William Herschel, Viola Concerto in F major

William Herschel - Concerto for Viola & String Orchestra in F major (1759) 1. Allegro – 8:29 2. (8:31) Adagio – 5:49 3. (14:23) Vivace – 5:23 Bruce Whitson – Viola Dresdner Kapellsolisten / Helmut Branny The Music of William Herschel: The famed astronomer, William Herschel (1738-1822) was born Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in Hanover. He was trained as a musician and immigrated to England in 1757, when the French invaded Hanover during the Seven Years War. William played the oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, harpsichord and organ and began composing virtually the moment he arrived in England. After a series of positions leading smaller ensembles and church postings as organist and choir director he eventually became the organist of the Octagon Chapel as well as conductor of the orchestra and Director of Public Concerts in Bath. Herschel’s music is mostly interesting within the context of his lifetime of remarkable achievement as an astronomer. He became world famous instantly following his discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781, was named King's Astronomer to George III, and he went on to discover ca. 2,500 celestial objects, enlisting the help of his sister Caroline (1750-1848) who had come to Bath to learn singing, after which she appeared frequently as soloist in concerts of William's music. Both William and Caroline became well known for their performances of Handel’s “Messiah”. Among his earliest compositions are the 3 viola concertos, two of which (D min. & F maj.) he himself premiered in London as soloist in 1760. The third viola concerto was left undated and unfinished. Using and extending Herschel’s own thematic material, I was able to complete the concerto, ultimately adding two transitional bars to enable a smooth recapitulation and ending for the final movement. Concerto for Viola & String Orchestra in D minor, Maidstone – August 1759    • William Herschel, Viola Concerto in D Minor   Concerto for Viola & String Orchestra in F major, London – October 1759    • William Herschel, Viola Concerto in F major   Concerto for Viola & String Orchestra in C major*    • William Herschel, Viola Concerto in C major   In addition to the 3 viola concertos, Hershel composed concertos for violin, oboe and organ. He also composed 24 symphonies, numerous works for organ and harpsichord and many vocal and choral works. Much of his output has been lost, but he did have one musical “hit”, the popular “Eccho Catch” which was published during his lifetime. https://www.researchgate.net/publicat... Herschel’s viola concertos fall into the period between Baroque and Classical, better known as “Rococo”, or more precisely “Galant”. His main musical role model was C.P.E. Bach (1714-1788). At the time when Herschel composed his viola concertos, he was searching for his own style, and what makes these works so charming is his sense of adventure with regard to harmony, polyphony, texture and virtuosity. William’s astronomical discoveries, treatises and various achievements are far too numerous and significant to present adequately here, but it should be mentioned that he also discovered infrared light, considered to be one of the milestones of physics. Once Herschel became King’s Astronomer, he gave up music professionally, performing mostly only at family gatherings, but also occasionally dazzling his admirers far and wide with displays of his virtuosity as an organist right up into old age. For further information about William Herschel, see “William Herschel and the Universe”, a documentary film by George Sibley, available for streaming or purchase at Amazon.com., https://www.amazon.com/William-Hersch..., or any of the Herschel biographies by Michael Hoskin: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-A.-Hos... *C major concerto unfinished and undated. Completion of the C major concerto and all cadenzas – Bruce Whitson. Original manuscript facsimiles with kind permission: Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library, University of California, Berkeley