Adrian Cruft’s (1921-87) Divertimento
for string orchestra, op.43 was written to celebrate John Hollingsworth’s (1916-63)
twenty-first season as conductor of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony
Orchestra in 1963. Sadly, Hollingsworth
died suddenly on 29 December of that year.
The Divertimento is approachable
and is largely ‘diatonic’ in the working out of its material. The power and
vitality of the opening ‘moderato, ma con brio’ is never in doubt. The strong
second subject is lyrical and typical of much twentieth-century English string
writing. The composer stated that he
‘makes fun of odd intervals’ such as the melodic 7th and 9th
that are often expected in ‘contemporary music.’
The slow movement, ‘andantino
quasi moderato,’ opens with a ‘haunting three-note figure’ which dominates the
proceedings. The strings present a lovely cantilena that soars above a somewhat
stuttering ‘block-chord’ accompaniment. The composer suggested that the pace of
this movement is ‘a fast blues or slow foxtrot.’ The programme notes explain that in the
middle section there is a brief allusion to the folk song ‘Cherry Ripe’. This
is apposite when the listener recalls that both Cruft and Hollingsworth worked
at Covent Garden – the opera house, not the market! This is introverted music
and certainly not light-hearted.
Roderick Swanston, writing in the
Musical Times (March 1991) considered
that this movement is a good example of Cruft’s working procedure: ‘At its
simplest this often took the form of an accompaniment that was as musically
interesting as the melody it accompanied...Cruft gave the figure a life of its
own, and thus enabled it to comment on the main figure it accompanied’.
Swanston points out that the
composer has introduced the last movement with ‘38 bars that do not display
much contrapuntal ingenuity or melodic flair, but by the simple repetition and modification
of a rhythm accompanying a slowly-rising melodic phrase, a distinctive power emerges
quite disproportionate to the simple means used to achieve it.’ The final section of this movement is a
Tarantella, played ‘allegro, ma comodo’: it is not quite as ‘leisurely’ as the
direction would seem. It has nods towards William Walton in its rhythmic
vitality. The work concludes with a reference to the opening three notes of the
first movement.
In Gerald Larner’s sleeve notes
to the only recording of this work, he writes: ‘The striking introduction to
the first movement, with its important three-note rhythmic figure is reflected
in the serious introduction to the last movement.’ He considers that the work
‘is remarkable more for the delicacy of its scoring and the ingenious charm of
its melodies, than for structural complexity.’ Larner has suggested the work’s
attraction ‘rests in its friendly informality.’
The Divertimento was published by
Novello in 1966. Peter Dickinson, reviewing the score in the Musical Times (January 1966) suggested
that it was ‘accessible’. He notes that the ‘first and last of the three
movements are concerned with a diatonic tone-cluster [a group of at least three
adjacent notes, played together] which becomes the background to melodic
writing.’ Dickinson’s only criticism is that that ‘some of the material,
particularly in the first movement, is repetitive,’ however he feels that ‘altogether
the composer achieves a successful and personal balance of contrasted textures.’
The first performance of Adrian
Cruft’s Divertimento was at the Assembly Hall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, on Sunday
6 October 1963 at 3 pm. The Royal
Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra was conducted by John Hollingsworth. Other
works at this concert included Johannes Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture,
op.80, Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18 and Anton
Dvorak’s Symphony No. 2 [7] in D minor, op.70. The piano soloist was Peter
Katin. After the interval, ‘His Worship
the Mayor’ made a presentation to John Hollingsworth. The list of orchestral
players included in the programme indicates that Adrian Cruft was the then Principal
Double Bassist.
In 1967, the Divertimento was
released on the Pye Virtuoso label (TPLS 13005) coupled with John McCabe’s
Symphony No.1 (Elegy), op.40 (1965) and Kenneth Leighton’s Concerto for string
orchestra, op.39 (1962). John Snashall conducted the London Philharmonic
Orchestra. Malcolm Macdonald in The Gramophone (January 1968) wonders if
the Divertimento ‘might be thought to be on the serious side.’ It is fair to adduce that some of Mozart’s
works with the same title are not all whimsical. He praises the ‘quality of the
string writing’ and concludes by suggesting that the work must have
‘successfully fulfilled its original function, the celebration of John
Hollingsworth’s majority as conductor…’ On the other hand, Peter J. Pirie in the Musical Times (April 1968) suggested
that it was a ‘likeable work, a little anonymous, but it is a slight piece
anyway.’
Listening to this work nearly
half a century later divulges music that is a little more serious and profound
than this review may suggest. I believe that there is an elegiac mood to the
‘slow’ movement that, in hindsight, is an appropriate tribute to John Hollingsworth.
Certainly, this is a valuable ‘divertimento’ that can be as highly regarded as those
by Michael Tippet, Alan Rawsthorne, Lennox Berkeley and Malcolm Arnold.
At present there is no commercial
recording available, although there is a YouTube upload. In fact, Cruft is currently represented on CD
by three works, the Traditional Hornpipe Suite, the Concertante for clarinet
and strings and the short choral piece, ‘These Hours.’
John France April 2016
With thanks to Giles Clarke, Chairman of
the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra for his invaluable help in
securing a copy of the programme for the premiere of this work, and his kind permission
to quote from the programme notes for Cruft’s Divertimento.
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