Christian Sinding, Kirsten Flagstad, Gena Branscombe

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“Composing is nothing, however writing letters is tedious
enterprise.  Once you compose music your
intentions are principally understood, however while you write you might be by no means certain how
your which means can be construed.”
 (Christian Sinding, composer.  Musical
America
,  March 25, 1910) 

 


In that very same March 1910 Musical America article with
Sinding’s quote was a overview of a salon live performance offered by Gena Branscombe at
the American Ladies’s Membership of Berlin.  This
was a well-reviewed live performance of her songs carried out by Belle Forbes and A.C.
Jackson.

 

Christian August Sinding (1856-1941) shouldn’t be well-known in
right now’s music world.  Born in Norway, he
finally studied and lived in Germany coming beneath the affect of Wagner
and Liszt.  In his period, he was
internationally acclaimed very similar to his fellow nation man Edvard Grieg. His
compositions included lyrical piano and chamber music works,  symphonies, violin concerti, songs and choral works. 


 

Branscombe and Sinding have been residing in Berlin in March
1910.  Did they know one another or met
each other within the small music circle of Berlin?  Perhaps Sinding was within the viewers for Gena’s
live performance.  Each composers can be leaving
Berlin inside a number of months – Sinding touring to expertise, as soon as once more, Norway’s lovely Spring
and Gena to return to america.

 


Twenty eight years later Gena wrote of Sinding in her November
11, 1938 letter to her writer, Arthur P. Schmidt Firm of Boston:

“Final Sunday night, (which was November 6, 1938), on the
Ford Hour, Mme. Flagstad sang my association for solo and refrain of Sinding’s
“Sylvelin” and made a terrific hit with it. 
Individuals who didn’t comprehend it was mine, mentioned they’d loved that quantity –
significantly.”  (Arthur P. Schmidt Assortment held on the Library of
Congress)

 

This Ford Hour efficiency of her association got here as a
shock to Gena, then, to have Madame Kirsten Flagstad, the good Wagnerian
soprano, carry out it was fairly the consideration.  Although not given credit score in this system, Gena knew it was her association!

 


The Ford Sunday Night Hour was a radio program sponsored
by Ford.  From 1934-1942 and from
1945-1946 audiences heard the Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Ford Symphony
Orchestra carry out with visitor stars and singers. 
The present was broadcast reside nation-wide on CBS.   

 

How small the music world is.  Gena Branscombe knew Edwin McArthur, Madame
Flagstad’s accompanist.  Gena understood Sinding’s
musical intention for his track “Sylvelin” and created an association.  Perhaps Gena confirmed the piece to McArthur who
then introduced the association to Flagstad’s consideration who urged it to the
conductor, Jose Iturbi!  All of that is
surmising, but, Madame Flagstad carried out Gena’s association of Sinding’s “Sylvelin”
on the Ford Hour!


With due to the Ford Archives for a duplicate of the November
6, 1938 program. 

#BringingBackBranscombe

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