LA BELLE DAME

We are pleased to announce that a new CD La Belle Dame has been released from Em Records, with the BBC Concert Orchestra, conductor John Andrews, and baritone Roderick Williams.

The recording features music from the late Victorian/Edwardian period of English music exploring new forms of Romanticism in a series of ‘scenas’ from O’Neill, Scott and Quilter – all World Premier recordings. It is of interest that these three composers were all pupils at the Hoch Conservatorium in Frankfurt under Ivan Knorr and were members of the well- known Frankfurt Gang. Their intimate friends Holst and Delius also feature on this recording: Holst’s Ornulf’s Drapa and Delius’s Petite Suite D’Orchestre both receiving a first performance.

O’Neill’s La Belle Dame sans Merci (1908) was written at a turning point in the composer’s musical life, as he was made Musical Director of The Haymarket Theatre, London, the following year, and henceforth wrote chiefly for the stage. His strong dramatic gift is evident in this work, which hints at a wider potential the theatre never quite fulfilled.

La Belle Dame is now available to purchase from Em Records. Just follow the link to learn more.

Blog post by Teresa Rupp

We have received this blog from Professor Rupp of St Mary's University, Emmitsburg, USA, on her research into the background to the violin and piano arrangements by Norman O'Neill and Arthur Bent from Fiocco dance music.

Prof. Rupp identifies these as being arranged from keyboard suites by Fiocco and used latterly as exercises in Book 6 of the Suzuki method. This interesting and lively account includes links to YouTube performances and other associated material, including Adine O'Neill's likely influence in introducing Norman O'Neill to this music through her own 18th century repertoire.

Do click on the link below for an interesting read:

http://www.thescholarlydilettante.iapub.net/2022/03/31/what-the-fiocco-investigating-the-allegro/

Subscribe to a forthcoming disc with Em Records 'La Belle Dame'

Em Records is seeking to raise funds necessary to record a fascinating disc of World Premier recordings of works by Norman O'Neill, Gustav Holst, Frederick Delius, Cyril Scott and Havergal Brian with the BBC Concert Orchestra and celebrated baritone Roderick Williams.

O'Neill's orchestral baritone scena 'La Belle Dame sans Merci' sets words by John Keats. First performed at the Queen's Hall in 1910. Such was its success that the work received a number of subsequent performances, and the music critic Francis Toye described the scena as "an altogether delightful piece of work, full of imagination, poetry and sensitive response to the varying atmosphere of the poem."

Click HERE for Em Records to learn more and follow the link to subscribe