Page 181 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2023. Glasbena društva v dolgem 19. stoletju: med ljubiteljsko in profesionalno kulturo ▪︎ Music societies in the long 19th century: Between amateur and professional culture. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 6
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the philharmonic society of london and its nineteenth-century contribution ...
composers, to say nothing of a very negative attitude towards locally com-
posed music. Music by Thomas Attwood, a pupil of Mozart, does not ap-
pear in the programmes until 1820, nor any by Henry Bishop, famous for
the sentimental song Home, Sweet Home, until 1817, nor even by William
Shield at all. In fact, the first English composer to have his works performed
at the Philharmonic concerts was William Crotch, the Heather Professor of
Music at the University of Oxford. A famous quartet from his oratorio Pal
estine was sung in the first season and his Symphony in F major played in
the second (16 May 1814). This was a modestly inventive work in the nor-
mal style of the period, but it bears little comparison with the contempo-
rary Seventh and Eighth Symphonies of Beethoven. Apart from two repeats
of the quartet and of a sextet from the same oratorio and a few minor vo-
cal works, there were no more works by Crotch, although he did conduct
six concerts.
Much more significant was the appearance of the young and talented
Cipriani Potter,11 son of the viola player and founder member of the society,
R. H. Potter.12 The younger Potter had studied with Crotch in Oxford and
was a member of the Harmonic Society there, before moving to London to
become an associate of the Philharmonic Society. When he reached the age
of 21, he then became a member. Here he thrived as composer, pianist, and
conductor, and was one of the most performed English composers in the
Philharmonic concerts of the earlier 19th century.13 In 1816 his Overture in
E minor and the Septet for piano, flute and strings were composed for and
played by the society. From 1826 to 1872 there were nine performances of his
symphonies14 and four performances of his Overture Cymbeline between
11 His full name was Philip Cipriani Hambly Potter (1792–1871).
12 Richard Huddlestone Potter (1755–1821) was apparently also an organist and flau-
tist. See: Philip H. Peter and Julian Rushton, “Potter,” in The New Grove Dictionary
of Music and Musicians, vol. 20, ed. Stanley Sadie (London: Macmillian, 2001), 221;
and Philip H. Peter, “Potter,” The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, vol. 4, ed.
Laurence Libin (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 154. See also: William
Waterhouse, “Potter,” in The New Langwill Index (London: Tony Bingham, 1993),
308.
13 The works performed in the Philharmonic’s concerts and their dates up to and in-
cluding 1912 are fully listed in Myles B. Foster’s History (1912).
14 The Symphonies of Potter are confusingly numbered, by date and/or by key. One
performance was given of No. 1 in G minor of 1819 performed on 29 May 1826, con-
ducted by the composer, and two of the second in G minor of 1832 (also called No.
6) (the performance of 28 May 1855 conducted by Wagner), two of the A minor sym-
phony (now apparently lost), three of a D major symphony, and one of another D ma-
jor symphony. Both G minor symphonies have been published in modern editions,
179
composers, to say nothing of a very negative attitude towards locally com-
posed music. Music by Thomas Attwood, a pupil of Mozart, does not ap-
pear in the programmes until 1820, nor any by Henry Bishop, famous for
the sentimental song Home, Sweet Home, until 1817, nor even by William
Shield at all. In fact, the first English composer to have his works performed
at the Philharmonic concerts was William Crotch, the Heather Professor of
Music at the University of Oxford. A famous quartet from his oratorio Pal
estine was sung in the first season and his Symphony in F major played in
the second (16 May 1814). This was a modestly inventive work in the nor-
mal style of the period, but it bears little comparison with the contempo-
rary Seventh and Eighth Symphonies of Beethoven. Apart from two repeats
of the quartet and of a sextet from the same oratorio and a few minor vo-
cal works, there were no more works by Crotch, although he did conduct
six concerts.
Much more significant was the appearance of the young and talented
Cipriani Potter,11 son of the viola player and founder member of the society,
R. H. Potter.12 The younger Potter had studied with Crotch in Oxford and
was a member of the Harmonic Society there, before moving to London to
become an associate of the Philharmonic Society. When he reached the age
of 21, he then became a member. Here he thrived as composer, pianist, and
conductor, and was one of the most performed English composers in the
Philharmonic concerts of the earlier 19th century.13 In 1816 his Overture in
E minor and the Septet for piano, flute and strings were composed for and
played by the society. From 1826 to 1872 there were nine performances of his
symphonies14 and four performances of his Overture Cymbeline between
11 His full name was Philip Cipriani Hambly Potter (1792–1871).
12 Richard Huddlestone Potter (1755–1821) was apparently also an organist and flau-
tist. See: Philip H. Peter and Julian Rushton, “Potter,” in The New Grove Dictionary
of Music and Musicians, vol. 20, ed. Stanley Sadie (London: Macmillian, 2001), 221;
and Philip H. Peter, “Potter,” The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, vol. 4, ed.
Laurence Libin (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 154. See also: William
Waterhouse, “Potter,” in The New Langwill Index (London: Tony Bingham, 1993),
308.
13 The works performed in the Philharmonic’s concerts and their dates up to and in-
cluding 1912 are fully listed in Myles B. Foster’s History (1912).
14 The Symphonies of Potter are confusingly numbered, by date and/or by key. One
performance was given of No. 1 in G minor of 1819 performed on 29 May 1826, con-
ducted by the composer, and two of the second in G minor of 1832 (also called No.
6) (the performance of 28 May 1855 conducted by Wagner), two of the A minor sym-
phony (now apparently lost), three of a D major symphony, and one of another D ma-
jor symphony. Both G minor symphonies have been published in modern editions,
179
