Joseph Holbrooke

Short bio Joseph Holbrooke

Birthday: 1878 in Croydon, London, England

Died: 1958 in London, England

Active: 1900s - 1940s

Genre: Classical

Period: Post-Romantic

Full biography Joseph Holbrooke

Joseph Holbrooke was a British composer born in Croydon, Surrey, on July 5, 1878. He became one of the most prominent composers of his time and was widely known in England during the early 20th century. His compositions were primarily orchestral in nature, including symphonic poems, concertos, and chamber music.

Holbrooke was also a critic and wrote about music for various publications. He was highly critical of the conservative nature of the British music scene and advocated for new and experimental forms of music. However, he also wrote "modernistic" music as a parody of composers who did not embrace new musical techniques.

Holbrooke's music was known for its complexity and originality. He was heavily influenced by composers of the Romantic era, such as Wagner, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky. His works often incorporated unconventional musical techniques and harmonic structures, such as the use of symphonic poems to tell a story or convey a specific mood.

Holbrooke's most popular works include his orchestral works, such as his Symphonic Poems and his Concerto for Violin and Viola. He was also known for his chamber music, including his String Quartet No. 1 and his Clarinet Quintet.

Holbrooke's music fell out of fashion after his death in 1958 but has seen a resurgence of interest in recent years. His unique contributions to British music and his advocacy for experimental music have left a lasting impact on the classical music world.

Compositions featuring Joseph Holbrooke

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Nocturnes (8), for piano, Op. 121	33:47 min	Keyboard	1939
2	Amontillado, dramatic overture, Op. 123	9:32 min	Orchestral	1936
3	Aucassin and Nicolette, ballet suite for orchestra, Op. 115	36:17 min	Orchestral	1935
4	Cambrian Ballade for piano No. 4, Op. 104 ("Maentrog")	6:21 min	Keyboard	193?
5	Bronwen, opera, Op. 75		Opera	1929
6	Saxophone Concerto in B flat major, Op. 88	24:40 min	Concerto	1927
7	Barrage, for piano, Op. 78a	4:20 min	Keyboard	1920
8	Eileen Shona, for clarinet & strings (Andante sostenuto)	3:58 min	Chamber Music	1920
9	Nocturne: Fairyland, for oboe (or clarinet or flute), viola & piano, Op. 57/1	11:43 min	Chamber Music	1917
10	The Enchanter, opera-ballet, Op. 70		Opera	1914
11	Nocturne, for clarinet & piano, Op. 55/1	5:40 min	Chamber Music	1914
12	Piano Concerto No. 1 ("The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd"), Op. 52	35:49 min	Concerto	1908
13	Variations on 'Auld Lang Syne', No. 3 for orchestra, Op. 60	22:46 min	Orchestral	1906
14	Fantasie-Sonate, for cello & piano, Op. 19	14:38 min	Chamber Music	1904
15	Variations on "The Girl I Left Behind Me", for orchestra, Op. 64	12:32 min	Orchestral	1904
16	Byron, poem for chorus & orchestra No. 4, Op. 39	16:22 min	Orchestral	1904
17	Ulalume, poem for orchestra No. 4, Op. 35	13:16 min	Orchestral	1903
18	The Bells, poem for chorus & orchestra No. 6, Op. 50		Choral	1903
19	String Sextet in D major, Op. 43	23:07 min	Chamber Music	1902
20	Three Blind Mice, symphonic variations on an old English air, Op. 37/1	10:18 min	Orchestral	1900
21	The Viking, poem for orchestra No. 2, Op. 32	19:11 min	Orchestral	1899
22	The Raven, poem for orchestra No. 1, Op. 25	18:30 min	Orchestral	1899
23	Rhapsodie-Etudes, for piano, Op. 42		Keyboard	1898
24	Ballade for bass clarinet & piano	6:42 min	Chamber Music	-
25	String Quartet No. 1 ("Fantasie in D minor"), Op. 17b	15:12 min	Chamber Music	-
26	String Quartet No. 2 ("Impressions"), Op. 59a	12:51 min	Chamber Music	-
27	Symphony No. 3 in E minor, Op. 90	42:27 min	Symphony	-
28	Talsarnau, concert waltz for piano, Op. 79	5:57 min	Keyboard	-
29	The Birds of Rhiannon, Op.87	14:44 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
30	The Children of Don, Op.56		Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
31	Sonata for violin & piano No. 1, Op. 6a ("Sonatina")	19:39 min	Chamber Music	-
32	Trio for horn, violin & piano in D major, Op. 28	28:48 min	Chamber Music	-
33	Wasps, for piano	2:53 min	Keyboard	-
34	Clarinet Quintet in G major, Op. 27	26:25 min	Chamber Music	-
35	Fantasie-Sonate for piano No. 1, Op. 124 ("The Haunted Palace")	14:20 min	Keyboard	-
36	Fantasie-Sonate for piano No. 2, Op. 128 ("Destiny")	15:48 min	Keyboard	-
37	First Barcarolle, for piano, Op. 17a/6	7:55 min	Keyboard	-
38	Folksong Suite No. 1, for string quartet, Op. 71		Chamber Music	-
39	Folksong Suite No. 2, for string quartet, Op. 72	14:53 min	Chamber Music	-
40	L'Extase, for violin, horn & piano, Op. 55/2 (from "Mezzo-Tints")	2:56 min	Chamber Music	-
41	Dylan, opera, Op. 53		Opera	-
42	Cyrene, for clarinet & piano, Op. 88b	5:45 min	Chamber Music	-
43	Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in F major, Op. 83 ("Orientale")	12:42 min	Chamber Music	-
44	Pantomime Suite, for orchestra, Op. 16	13:37 min	Orchestral	-
45	Phryne, for clarinet & piano, Op. 98b	5:16 min	Chamber Music	-
46	Children of Don, opera, Op. 56		Opera	-
47	Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 21		Chamber Music	-
48	Rangoon Rice Carriers, for piano	3:23 min	Keyboard	-
49	Roumanian, for piano	2:56 min	Keyboard	-
50	Eilean Shona, for clarinet & string quartet, Op. 74	4:22 min	Chamber Music	-
51	Sonata for violin & piano No. 2, Op. 59 ("The Grasshopper")	26:20 min	Chamber Music	-

