A lost violin concerto turns up in Canada
mainLibrarians at the University of Toronto have found a concerto that has been deemed lost for more than a century.
The Norwegian Johan Halvorsen (1864-1935) composed it for the Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow (1890-1963), who gave its premiere on August 14, 1909 in Scheveningen, Holland. She gave two more performances that year in Oslo, after which the score disappeared.
Until now.
Henning Kraggerud will revive the work this summer at a musicologists’ convention in Stavanger, Norway.
“Henning Kraggerud will revive the work this summer in Stavenger, Norway.”
Hmmmm…. the god-forsaken place in Norway is actually called
‘STAVANGER’ and I wouldn’t ‘go to town’ about advertising the ‘revival’ of this work in a somewhat deadly and subdued place where the audience and the orchestra vie with each other over the annual prize for ‘who is the most brain-dead’!
Several years ago I had the dubious pleasure of conducting the ‘Stavanger Symphony Orchestra’ in a few concerts and I can honestly say that I am very glad not to be going back there ever again!
Such rudeness.
Thanks for your recommendation, “Will.” (You do realize that your rant reflects poorly on you and not on the orchestra or audience of Stavanger, yes?)
Hey Will, tough crowd man. Shoulda brought Roses from the South. People love that stuff.
Extraordinary what people feel they can get away with writing under the cloak of anonymity.
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra is a good orchestra, and becoming better all the time. And their new hall is simply highest world class. Good for them that a conductor things didn’t work well with isn’t invited back!
Very exciting news! I will look forward to a Chandos or Hyperion recording soon.
If it turns out to be a piece of sufficient quality, it would surely deserve inclusion in Hyperion’s Romantic Violin Concerto series.
Indeed!
Will…Bubbila… Would you please tell us which program you conducted in Stavanger…please.
It would be really cool of you to step up and say ” that band sucks, and not even I could make them better!”
-Take off your mask Lord Vader and let us know who you are so we can come hear the truth poor from your soul through your baton.
The only stuff I heard with his group are several vids of Fabio Biondi leading…pretty, pretty, pretty , pretty nice stuff.
🙂
Looking forward to a Hyperion release coupled with the Lassen violin concerto. Also looking forward to a YouTube of the premiere.
Guys I wouldn’t worry about Wills comment. He is for sure at best a prankster, at worst a poor egotistical conductor who is out of work and bitter. I have played with hundreds of conductors from brilliant to awful and yet none of them would be stupid enough to make those comments, so I’m fairly sure it’s just a prankster. Bravo to Stavanger for its cultural work and artistic support of Norway. Norway punches way above its weight for its population, with brilliant instrumentalists, singers, painters, sculpters, writers, and architects. I love appreciate and thank Norway for its love of the arts. May this be a great year for Stavanger too.