George Onslow – 3
This is the last of three episodes on French composer George Onslow. Onslow was born in 1784 in Clermont Ferrand to a British father and a French mother. Onslow did not have to live off of composing. His family was of noble birth, and they were large landowners. Onslow’s piano teachers were Jan Ladislav Dussek and Johann Baptist Cramer, among others, and he studied composition with Antonin Reicha.
Onslow mainly composed chamber music, but he also wrote four symphonies. His first symphony premiered in 1831 but remained unnoticed in France for a long time. People were only just discovering Beethoven’s symphonies. Alternatives like Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, which was written a year earlier and Onslow’s First, barely got any attention at all. In the meantime, there is a consensus that Onslow’s symphonies are well worth listening to.
Playlist:
- George Onslow: Introduction, Variations et Finale sur l’Air ‘Aussitôt que la lumière’, Op. 13. Laurent Martin, piano
- George Onslow: Symfonie No. 1 in A major, Op. 41. NDR Radiophilharmonie conducted by Johannes Goritzki
- George Onslow: Andantino molto cantabile from Six pieces pour le piano. Laurent Martin, piano
