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Daniel Capps graduated with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in July 2002. Studying on the postgraduate course in Advanced Conducting with Colin Metters, he also participated in lessons and masterclasses with Sir Colin Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Mark Wigglesworth, Peter Eötvös, Thomas Ades and George Hurst. During his time at the Academy, Daniel was awarded the Sir Henry Wood scholarship, the Bob Harding Award, the Ernest Read Conducting Prize and, on two occasions, the Fred Southhall Memorial Prize for conducting. He held the positions of Principal Conductor with Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra and Assistant Conductor of both the Havant Symphony and Chamber Orchestras and also shared the podium with Yan Pascal Tortelier for a concert with the RAM Symphony Orchestra.

Since leaving the Academy, Daniel has conducted all over Europe, including in Austria, Estonia, Finland, France, Holland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and throughout the United Kingdom. He has also been fortunate enough to have worked with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre national d’Ile de France, Orchestre de Franche-Comté, Paragon Ensemble and Monteverdi Choir amongst others. Daniel is very grateful to Intermusica artist management for their support in 2005, allowing him to study with Martyn Brabbins in Orkney and affording him a number of very valuable opportunities. Also in 2005 he was the only British conductor to reach the finals of the 2005 Besançon International Conducting Competition in France.

Daniel is Musical Director of the Sirius Ensemble, performing an extensive repertoire of original compositions and taking advantage of the arrangements made from 1918-1924 for Schoenberg’s Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen (Society for Private Musical Performances). In 2003 the ensemble premiered Anthony Bailey’s chamber opera The Black Monk, based on Chekhov’s short story, written especially for the ensemble. He is also Musical Director of Imperial College Sinfonietta, an orchestra which he established and with whom he is currently enjoying a tenth anniversary season. Daniel works regularly with Abbey Opera Company and has twice been guest conductor for the RAM opera department in 2005. He has also been invited by Nicholas Cleobury to conduct for Sounds New on several occasions.

Daniel has acted as assistant conductor to Sir John Eliot Gardiner since 2003, notably with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, whilst also working for the BBC in a musical capacity as a Director and Producer for their recent drama about the first performance of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. Daniel again assisted Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the ORR during their residence at the Chatelet Theatre, Paris, conducting in each of the performances of Berlioz’ Les Troyens, of which the DVD recently won a Gramophone Award.

Verein Arrangements

Anton Bruckner – Symphony No.7
Arr. Hanns Eisler, Karl Rankl, and Erwin Stein.
Clarinet, Horn, Harmonium, Piano-4 hands, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Ferruccio Busoni – Berceuse elegiaque
Arr. Erwin Stein (questionable attribution, potentially arranged by Arnold Schoenberg.).
Flute, Clarinet, Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Claude Debussy - Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune
Arr. Benno Sachs.
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Piano, Harmonium, Antique Cymbals, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Gustav Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde
Arr. Begun by Arnold Schoenberg and completed by Anton Webern.
Also completed by Rainer Riehn. Location of Webern portion unknown.
Flute/Piccolo, Oboe/Cor Anglais, Clarinet, Bassoon/Contra Bassoon, Horn, Piano, Harmonium,
2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Gustav Mahler – Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Arr. Arnold Schoenberg.
Low voice, Flute/Piccolo, Clarinet, Piano, Harmonium, Triangle, Glockenspiel, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 4
Arr. Erwin Stein.
Soprano, Flute/Piccolo, Oboe/Cor Anglais, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Piano, Harmonium, 2 Percussion,
2 Violinists (3 Violins), Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Max Reger – Eine romantische Suite
Arr. Arnold Schoenberg & Rudolf Kolisch.
Flute, Clarinet, Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Max Reger – Violin Concerto
Arr. Rudolf Kolisch. Harvard University Library.

Arnold Schoenberg – Orchesterlieder, op. 8, Nos. 1,2,& 5.
Arr. Hanns Eisler, Joseph Rufer, Erwin Stein, & ?
Soprano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Arnold Schoenberg – Orchesterstucke, op. 16.
Arr. Arnold Schoenberg (completed by Felix Greissle).
Flute/Piccolo, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello,
Double Bass.

Johann Strauss – Kaiser Waltz
Arr. Arnold Schoenberg.
Flute, Clarinet, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello.

Johann Strauss – Rosen aus dem Suden
Arr. Arnold Schoenberg.
Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello.

Johann Strauss – Schatzwalzer
Arr. Anton Webern.
Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello.

Johann Strauss – Wein, Weib und Gesang.
Arr. Alban Berg. .
Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello.

