1928 International Columbia Graphophone Competition

The International Schubert Competition in 1928 (also 1928 International Columbia Graphophone Competition or Schubert Centennial Contest) was a composition competition to commemorate the 100th year of death of Franz Schubert. It was conducted jointly by the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna and the Columbia Graphophone Company. The first prize among the total of 513 contributions submitted was awarded the 6th Symphony of the Swedish composer Kurt Atterberg.

Competition

On 26 June 1927, the British-American record label Columbia Graphophone Company and the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna announced a joint composition competition. The original intention was to let the occasion of the 100th anniversary celebrations of Franz Schubert complete his B minor Symphony (the " Unfinished" ). As a result, the participation rules, however, were revised several times, not least because of criticism from the professional world. Admitted were next to completion tests now also original works " in a romantic spirit, from which Schubert's music, especially his unfinished symphony, lives " (New York Times, October 23, 1927 ) or " symphonic works in one or more sets, offered as an apotheosis of However, Schubert's lyrical genius and dedicated to his memory "(New York Times, October 30, 1927). The orchestra should not significantly exceed that of Schubert.

It 10 current attendance zones were formed, from which five music personalities ( including Maurice Ravel, Ottorino Respighi, Manuel de Falla, Szymanowski and Thomas Beecham ) chose three compositions, with a first (£ 150 or $ 750 ), second (£ 50 or $ 250 ) and third prize ( the highest recognition, without monetary bonus) were excellent.

The 30 selected plants were then evaluated in Vienna by an existing member of the jury of one of the 10 zones final jury. Jurors were: Walter Damrosch, Franz Schalk, Carl Nielsen, Alfred Bruneau, Max von Schillings, Donald Francis Tovey, Franco Alfano, Emil Mlynarski, Adolfo Salazar and Alexander Glazunov.

Results

A total of 513 works were submitted. Also, due to the constantly changing regulations resulted in a very heterogeneous spectrum of submitted compositions, of which only a minority of actual completion of the tests " Unfinished" showed. Numerous works were in at best loosely connected to the original ideals competition. The winner of the 10 zones were selected:

  • II Austria ( Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania): 1 Franz Schmidt ( Symphony No. 3 ), 2 Hans Gál ( 1st Symphony " Sinfonietta " ), 3 Moni Freidsohn ( Symphony in F sharp minor )
  • III Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway): Kurt Atterberg ( Symphony No. 6 ), 2 Ludvig Irgens -Jensen ( " Passacaglia " ), 3 Jens Laurson Emborg ( Symphony No. 3 )
  • IV France ( Belgium, Switzerland ): 1 Henri Ryder and G. Guillemoteau, 2nd Aristide Martz, 3 Otto Rippli (all completions of Schubert 's "Unfinished " )
  • V Germany ( Netherlands): 1 Hermann Wunsch ( Symphony No. 5 ), 2 of Kurt Wolfurt ( "Variations and Character Pieces on a Theme by Mozart" ), 3 Johann Berghout ( Symphony in G major )
  • VI England ( UK "the dominions "): 1 Frank Merrick (from the final jury as the most successful respected completion of Schubert 's "Unfinished " ) and John St. Anthony Johnson ( " Pax vobiscum " ), 2 Havergal Brian ( "Gothic Symphony " )
  • VII Italy: 1 Guido Pannain ( " Sinfonietta " ), 2 Bonaventura Somma ( a tone poem, possibly " La Lampada Spenta " ), 3 Pietro Montani ( a symphonic suite, probably "Suite umoresca " )
  • VIII Poland ( Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania): 1 Czeslaw Marek ( " Sinfonia brevis " ), Witold Maliszewski 2 ( completion of Schubert 's "Unfinished " ), 3 January Karol lamp ( Symphony )
  • IX Spain ( Portugal): 1st Oscar Esplá ( " Schubertiana " ), 2 Conrado del Campo ( completion of Schubert's sketches )
  • X Russia ( Ukraine): 1 Mikhail Tchernov ( 3rd Symphony ), 2nd Vasily Kalafati ( " Legend " )

Grand Prize Winners

On June 23, 1928, the three main prize winners were announced, the award was made on August 17, 1928:

The winner works waved the premiere by renowned orchestras and conductors, as well as the printing by Universal Edition. However, none of the works came to lasting popularity. Atterberg Symphony No. 6 ( because of the high fee soon provided with the nickname "Dollar Symphony" ) was recorded after 1928 and 1943 again until 1992 on sound recordings ( the label BIS), the Sinfonia Marek rang after a few performances the end of the 1920s, these issues since a recording in 1995 of the label Koch.

Donald Tovey BIS Records
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