Page 138 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2024. Glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes ▪︎ Music Criticism – Yesterday and Today. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 7
P. 138
glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes | music criticism – yesterday and today
Division. The First Symphony was performed in the UK for the first time
by the BBC Symphony Orchestra on 14 February 1962 conducted by Rudolf
Schwarz 22 and at the Proms on 7 September 1962 conducted by Norman
Del Mar. The second part of the Proms performance comprised the Sym-
phony, while the first half consisted of works by Beethoven (Piano Concer-
to No. 5 and Symphony No. 4) directed by the principal Proms conductor
Sir Malcolm Sargent, who was not in sympathy with many modern works.
This was typical of Glock’s programming. A BBC commission was soon
awarded for the Symphony No. 2, first performed in London on 28 Octo-
ber 1959 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rudolf Schwarz.
The Symphony No. 3 (‘Collages’), a Koussevitzky Foundation commission,
was first performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra on 8 February 1961
also conducted by Schwarz and later recorded by the same orchestra under
Frederik Prausnitz. The first major recording of Gerhard’s music was pub-
lished in 196523 including the First Symphony conducted by Antal Dorati,
recorded under the auspices of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Fur-
ther commissions followed including the brilliant Concerto for Orchestra
and the large-scale vocal and orchestral setting of The Plague, derived from
the novel by Albert Camus (a BBC commission). The Symphony No.4 was
commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, but it was performed exten-
sively in Europe by the BBC Symphony Orchestra who also recorded the
work.24 None of this would have happened if it had not been for the actions
of William Glock.
Elliott Carter
Carter’s music was actively promoted by Glock. The first recognition came
with the publication in 1955 in volume 12 of The Score of Glock’s “A Note on
Elliott Carter” and Carter’s article “The Rhythmic Basis of American Mu-
22 Colin Mason, “Roberto Gerhard’s First Symphony,” The Musical Times (February
1962): 99–100.
23 Roberto Gerhard, Symphony No. 1/Dances from Don Quixote, sound recording on
ASD 613 and ALP 2063 (London: EMI, 1965). The accompanying notes were written
by Colin Mason and Joaquim Homs, though it is suspected by Julian White that Ger-
hard himself produced the detailed analytical presentation. The editor of the notes
was David Drew, a friend of Glock’s, and a firm advocate of Gerhard’s music.
24 Roberto Gerhard, Symphony No. 4 and Violin Concerto, BBC SO, conducted by Colin
Davis, sound recording on ZRG 701 (London: Decca/Argo, 1972); reissued on SRCD
274 (Burnham, Bucks, UK: Lyrita, 2008).
138
Division. The First Symphony was performed in the UK for the first time
by the BBC Symphony Orchestra on 14 February 1962 conducted by Rudolf
Schwarz 22 and at the Proms on 7 September 1962 conducted by Norman
Del Mar. The second part of the Proms performance comprised the Sym-
phony, while the first half consisted of works by Beethoven (Piano Concer-
to No. 5 and Symphony No. 4) directed by the principal Proms conductor
Sir Malcolm Sargent, who was not in sympathy with many modern works.
This was typical of Glock’s programming. A BBC commission was soon
awarded for the Symphony No. 2, first performed in London on 28 Octo-
ber 1959 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rudolf Schwarz.
The Symphony No. 3 (‘Collages’), a Koussevitzky Foundation commission,
was first performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra on 8 February 1961
also conducted by Schwarz and later recorded by the same orchestra under
Frederik Prausnitz. The first major recording of Gerhard’s music was pub-
lished in 196523 including the First Symphony conducted by Antal Dorati,
recorded under the auspices of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Fur-
ther commissions followed including the brilliant Concerto for Orchestra
and the large-scale vocal and orchestral setting of The Plague, derived from
the novel by Albert Camus (a BBC commission). The Symphony No.4 was
commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, but it was performed exten-
sively in Europe by the BBC Symphony Orchestra who also recorded the
work.24 None of this would have happened if it had not been for the actions
of William Glock.
Elliott Carter
Carter’s music was actively promoted by Glock. The first recognition came
with the publication in 1955 in volume 12 of The Score of Glock’s “A Note on
Elliott Carter” and Carter’s article “The Rhythmic Basis of American Mu-
22 Colin Mason, “Roberto Gerhard’s First Symphony,” The Musical Times (February
1962): 99–100.
23 Roberto Gerhard, Symphony No. 1/Dances from Don Quixote, sound recording on
ASD 613 and ALP 2063 (London: EMI, 1965). The accompanying notes were written
by Colin Mason and Joaquim Homs, though it is suspected by Julian White that Ger-
hard himself produced the detailed analytical presentation. The editor of the notes
was David Drew, a friend of Glock’s, and a firm advocate of Gerhard’s music.
24 Roberto Gerhard, Symphony No. 4 and Violin Concerto, BBC SO, conducted by Colin
Davis, sound recording on ZRG 701 (London: Decca/Argo, 1972); reissued on SRCD
274 (Burnham, Bucks, UK: Lyrita, 2008).
138
