Proms

[Petrushka]

You write as if this is the only chance we'll have to remember the Great War at the Proms. There's four more seasons of centenary to come (what a great idea to have started it and ended it within hailing distance of the Proms season - our thanks must go to Franz Josef and Wilhelm)...

... [A good example of this modern-day tendency is the way that many people miss what lies behind "The lads in their hundreds" from A Shropshire Lad. It's not about regret that so many young men will 'die in their glory'. Housman's point is that those who will die are the lucky ones ("the fortunate fellows that now you can never discern") because they will 'never be old'. Therefore, they won't lose their youthful looks or their inner truth. That's a very different message than what many think it gives.]

Many thanks for this excellent and informative post. I have to confess that, apart from the obvious suspects, I have little knowledge of the music that came out of the First World War. However, given their musical dominance at that time has anything similar been created by German and Austrian composers that would shed light on their cultural response to the senseless slaughter? What about Russian composers of the time? There is a rich heritage of British composers who have given us their musical reaction to those terrible four years and it is right that we will hopefully hear this at the Proms in the seasons to come.

But what of 'the enemy you killed, my friend'?

[Pabmusic]

...But what of 'the enemy you killed, my friend'?

It's not easy to find out. The obvious German equivalent of 'promising composer killed in the war' was Rudi Stephan (killed on the Eastern Front) but beyond him...? And French composers, too? Britain was not the leading combatant (by quite a way) yet it's not too difficult to find this information for Britain.

[vinteuil]

I just hope (sincerely, truly) that the presentation can avoid projecting our modern-day feelings of horror and revulsion upon those who went through it.

.]

... yes, indeed.

From James Agate's Journal [Ego 3] :

January 31 [1938] Sunday.

Dined in Montpelier Square with Ernest Helme, still as much the ferocious dilettante as he was dashing Colonel of Carmarthenshire miners during the War. Said he was never nervous when in command. "I suppose it comes from my mother's side and being accustomed to doing things in public. Or perhaps it's a kind of vulgarity. In the last three weeks my battalion lost forty-nine officers and nine hundred men. Lots of them died in my arms. In spite of this I enoyed the War immensely ; it was awful fun."

[edashtav]

I would not dissent from the excellent analysis provided by suffolkcoastal in post#114.

Those of us who endure expensive travel to London need more than "good halves" to move us so far from our sofas. Sometimes, afternoon concerts at Cadogan can provide a sweetener. This year's programme will leave me home alone more than the last five or six seasons have done.

[Demetrius]

Many thanks for this excellent and informative post. I have to confess that, apart from the obvious suspects, I have little knowledge of the music that came out of the First World War. However, given their musical dominance at that time has anything similar been created by German and Austrian composers that would shed light on their cultural response to the senseless slaughter? What about Russian composers of the time? There is a rich heritage of British composers who have given us their musical reaction to those terrible four years and it is right that we will hopefully hear this at the Proms in the seasons to come.

But what of 'the enemy you killed, my friend'?

As for German Composers that were killed and haven't already been mentioned by pabmusic, I have only found Ernst Stöhr http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_St%C3%B6hr - mind you, I don't know the extend of his compositions, he seemingly was primarily a painter.

French: Fernand Halphen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernand_Halphen

And oddly enough, Finnish: Toivo Kuula http://www.classical-composers.org/comp/kuula

As for music? Interestingly, I found a thread in a German forum that discussed the Influence of the war on music in general and managed to not mention any German pieces of music. They focused instead on La valse and several nationalistic pieces by Debussy. And, of course, the wealth of British music already mentioned. Plus a piece by Janacek for another pianist apart from Wittgenstein who had lost his right hand.

[Sir Velo]

Anyone mentioned Alberic Magnard yet? Killed by a sniper.

[Sir Velo]

Nor should one forget Enrique Granados, died on a civilian vessel, torpedoed by U-Boats.

[amateur51]

Anyone mentioned Alberic Magnard yet? Killed by a sniper.

Pabs #225

[Pabmusic]

Nor should one forget Enrique Granados, died on a civilian vessel, torpedoed by U-Boats.

I refer the Rt Hon gentleman to Ams' post at 227.

[EdgeleyRob]

Things I should like to see included in future seasons would include some Gurney (the Five Elizabethan Songs were orchestrated by him); some Magnard (Fourth Symphony); some Cecil Coles and Ernest Farrar, and some Bridge (a true pacifist). Also, Morning Heroes by Arthur Bliss.

Why is this so seldom performed Pabs ?

[Pabmusic]

Anyone mentioned Alberic Magnard yet? Killed by a sniper.

Alberic Magnard shot at (and killed at least one of) a troop of Uhlans - German lancers - that entered his property. In response, the Germans burned down his home, with him in it. Apart from destroying Magnard the fire also destroyed the score of an opera.

[Pabmusic]

Why is this [Morning Heroes] so seldom performed Pabs ?

I have no special knowledge, but I'd say (1) Bliss isn't very popular and (2) pieces with narration do not 'sell' well. It's a fine piece, though.

[LeMartinPecheur]

It's not easy to find out. The obvious German equivalent of 'promising composer killed in the war' was Rudi Stephan (killed on the Eastern Front) but beyond him...? And French composers, too? Britain was not the leading combatant (by quite a way) yet it's not too difficult to find this information for Britain.

Have just dug out the Programme Guide for the 1989 London "Armistice Festival" which focused on artists of all sorts and all nations killed in WWI.

In the list of '33 Lost Voices' particularly featued in their events, Stephan is the only German composer. (The full roll of composers in the 33 is Butterworth, Granados, Kuula, Magnard, Jaroslav Novotny ('1886-1918 Czech composer and chorus master'), Aladar Rado ('1882-1914 Hungarian composer') and Stephan. So only one per country maximum, but see EDIT below...

Looks like we can acquit the selectors of anti-German bias since German and Austrian painters figure prominently, 5 out of the 33.

EDIT Concentration on this 'Top 33' inevitably misses all the 'semi-mute, non-yet-glorious Miltons (Elgars? Handels?)' who perhaps already had a place booked at music college, conservatoire or whatever and maybe left a box or two of 'promising' student compositions in an attic. Who knows what they might have achieved later?

Some the British and colonial ones who did leave a faint trace are featured on this excellent CD http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wars-Embers-...F8&qid=1398604 To name them, Ernest Farrar (1885-1918, dead after just 10 days' active service two months before the Armistice), W Denis Browne (1888-1915) and Frederick Kelly (1881-1916, an Australian and what one might call a near-contemporary of Lord Peter Wimsey at Balliol - name presumably therefore on the chapel war memorial which I walked past many times some 40 years ago little knowing...).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've never heard The Kingdom, though I do have the Boult recording never played . I hope to be in the hall on July 18 and will finally get the Boult recording played!

In my opinion, the finest of all Elgar's choral works. I wouldn't change a single note.

[french frank]

Posts on Housman's poetry moved to a new thread.