SearchGetRecordRichter Concerts (1880-95)
Collection Summary
Collection Title
Richter Concerts (1880-95)
Unique Identifier
X.439/1271
Description
A collection of analytical programmes and wordbooks for the Richter Concerts held at St. James's Hall, London, between 1880 and 1882 and in the seasons 1891-95, held as five bound volumes.
These were concerts of predominantly nineteenth-century orchestral and orchestrally-accompanied works. There is a strong leaning towards Austro-Germanic repertory, particularly Beethoven and Wagner, and a tendency for the second part of the concerts to consist of a single symphony. There are a number of first performances as well as numerous pieces marked as receiving their first performance at these concerts.
All concerts featured an 'orchestra of 100 performers', conducted by Hans Richter and led by Hermann Franke (1880-1881), Ernst Schiever and V. Buziau (1882) and by Ernst Schiever alone (1891-95). A number of concerts also featured the Richter Chorus, directed by Theodor Frantzen.
All programmes include a complete list of the orchestral ensemble and carry extensive historical and analytical notes, with musical examples. The majority of these notes are signed either 'C.A.B' [Charles Ainslie Barry] or 'G.' [George Grove]. More occasional contributions are also made by 'E. D.' [Edward Dannreuther] and Friedrich Niecks.
Volume 1 (1880-82)
An incomplete set of programmes for concerts given between 1880 and 1882, beginning with a handwritten index of the works performed.
Second season (1880)
Programmes for concert nos. 3, 6, 7 and 8 (plus an 'extra' concert) of a season during which the complete set of Beethoven symphonies was performed in chronological order. Each programme for the season includes a general historical note on the compositional genesis of these works.
24 May 1880: Georg Henschel (vocal) and Xaver Scharwenka (piano).
31 May 1880: Miss Lillian Bailey and Signor W. Candidus (vocal) and Sigmund Bürger (cello), accompanied by Theodor Frantzen.
3 June 1880: Heinrich Barth (piano) and Walter Bache (organ), including the first London performance of Liszt, Symphonic Poem No. 11 in C, 'The Battle of the Huns'.
7 June 1880: Monsieur Saint-Saens (piano).
10 June 1880: Mademoiselle Thekla Friedländer (vocal) and Hermann Franke and Ernst Schiever (violin), accompanied by Theodor Frantzen.
11 June 1880 (Hermann Franke benefit): Miss Lillian Bailey and Georg Henschel (vocal) and Hermann Franke (violin), accompanied by Theodor Frantzen.
Autumn season 1881 (concert no. 1)
24 October 1881: Miss Louise Pyk, Miss Ellen Orridge, Mr William Shakespeare and Mr Frederick King (vocal), including the first performance of Eugène D'Albert, Piano Concerto in A, with the composer as soloist.
5th season 1882 (concert nos. 1, 2, 6 and 8)
3 May: Eugène D'Albert (piano)
8 May: Herr Betz (vocal) and Gospodin Adolf Brodsky (violin), including the first English performance of Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto in D, op. 35.
5 June: Frau Rosa Sucher and Herr Hermann Winkelmann (vocal), with a chorus of 100 voices from the German Opera, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. This concert included the first English performance of J. Sucher, Scene for Soli, Chorus and orchestra, 'Wäldfraulein'.
19 June:
Volume 2 (1891)
A complete set of analytical programmes and wordbooks for nine concerts given during the 19th series of performances.
25 May 1891:
1 June 1891: Mrs Moore Lawson, Miss Anna Williams and Mr Barton McGuckin (vocal) with Mr Francis Moser (harp), including the first London performance of Cornelius, Overture 'Der Barbier von Bagdad' and first English performance of Wagner, Second Scene from Tannhäuser (new version).
8 June 1891: Mr Max Heinrich, Mr Edward Lloyd and Mr William Nicholl (vocal).
15 June 1891: Mrs Moore Lawson, Mr Barton McGuckin and Mr Santley (vocal), with Mr Francis Moser (harp). This programme also claims to relate to the first performance of Wagner, Second Scene from Tannhäuser (new version).
22 June 1891: Mr and Mrs Henschel, Miss Alice Esty and Miss Marie Groebl (vocal) and Mr Paderewski (piano).
29 June 1891: Madame Nordica (vocal), in conjunction with the Wagner Society and including the first English performance of Bruckner, Symphony in D minor, No. 3 (dedicated to Wagner).
6 July 1891: Mademoiselle Clementine de Vere and Mr Max Heinrich (vocal).
13 July 1891: Madame Katherine van Arnhem (vocal).
20 July 1891: Miss Alice Esty, Miss Damian, Mr Barton McGuckin and Mr Watkins Mills (vocal), including the first performance of C. V. Stanford, The Battle of the Baltic (Ballad for Chorus and Orchestra). Bound with this document are announcements regarding the Wagner Society and about the publication of Wagner's Prose Works.
