BritSymphCup
@britsymphcup.bsky.social
Originally, World Cup of 500 British & Irish symphonies. From Jan 2025 #britsymphyear, tweet a day exploring 20/21C British/Irish classical music. Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7BWeL8ZjWAQ4L1aPdtOGOK?si=kBxDnR42SwGZnHv0dfua4Q&pi=RQ5cU2bVSVGcA
The commission for the Proms was a recognition of her stature in British music, & the work itself reflects her mature style—bold, contrapuntal, & emotionally nuanced. It stands as a testament to her enduring creativity and her refusal to conform to stylistic trends, even late in life.
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The commission for the Proms was a recognition of her stature in British music, & the work itself reflects her mature style—bold, contrapuntal, & emotionally nuanced. It stands as a testament to her enduring creativity and her refusal to conform to stylistic trends, even late in life.
Music for Strings represents a culmination of her lifelong dedication to string writing. By 1983, she had composed 13 string quartets & numerous chamber works.
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Music for Strings represents a culmination of her lifelong dedication to string writing. By 1983, she had composed 13 string quartets & numerous chamber works.
The first recording of Music for Strings was released in 2007 on the Lyrita label, conducted by Barry Wordsworth with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This recording helped bring renewed attention to Maconchy’s orchestral output, which had long been overshadowed by her celebrated string quartets.
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The first recording of Music for Strings was released in 2007 on the Lyrita label, conducted by Barry Wordsworth with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This recording helped bring renewed attention to Maconchy’s orchestral output, which had long been overshadowed by her celebrated string quartets.
The 3rd movement, Mesto, is marked by a haunting solo viola that sets a melancholic tone, later building into a more vigorous section before subsiding into solitude again. The finale is rhythmically buoyant & extroverted, tossing melodic fragments between sections & ending with a cheeky flourish.
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The 3rd movement, Mesto, is marked by a haunting solo viola that sets a melancholic tone, later building into a more vigorous section before subsiding into solitude again. The finale is rhythmically buoyant & extroverted, tossing melodic fragments between sections & ending with a cheeky flourish.
The 1st movement opens with sombre, low chords that gradually break into contrapuntal lines, returning to the opening material with a solo violin soaring above. The 2nd movement is a pizzicato scherzo, rhythmically playful and light, interrupted by a broad descending melody in 5/4 time.
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The 1st movement opens with sombre, low chords that gradually break into contrapuntal lines, returning to the opening material with a solo violin soaring above. The 2nd movement is a pizzicato scherzo, rhythmically playful and light, interrupted by a broad descending melody in 5/4 time.
The piece is cast in 4 movements, each showcasing Maconchy’s command of string textures & her affinity for contrapuntal writing.
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The piece is cast in 4 movements, each showcasing Maconchy’s command of string textures & her affinity for contrapuntal writing.
It is a vibrant & structurally rich work for string orchestra, composed during the final decade of her life. It was commissioned by the BBC for the Proms, & received its premiere on 26 July 1983 at the Royal Albert Hall.
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 AM
It is a vibrant & structurally rich work for string orchestra, composed during the final decade of her life. It was commissioned by the BBC for the Proms, & received its premiere on 26 July 1983 at the Royal Albert Hall.
Full staging: youtu.be/3mIyT62cBA4?...
THE WRECKERS • Bard SummerScape Opera 2015
YouTube video by Fisher Center at Bard
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Full staging: youtu.be/3mIyT62cBA4?...
As a suffragette, composer, and trailblazer, Smyth poured her passion and conviction into this opera, which many now regard as the most significant English opera between Purcell and Britten.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
As a suffragette, composer, and trailblazer, Smyth poured her passion and conviction into this opera, which many now regard as the most significant English opera between Purcell and Britten.
In Smyth’s life, The Wreckers represents her most ambitious operatic achievement. It reflects her fierce independence, her commitment to dramatic storytelling, & her defiance of societal norms.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
In Smyth’s life, The Wreckers represents her most ambitious operatic achievement. It reflects her fierce independence, her commitment to dramatic storytelling, & her defiance of societal norms.
