I imagine that to many the name of Edwin Lemare is rather like
that of Busoni in relation to Bach - Busoni being the smaller
man in the Bach-Busoni relationship. Lemare made many transcriptions
for organ of orchestral works. And superb arrangements they
are too! Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre, Mendelssohn’s
Ruy Blas Overture and Elgar’s 1st
Pomp and Circumstance March all got the Lemare treatment,
and they are most effective. They were made at the time when
home music-making was still the norm and the chances of actually
hearing a full orchestra were slim, so here was a chance to
hear some orchestral music. There was also something of the
showman about them, for these transcriptions allowed Lemare,
who was a virtuoso organist, to show off his abilities in symphonic
repertoire. Lemare was a fairly prolific composer but until
this disk came my way I’d only ever heard one work of
his; the Fantasia on Hanover, a short but strong piece.
The biggest piece here is the Symphony. In four large
movements, this work is a match for any of the French Symphonies
by Widor and his compatriots. It’s bold and romantic,
full of rich harmonies, long-breathed tunes and a real epic
feel. Although this is obviously an English work, there are
reminiscences of both French and German music in it. But it’s
none the worse for that, it’s just a composer writing
in the language of his own time. The finale, in particular,
is a true pièce héroïque, complete
with fugue and stretto conclusion. It’s a marvellous
work and will surprise anyone who only knows the transcriptions.
Two years after completing the Symphony Lemare made his
first trip to America and the following year he became the Organist
to the City of Pittsburgh, where he wrote the Caprice Orientale
- a charming genre piece. The Andantino became known
when American songwriters Ben Black and Neil Moret (Pseudonym
for Charles N Daniels) created the lyric Moonlight and Roses.
Andantino thus became a million seller. Unfortunately
for the songsmiths they hadn’t bothered to get copyright
permission to use the tune and Lemare sued successfully, and
earned from the royalties of the song - which is just as well
for he sold the original work for three guineas asnd never made
a penny from the organ work.
Concertstuck No.1 - Written in the form of a Polonaise
could almost be a study for the bolder passages in the Symphony,
and were it not for the Polonaise element could almost pass
for a movement of that work.
This is a fascinating disk and one which has been needed for
some time - although I didn’t know that until I heard
it! Lemare might be a man of his time but he’s certainly
worth a listen. Lars Rosenlund Nørremark plays with full
belief in the music, a deep understanding of it, and a fine
technique which allows him to play the most difficult music
as if it were the simplest thing imaginable. He also supplies
a very detailed and fascinating essay in the book, which is
published in both Danish and English. I can hardly wait for
volume 2.
Bob Briggs
Lars Rosenlund Nørremark (Frobenius Organ of Aarhus Cathedral)