Volume 3 (1892)
Analytical programmes and wordbooks for six concerts given during the 20th series of performances. All the soloists engaged this season (listed below) were vocal.
30 May:
4 June: Mr Andrew Black, in a concert consisting exclusively of works by Wagner.
13 June: Mr Barton McGuckin.
20 June: Mr Andrew Black.
27 June: Mr Santley.
4 July: Madame Amy Sherwin, Madame Minna Fischer, Madame Nordica, Miss Girtin Barnard and Mr Andrew Black.
Volume 4 (1894)
Analytical programmes and wordbooks for the concerts given on 4, 11, 18 and 25 June 1894 as the 22nd series of performances. The concert on 11 June featured Edward Lloyd (vocal) and that on 18 June included Josef Hofmann (piano). The programme for 11 June also carries some minor handwritten annotations.
Volume 5 (1895).
Analytical programmes and wordbooks for four concerts given during the 24th series of performances.
20 May:
27 May: Miss Macintyre (vocal) and Mr Leonard Borwick (piano), including the first performance of Stanford, Piano Concerto in G.
10 June: Herr Moritz Rosenthal (piano).
17 June: Edward Lloyd and David Bispham (vocal). This was a concert consisting entirely of the works of Wagner.
These were concerts of predominantly nineteenth-century orchestral and orchestrally-accompanied works. There is a strong leaning towards Austro-Germanic repertory, particularly Beethoven and Wagner, and a tendency for the second part of the concerts to consist of a single symphony. There are a number of first performances as well as numerous pieces marked as receiving their first performance at these concerts.
All concerts featured an 'orchestra of 100 performers', conducted by Hans Richter and led by Hermann Franke (1880-1881), Ernst Schiever and V. Buziau (1882) and by Ernst Schiever alone (1891-95). A number of concerts also featured the Richter Chorus, directed by Theodor Frantzen.
All programmes include a complete list of the orchestral ensemble and carry extensive historical and analytical notes, with musical examples. The majority of these notes are signed either 'C.A.B' [Charles Ainslie Barry] or 'G.' [George Grove]. More occasional contributions are also made by 'E. D.' [Edward Dannreuther] and Friedrich Niecks.
Volume 1 (1880-82)
An incomplete set of programmes for concerts given between 1880 and 1882, beginning with a handwritten index of the works performed.
Second season (1880)
Programmes for concert nos. 3, 6, 7 and 8 (plus an 'extra' concert) of a season during which the complete set of Beethoven symphonies was performed in chronological order. Each programme for the season includes a general historical note on the compositional genesis of these works.
24 May 1880: Georg Henschel (vocal) and Xaver Scharwenka (piano).
31 May 1880: Miss Lillian Bailey and Signor W. Candidus (vocal) and Sigmund Bürger (cello), accompanied by Theodor Frantzen.
3 June 1880: Heinrich Barth (piano) and Walter Bache (organ), including the first London performance of Liszt, Symphonic Poem No. 11 in C, 'The Battle of the Huns'.
7 June 1880: Monsieur Saint-Saens (piano).
10 June 1880: Mademoiselle Thekla Friedländer (vocal) and Hermann Franke and Ernst Schiever (violin), accompanied by Theodor Frantzen.
11 June 1880 (Hermann Franke benefit): Miss Lillian Bailey and Georg Henschel (vocal) and Hermann Franke (violin), accompanied by Theodor Frantzen.
Autumn season 1881 (concert no. 1)
24 October 1881: Miss Louise Pyk, Miss Ellen Orridge, Mr William Shakespeare and Mr Frederick King (vocal), including the first performance of Eugène D'Albert, Piano Concerto in A, with the composer as soloist.
5th season 1882 (concert nos. 1, 2, 6 and 8)
3 May: Eugène D'Albert (piano)
8 May: Herr Betz (vocal) and Gospodin Adolf Brodsky (violin), including the first English performance of Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto in D, op. 35.
5 June: Frau Rosa Sucher and Herr Hermann Winkelmann (vocal), with a chorus of 100 voices from the German Opera, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. This concert included the first English performance of J. Sucher, Scene for Soli, Chorus and orchestra, 'Wäldfraulein'.
19 June:
Volume 2 (1891)
A complete set of analytical programmes and wordbooks for nine concerts given during the 19th series of performances.
25 May 1891:
1 June 1891: Mrs Moore Lawson, Miss Anna Williams and Mr Barton McGuckin (vocal) with Mr Francis Moser (harp), including the first London performance of Cornelius, Overture 'Der Barbier von Bagdad' and first English performance of Wagner, Second Scene from Tannhäuser (new version).
