Madame Sidney Pratten

Composer, virtuoso, teacher and editor

Biography

15.11.1821 ( some sources 1824) born in Mülheim /Germany as Catharina Josepha Pelzer
1828 first concert tour with her father, composer and guitarist Ferdinand Pelzer
1829 moving to London
1833 debut in the King's theatre with her father
1834 concerts with Giulio Regondi
1835 3 recitals in the Hanover Square Rooms
1835-37 Giulianidad, guitar magazine by Ferdinand Pelzer
1836 3 recitals in the Hanover Square Rooms
           concerts with Giulio Regondi
1837 birth of her sister Giulia (-1938)
          European concert tour ( including Giuliani concerto No.3)
27.9.1854 marriage with Robert Sidney Pratten
1856 first duo concert of the couple
1859 first edition of her Guitar school
10.2.1868 death of Robert Sidney Pratten
1871 performance of Giuliani's concerto No.3 accompagnied by his niece on the piano
1873 concert with Charles Gounod
1876 Cantata "Le corsair" with her participation
from 1877 teacher of two daughters of Queen Victoria
1881 concerts with Tarrega in London
1888 becoming teacher of Ernest Shand 
1893 concert in the Steinway Hall London
10.10.1895 death in London

The Catalogue of guitar works: The list!

Guitar schools:
Guitar Tutor, Boosey and Co. (1881)
Instruction for the Guitar tuned in E-major
Learning the guitar,  Williams and Pelzer

Works for solo guitar:
Caprice for the guitar
4 Pieces
8 Pieces
8 Pieces ( dedicated to Josiah Andrew Hudleston and Mrs. Hudleston)
A Sunbeam
Air and Brillliant with variations ( dedicated to the Duchess of Hamilton)
Air by Mozart with variations ( dedicated to Miss Catherine Carr)
Air with Variations ( dedicated to Miss G. Hanbury Tracy)
Calliope
Clouds, Rain and Sunshine
College Hornpipe
Coquette
D. of Cambridge's Grand MArch ( dedicated to Miss Butt)
Dance Fantastique
Dance of the Witches
Dreaming of Thee
Evening Song
Eventide
Fantasia sobre motivos de Lucia ( formerly attributed to Francisco Tarrega, but original work by MSP)
Farewell to the old year
Favorite Airs ( dedicated to Miss Dent)
Gitana
Home sweet home with variations
Hungarian March
La donna e mobile, ma Normandie ( dedicated to Lady Magnay)
Lord Raglan's March ( dedicated to Lady John Somerset)
Mad
March of the fairies
Melange on Scotch Airs
Moonlight
Oh, Susannah, with variations ( dedicated to the Duchess of Sutherland)
On Irish Airs ( Divertimento) ( dedicated to Lady Grace Vandeleur)
On Portuguese Airs ( Div.) ( dedicated to Miss Sarah Carr)
On Scoth Airs ( Div.) ( dedicated to Miss Fanny Moore)
On Welch  Airs (Div.)(dedicated to Miss Emma Atcherly)
Peasant's dance
Portugues and French (Div.) ( dedicated to Miss Hughes)
Preludes
Preludes and Pieces
Rambling Thoughts
Reverie  (dedicated to Mrs. Tothill)
Sacred Selctions ( dedicated to Mrs. Carr)
Sadness
Sea Saw
Selections
Serenade (dedicated to Miss Millicent F. van Notten Pole)
Spanish Dance
Tears and Scherzo ( dedicated to Mrs. Francis Koe)
Three Marches ( dedicated to Viscontess Valentina)
Treue Liebe
Twilight
Two Marches ( dedicated to Mrs. Hammond)
Two original melodies ( dedicated to Miss Went)
Valse espagnole ( dedicated to Miss Dunkin)
Various ( dedicated to Mrs. Coulson)
Various ( dedicated to Miss Louisa Montagu)
Various ( dedicated to Mrs. Landers)
Various ( dedicated to Mrs. Robertson)
Villikins
Violet
Woodland and Stream
First Divertimento ( dedicated to Lady John Somerset)

In her order of publishing:
No.2 Divertimento in E
No.7 Flora Waltz ( Divertimento)
No.5 Divertimento  ( Guitar in E)
No.10 German Air with Variations ( Guitar in E)
No.22 Divertissement ( La donna e mobile, Ma Normandie)
No.26 Serenade
No.29 Valse espagnole
No.30 1. Divertissement
No.31 Carneval of Venice
No.33 Variations on Balfe's Bohemian girl and two original airs
No.35 Melange on Scottish Airs Nr.1
No.36 Melange on Scottish Airs Nr.2
No.37 Divertissement
No.43 God save the Queen
No.48 Villikins with variations
No.56 Military March
No.57 Preludes
No.58 Hungarian March
No.59 Indian March
No.60 Treue Liebe
No.60A Kelpie's Dance
No.62 Malbrook Variations
No.71 Fairy Sketches
No.72 Sehnsucht and Weary
No.74 Evening Song
No.75 Dreaming of you
No.76 The Coquette
No.77 Forgotten
No.78 Eventide
No.80 Elfin's reveles
No.82 Spanish romance
No.83 Dance of the witches
No.89 Spanish dance
No.90 Wayward
No.91 Sadness
No.92 A lost love
No.93 A Lament
No.115 Clouds, rain and sunshine



Works for two guitars:
4 Duets
4 Pieces
Danish March
Three Duets

Works for three and more guitars:

Works for piano and guitar:
Absence ( dedicated to Seonorita Dona Bernarda Turnbull)
Duo
German March

Songs with guitar:
Four Italian songs ( dedicated to Miss Chichester)
Four Swiss songs ( dedicated to Miss Harriet Wilberfore Bird)
Selection of Ewer's Gems of German Songs ( dedicated to Miss Jane L.E. Wilson)
Six Scotch Songs ( dedicated to Miss Elphingston)
Six Songs ( dedicated to  Lady Agneta Yorke)
Six Songs ( dedicated to Lady Dinorben)
Song for guitar
Songs of Nations ( dedicated to Duchess od Wellington)
Three French Songs ( dedicated to Contess Ferrers)
Three Neapolitan Songs ( dedicated to Miss Stapleston)
Twelve Songs and Duets ( dedicated to Mary and Albinia Brodrick)



Arrangements:

Music dedicated to Madame Sidney Pratten:

Regondi, Giulio,  10 Etudes ( no official dedication but according to Matanya Ophee: "given as a present to her")
Schulz, Leonhard, The last compositions
Shand, Ernest, Marcia funebre