‘How Beautiful is the Night’ is a
gorgeous miniature that was inspired by an epic poem Thalaba the Destroyer written in 1899 by the Bristolian writer
Robert Southey. Certainly the words that caught Robert Farnon’s imagination had
little to do with the massive sweep of magic, intrigue, suffering and violence
that are themes of this long work. Interestingly,
Granville Bantock was also inspired by this poem, and produced his eponymous
tone poem in 1900.
How beautiful is the night!
A dewy freshness fills the
silent air:
No mist obscure, nor cloud, nor
speck, nor stain,
Breaks the serene of heaven:
In full orb’d glory yonder Moon
divine
Rolls through the dark blue
depths.
Beneath her steady ray
The desert circle spreads.
Like the round ocean, girdled
with the sky.
How beautiful is the night.
Robert Southey
Robert Farnon is well-known for his fast
moving, bright and romantic numbers such as 'Portrait of a Flirt', 'Jumping Bean' and 'The Westminster Waltz'. However there is another side to this composer which
is revealed in works that were to appear late in his career such as the
Symphony, the Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra and his 'Cascades to the Sea'. It
is to this mood that ‘How Beautiful the Night’ is beholden.
On my first hearing of this work
I wrote that Robert Farnon had painted a picture of a ‘typical
‘Home Counties’ evening with this thoughtful piece. However, after having given this music
a little more thought I have decided that this reflective piece is more a
seascape – or at the very least a picture of an estuary at dusk. I guess I have
in mind sitting up above Clevedon on Wain’s Hill looking out across the Bristol
Channel towards Flatholm and Steepholm as the light begins to fade. Perhaps
Alfred Sisley’s picture provides the correct image.
I am not sure when ‘How Beautiful is Night’ was composed:
however the piano sheet music was issued c. 1949 by Chappell & Co. The
first reference to a recording that I could find was one issued in 1950 on
Decca F9264. This was reviewed in The Gramophone magazine (May 1950) by Oliver
King. He considered that this was ‘restful, Debussy-esque music for woodwinds
and strings, and [that] it must take its place with the best that this country
has offered in this sphere. The ‘flip’ side of the 78rpm disc was Farnon’s ‘Persian
Nocturne’ which was ‘a tailor-made oriental scene’.
There is a fine version of ‘How Beautiful
is Night’ on YouTube played by George Shearing with
Robert Farnon conducting an unspecified orchestra. There are a number of versions
of this piece available on CD and MP3 downloads including Marco Polo
8.223401 and Guild: The Golden Age of Light Music- Melodies
for the Starlight Hours GLCD5196.
The YouTube video's audio is from the CD "How Beautiful Is Night" (1993) (Telarc, CD-83325). The entire CD has Robert Farnon conducting The Robert Farnon Orchestra, and George Shearing is on piano. CD liner notes excerpts: ● "Shearing insisted that this recording contain one of Farnon's compositions; thus the new arrangement of 'How Beautiful Is Night,' one of Farnon's most recorded compositions. With its chromatic harmonic movement and pastel tone portraiture, it's Farnon's 'Clair de Lune,' and Shearing brings to his part all the impressionistic passion and control one could want." ● "'What a joy it was to record this album with Robert Farnon. He has earned every accolade he has received. To me, he will always be "The Guv'nor."' — George Shearing" (Source: www.discogs.com/George-Shearing-The-Robert-Farnon-Orchestra-How-Beautiful-Is-Night/release/4719353 )
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