Some thoughts on E.J. Moeran’s Theme and Variations for piano (1920) Part 2

The ‘premiere’ performance of Theme and Variations was given by Moeran during the 469^th concert of the Oxford and Cambridge Musical Club held on 27 May 1920. One interesting aside is an entry into the Club’s Suggestion Book that ‘it should be possible for members to buy tobacco at the club’ It is signed by the composer. Moeran had taken up pipe-smoking in his army days and continued until the end of his life. (Maxwell, 2014). The Club did not take him up on the proposition.

The first ‘public’ performance of the Theme and Variations was advertised in The Times on 10 October 1921. Miss Dorothea Vincent was billed to play the work at the Wigmore Hall on Friday 14 October at 3:15 pm.  The concert included three Sonatas by Scarlatti, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.27 in E minor, op.90 and Cyril Scott’s massive ‘Introduction and Fugue’ from his Suite No.1 for piano, op.75 (1910) Reporting on the concert, the unsigned critic in The Times (15 October 1921) felt that:

 'we did not quite make out Mr Moeran’s music. It seemed as if it demanded the orchestra; for when the seven diatonic notes are sounded together it is obvious that some of them are substantive and intended, therefore, to be louder than others which are passing notes, and this distinction is easy for the orchestra, but difficult for fingers to make. Still, that the effect was a little ‘muddy’ did not seem to be any fault of the player; on the contrary, one was surprised that it came out as clearly as it did.'

The Daily Telegraph (15 October 1921) reported that ‘by way of novelty, Miss Vincent gave us a Theme and Variations in F minor by E.J. Moeran, a composer with whose name the writer is unfamiliar.’  The reviewer felt that:

‘The theme itself is quite a good one for its purpose, and the elaborations evolved from it are fanciful enough, without ever becoming ‘free’ to the point of completely disguising their origin. The work is written in a modern harmonic idiom [and] was played with plenty of skill and sympathy by Miss Vincent.’

The Theme and Variations was published by Schott and Co. in 1923.  In Volume 2 of the collected edition of Moeran’s piano music (Thames Publishing, 1998) John Talbot explains that despite the composer’s ‘often-avowed dislike’ of Robert Schumann’s music, there is a definite nod towards the German composer’s Études Symphoniques, op.13. This is more to do with mood and technique rather than duration.  Another possible work impacting on Moeran’s Theme and Variations is Gabriel Fauré’s eponymous op.73. Neither does it take much imagination to hear the influence of Moeran’s teacher John Ireland. In fact, the theme itself seems to echo the Holy Boy (1913). In the same year as the Theme and Variations were completed, Ireland composed his magisterial Piano Sonata and concluded his well-loved Three London Pieces: ‘Chelsea Reach’, ‘Ragamuffin’ and ‘Soho Forenoons’.

R.J. McNeil (1982) understands that in this work, Moeran ‘demonstrates a command of pianistic devices and effects throughout six variations and a virtuoso finale.’ McNeil does point out that ‘some might think that the finale is weakened by a predominance of technical effects which do not seem to proceed naturally from the development of the theme.’

Geoffrey Self (1986) was not impressed with Moeran’s Theme and Variations: he thinks that the theme, ‘while of haunting beauty’ offers too few opportunities for variation, which appear to him to be ‘uneven in quality.’ Again, Self considers that the finale is ‘not entirely successful.’ He does not give a reason, but it is possibly that the quality of the piano writing is sometimes less than convincing. He states that the third variation, the ‘march’ is ‘uncouth in texture’. The only positive element of the piece for Self is the 5^th variation with its alteration between ‘violent declamatory octaves’ and the quiet ‘withdrawn chordal passages’.  Here, there is a ‘glimpse of Moeran’s deeper self and…his latent power.’

Despite the misgivings of some critics both ‘then and now’, Moeran’s Theme and Variations is an appealing work that provides the listener with considerable musical interest, highlighting a wide range of emotion and textures. There is both vivacity and reflection in these pages in what is a typically Moeran-esque composition, despite a few pianistically awkward moments. For me, this is music that speaks of the Norfolk and the Irish landscape without ever descending into ‘Pastoral’ or ‘Irish’ clichés.

Bibliography

McNeill, R. J., A critical study of the life and works of E. J. Moeran. PhD thesis, Faculty of Music, The University of Melbourne (1982)

Maxwell, Ian, The Importance of Being Ernest John: Challenging the Misconceptions about the Life and Works of E. J. Moeran, Doctoral theses, Durham University, 2014

Self, Geoffrey, The Music of E.J. Moeran, Toccata Press, 1986

Ed. Talbot, John, E.J. Moeran: The Collected Solo Piano Music, Volume 2 Thames Publishing, 1998

Discography:

E.J. Moeran & Gordon Jacob Piano Music/Iris Loveridge Lyrita REAM.1103: original LP release Moeran Piano Music, RCS3 (1959/2008)

E.J. Moeran: Complete Piano Works/ Eric Parkin JMSCD 2 (1994)

E.J. Moeran: The Complete Solo Piano Music/Una Hunt ASV CD DCA 1138 (2003)

E.J. Moeran: The Complete Solo Piano Music + works by his English and Irish contemporaries/Duncan Honeybourne EM Records 0012-13 (2013)