropos of not very much was he any relation to Jimmy, the best wicket-keeper never to get the regular call for England because Jim Parks was supposedly a better batsman!

[Serial_Apologist]

There are also the several French composers of the interwar period who wrote fine symphonies, most of which are or have never been heard on Radio 3, as mentioned in the thread I opened here a while back. Please take a look if you haven't already: I linked a number of examples worthy of examinination.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?8481-Neglected-20th-Century-French-composers

[Jonathan]

Cipriani Potter?

[Bryn]

Cipriani Potter?

Cipriani Potter

Symphony no. 7 in F major [1826]: 3rd mvt
Performer: Česká Komorní Filharmonie. Conductor: Douglas Bostock.

Sterndale Bennett/Cipriani Potter - Symphonies. CLASSICO. 7.

Broadcast Friday 11 July 2014 during Breakfast. So they have heard of him, sort of.

[antongould]

Apropos of not very much was he any relation to Jimmy, the best wicket-keeper never to get the regular call for England because Jim Parks was supposedly a better batsman!

and a blasted southerner as well .......

[Sydney Grew]

Krommer, Stamitz, Pleyel, Kozuluch, Wransky, Gossec, Boccherini could be added to the list.

The posting of pointers to performances of the works of these seven is of course very welcome.

[Sydney Grew]

Many thanks to pastoralguy for suggestng George Lloyd. Lloyd was born at St. Ives in 1913. He is said to have composed twelve symphonies, but there is no trace of a number ten.

I have found recordings of ten of his symphonies at youtube, in varying quality, and posted pointers to them. Just numbers two and the mysterious number ten are missing.

[cloughie]

The posting of pointers to performances of the works of these seven is of course very welcome.

The first five are Chandos CDs - Contemporaries of Mozart, and the other two inspired by recent charity shop acquisitions. See #936 on Charity Shop Trawl.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Many thanks to pastoralguy for suggestng George Lloyd. Lloyd was born at St. Ives in 1913. He is said to have composed twelve symphonies, but there is no trace of a number ten.

I have found recordings of ten of his symphonies at youtube, in varying quality, and posted pointers to them. Just numbers two and the mysterious number ten are missing.

a movement from #2 is youTubeable, played by the unknowing BBC Philharmonic, conducted by the composer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lXY0i6ffZg

#10 is written for Brass Band, and has the subtitle November Journeys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmkpFx9ryBM

... again, the unknowing Beeb provides the performers.

[Once Was 4]

Cipriani Potter?

Has anybody mentioned Boyce? (apologies to you if you have and I have missed it).

Boyce 4 (the only one with horn parts) was a staple with the Northern Chamber Orchestra right from its first ever concert (at Wistaston, near Crewe) in 1967.

Blimy - am I that old?

[Bryn]

Has anybody mentioned Boyce? (apologies to you if you have and I have missed it).

Boyce 4 (the only one with horn parts) was a staple with the Northern Chamber Orchestra right from its first ever concert (at Wistaston, near Crewe) in 1967.

Blimy - am I that old?

Many many hits for "BBC radio 3 William Boyce" via Google. He was mentioned in episode 2 of the recent "Reinventing the Past" series. I am. of course, assuming you were not referring to Max Boyce.