Where would a semi-fan site be without tributes to modern-day heros and heroines? A jesting idea, but a role of honour with brief details of some principal Foulds-friendly musicians, musicologists and champions has the benefit of drawing together information for others and advertising worthwhile work and genuine enthusiasm. The list below is new and short reflecting bluntinstrument's lack of detailed knowledge. Anyone who supports, performs and/or studies the music and ideals of John Foulds is invited to contact with their details. E-mail addresses will only be included with the permission of those discussed.
Malcolm MacDonald (musicologist)
Michael Schlechtriem (cellist)
Bernard Benoliel (musicologist and composer)
Raymond Head (updated 2012.12)
Details of the author of the most valuable contribution to Foulds scholarship (namely John Foulds: his life in music, 1975, revised 1976 and 1989) are to be found on his website at http://www.macdprogramnotes.demon.co.uk/cv.html; which includes mention of his work as composer, orchestrator and editor, but features most prominently details of his musicological works regarding British and other composers of the twentieth century, including catalogues of the music of Luigi Dallapiccola, Dmitri Shostakovich and Antal Dorati. Kahn & Averill published his latest book on the music of Edgard Varèse, Astronomer in Sound in March (rrp £24.95).
Born in 1964, Schlechtriem
[picture ca.1995]
came from a family of musicians, beginning cello instruction at the age of 6
and accepted with this instrument to study at the Cologne National College of
Music at the age of 13. He trained with Ingrid Frohmueller (Cologne), in the
master classes of Boris Pergamenschikow (Cologne) and Radu Aldulescu (Rome,
Gstaad), and in 1992 he completed his studies with Gotthard Popp at the Detmold
National University of Music with Honours. Further acknowledgements go to the
chamber music class of the Amadeus quartett (Cologne) as well as to master classes
with, among others, Siegfried Palm.
Solo appearances led Michael Schlechtriem via Germany, to England, Finland, France, Italy and Spain. In May 1995 he gave his Russian debut at the Glinka Hall of the St Petersburg National Philharmonic and in December of that year he was soloist with the Southwestphalian Philharmonic under Neil Varon in Korngold's Cello concerto. In March 1996 he made his Debut in Budapest at Hungarian Radio. An orchestral player in the Symphony-Orchestra of Muenster since 1993 he was also cellist in a piano quartet built from members of the Orlando-Quarttett in Hilversum as well as the Turina-Quartett which he founded in 1984 and which made several tours through Spain to promote the music of the great Spanish composer Joaquin Turina. The Turina-Quartett today is built around concertmaster Midori Goto, Adrian Kowollik and Volker Hendrichs. The ensemble in its formation today has played together since 1998 and has built some reputation in performing such works like the Dohnányi Third quartet and the German-Premiere of Foulds' Quartetto intimo as well as playing regulary at the acclaimed Dancetheatre-Event Schubert's Death and the maiden (Der Tod und das mädchen) quartet together with Schoenberg's Verklährte Nacht at Münsters Theatre to nationwide success. Michael Schlechtriem also appeared as soloist in the Miaskowsky (M´i`askovskii) Cello concerto in 2000 and also was the soloist in the first recording of Matthias Bonitz' Siddharta for cello and piano. Furthermore he gave Russian, Hungarian and Spanish premieres of the sonatas by Bax, Rawsthorne and Ireland. In 1997 he stepped in for Raphael Wallfish to perform his arrangement of Korngold's Much ado about nothing at the Korngold Centenary-Concert held by Brendan Carroll in London.
Brief German language biography:
Der gebürtige Leverkusener Cellist Michael Schlechtriem war bereits mit 13 Jahren
Jungstudent an der Musikhochschule Köln. Zu seinen Lehrern gehörten Radu Aldulescu,
Boris Pergamenschikow, Gotthard Popp, bei dem er auch sein Studium mit Auszeichnung
abschloss, sowie das Amadeus-Quartett.Neben seiner Anstellung im Sinfonie-Orchester
der Stadt Münster ist er besonders an Kammermusikalischen Herausforderungen
interessiert: Dazu gehören verschiedene CD-Aufnahmen (Z. B. Siddharta nach H.
