Joseph Holbrooke - Violin Concerto; etc. (Judith Ingolfsson; Howard Griffiths)

Information

Composer: Joseph Holbrooke

• 'Auld Lang Syne' Variations No. 3 for full orchestra, Op. 60
• Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 59 'The Grasshopper'
• 'The Raven' Poem No. 1 for Orchestra, Op. 25

Judith Ingolfsson, violin

Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt

Howard Griffiths, conductor

Date: 2016

Label: CPO

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/joseph-holbrooke-violinkonzert-op-59-the-grasshopper/hnum/4100515

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Review

Josef Holbrooke (born Joseph Holbrook) had his first success in 1900 with the premiere of his orchestral poem “The Raven.” Before that, he’d been an accompanist, music teacher, and itinerate conductor kicking about the UK.

But the recognition went to his head. Although frequently performed in the era before World War I, Holbrooke didn’t make many friends.

He often attacked critics and even his audience. “Mr. Josef Holbrooke steps forward somewhat adventurously… to an apathetic public, and hopes to receive as few blows as possible (with the usual financial loss) in return,” he wrote for a concert program.

After the war, his music was seen as increasingly old-fashioned. And without supporters, it soon disappeared from the English concert repertoire.

So how does Holbrooke’s work sound today? It’s definitely music of its time — but some of the best-constructed music of that time.

The 1906 “Variations on “Auld Lang Syne” are quite imaginative. Inspired by Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations, Holbrooke created twenty variations, each a portrait of a friend. While not on par with “Enigma,” the variations do go in unexpected directions.

They remind me of Charles Ives’ treatment of “America,” as some variations have a hint of music hall and other popular music. I’m surprised this hasn’t become a classical radio staple for New Year’s Eve.

A 1917 review of Holbrooke’s violin concerto claimed, “Here the composer was at his best: the music may almost be said to be overflowing with milk and honey.” The harmonies are certainly rich enough. And while the melodies are sweetly beautiful, the violinist is presented with plenty of challenges. Violinist Judith Ingolfsson’s exciting performance keeps the milk and honey to a minimum, letting the structure of the work shine through the sentimentality.

Holbrooke’s breakout composition, “The Raven” reflected his love of Edgar Allen Poe.

I think it’s the weightiest work of the album. Holbrooke was once called the “Cockney Wagner,” and there are echoes of “Tristan and Isolde” in this work.

Like Wagner’s score, there’s an underlying sense of disquiet and tragedy running through the score. A disquiet that’s in tune with the timbre of the poem. Of the three works on this release, “The Raven” was the one I returned to most often.

-- Ralph Graves, WTJU

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Joseph Holbrooke (5 July 1878 – 5 August 1958) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He studied under Frederick Corder and Frederick Westlake at the Royal Academy of Music. Holbrooke was a late-Romantic composer, writing in a predominantly tonal and richly chromatic idiom. His style was essentially eclectic: whilst the early chamber works echo the language and methods of Brahms and Dvořák, there is also an exuberance informed by his affection for the music of Tchaikovsky. Only a small fraction of Holbrooke's large output has been recorded by CPO, Dutton, Naxos and Cameo Classics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Holbrooke

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Judith Ingolfsson (born in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an internationally known violinist. She studied with Jascha Brodsky at the Curtis Institute, then with David Cerone and Donald Weilerstein at the Cleveland Institute. Ingolfsson has performed with renowned orchestras across the globe. She also performs regularly with Vladimir Stoupel as the Duo Ingolfsson-Stoupel. In 2008 Ingolfsson became Professor of Violin at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart. Since 2019, she has served as Professor of Violin at the Peabody Institute. She plays a violin made by Lorenzo Guadagnini in 1750.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Ingolfsson

https://www.judithingolfsson.com/

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Howard Griffiths (born 24 February 1950) is a British conductor. He was born in Hastings and studied music at the Royal College of Music, London. Griffiths has lived in Switzerland since 1981. From 1996 to 2006, he was chief conductor and artistic director of the Zürcher Kammerorchester (ZKO). Griffiths is a champion of music by contemporary Turkish and Swiss composers. With the ZKO, he has also conducted works in a classical and classical modern range. From 2007 to 2018 Griffiths was chief conductor of the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester in Frankfurt. He has recorded over 60 CDs under various labels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Griffiths_(conductor)

https://www.howardgriffiths.ch/

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