It was only the other day that I
suggested to someone that it was time for a reappraisal of the music of Iain
Hamilton. Currently there are only a
baker’s dozen of his works recorded on some eight CDs listed in the Arkiv website. Considering his large catalogue of music this
is a poor showing. Therefore, it was good to find his Three Nocturnes included
in this important new CD from the British Music Society.
Three of the pieces on this CD
have a connection to the clarinettist Frederick Thurston (1901-1953) who
encouraged new music from the pens of the great composers of the day. The liner
notes list a few of them: Arthur Bliss’s Clarinet Quintet, John Ireland’s Fantasy-Sonata,
Gerald Finzi’s Clarinet Concerto and Gordon Jacob’s Clarinet Quintet. Over and
above these important commissions was the large number of works dedicated to
Thurston. These included pieces by Arnold, Howells, Maconchy and the present
work by Hamilton. Many famous pieces were also given their UK premieres by
Thurston, including Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. The final two compositions
on this CD were composed for the present clarinettist, Nicolas Cox.
The approach to this disc must be
thoughtful and structured. Even the greatest enthusiasts of British music will
find a continuous 68 minutes of clarinet/piano tone somewhat hard going. The
best bet is to explore these works chronologically (as presented), beginning
with Bax.
The first performance of Bax’s
Clarinet Sonata, written 1934, was given by Frederick Thurston and Harriet
Cohen at a London Contemporary Music Centre concert at Cowdray Hall on 17 June
1935. Interestingly, it was dedicated to
a certain Hugh Prew who was an industrial chemist and amateur clarinettist and was
a member of Bax’s West Country cricket team, the Old Broughtonians.
The Sonata is in two movements
offering a considerable contrast. Much of the work’s sound world is elegiac: however,
the mood is typically nostalgic rather than melancholic. The opening movement
juxtaposes two thematic subject groups: Lewis Foreman has noted that one is
heart-on-sleeve and the other is ‘more chromatic and ruminative.’
Nicolas Cox writing in the liner
notes has made an interesting suggestion. He points out the ‘intense level of
expression [of] the passionate piano interludes’ which permeate the work. He
wonders if Bax is ‘encapsulating here his long-term affection for the Sonata’s
first pianist, Harriet Cohen?’ Unquestionably, there is an attractiveness and
poignancy about this music that reflects Cohen’s beauty.
The ‘vivace’ is impressive: into
a space of just over five minutes, the composer has compressed a vigorous ‘moto
perpetuo’ of which there are hints of Gershwin! This is immediately contrasted
with a broader tune before the ‘vivace’ music returns. The work ends cyclically
with a reprise of the opening ‘molto moderato’ theme from the first movement.
The overall impression of this
music is one of the ‘Celtic Twilight – however, there is not a folk-tune in
sight. This is a formally satisfying piece: to my mind, this is one of the
masterpieces of British clarinet music.
I had never heard any music by
Roger Fiske before hearing this present Clarinet Sonata. In fact, he is just a
name to me. Fiske was an English musicologist, broadcaster, author and composer:
he is best known (where known) for his books English Theatre Music in the Eighteenth Century (1973) and his Scotland in Music (1983). Most Internet references appear to concern his
work as a music editor. Nicolas Cox has pointed out that Fiske was a poor
self-promoter of his compositions.
The Clarinet Sonata is a wartime
work, having been composed and dedicated to Frederick Thurston in 1941. It was
first heard at a private performance.
From the
first note, to the last one feels that this is a difficult, virtuosic piece
that tests both performers. The liner notes mention that Fiske studied with
Herbert Howells at the Royal College of Music. However, the work is not
beholden to his teacher, although there are moments when the influence is
striking.
The Sonata is composed in three
movements; an opening andante, a set of variations and a concluding allegro. The
musical sound world that this work inhabits vacillates between a reflective
pastoral sophistication and a jazz-influenced coolness. Certainly, the middle
movement describes to perfection (for me) a lovely summer’s day on the Downs. Cox suggests that the final ‘allegro molto’ ‘reveals
the naivety of a part-time composer’. I
feel that this does Fiske an injustice. This Sonata may not match Bax of
Howells in its achievement, but what the composer has given the listener is an
attractive, reflective and sometimes downright beautiful work that is
immediately approachable and often quite beautiful. In many ways the balance of
parts between ‘joie de vivre’ and ‘reflection’ make this an appropriate
‘wartime work.’ It deserves success.
