Gordon Jacob and Joseph Horovitz

[EdgeleyRob]

Next week.
Looks interesting.
I know a little of Jacob's music,Symphonies,Clarinet Quintet and a few other bits.
Don't know much about Horovitz

[Alison]

I always get Gordon Jacob and Gordon Langford mixed up.

[ardcarp]

I always get Gordon Jacob and Gordon Langford mixed up.

The latter is still alive, though rather frail. They were both brilliant arrangers.

Gordon L. wrote in a much wider variety of styles, including popular numbers for The Kings Singers and brass bands oop North. He writes very quickly, having produced a Flute Sonata for my daughter, and an Overture for our local amateur orchestra with barely a flick of the wrist. He is also a superb pianist.

I keep Gordon J's little book 'Orchestral Technique' at hand because it's a useful guide to the ranges of orchestral instruments and what they can and can't do.

I think Joseph Horovitz was best known for Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo which was very popular at one time...and brilliantly recorded in a close-harmony version by The Kings Singers.

[Stanfordian]

I always get Gordon Jacob and Gordon Langford mixed up.

As long as its not Bonnie the ginger minx in the mix!

[Colonel Danby]

I was fortunate to get free tickets for a concert in Saint James's, Piccadilly, a few years ago in celebration of the life and work of the trumpeter Philip Jones. Elgar Howarth conducted, and they did the brass version of Mussorsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'. But they also did a small piece by Joseph Horovitz as well, and he actually turned up for the performance! After the concert, he was trying to make his way out of the church, and thinking that I was a music student (I wasn't), he sought my help in finding the best way. I just thank him, shook his hand, and said that I'd enjoyed his piece. He replied that "it was very short, which was probably just as well!".

[BBMmk2]

This looks really good ER! Thanks for the heads up!

[Keraulophone]

Looking forward to the announcement of GJ's L'après-midi d'un dinosaur, one of his Four sketches for bassoon.

[Nick Armstrong]

Rumpole on COTW !!

[Dave2002]

Rumpole on COTW !!

¿Que? I come from Barcelona.

[Nick Armstrong]

¿Que? I come from Barcelona.

Listen to the first few momens of programme 1...

[ardcarp]

I have had my eyes (ears?) opened with regard to Joseph Horovitz. I turned on the car radio on Wednesday..without thinking it was CotW...and tried to work out the composer. My best guess was Tippett. It turned out to be Horovitz's Fantasia on a theme of Couperin. So he could turn his hand to pretty much any style. I guess Gordon Jacob was capable of larger-scale pieces. His Symphony No 2 is clearly a tour-de-force of compositional and orchestral techniques. Sad that so many mid-twentieth century tonal animals don't get much of a hearing.

[doversoul1]

I find it very interesting to hear the way Joseph Horovitz talks about his work as a composer as if it is was a perfectly normal part of life with none of those agonies and self-doubts in order to reach the highest form of art etc. which we often relate to lives of composers. I also find it interesting to hear how much demand there was for newly composed music in the time he talks about. A jobbing composer in the very best sense. Some music may be classified as light music but if that’s the case, it’s a pity that Radio3 hasn’t a dedicated programme. A very enjoyable CoW.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And Horrortorio for the 1961 Hoffnung Festival.

[EdgeleyRob]

I have had my eyes (ears?) opened with regard to Joseph Horovitz. I turned on the car radio on Wednesday..without thinking it was CotW...and tried to work out the composer. My best guess was Tippett. It turned out to be Horovitz's Fantasia on a theme of Couperin. So he could turn his hand to pretty much any style. I guess Gordon Jacob was capable of larger-scale pieces. His Symphony No 2 is clearly a tour-de-force of compositional and orchestral techniques. Sad that so many mid-twentieth century tonal animals don't get much of a hearing.

Jacob's 2nd symphony is exceptional IMVHO.
It's coupled with the slightly less impressive,but very enjoyable,again only IMVHO,1st on Lyrita.

[DracoM]

Have to say I warmed to Jacob far more than to Horowitz.