Anton Webern – Orchesterstucke, op. 6
Arr, Anton Webern. Austrian National Library, Vienna.

Alexander Zemlinsky – Psalm 23
Arr. Erwin Stein.
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Percussion, Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello,
Double Bass, SSAATTBB chorus.

Alexander Zemlinsky - Maeterlincklieder, op. 13.
‘Und kerht er einst heim’ & ‘Die Madchen mit den verbundenen Augen’
Arr. Erwin Stein.
Medium Voice, Flute, Clarinet, Harmonium, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass.

Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen

In 1904 Arnold Schoenberg, together with his brother-in-law Alexander von Zemlinsky, launched an ambitious concert organisation, the Vereinigung Schaffender Tonkünstler (Society of Contemporary Musicians.) for the propagation of new music. During its single season Schoenberg gave the première of his Pelleas und Melisande, and Mahler, the honorary president, conducted his Kindertotenlieder for the first time. Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn and works such as Richard Strauss’ Sinfonia Domestica were also given their first performances by the Society, which was an important precursor of things to come.

During the early post-war years the Schoenberg circle cut a lower profile on Vienna’s cultural horizon. The great pre-war scandals and controversies were a thing of the past. Now the sporadic public performances of their music were greeted with respect by a self-selected audience of the new-music enthusiasts and with equanimity from the public at large. The end of the war coincided with a musical event, which for the following three years was to be of great practical importance for the whole Schoenberg circle. The Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen (Society for Private Musical Performances) was founded in November 1918 under the presidency of Schoenberg, thereby realising a novel and original plan that had been simmering in his mind for some time.

Schoenberg’s plan sprang from his deeply felt need to narrow the ever-widening gap between the contemporary composer and the public by creating a closer, more intimate relationship between the two. This relationship, as stated in the prospectus written by the Society’s Secretary, Alban Berg and published in February 1919, had in the past been bedevilled by the lack of ’real and accurate’ knowledge of modern music on the part of the public. This was due to the unclear, vague impression the public received from performances in the normal run of concerts, which suffered from insufficient preparation. In order to change this and make the listener more familiar with the ’purpose, direction, intention, method of expression, value and nature’ of the new music, three things were necessary:

1. Clear and well-prepared performances.
2. Frequent repetitions of the same works.
3. The exclusion of corrupting publicity from the concerts, such as competition, applause, expression of disapproval, and critics.

The object of the society was to give properly rehearsed performances of modern works to a genuinely interested membership. There were an almost unlimited number of rehearsals to ensure the highest degree of clarity in order to realise the composer’s intentions in full. If this could not be achieved with a given work, it was not performed. Schoenberg nominated five so-called Vortragsmeister or directors of performance, including Alban Berg, Anton Webern and Erwin Stein.

In order to exclude the spirit of competition, the choice of performers was in most cases made from young and lesser-known artists who were prepared to serve music and music alone, avoiding all self-seeking virtuosity and display of their personalities. Moreover, it was not the object of the Society to promote particular composers and their works - on the contrary, all modern music was to be performed, from Mahler and Strauss to the most recent composers who received little or no hearing. Details of programmes were not available in advance and many works were repeated as a point of policy. Attendance at concerts was restricted to members of the Society, which gave weekly concerts on Sunday mornings or Monday evenings. For the one class of seat members paid only according to their means; critics were excluded and applause was forbidden.

The programmes included (in the first instance) songs, piano pieces, chamber music and works for small chorus. Since the Society’s financial resources were inadequate for the performance of orchestral works, these were presented as arrangements for piano (four or eight hands) or chamber ensemble. For example, Debussy’s Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune was arranged for flute, oboe, clarinet, string quartet, double bass, harmonium, piano and antique cymbals (completed 27 October 1920 by Benno Sachs under the auspices of Schoenberg). The arrangements for chamber ensemble transfer the orchestrally conceived work into the medium of chamber music. Every note of the original is heard, although naturally without the doublings of notes or at the octave. The flute, oboe and clarinet parts remain unaltered wherever they play a melodic motive whilst the horn and bassoon motives are taken over by the clarinet, piano or harmonium. The remaining parts and sustained notes of all the wind instruments are played by the harmonium, which is capable of producing changes of dynamic level. The string parts remain unaltered though at one point a tremolo on the piano is added where the string quintet cannot produce the necessary effect. The pianist plays the characteristic features of the two harp parts written by Debussy. The instrumental colouring of the melodies is preserved, while at the same time, as the tutti sound lacks the original nuances of tone, the goal of the Society is attained: transparency of the musical texture. This made, as the prospectus remarked, a virtue of necessity. Stripped down to their essentials these compositions showed the characteristics of all good music - melodic invention, harmonic wealth, polyphony and architecture for example. The aims of the Society represented a real breakthrough in Vienna’s musical life, both in the choice of programmes and the method of preparation.

