Donald Brook wrote a series of
books presenting attractive short studies or pen-portraits of a wide variety of
musicians and authors. Clearly, he had met these people and had a chance to
speak to them about their achievements and interests. Sir Granville Bantock
endorsed Composer’ Gallery (London, Rockcliff, 1944) by
insisting that it ‘will be welcomed by music lovers and the larger public
throughout the civilised world.’
On a personal note, this was one
of the earliest second-hand books about music that I bought. In the days before
the internet, it served as my introduction to a wide range of composers and
their music. I include several footnotes
to Brook’s pen-portrait of Eugene Goossens as well as a brief resume of his
career after this book’s publication.
On a personal note, this was one
of the earliest second-hand books about music that I bought. In the days before
the internet, it served as my introduction to a wide range of composers and
their music. I include several footnotes
to Brook’s pen-portrait of Eugene Goossens as well as a brief resume of his
career after this book’s publication.
A BRILLIANT conductor, and composer of many interesting orchestral works, Eugene Goossens is one of the English musicians who have sought wider scope for their work on the other side of the Atlantic. I do not, of course, exclude the possibility that the great revival of interest in music at home might tempt him to return to us permanently in due course, nor do I overlook the fact that the wonderful development in air transport will in time make it immaterial whether one lives in Britain, America or even the South Sea Islands. [1] Science, it seems, will probably do more than anything else to make us realize that art is international.
Goossens was born in London on May 26th, 1893 of a distinguished musical family. His father and grandfather were both eminent conductors in the realm of opera; his brother Leon is now one of the greatest oboists in the world, and two of his sisters are prominent harpists. [2] He entered the Bruges Conservatoire when he was only ten years of age but came to England later and attended the Liverpool College of Music until a scholarship brought him to London to study at the Royal College of Music under C. V. Stanford for composition, and Rivarde [3] for the violin. His first composition for the orchestra, Variations on a Chinese Theme was given under his own direction at one of the students' concerts. [4]
In 1911 Sir Henry Wood engaged him for the Queen's Hall Orchestra, and he played with that august body of musicians until Sir Thomas Beecham sought his services as an assistant conductor in 1915. One of his outstanding memories of the years he spent with Sir Henry Wood is of a Promenade Concert in the autumn of 1914 when his second orchestral work Perseus was given its premiere. [5] After six years with Sir Thomas Beecham, Goossens founded an orchestra of his own and gave a series of symphony concerts which not only drew considerable attention to him as a conductor, but also enabled him to present one or two of his own compositions. [6]
In the previous autumn his
symphonic poem The Eternal Rhythm had been performed at a Promenade
concert, and it was then chosen for a second performance at the inaugural
concert of the British Music Society in June 1921. [7] By this time, he had
also made a name for himself as a player and composer in the world of chamber
music: he had done excellent work as a member of the Philharmonic String Quartet
and had impressed the critics with his Fantasy for String Quartet (1915), his
Quartet in C [major] (1916), and his two sketches By the Tarn and Jack
O' Lantern (1916). Of the Fantasy, Delius said that it was the best thing
of its type he had ever seen from an English pen. [8]
The influence of Ravel seems to
have played some part in the shaping of this work. The three movements of the
Quartet in C [major] were dedicated to his three colleagues in the Philharmonic
String Quartet: Arthur Beckwith (first violin), Raymond Jeremy (viola) and
Cedric Sharp ('cello). [9] Each movement is really a subtle musical portrait,
and the four notes that open the concluding movement are taken from the
music-hall song ‘You're Here and I'm Here’ which Cedric Sharpe had "on the
brain " and persisted in whistling to the annoyance of his friends shortly
before the Quartet was written. [10]
[1] Eugene Goossens departed for Australia in 1947 to take up the post of conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He was also appointed director of the New South Wales State Conservatorium. In 1956 he was forced by scandal to resign both positions. He returned to the United Kingdom and spent his remaining years of his life working freelance. Eugene Goossens died on 13 June 1962.
[2] Eugene Goossens was a member
of a family of musicians. His grandfather, Eugene (1845-1906) was an orchestral
conductor. His father, also Eugene (1867-1958) was a conductor and violinist. His
sister, Marie (1894-1991) was a harpist, performing as a soloist and with
several orchestras. His brother, Leon (1897-1988) was a highly respected
oboist. And finally, his sister Sidonie (1899-2004) was also a harpist. There
was another brother, Adolphe (1896-1916) was a gifted horn player, who died in
France during the Great War.
[3] Achille Rivarde (1865-1940)
was an American born violinist and teacher. Much of his career was spent in
London and Europe. He became a professor at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in
1899.
[4] Goossens’s Variations on a
Chinese Theme were given its World Premiere on 6 September 1913, during the
Proms. The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra was conducted by the composer. It had
previously been given a rehearsal and run through at the RCM in 1912.
[5] Perseus, a
‘Straussian’ symphonic poem for orchestra, was premiered during the 1914 Proms
Season on 13 October. Once again, Eugene conducted the New Queen’s Hall
Orchestra.
[6] The Goossens Orchestra was a
hand-picked selection of 105 of the ‘best instrumentalists’ including his
siblings Marie, Sidonie and Léon. The first major success was the British
premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring on 7 June 1921. Goossens
also included his own The Eternal Rhythm and a Fanfare in
subsequent concerts. (Carole Rosen, The Goossens: A Musical Century, 1993,
p.66ff)
[7] The Eternal Rhythm was
played at the British Music Society’s concert on 14 June 1921. Other music
included the premiere of the orchestral version of Vaughan Williams’s The
Lark Ascending. The soloist was Marie Hall. Josef Holbrooke’s Overture: The Children of
Don, Holst’s The Planets and Cyril Scott’s Piano Concerto [No.1]
completed the bill. The repertoire of
this entire concert can be recreated with contemporary CD/downloads.
[8] Carley, Lionel, Delius: A
Life in Letters, Scolar Press, 1988, p.163
[9] The Philharmonic Quartet was
an English string quartet musical ensemble founded during the period of the
First World War and remaining active until the early 1940s, by which time none
of the original members were present in the group. (Wikipedia)
[10] ‘You're Here and I'm Here’
is a song with words by Harry B Smith and music by Jerome Kern, published in
1914.
[11] Better known as The
Sleeping Beauty, The Sleeping Princess was given by Diaghilev and
the Ballets Russes at the Alhambra Theatre, Leicester Square, London. The
British premiere was on 2 November 1921. It was to run for 115 performances.
[12] In 1922, Eugene Goossens composed
incidental for Somerset Maugham’s 1920s play East of Suez. Based on a
story set in Beijing, it delves into the intersection of cultural traditions.
The music is mysterious and oriental. In fact, the composer had visited a pub
in Limehouse, and had jotted down tunes played by Chang Tim’s band of Chinese
seamen. Rosen (op.cit. p.71) explains that these musicians ‘played Chinese
fiddles, flutes, wooden blocks, gongs and cymbalum…’ Goossens tailored their
themes to Western musical instruments and notation.
To be continued…
No comments:
Post a Comment