Frederic H. Cowen (1852-1935)

Symphonies

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Orchestral Works

Composer, Conductor, and Pianist

Christopher.Parker@dur.ac.uk WebMaster: Christopher J. Parker, BA (hons), M.Mus

Others

Chamber Music

1865 Piano Trio [No. 1], A, f.p. Dudley House, Park Lane, London, Cowen, Joachim, Piatti, 22.vi.1865, unpub.
1866
String Quartet, c, f.p. Leipzig Conservatorium, 14.i.1866, unpub., Quartet for 2 vlns, vla and vlc
Several arr. for violin and piano of Cowen pieces
1868
Piano Trio [No. 2], a, f.p. Berlin?, unpub.

Cowen’s contribution to the chamber music repertoire is entirely represented by these juvenile works, none of which survive.

Piano solo

1858
Minna-Waltz, The, pub. Leader & Cocks, London (1858), Piece [Cowen’s 1st published work], dedic: Henry Russell
1859
Daisy Waltz, The, pub. Cocks & Co, [London?](1859), Piece
1859
Pet Polka, The, pub. Cocks & Co, [London?](1859), Piece
1863
Lied ohne worte, f.p. Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, Cowen (pf), 17.xii.1863, Piece
1864
Sonata, unpub., Sonata
1866
Variations, f.p. Leipzig?, unpub., Variations
1868
Fantasia, d, f.p. Berlin?, unpub., Piece
1869
Serenade, pub. London (1869), Piece
1869
Fairy Flowers (Morceau de salon), pub. London (1869), Piece
1869
Nocturne, pub. London (1869), Piece
1869
Twilight Reveries, pub. London (1869), Piece
1870
Bridal Chorus, The [arr. from 'The Rose Maiden'], pub. Boosey & Co, London (1870?), Piece
1870
Trois valses caprices, pub. Boosey & Co, London (1870?), 3 Pieces
1870
Rondo a la Turque, pub?, Piece
1871
Serenade [arr. from 'The Maid of Orleans'], pub. Boosey & Co, London (1870?), Piece
1871
Grand March [arr. from 'The Maid of Orleans'], pub. Boosey & Co, London (1871?), Piece
1873
Flower Fairies, Suite, pub?, Suite
1873
Petite scene de ballet, pub?, Piece
1873
Sonata, pub?, Sonata
1873
La coquette, pub. London (1874?), Piece (Scherzo)
1876
Dance of Almas [arr. from 'The Corsair'], pub. Boosey & Co, London (1876?), Piece
1887?
Unfinished is the Song, pub. WM Watson, London, Little Treasures, No. 23 (1887?), Piece
1887?
Who Knows, pub. WM Watson, London, Little Treasures, No. 21 (1887?), Piece
1888
Trois morceaux, pub. Novello, Ewer & Co, London & New York (1888), 3 Pieces
1912
Months, The (12 Sketches, 4 Books), pub. Novello & Co, London (1912), 4 Books of pieces (12)
1914
Fall In! (March)[arr. of song of same title], pub. Enoch & Sons, London (1914), Piece
1917
Monica's Blue Boy (Selection from)[arr. from ‘Monica’s Blue Boy’], orig. MS: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MSS.Mus.b.45, ff.183-4 - Introduction, pub. Metzler & Co, London (1918), Suite
1918
Polka gracieuse, pub. Joseph Williams, London (1918), Piece
1918
Cupid's Conspiracy (Selection from)[arr. from ‘Cupid’s Conspiracy], orig. MS: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MSS.Mus.b.45, ff.48-62 - Piano score, pub. Joseph Williams, London (1918), Suite [the work was originally entitled 'The Dancing Lesson']
1922
Intermezzo [arr. from 'The Enchanted Cottage'], pub. Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, London (1922), Piece
1926
Petite Suite des Fleurs (Selection from The Language of Flowers, Suites 1 & 2; and In Fairyland: ‘Lilac’, ‘Yellow Jasmine’, ‘Moss’, ‘Dance of Witches’, and ‘Viscaria’), pub. Metzler & Co, London, M & Co., No. 726 (1926), Suite
?
It was a dream [arr. of song of same title], pub. Boosey & Co, London, Piece
?
Antoinette Waltz, pub. Boosey & Co, London, Piece
?
Berceuse ['Opus No. 2'], pub. Boosey & Co, London, Piece

Two or more pianos, or two or more hands

1864 Fantasia on 'The Magic Flute' (after Mozart) [?f.p. Benedict, Charles Hallé, Lindsay Sloper and Cowen, 1864], unpub., Piece for eight hands
1864
Fantasia on 'Der Freischutz' (after Benedict) [?f.p. Arabella Goddard and Cowen, 1864], unpub., Piece for two-pianos, four hands
1882
Symphony No. 3, 'Scandinavian', c [arr. for 4 hands], unpub., Suite for piano, 4 hands (duet or two-pianos?)

As a pianist of some repute in his early years, it is surprising that Cowen did not contribute more to the piano repertoire. Apart from a few miscellaneous pieces, various arrangements of his songs, and an unpublished sonata (1873), his early Piano Concerto in A minor (also unpublished), and his Concertstück for Paderewski, Cowen wrote little for his instrument. His predilection for orchestral colours and the voice overrode any desire to exploit the potentialities of the keyboard. Indeed, his early piano concerto, if commentators were ‘correct’ in their assessments, was unremarkable, and the Concertstück is little more than a pastiche of Schumannesque, Chopinesque and Lisztian styles, blended together with Cowen’s own brand of fancy.

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