Thread: Percy Grainger

Now that the Guestbook section has had time to age, more obscure composers are getting some attention. I don't view Grainger as obscure in popularity, as perhaps in style or personality. Many of you may know him as that crazy soprano sax player (the Australian one, not the one whose albums fill the department store shelves adjacent to the potpourri and scented candles).

My knowledge of Grainger stems from my experience in HS band. Probably the best (and most accessible) piece I ever recall playing was Country Gardens. There are a host of others that are great fun to hear: Youthful Suite, Shepherd's Hey, Molly on the Shore...just to name a few. If you know of others, share those. Or, maybe your experiences performing any of them.

i played 'lincolnshire posy' twice with fennell conducting. that was great fun.

'lost lady found' is my favorite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincolnshire_Posy

dj

I love the music of Grainger. He has written big works - 'The Warriors', experimental works - the pieces for four theremins, and miniatures - the many wonderful songs. I think he is still underestimated as a composer, and I wish people were familiar with more of his music. Many of the pieces he arranged have become popularised, and the popular versions are invariably inferior to the original, sometimes strikingly. 'Country Gardens' is a good example, where Grainger's original arrangement for piano is fast and aggressive. And the 'Irish Tune from County Derry' is amazing - we are all familiar with 'Danny Boy' as a rather hackneyed piece of popular culture, but Grainger's original version of this piece can still bring tears to the eyes.

Look at this abysmal appreciation thread! My Australian partner has pestered me to become more familiar with Grainger lately, and I'm glad he has. Perhaps you lovely folks could share some of your favourites?

I haven't listened to much, but I'm a fan of this, especially because of the fun orchestration (brought out best in the Rattle/CBSO recording):



And this is the absolute greatest thing you could ever listen to while out and about walking around:

Unrelated to his music, I do know that he and his wife were sado-masochists and his home in Australia has a Whip Museum!

He was an incredible pianist

That's exactly the kind of thing Australian musicologists want people to stop focusing on! It is saucy though.

Grainger studied Grieg's piano concerto first with James Kwast in 1901 and then with Grieg in Troldhaugen in 1907. The intention was that they would perform it together at the UK's Leeds Festival in that year. Unfortunately Grieg's demise circumvented things somewhat. But Grainger carried on and played the concerto after which the famous critic Ernest Newman said he considered it the greatest performance that he had heard. Grainger went on to perform it with,among other, Bodansky, Arthur Damrosch, Ossip Gabrilowitsh, Mengelberg, Richter, Siloti, Stokowski and Henry Wood.
He made a piano roll including the orchestral parts for the Aeolian Co's Duo Art reproducing piano which was issued in 1921. Later the orchestral parts were painstakingly removed and the Australian Broadcasting Commission recorded the concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under John Hopkins, this was released by RCA in 1978. it is a big and virtuosic performance , Grainger does certain things which I suppose are looked upon as old fashioned now. But I often wonder who says so as Grieg apparently thought it was pretty good. On the other side of this LP you have Grainger favourites conducted by Stokowski with Grainger, piano, recorded in 1950. I have found that piano rolls when played through a Vorsetzer, which is a robot with fingers and pedals and allows for all nuances give a true picture ot the original artist . But the machines must have been properly maintained and checked out by experts.

He was a big artist. (nearly 2 metres high).

When I visited Melbourne during the summer, I had the privilege of going to the music library at Melbourne University and looking first-hand at some of Grainger's hand-written notes. A lot of it consisted of records of his piano students, and there was one that was particularly amusing - unfortunately, I can't remember the exact words, but he was commenting on some girl with a stereotypically Southern U.S. name, calling her a "wonder child" in the most scathingly sarcastic way!

Re: Children's March :

And this is the absolute greatest thing you could ever listen to while out and about walking around:

Oh, that is delightful! So much that I just purchased it with some other pieces on a Mercury Living Presence recording. Definitely goes in the 'walking music' playlist. Also great for doing housework.

Originally Posted by psfrankel

Re: Children's March :

Oh, that is delightful! So much that I just purchased it with some other pieces on a Mercury Living Presence recording. Definitely goes in the 'walking music' playlist. Also great for doing housework.

That's the spirit and a very warm welcome to Talk Classical.