8 June 1891: Mr Max Heinrich, Mr Edward Lloyd and Mr William Nicholl (vocal).
15 June 1891: Mrs Moore Lawson, Mr Barton McGuckin and Mr Santley (vocal), with Mr Francis Moser (harp). This programme also claims to relate to the first performance of Wagner, Second Scene from Tannhäuser (new version).
22 June 1891: Mr and Mrs Henschel, Miss Alice Esty and Miss Marie Groebl (vocal) and Mr Paderewski (piano).
29 June 1891: Madame Nordica (vocal), in conjunction with the Wagner Society and including the first English performance of Bruckner, Symphony in D minor, No. 3 (dedicated to Wagner).
6 July 1891: Mademoiselle Clementine de Vere and Mr Max Heinrich (vocal).
13 July 1891: Madame Katherine van Arnhem (vocal).
20 July 1891: Miss Alice Esty, Miss Damian, Mr Barton McGuckin and Mr Watkins Mills (vocal), including the first performance of C. V. Stanford, The Battle of the Baltic (Ballad for Chorus and Orchestra). Bound with this document are announcements regarding the Wagner Society and about the publication of Wagner's Prose Works.
Volume 3 (1892)
Analytical programmes and wordbooks for six concerts given during the 20th series of performances. All the soloists engaged this season (listed below) were vocal.
30 May:
4 June: Mr Andrew Black, in a concert consisting exclusively of works by Wagner.
13 June: Mr Barton McGuckin.
20 June: Mr Andrew Black.
27 June: Mr Santley.
4 July: Madame Amy Sherwin, Madame Minna Fischer, Madame Nordica, Miss Girtin Barnard and Mr Andrew Black.
Volume 4 (1894)
Analytical programmes and wordbooks for the concerts given on 4, 11, 18 and 25 June 1894 as the 22nd series of performances. The concert on 11 June featured Edward Lloyd (vocal) and that on 18 June included Josef Hofmann (piano). The programme for 11 June also carries some minor handwritten annotations.
Volume 5 (1895).
Analytical programmes and wordbooks for four concerts given during the 24th series of performances.
20 May:
27 May: Miss Macintyre (vocal) and Mr Leonard Borwick (piano), including the first performance of Stanford, Piano Concerto in G.
10 June: Herr Moritz Rosenthal (piano).
17 June: Edward Lloyd and David Bispham (vocal). This was a concert consisting entirely of the works of Wagner.
Format
Date range of collection
1880 - 1895
Accumulation Dates
-
Suggested Audience
Not Specific
Associated People or Organisations
- Winckelmann, Hermann -
- Williams, Anna -
- Wagner, Richard -
- -
- Vere, Clementine de -
- van Arnhem, Katherine -
- Tchaikovsky, Pyotr -
- Sucher, Rosa -
- Sucher, Josef -
- Stanford, Charles Villiers -
- Sherwin, Amy -
- Shakespeare, William -
- Schiever, Ernst -
- Scharwenka, Xaver -
- Santley, Charles -
- Saint-Saens, Camille -
- Rosenthal, Moriz -
- Richter, Hans -
- Richter Chorus -
- Pyk, Louise -
- Paderewski, Ignacy Jan -
- Orridge, Ellen -
- Nordica, Madame -
- Niecks, Friedrich -
- Nicholl, William -
- Moser, Francis -
- Mills, Watkin -
- McGuckin, Barton -
- Macintyre, Margaret -
- Lloyd, Edward -
- Liszt, Franz -
- Lawson, Moore -
- King, Frederick -
- Hofmann, Josef -
- Henschel, Helen Henriette -
- Henschel, George (Isidor Georg) -
- Heinrich, Max -
- Grove, George -
- Groebl, Marie -
- Friedländer, Thekla -
- Frantzen, Theodor -
- Franke, Hermann -
- Fischer, Minna -
- Esty, Alice -
- Dannreuther, Edward George -
- Cornelius, Peter -
- Candidus, W. -
- Buziau, Victor -
- Bürger, Sigmund -
- Bruckner, Anton -
- Brodsky, Adolph -
- Borwick, Leonard -
- Black, Andrew -
- Bispham, David -
- Betz, Franz -
- Beethoven, Ludwig van -
- Barth, Heinrich -
- Barry, Charles Ainslie -
- Barnard, Girtin -
- Bailey, Lillian -
- Bache, Walter -
- Albert, Eugen d' -
Associated Times
This collection is about
Location Details
British Library
The British Library
St Pancras
,96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB United Kingdom Open Map
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Collections Overview
The Library's collection of song and piano sheet music is one of the most comprehensive of its kind, providing a valuable insight into Victorian society and culture as well as the music itself.
For details of other collections held at the same location: See the location record
Additional Collection Information
Accrual Status
closed
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