The 1st recording of came much later. A concert performance at the BBC Proms in 1994 was recorded & released on CD, marking a significant revival of interest in Smyth’s work. More recently, a 2015 staging at Bard SummerScape in New York brought the opera to U.S. audiences for the first time.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
The 1st recording of came much later. A concert performance at the BBC Proms in 1994 was recorded & released on CD, marking a significant revival of interest in Smyth’s work. More recently, a 2015 staging at Bard SummerScape in New York brought the opera to U.S. audiences for the first time.
The opera was later championed by Sir Thomas Beecham, who staged it in London in 1909 & included it in his 1910 Covent Garden season, finally giving the work its full English-language staging.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
The opera was later championed by Sir Thomas Beecham, who staged it in London in 1909 & included it in his 1910 Covent Garden season, finally giving the work its full English-language staging.
Smyth struggled for years to get it staged, facing resistance due to her gender & the unconventional themes. The premiere was marred by unauthorized cuts, prompting Smyth to famously storm the orchestra pit, retrieve her score, & leave for Prague, effectively halting further performances there.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Smyth struggled for years to get it staged, facing resistance due to her gender & the unconventional themes. The premiere was marred by unauthorized cuts, prompting Smyth to famously storm the orchestra pit, retrieve her score, & leave for Prague, effectively halting further performances there.
The story, inspired by Smyth’s walking tour of Cornwall in 1886, explores the grim practice of wrecking—where coastal villagers extinguish warning lights to lure ships onto rocks & plunder their cargo.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
The story, inspired by Smyth’s walking tour of Cornwall in 1886, explores the grim practice of wrecking—where coastal villagers extinguish warning lights to lure ships onto rocks & plunder their cargo.
The Wreckers is a powerful opera in three acts. It was composed between 1902 & 1904, with a libretto by Smyth’s close friend Henry Brewster, originally written in French as Les Naufrageurs.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
The Wreckers is a powerful opera in three acts. It was composed between 1902 & 1904, with a libretto by Smyth’s close friend Henry Brewster, originally written in French as Les Naufrageurs.
Reposted by BritSymphCup
I see there was also an earlier 1st private performance at 1910 Gloucester 3 Choirs, Elgar piano Reed violin though some say Kreisler. seenandheard-international.com/2023/07/elec...
Electrifying Elgar sets the seal on a memorable evening at the Three Choirs Festival – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I see there was also an earlier 1st private performance at 1910 Gloucester 3 Choirs, Elgar piano Reed violin though some say Kreisler. seenandheard-international.com/2023/07/elec...
Documentary masterclass with Menuhin youtu.be/N50a2JZpmMA?...
The Elgar Violin Concerto - rare footage with Sir Yehudi Menuhin and Desmond Bradley.
YouTube video by LiveSoundCapture
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Documentary masterclass with Menuhin youtu.be/N50a2JZpmMA?...
Composed at the height of his fame, the work’s introspective tone foreshadows the more intimate chamber music of his later years & reflects the fading optimism of the Edwardian era.
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Composed at the height of his fame, the work’s introspective tone foreshadows the more intimate chamber music of his later years & reflects the fading optimism of the Edwardian era.
The concerto represents a deeply personal statement. Elgar inscribed the manuscript with the enigmatic phrase: “Aquí está encerrada el alma de …..” (“Herein is enshrined the soul of …..”), a mystery that has never been solved.
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 AM
The concerto represents a deeply personal statement. Elgar inscribed the manuscript with the enigmatic phrase: “Aquí está encerrada el alma de …..” (“Herein is enshrined the soul of …..”), a mystery that has never been solved.
However, the most iconic recording was made in 1932 by the 16-year-old Yehudi Menuhin, with Elgar conducting. This version remains in print and is celebrated for its emotional depth and historical significance.
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 AM
However, the most iconic recording was made in 1932 by the 16-year-old Yehudi Menuhin, with Elgar conducting. This version remains in print and is celebrated for its emotional depth and historical significance.
The 1st recording was a truncated acoustic version made in 1916 by Marie Hall with Elgar conducting. The 1st complete recording came in 1929, performed by Albert Sammons with Sir Henry Wood conducting.
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 AM
The 1st recording was a truncated acoustic version made in 1916 by Marie Hall with Elgar conducting. The 1st complete recording came in 1929, performed by Albert Sammons with Sir Henry Wood conducting.