Albums featuring Joseph Holbrooke

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Holst, Holbrooke, James Geer, Ronald Woodley – Come, Let Us Make Love Deathless(CD, Album)	2019	EM Records (10)
2	Joseph Holbrooke, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Howard Griffiths – Symphony No. 3 »Ships« • The Birds Of Rhiannon • The Girl I Left Behind Me(CD, Stereo)	2019	cpo
3	Joseph Holbrooke, Judith Ingolfsson, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, Howard Griffiths – Violin Concerto »The Grasshopper« • The Raven • Auld Lang Syne(CD, )	2016	cpo
4	Dorothy Howell, Maurice Blower, Josef Holbrooke, Marius Stravinsky, Karelia State Philharmonic Orchestra – British Composers Premiere Collections Vol.1(CDr, Compilation, Remastered, Stereo)	2014	Cameo Classics (3)
5	Dorothy Howell, Maurice Blower, Josef Holbrooke, Marius Stravinsky, Karelia State Philharmonic Orchestra – British Composers Premiere Collections Vol.1(CD, Compilation, Remastered, Stereo)	2014	Cameo Classics (3)
6	Arthur Somervell, Alexander Mackenzie, Josef Holbrooke, Michael Laus, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra – British Composers Premiere Collections Vol. 3(CD, Compilation, Remastered, Stereo)	2014	Cameo Classics (3)
7	Josef Holbrooke, Panagiotis Trochopoulos – Music For Piano 1(CDr, Advance)	2014	Cameo Classics (3)
8	Josef Holbrooke, Panagiotis Trochopoulos – Music For Piano 2(CD, Album)	2014	Cameo Classics (3)
9	Josef Holbrooke, Panagiotis Trochopoulos – Music For Piano 1(CD, Album)	2014	Cameo Classics (3)
10	Joseph Holbrooke - Robert Plane ∙ Lucy Gould ∙ Mia Cooper ∙ Scott Dickinson ∙ David Adams (9) ∙ Alice Neary ∙ Sophia Rahman – Clarinet Chamber Music(CD, Album)	2014	cpo
11	Joseph Holbrooke, Granville Bantock, Rupert Marshall-Luck, Matthew Rickard – Viola And Violin Sonatas(CD, Album)	2011	EM Records (10)
12	Wordsworth - Holbrooke, Busch, Raphael Wallfisch, Raphael Terroni – British Music For Cello And Piano	2010	British Music Society
13	Jennifer Frautschi, Eric Ruske, Stephen Prutsman - Johannes Brahms, Théodore Dubois, Joseph Holbrooke – Music By Three (Romantic Repertoire For Violin, Horn And Piano)(CD, Album)	2010	Albany Records
14	Joseph Holbrooke, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, Howard Griffiths – Amontillado · The Viking · Ulalume(CD, Stereo)	2009	cpo
15	Joseph Holbrooke, H. Walford Davies, Cyril Rootham, Arthur Benjamin – Holbrooke, Walford Davies, Rootham, Benjamin(CD, Compilation)	2008	Dutton Epoch
16	Joseph Holbrooke, Rasumofsky Quartett, Richard Hosford – Holbrooke - String Quartets - The Rasumovsky Quartet(CD, Album)	2002	Dutton Laboratories Ltd
17	Holbrooke, Wood, Hamish Milne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins – Piano Concerto No 1 'The Song Of Gwyn Ap Nudd' / Piano Concerto In D Minor (First Recording)	2000	Hyperion
18	Joseph Holbrooke, National Symphony Orchestra Of Ukraine, Andrew Penny – The Children Of Don / The Birds Of Rhiannon / Dylan	1995	Marco Polo
19	Joseph Holbrooke, Endre Hegedüs, New Haydn Quartet – Chamber Music(CD, Stereo)	1995	Marco Polo
20	Orchestral Works(CD, Album)	1992	Marco Polo
21	Howells • Maconchy • Cooke • Frankel • Holbrooke - Thea King, Britten Quartet – English Clarinet Quintets	1991	Hyperion
22	Reginald Kell - Weber, Brahms, Holbrooke – Concertino Op. 26 / Clarinet Trio Op. 114 / Clarinet Quintet(CD, Album)	1991	Testament
23	Cyril Rootham, Josef Holbrooke, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley – Symphony No. 1 In C Minor; The Birds Of Rhiannon, Op 87(LP, Album)	1979	Lyrita Recorded Edition
24	Piano Quartet, Clarinet Quintet(LP)	1973	Blenheim Records
25	Dance From "The Enchanter"(Shellac, 10", 78 RPM)	-	Piccadilly (2)