Orchestral Music and Arthurian Legends

Ever since reading Arthur, Lord Tennyson’s The Passing of Arthur from the Idylls of the King at school, I have held an interest in Arthurian literature. Whether this be some of the original medieval texts, the Matter of Britain, or T.H. White’s Once and Future King, I have enjoyed exploring the historical and mythological implications of this legendary history. Composers have not been slow in dedicating their talent to celebrating these stories. I have selected a dozen examples of orchestral music that has caught my eye. Mostly these are tone poems of one sort or another. Some were written as incidental music. I have omitted the numerous operas by Purcell, Wagner and Albeniz that major on these magical themes. Most of these pieces are available on CD, streaming or YouTube. However, some of them simply caught my eye: they are desideratum for the concert hall or recording studio.  A number of these works are by British composers however, the enchantment of the Arthurian story has inspired music by French, American and a Polish composer. 

Arnold Bax (1883-1953):  Tintagel - a symphonic poem (1917)

Frederick Bridge (1844-1924): Overture: Morte d’Arthur (1886)

Benjamin Britten (1913-76): The Sword in the Stone – incidental music (1938)

Ernest Chausson (1855-99): Viviane – a tone poem (1882)

Albert Coates (1882-1953): Lancelot Symphony

Edward Elgar (1857-1934): King Arthur – incidental music (1923)

Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012): Tristan, Préludes for piano, tape and orchestra

ludes for piano and orchestra (1973)

Edward Burlingame Hill (1872-1960): The Parting of Launcelot and Guinevere – a tone poem (1915)

Paul Ladmirault (1877-1944): Tristan and Isolde – incidental music (1929)

Edward MacDowell (1860-1908): Lancelot and Elaine – tone poem (1888)

Georges-Eugène Marty (1860-1908): Merlin enchanté – tone poem (1888)

Ludomir Rogowski (1881-1954): A Celtic Legend – Three symphonic pictures Solemn entrance of the Knights of the Round Table and the oath of King Arthur. 2. The dance of Vivien with the spirits of Earth. 3. Sea-crossing of Merlin.

Of the above dozen pieces, the most famous is probably Arnold Bax’s Tintagel. It should be remembered that this great seascape for music probably has more to do with the composer’s tempestuous relationship with Harriet Cohen at that time, rather than the myth of Merlin and Camelot.