COTW: Samuel Wesley (1766-1837)

[DracoM]

Starting Feb 3rd @ 12 noon.

[MickyD]

This will be well worth hearing. I am very fond of the Violin Concerto No.2 in the recording by Elizabeth Wallfisch and The Parley of Instruments on Hyperion; I very much hope it will get an airing during these programmes.

[vinteuil]

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This will be well worth hearing. I am very fond of the Violin Concerto No.2 in the recording by Elizabeth Wallfisch and The Parley of Instruments on Hyperion; I very much hope it will get an airing during these programmes.

... on Tuesday 4 February, selon The Radio Times.

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[ardcarp]

Interesting bloke. Despite his Methody forebears, he flirted with Catholiciism and Freemasonry (IIRC). The only anthem which crops up regularly in the Anglican canon is In Exitu Israel. He also wrote a jolly organ duet, and I remember playing it with a pupil and laughing most of the time. One of his illegit. sons was of course S.S. Wesley.

In Exitue Israel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnNMKtjOZAE

COTW
Vints wrote: "... on Tuesday 4 February, selon The Radio Times."

I've just looked at R3 schedules online and, selon the BBC, episode 1/5 does start on Mondat 3rd.

[vinteuil]

Vints wrote: "... on Tuesday 4 February, selon The Radio Times."

I've just looked at R3 schedules online and, selon the BBC, episode 1/5 does start on Mondat 3rd.

... yes, but I was answering Micky's query re the 2nd violin concerto...

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[ardcarp]

Oh sorry, vints. My mistake.

[Serial_Apologist]

Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) 3-7 Feb

I wonder if anyone else is enjoying this week's series as much as I am.

Samuel Wesley bridged three major aesthetic musical periods - the Baroque, Classical and early Romantic - it's hard to think of anyone else who did likewise. Yet in some ways his music was rather old fashioned for its times. The same could probably be said for CPE Bach's early commitment to continuing the perfection of his old man's commitment to contrapuntal formality, except that CPE was possibly proving a point; and in any case his own music, from his early symphonies, was stylistically of the new age.

I am always struck by the rapidity with which that switch unfolded - music that sounded for all the world like JS Bach or Handel had composed it almost immediately superseded by music already sounding just like Mozart, who in actuality had only just then hatched. That's another topic, of course, but Sam Wes's devotion to Bachian workouts that sound indistinguishable to these ignorant ears from Joe Seb's, commendable insofar that they kept a form alive that some felt to have been exhausted, thereby preparing for its adaptability within sonata form thinking. Not that it ever really died, if we listen to almost any Haydn or Mozart string quartet - but, rather like advanced ideas in Shostakovitch string quartets a century and a half later, it had to be kept under wraps and carefully disguised so as to sound like melodies with simple chordal accompaniments in so as not to upset the ruling classes... well, until we get to the later Mozart and Haydn symphonies, that is.

But in Wesley's case I am reminded of a remark once written (which if I could be bothered is probably somewhere on my booksehlves) to the effect that English composers had always, going all the way back to Purcell and even the Elizabethans, managed to find ways to continue mining ideas considered by their time outmoded, to find therein riches thought to be exhausted.

They're playing Rule Britannia now - just think, that would once have been thought "modern music"!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Radio 3 at its best. A neglected composer being brought to life, and highly informative. I know more music by his son: S.S. Wesley, so it's fascinating to here about the father as well.

I'll keep listening.

[DracoM]

Erm..............bump?
This had already been flagged!!

[Serial_Apologist]

Radio 3 at its best. A neglected composer being brought to life, and highly informative. I know more music by his son: S.S. Wesley, so it's fascinating to here about the father as well.

I'll keep listening.

EA I am so sorry I missed the already existing thread! If there's any possibility of merging this one with it, I wold be most grateful.

[Dave2002]

I can't see a pre-existing thread either. I was amused by the "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" piece.

[Barbirollians]

Should this not be merged with the Wesley thread under Composers of the Week ?

[Serial_Apologist]

Should this not be merged with the Wesley thread under Composers of the Week ?

Yes please! Sorry again for any trouble caused by my starting the other thread.

[DracoM]

Threads merged - I think!!!!

[Serial_Apologist]

It worked - fine. Thanks DracoM.