Jean Coulthard

[ardcarp]

I've searched in vain for a thread, but none have I found. Forgive me for posting yesterday's CotW details.



Canadian composer Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) was a woman who determinedly followed her own musical path, creating an impressive body of work which, though attracting international recognition during her lifetime, is rarely heard today outside her native country.

Coulthard produced around 350 works in her very long career, for many years fitting composing around her job as a university lecturer and the responsibilities of family life. She was fortunate in having a musical mother whose passion for the French Impressionist composers rubbed off on her daughter, as is is clearly evident in her earlier works. Donald Macleod introduces a selection of works in which echoes of that distinctive soundworld can be heard, including a lament inspired by the chorale theme from a Bach cantata, and a piano concerto in the grand tradition of Beethoven and Schumann.

The Bird of Dawning Singeth All Night Long
Campbell Trowsdale, violin
CBC Vancouver Orchestra
Mario Bernardi, Conductor

Threnody
Réa Beaumont, piano

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Robert Silverman, piano
CBC Vancouver Orchestra
Dwight Bennet, Conductor

Four Irish Songs (orchestrated by Michael Conway Baker)
Linda Maguire, mezzo soprano
CBC Vancouver Orchestra
Mario Bernardi, Conductor.
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I only heard the piano concerto, but I was intrigued and impressed.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes, I heard the whole programme - very pleasant.

[peterthekeys]

Just listening to the second programme at the moment - yes, interesting and pleasant. At the moment, I'm struggling to get a sense of an individual "voice" - maybe it'll become clearer in the rest of the programmes.

(The wikipedia article on Coulthard mentions that she was one of a trio of Canadian women composers - the others were Barbara Pentland and Violet Archer (I confess that I'd not heard of either of them - I will certainly be doing further explorations into all three.) Apparently all three died in 2000, within weeks of each other - that must have been an annus horribilis for Canadian music.)

[peterthekeys]

Strange coincidence: this afternoon I was searching through my piano music shelves - and found a copy of Jean Coulthard: Variations on BACH (it was published in Novello's "Virtuoso" series, edited by John Ogdon). Don't know how long I've had it (probably a long time) - it looks very interesting, and I think it's time I had a go at it (not sure how far I'll get - according to Ogdon's introduction, the final variation "presents a good many difficulties." So not sure what chance I've got )

And - I see that it's included in tomorrow's programme (played by John Ogdon!) (I also noticed that they've spelled it "Ogden" on the web page - disgraceful that one of the greatest pianists ever should not even have been honoured with his correct name!)

[gradus]

I liked the piano concerto but had never before heard of the composer. Of how many composers must this be true. COTW has rendered us a service and I hope that R3 will programme more of her work. i

[Serial_Apologist]

I liked the piano concerto but had never before heard of the composer. Of how many composers must this be true. COTW has rendered us a service and I hope that R3 will programme more of her work. i

I've heard one or two of her pieces on TTN.

[antongould]

She didn't seem to be a paid up member of the RVW Fan Club .....

[ardcarp]

She didn't seem to be a paid up member of the RVW Fan Club .....

Not in the sense of his inspiring her as a teacher, but some of the music played earlier this week had a distinct RVW flavour. She appears to have studied with loads of the Big Names in Europe (Boulanger, Bartok that I can remember offhand). She seemed capable of composing in many styles which I do not mean as a criticism. She said herself that she had no intention of being 'a trail-blazer'. Everything I've heard so far is extremely well-wrought, and some things rather beautiful to my ears. Odd that she should have come to Gordon Jacob for orchestration lessons. He was, of course, a great exponent of what I would call 'traditional' orchestration, and I always have his short but practical 'Orchestral Technique' at hand. But most 20th C composers wanted to get away from the traditional approach of what combinations of instruments sound 'good' e.g. dovetailing horns and bassoons and all that stuff.

[Serial_Apologist]

Not in the sense of his inspiring her as a teacher, but some of the music played earlier this week had a distinct RVW flavour. She appears to have studied with loads of the Big Names in Europe (Boulanger, Bartok that I can remember offhand). She seemed capable of composing in many styles which I do not mean as a criticism. She said herself that she had no intention of being 'a trail-blazer'. Everything I've heard so far is extremely well-wrought, and some things rather beautiful to my ears. Odd that she should have come to Gordon Jacob for orchestration lessons. He was, of course, a great exponent of what I would call 'traditional' orchestration, and I always have his short but practical 'Orchestral Technique' at hand. But most 20th C composers wanted to get away from the traditional approach of what combinations of instruments sound 'good' e.g. dovetailing horns and bassoons and all that stuff.

Do you compose music, ardcarp? I hadn't realised.

[ardcarp]

The muse was abandoned about 40 years ago! But I've always done quite a lot of arranging. Still old-fashioned Ms paper strewn around the kitchen table. Can't get on with computer-based systems.