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trained-pianist
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« on: 12:34:13, 20-03-2007 » |
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Does anyone listen to COTW this week (week of 19 March). Again I feel thankful to radio 3 for doing a programme about less know composer. I never heard of this composer. I can not say her music stands out as something highly original. Nevertheless it is interesting to know about a new composer and her music has some merit I feel.
I listened to her quartet 5 and now number 2 is being played.
I can not imagine a woman composer in Ireland at that time (1930s). Even now Ireland is not a good country for classical musicians as there are not much interest in classical music and not many opportunities for young musicians. And all the sudden a new name - Elizabeth 'Betty' Maconchy that lived and wrote music in this country, an Irish woman.
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pim_derks
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« Reply #1 on: 12:50:46, 20-03-2007 » |
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Thank you for opening this discussion, trained-pianist. Elizabeth Maconchy is also to me a new name. I have to say that her music is keeping me interested. Some of the pieces I heard so far are very beautiful. The string quartet which is on now is a bit boring, I'm afraid. But I do think there are some better pieces on their way.
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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Chichivache
Posts: 128
The artiste formerly known as Gabrielle d’Estrées
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« Reply #2 on: 11:07:01, 22-03-2007 » |
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Yes I'm glad you started this thread. I listened last night, wonderful stuff - especially the symphony. I shall Listen Again if I get the chance. I hope that the showcasing on CotW is not a flash in the pan. You may be interested in this link http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/fyfeholt/em.htm |
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wotthehell toujours gai archy
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Andy D
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« Reply #3 on: 12:27:23, 22-03-2007 » |
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I'm enjoying CotW as well although, since I missed Tuesday's edition, I can't catch it again next week because of the wonderful idea of repeating each programme on the same day instead of a week later like it used to be. So I've had to LA  I only really know her string quartets and have got the complete set of all 13 - it was something amazingly cheap like £13 for 3 CDs. I was also able to include her string trio Piccola Musica in a concert that I helped to plan recently. She only lived in Ireland when she was growing up, I believe, see her biography.  |
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Chichivache
Posts: 128
The artiste formerly known as Gabrielle d’Estrées
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« Reply #4 on: 23:46:57, 22-03-2007 » |
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More today - listened agin working late. Truly wonderful music. The words 'neglected' and 'unjustly' spring to mind. I shall be adding to my Amazon wish-list!
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wotthehell toujours gai archy
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trained-pianist
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« Reply #5 on: 21:39:34, 23-03-2007 » |
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I don't think that her music is bad. I think her music does not have enough voice of her own. I can listen to her music all right and I can imaging I could play it. However, it is difficult to recognize Maconchy's music as she doesn't have a distinct voice.
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teleplasm
Gender: 
Posts: 49
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« Reply #6 on: 00:14:45, 24-03-2007 » |
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Listening to Epyllion (the final piece of Maconchy's music to be broadcast in this week's "Composer of the Week), I suddenly became aware of how derivative it is of Vaughan-Williams' Flos Campi: a series of rhapsodic utterances, with an obliggato cello taking the role of protagonist (corresponding to the viola in Flos Campi), and even the same four-note motto pervading it; but lacking VW's inventiveness.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Maconchy's music is somewhat neglected: that no matter how much we may enjoy it, we're haunted by the feeling that it's been done better by others.
What do the rest of you think?
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #7 on: 17:59:54, 27-03-2007 » |
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I think that's a fair point but that doesn't normally rule music out for me entirely. What I caught of the broadcasts was all very satisfying music I'd be happy to hear again - Bartók sprang to mind from time to time but not in an 'oh dear she's just lifted that wholesale from...' way. Indeed the clarinet quintet struck me as something I'd be happy to play alongside those other fine British clarinet quintets by Bliss, Birtwistle, Fox and Barrett. (OK, a small problem with the last one in that it doesn't exist. But I'm working on it.)
(Lutyens is another fine and neglected Eli[s/z]abeth by the way.)
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« Last Edit: 16:13:27, 29-03-2007 by oliver sudden »
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aaron cassidy
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« Reply #8 on: 21:07:07, 27-03-2007 » |
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(Lutyens is another fine and neglected Elizabeth by the way.)
(Except that she's an Elisabeth.) |
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #9 on: 16:13:08, 29-03-2007 » |
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Oops. Sorry. Fixed it.  (Funny, Schott made the same mistake.) |
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time_is_now
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« Reply #10 on: 16:32:45, 29-03-2007 » |
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[s/z]
Wonderful book! Have you read it? |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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trained-pianist
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« Reply #11 on: 17:57:20, 08-04-2007 » |
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What book are you talking about?
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George Garnett
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« Reply #12 on: 13:34:59, 10-04-2007 » |
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I think t-i-n means 'S/Z' (or is it 's/z'?) by Roland Barthes, t-p. (That sentence turned out rather stranger than I imagined it might when I set off.) Nothing actually to do with Elizabeth Maconchy. Er, no I haven't read it. I started it once..... Maybe one day  |
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« Last Edit: 23:51:37, 10-04-2007 by George Garnett »
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time_is_now
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« Reply #13 on: 13:37:20, 10-04-2007 » |
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I think t-i-n means I do. Or did (and still do). George, please close that bracket! You're letting a draught in  |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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time_is_now
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« Reply #14 on: 13:38:35, 10-04-2007 » |
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George, please close that bracket! Erm. Closing it while I'm commenting on it just makes me look stupid. Ahem. |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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