Hesse für Violoncello und Klavier von Matthias Bonitz-1996), Rundfunkaufnahmen
wie z.B.sein Debut 1996 in einem Recital am Budapester Rundfunk, Mitwirkung
bei verschiedenen Ensembles wie z. B. dem Orlando-Quartett sowie sein stetes
Interesse an zu Unrecht vergessener Musik. Dazu gehören die russischen Erstaufführungen
der Cellosonaten von Arnold Bax und Alan Rawsthorne in der Philharmonie St.Petersburg,
sein regelmässiges Eintreten für die Musik Erich Wolfgang Korngolds, dessen
Cellokonzert er unter Neil Varon 1995 im Forum Leverkusen spielte und auf dessen
Gedenkkonzert zum 100. Geburtstag er 1997 in London auftrat, oder auch die Aufführung
des Cellokonzertes von Nikolai Miaskowski im Jahre 2000 in Münster.
Schlechtriem is especially interested in future opportunities to perform the Cello sonata. Any professional queries in this area can be mailed to him at MSchlechtriem@aol.com. He also features on the web at http://walterjuist.wa.funpic.de/turina.htm.
Update 2010.09. Schlechtriem's recent CD release, made with pianist Noriko Kitano and titled 'Scenes', features composers Erich Wolfgang Korngold (famous for his Hollywood golden age film music) and Frederick Delius (English composer with fingers in French and American pies) as well as more recent composers. A well recommended addition to the collection of any classical/cello enthusiast it further proves there is plenty of good repertoire out there worth exploring beyond the staple diet of 19th century sonatas. 'Scenes' was released on the Genuin label, # GEN 89529 (barcode: 4260036255294), although some shops (e.g. amazon.co.uk - which includes MP3 downloads) sell it under the title 'Cello recital'.
The Turina-Quartett members are: Midori Goto, Adrian Kowollik (violins), Volker Hendrichs (viola) and Michael Schlechtriem (cello). They have made two public performances of Foulds' Quartetto intimo (as detailed below) and remain committed to championing the work. See also Michael Schlechtriem's entry above. Their current homepage is http://walterjuist.wa.funpic.de/turina.htm
Performances:
Turina-Quartett concert from Münster, 2002.11 Programme: Mozart K590, Foulds Quartetto intimo, Schönberg Verklärte Nacht.
Two reviews have been archived by Bluntinstrument (thanks to cellist Mr Schlechtriem), by Manuel Jennen ('Heisskalte Verfuhrung' in Münsterische Zeizung 2002.11.30) and Christoph Schulte in Walde ('Bis tief hinein in die Seele von Mann und Frau' in Westfälische Nachrichten [undated]). The first reviewer found fault with the tone and variety of playing in the Mozart, perhaps in some small part due to the work itself, but found the Foulds a total contrast, enjoying the drama and strength of performances particularly in the places were Foulds is most experimental. The second reviewer opens with the cry "Who is John Foulds?" and appears to pull stylistic traits from the quartet he feels come from Dvorak, Bartok, Kodaly and even Messiaen, whilst congratulating the quartet on its finding.
Turina-Quartett concert from Leverkusen, 2003.2.2 Programme: Mozart K590, Stefan Esser Herbstbilder poems for cello solo, Foulds Quartetto intimo.
Two reviews have been archived by Bluntinstrument (thanks to cellist Mr Schlechtriem), by Hajo Schröder ('"Herbstbilder" - mitten im Winter' in Kölner Stadtanzeiger 2003.2.4) and Finn Jacobsen ('Musik strahlte Warme ab' in Rheinische Post nr.29 2003.2.4). Both reviewers concentrated more on the success of Schlechtriem's solo reading of Stefan Esser's Herbstbilder poems, but it was Finn Jacobsen who was clearly inspired by the "wild expressionism" of the Foulds.
The quartet recorded their welcome alternative interpretation of the Quartetto intimo during February 2003, although the recording engineer was lost to them due to illness until recently, so a professional release has not yet come about. In the meantime, see Bluntinstrument's page on the Quartetto intimo for details of how to download a live performance they made of the work.
Bluntinstrument would appreciate further details sent since Benoliel's name has been associated a number of times with the music of Foulds. His principal outward association with English music has been through Vaughan Williams, noted through RVW Ltd, a talk given prior to a 'Music in Context' concert at the British Library of Vaughan Williams chamber music (source: http://www.rvwsociety.com/quintets.html), and through publications (including Parry before Jerusalem: Studies of his life and music with excerpts from his published writings, 1997; and an article for the RVW Society Journal, issue 20). He has also, however, written in the less distinguished but often better disceminated format of recording liner notes, such as that for the music of John Blackwood McEwen (source: http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2001/Feb01/McEwen.htm) and, indeed, for John Foulds himself (note discography items Lyrita: SRCD.211 and Forlane: UCD 16724 / 25). Principally, however, Benoliel may be known as a composer, studying under Stefan Wolpe (minor sources: http://www.classical-composers.org/cgi-bin/ccd.cgi?comp=wolpe and http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/concerts-and-events/pn/sept98/brynjulson.html).