Iain Hamilton’s Three Nocturnes
Op. 6 is my surprise discovery from this CD. These pieces were written in 1951 when
the composer was 29 years old: they won the Edwin Evans Memorial Prize of that
year and were given their first performance by Frederick Thurston.
The opening ‘Nocturne’, ‘adagio
mistico’ immediately justifies its title with its atmospheric, misty mood. The central ‘allegro diabolico’ is less of a
nocturne and more of a nightmare – it is defined by being ‘something of the
night.’ Here the ‘clarinet’s ghostly figures and ghoulish outbursts [leap] out
of every shadow’. Do not listen to this piece in the dark: scary music indeed. The last movement, a ‘lento tranquillo’ is
eerie rather than scary. Gone are the horrors, but the mood is enigmatic. These
are three pieces that are full of instrumental colour and individuality. They
prognosticate a composer with whom I can do business: if it were only possible
to hear a deal of his music.
I was surprised at just how much
I enjoyed Hugh Wood’s Paraphrase on
‘Bird of Paradise.’ Then that is sometimes how prejudice works: I have always
assumed that Wood’s music was ‘difficult’ and somewhat unapproachable. Typically,
I have avoided him. Indeed, the conventional wisdom is the he owes more to
Germanic compositional styles and theories than to British mores. The present
work was composed for Nicolas Cox in 1985 who had studied with Wood at Churchill
College Cambridge. Included in the liner notes is a major essay by Malcolm
MacDonald on the Paraphrase, which
bears study before approaching the work itself.
The work is a ‘musical’
paraphrase of Wood’s earlier (1983) setting of Robert Graves poem ‘Bird of
Paradise’. Three things need to be said here. Firstly, it is in one continuous
movement; however, this is divided into five sections. The first three are
variations on the original ‘tune’ from the song. The fourth is the song itself
and the final section has a chorale-like setting with echoes of the song’s
opening phrases. Secondly, the musical language may not be to everyone’s taste
– it is a long way from Bax and Fiske – however, there is consistency and a
structure discernible even without sight of the score. Thirdly, this music is truly
beautiful: the work is stunning and often moving. It deserves to be a part of
the clarinettist’s repertoire.
Richard Rodney Bennett’s Duo Concertante
just did not quite hit the spot for me. The work was commissioned by Nicolas Cox and
Vanessa Latarche as a companion piece to Weber’s Grand duo Concertante. The present work is in three sections which
are played without a break. The work was composed in 1985. One of the features of this piece is the cadenzas
that make up a large proportion of the proceedings.
Richard Rodney Bennett is an eclectic
composer, writing in many styles. Possibly best known for his film music he has
written a wide of variety of pieces including operas and three symphonies. The
Duo Concertante would reside in the ‘softly’ avant-garde department of his music
reflecting his ‘dramato-abstract’
style.
Overall, this is an impressive and often stimulating CD. It opened up a
number of adventures for me. Beginning with the relatively well-known Bax
Sonata to the challenging Hugh Wood ‘Paraphrase’ by way of the ‘conservative’
but well-wrought work by Fiske. The excellent Hamilton and the virtuosic ‘Concertante’
by Bennett. All this music is well played by Nicolas Cox and Ian Buckle. The
sound quality is sharp and well-defined. The liner notes and supplementary
essay are excellent. Finally, I
appreciated the good ‘cover’ design and he attractive photo of Thea King and
Frederick Thurston.
Track Listing:
Track Listing:
Arnold BAX (1883-1953): Sonata (1934)
Roger FISKE (1910-1987): Sonata (1941)
Iain HAMILTON (1922-2000):
Three Nocturnes, Op. 6 (1951)
Hugh WOOD (b.1932): Paraphrase on Bird of
Paradise Op. 26 (1983:1985)
Richard Rodney BENNETT (b. 1936): Duo
Concertante (1986)
Nicholas Cox (clarinet)
Ian Buckle (piano)
British Music Society
BMS440CD
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published
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