A few days ago, I posted about Peter Racine Fricker’s Comedy Overture. This entertaining work
has been included on the new Lyrita CD (REAM.2136) featuring the composer’s
Symphonies 1-4. Also introduced is the
early Rondo Scherzoso which was written
in 1947, when Fricker was still studying with Mátyás Seiber.
Paul Conway explains in the CD’s liner notes that, before
tackling his Symphony No.1, Fricker wrote two symphonic movements as a kind of preparatory
exercise: An ‘Adagio’ for orchestra (1946) and the present Rondo Scherzoso. Both works
remain in manuscript. They were first performed at a Committee for the
Promotion of New Music concert on 1 October 1948. The Philharmonia Orchestra
was conducted by Mosco Carner. I was unable to locate any contemporary reviews
of the event.
Fricker had a reputation
of being somewhat of a radical. His music moved away from the predominant style
of the period, exemplified by Ralph Vaughan Williams and absorbed the ethos of
Bartok, Stravinsky and Schoenberg. Nevertheless,
in his first 20 or so years (1943-66) as a professional composer, he often utilised
traditional forms.
The Rondo Scherzoso
is a vibrant, extrovert work that exploits Fricker’s appreciation of
contrapuntal devices, such as canon, fugato and imitation, as well as his
predilection towards the ‘inventive use’ of the Rondo form. For example, each movement
of the Symphony No.2 consists of three highly-developed and sophisticated rondos.
The rondo form
is usually based on a principal theme played several times and interspersed
with two or more contrasting episodes. In the present work the dynamic and
jaunty ‘refrain’ is followed by two episodes of reflective music. The work
concludes with a ‘martial’ version of the principal theme.
In his discussion of the Rondo, Paul Conway has highlighted ‘the wind solos and
judicious use of modest percussion [that] proves…the composer’s subtle and
effective approach to orchestration was present at the very outset of his
professional career.’
On the Lyrita
double CD, the Rondo Scherzoso is
played by the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bryden Thomson. It
was broadcast on 12 September 1980 on BBC Radio Three as a part of the
Fricker’s 60th birthday celebrations. Other works in this studio
concert included the Violin Concerto No.1 (1949/40) and the Symphony No.1
(1949/50).
Nick Bernard,
reviewing the Lyrita CD for MusicWeb International (October 2017) was not
convinced by the Rondo. He writes: ‘The discs are logically laid out in
chronological order, with the early 1948 Rondo Scherzoso opening
disc one, followed by the first two symphonies…The only possible problem with
this layout is that the Rondo is by some way the least
impressive piece in the set, and Symphony No. 1 the least impressive of the
four symphonies offered here.’
I disagree with him about the Rondo being ‘the least impressive
piece...’ I find that it is a vivacious, sometimes thought-provoking and
well-constructed work that could convincingly open the proceedings at any
orchestral concert. It makes a great and approachable introduction to Peter
Racine Fricker’s music. The work displays much humour that matches roughly
contemporary music by (for example) Malcolm Arnold, even if it is more
astringent. Finally, it would be encouraging if some orchestra could dust down
the manuscripts of the 1946 ‘Adagio’ companion piece and the Symphonietta for
Orchestra (1946/1947) and give them an airing (and possible recording). It
would mean that listeners would have the cluster of early orchestral works that
surrounded the impressive First Symphony.
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