Jacobs' support of English piano music has been illustrated in his published recordings, featuring music by Foulds, Harold Trscutt and Alan Bush. His affinity with French composers Fauré and Chaminade may add further depth of insight into Foulds' music given that the composer spent a number of years in France composing works such as the Seven essays in the modes which Jacobs has recorded for Altarus (see discography).
Stott's performance preference for the music of twentieth century composers has led her from Fauré to Michael Nyman and Peter Maxwell Davies. For BIS she recorded a generous alternative piano album of Foulds music to that of Peter Jacobs. No need for further details here since she has a homepage at http://www.kathrynstott.com
Known as both composer and pianist (both styles emerging from the post-Lisztian romantic pianistic schools (Ates Orga, 1999)), Stevenson was one of the first to contribute to the revival of interest in Foulds' music, through his performance (and subsequent broadcast) of the Cello Sonata in 1975 with Moray Welsh—perhaps the first concert performance of this work, and surely of any major work for decades since the composer's death (Tufnell (1988); MacDonald (1998)). He also performed the Essays in the modes and took part in concerts and events around the 1980 centenary. Although the Ronald Stevenson Society website is currently undergoing redesign (the deadline is already almost a year overdue so a visit is only recommended for those who need contact details), there are two articles online which may suit: a mini site from the Scottish Music Information Centre, and a more extensive article by Ates Orga at Music & Vision.
Primarily known as a Holst expert and as a composer in his own right (details available at the Central Composers Alliance website), but also a staunch advocate of Foulds since the early 1980s. As a conductor he's given several first or first-in-modern times performances including of the Grand Durbar march and Kashmiri wedding procession at the Victoria and Albert, Hellas and Indian suite at St John's Smith Square, Song of Ram Dass in Wales, Apotheosis and Chinese suite in Banbury. He's also played some of Essays in the modes publicly and given talks about Foulds. A keen researcher on the Indian influences on western music (for example the journal Tempo featured three articles by him in 1986-87 entitled 'Holst and India'), he has also studied the career of Foulds's wife Maud McCarthy. Bluntinstrument observes that Head provides a listener's guide to Holst's epic masterpiece The Planets suite in the current issue of the LSO's magazine "Living Music". Head's new music publishing company, Sky Dance Press may be e-mailed at skydancepress@aol.com. [Many thanks to Malcolm Macdonald from whom most of this information originates.] 2012.12 Addition: Mr Head this year published the cello and piano version of the Keltic Lament (with permission). His web address is http://raymondhead.com
Mr Hatton has quietly provided the materials for many performances and recordings of Foulds's music and continues to do so. His publishing names are Hatton & Rose and Music Viva. He does not use the internet so has no web presence of his own, but he is approachable by serious performers, and his details, though not advertised on the web, are added here because they are available in music directories (e.g. BMY 2004 vol2, p.533) and I found them already added to a German language site. Musica Viva Publishers' address in Reading is no longer valid, and queries should be sent to 262 Kings Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2XD. Tel/fax: 01323 503805. Mr Hatton had a blanket agreement for copyright clearance made with descendant Mrs Marybride Watt, which is still legally recognised by the British Library, BBC, MCPS, PRS and other organisations since her death in 1988. If you need to contact, remember that he does not specialise only in Foulds's music.
A music professor at Mills College, Oakland, California, Ghuman's interest in John Foulds derives from her research into British music around the early 20th century and the influence of orientalism. Foulds's links with the Theosophical movement and with India, both personally and through his second wife Maud MacCarthy, places his music and its interpretation firmly in the path of eastern influences, both musical and ideological. Ghuman's details are on the college website. In preparation, 'India in the English Musical Imagination, 1890-1940', including chapters on John Foulds, Gustav Holst, Kaikhosru Sorabji, Edward Elgar and Amy Woodforde-Finden.
As Senior Lecturer at the University of York, Dr Sorrell has both a practical and research background in the music of the East. He has proved active in disceminating his knowledge of the music of Foulds and Maud MacCarthy, the latter's papers recently having been transferred to the institution. His details are posted on the university website.