Sorabji Resource Site: Early Performances

Early Performances

This page gives all known details of early performances of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji’s music, most of which were his own. Times and ticket prices are given, as well as the make of the piano, when known. Full programmes are given in all cases. The concert venues themselves are discussed elsewhere.

Two concerts sponsored by the Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music, whose dates are printed in italics, are mentioned even though they never took place. They serve as a record of Erik Chisholm’s (and Sorabji’s) projects.

Bullets (•): Works played by Sorabji in concerts with other performers
Dates in italics: Concerts planned but not performed
Dates in bold type: Concerts given by performers other than Sorabji

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Date	City	Venue	Works Played
Date	City	Venue	Works Played
1920-11-02	London	Mortimer Hall, Second Sackbut Concert Time: 8.15 P.M.; tickets: 5/9 (reserved), 3/ (unreserved)	Franz Liszt, Ich möchte hingehen and Der König von Thule; Carl Loewe and Franz Schubert, Der Erlkönig; played by John Goss. Sonata no. 1 for Piano (1919; 42 pp.)•; played by Sorabji. Frederick Delius, Songs of Sunset and I-Brasîl; played by John Goss. Paul Ladmirault, Rhapsodie gaélique; played by T. P. Evans and Philip Heseltine (pianoforte duet).
1921-06-02	Paris	Société des Agriculteurs de France, Société musicale indépendante (“Concert de musique étrangère”) Tickets: 8, 6, and 4 francs Pianos: Pleyel, Érard	Alban Berg, Three Pieces for Clarinet and Piano; played by J. Guyot and Mlle Suzie Welty. Trois poèmes pour chant et piano (1918, 1919; 9 pp.)•; played by Marthe Martine and Sorabji. Igor Stravinsky, Piano Rag-Music; played by Alberte Heskia. Arthur Honegger, three fragments from Le roi David; played by Mme Sheridan (accompanied by M. Sheridan). Mathijs Vermeulen, Trois tableaux des Pays-Bas (“La nuit dans une vieille ville”, “Paysage d’automne”, “Le port”); played by Mlle Juliette Lampre. Karol Szymanowski, Four Songs on Poems by Rabindranath Tagore, op. 41; played by Marya Freund and an unidentified pianist. Franco Alfano, String Quartet no. 1; played by the Quatuor Pascal (the performance of Béla Bartók’s String Quartet no. 2 was cancelled at the last minute).
1922-01-13	Vienna	Musikverein, Kammersaal	Sonata no. 1 for Piano (1919; 42 pp.) Sonata seconda for Piano (1920; 49 pp.).
1924-05-13	London	The British Music Society, London Contemporary Music Centre (British National Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music) Time: 8.15 P.M.; tickets: 6d Pianos: Steinway and Chappell	Printed programme: Arnold Bax, A Folk Tale, and Frank Bridge, Morning Song; played by Beatrice Harrison and Harriet Cohen; replaced with: Arnold Bax, Second Piano Sonata; played by Harriet Cohen. Sonata seconda for Piano (1920; 49 pp.)•; played by Sorabji. John Ireland, Sonata for Violoncello and Pianoforte; played by Beatrice Harrison and Harriet Cohen.
1927-10-12	London	Aeolian Hall Time: 8.30 p.m. Piano: Bechstein	Harold Rutland, “some quite charming pieces of his own” (Eric Blom); Robin Milford, Gavotte and Jig; played by Rutland. Fragment Written for Harold Rutland (1926, 1928, 1937; 2 pp.); played by Rutland.
1928-05-17	London	Westminster Congregational Church	Johann Sebastian Bach, Passacaglia in C Minor; Sigfried Karg-Elert, Chorale Prelude; César Franck, Pièce symphonique; played by E. Emlyn Davies. Symphony [no. 1] for Organ (1924; 81 pp.): second movement; played by E. Emlyn Davies.
1930-01-16	London	Westminster Congregational Church	Dieterich Buxtehude, Chaconne; Max Reger, Rhapsody; Franz Liszt, Variations on a Theme from “Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen” by J. S. Bach; played by E. Emlyn Davies. Nocturne, “Jāmī” (1928; 28 pp.); played by Sorabji.
1930-04-01	Glasgow	Stevenson Hall, Fourth Recital of National Music (originally scheduled for 26 March 1930?)	Sonata IV for Piano (1928-29; 111 pp.)
1930-04-22	London	British Broadcasting Corporation, London Regional Broadcast, Chamber Music Frequency: 842 kc’s (356.3 m.) Time: 9.05 to 10.15 p.m.	Joseph Haydn, String Quartet in B-flat Major, op. 33, no. 4; Ludwig van Beethoven, String Quartet in E Minor, op. 59, no. 2; played by the Kutcher Quartet (Samuel Kutcher and Pierre Tas, violins; Raymond Jeremy, viola; Douglas Cameron, cello). Le jardin parfumé: Poem for Piano Solo (1923; 16 pp.)•; played by Sorabji (9.25 to 9.40 p.m.).
1930-12-01	Glasgow	Stevenson Hall, Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music, Fifth Concert Time: 7.30 p.m.	Opus clavicembalisticum (1929-30; 253 pp.); played by Sorabji.
1931-03-31	Glasgow	St. Matthew’s Church of Scotland, Bath Street (Charing Cross), Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music	A planned performance of Symphony [no. 1] for Organ (1924; 81 pp.) by Erik Chisholm and Patrick Shannon was announced but did not take place.
1931-04-29	Glasgow	Stevenson Hall, Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music, Thirteenth Concert Time: 8.00 p.m.	Ottorino Respighi, Sonata in B Minor for violin and piano; played by Bessie Spence and Harold Thomson. Nocturne, “Jāmī” (1928; 28 pp.)•; played by Sorabji. William Walton, Façade; played by A. Parry Gunn (reciter) and an ensemble conducted by Erik Chisholm.
1932-03-15	Glasgow	Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music	A planned concert of chamber music, with works by Ravel, Villa-Lobos, Wilhelm Maler, Szymanowski, Erik Chisholm, Ernst Toch, W. G. Whittaker, and Sorabji, was to feature Sorabji as performer.
1932-10-19	Bombay	Live broadcast on AIR (All India Radio)	Sorabji performed unidentified works of his on the radio (not excluding that he may have improvised).
1932-12-07	Bombay	Live broadcast on AIR (All India Radio) Time: 9.30 p.m.	Sorabji performed unidentified works of his on the radio (not excluding that he may have improvised).
1933-00-00	Bombay	Live broadcast on AIR (All India Radio)	Sorabji performed unidentified works of his on the radio (not excluding that he may have improvised).
1936-03-10	London	Contemporary Music Centre, Cowdray Hall	Opus clavicembalisticum (1929-30; 253 pp.): Pars prima; played by John Tobin.
1936-12-16	Glasgow	Stevenson Hall, Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music, Second Concert Time: 8.00 p.m.	Robert Schumann, Schön Hedwig, op. 106, and Ballade vom Haideknaben and Die Flüchtlinge, op. 122; Richard Strauss, Das Schloss am Meere, TrV 191; Jean Sibelius, Ett ensamt skidspår [The lone ski trail]; and Edvard Grieg, Bergliot, op. 42; melodramas played by Patrick Shannon (reciter) and Erik Chisholm (piano) [titles given in English in the programme, which is likely to have been the language of performance]. Toccata seconda per pianoforte (1933-34; 111 pp.)•; played by Sorabji (with an interval before the “Notturno”).