There were two promotional evenings, a concert of works by Ravel, who came especially from Paris for the occasion, and several performances of Pierrot Lunaire, which also featured in the programme of the final concert. One notable evening (27 May 1921) saw the performance of four Strauss waltzes in transcriptions for string quintet, piano and harmonium arranged by Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. Schoenberg played first violin together with Rudolf Kolisch, Karl Rankl second violin, Steinbauer the viola, Webern the cello, Steuermann the piano and Berg the harmonium. There were five rehearsals each lasting five hours! After the concert the manuscripts of the various arrangements were put up for auction to raise funds for a chamber orchestra.

The inaugural concert took place on 29 December 1918 and the last on 5 December 1921 when, owing to the catastrophic depreciation of the Austrian currency, the Society was compelled to cease its activities. During its three years of existence it gave a total of 117 concerts, with no fewer than 353 performances of 154 contemporary works in the programmes. Amongst the composers whose music was played were Berg, Webern, Reger, Mahler, Stravinsky, Scriabin, Debussy, Strauss, Bartok, Ravel and Suk. It was not until the spring of 1920 that Schoenberg permitted the inclusion of his own works in these concerts, although he did allow them to be used for educational purposes as part of the Society’s activities. Early in 1919, for example, his first Chamber Symphony was studied in ten open rehearsals, without any actual public performance, in order that people might be given the opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with the artistic construction of the composition.

Vienna’s cultural community scarcely noticed the decline of the Society but the format was soon adopted elsewhere. Zemlinsky became chairman of the Prague Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen founded in 1921 with programmes organised and players provided by the Vienna Society. Zemlinsky asked Schoenberg to become honorary president of the Prague Society, which he accepted on the grounds that he and his brother-in-law were joint honorary presidents. Schoenberg’s Fünf Orchesterstücke and his arrangement of Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen were prepared together with Webern’s Orchesterstücke for an invitation performance in Prague. In the summer of 1923 Max Temming established a very similar Society in Hamburg, Germany.

The Society established links with new-music circles abroad and served as a model for the Viennese chapter of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Founded after the Internationale Kammermusikaufführungen Salzburg (part of the Salzburg Festival.), the ISCM initiated a regular series of events enabling contemporary composers to maintain the contacts made in Salzburg. The ISCM outlined its purpose as being a means of breaking down national barriers and personal interests and publicising and promoting contemporary music ’regardless of aesthetic trends or the nationality, race, religion or political views of the composer’. The Viennese ISCM, the Verein fur Neue Musik, essentially resurrected the Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen, mixing familiar faces with the as yet unknown, such as Schoenberg’s brother-in-law Rudolf Kolisch, whose quartet became an international champion for new music.

The Sirius Ensemble is an exciting new chamber group dedicated to taking classical music to new audiences and new venues. Founded in 2000, the ensemble was established in order to make a more diverse range of music available to a wider audience, performing an extensive repertoire of original compositions and taking advantage of the arrangements made between 1918 and 1924 for the Society for Private Musical Performances.

The Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen was founded by Schoenberg and based firstly in Vienna and later in Prague. These arrangements are exact transcriptions of the original scores for chamber ensemble, allowing large scale works to be performed for audiences and in venues which otherwise would be unable to experience this music. These arrangements include famous and enormously popular works such as Debussy’s Prélude à l’Aprés-midi d’un Faune, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Das Lied von der Erde and Johann Strauss’ Kaiser-Waltzer, Lagunenwaltzer, Rosen aus dem Süden, Schatzwaltzer and Wein, Weib und Gesang. Using these arrangements and an enconomy of scale the group facilitates the performance of large scale works in smaller and more affordable circumstances whilst retaining the original music and extremely high standards.

The ensemble’s composition and size, ranging from six to twenty three players, is determined by the individual work in question but the core membership includes a string quartet, wind quintet, two pianists and solo singers. This facilitates the performance of almost every variety of chamber music by the same individuals who are involved in the works of larger scale. The ability to present such an enormous range of music whilst involving so few individuals makes the Sirius Ensemble the perfect participant in any musical event.

During the first few years of existence the ensemble’s activities have been focused on concert and recording work, including performances of unpublished arrangement manuscripts. The ensemble has attracted much critical acclaim and had the privilege of receiving a new chamber opera as a dedication, which marked the beginning of an exciting new direction for the Sirius Ensemble.