There are two outstanding reviews
of this new CD on MusicWeb International (Here
and here).
When my copy arrived, I decided not to read them until I had completed mine.
So, any similarities, repetitions or divergences from Messrs. Greenbank and
Barnard are entirely coincidental.
Most listeners will associate William Henry Reed as the friend and biographer of Edward Elgar. They met at the Three Choirs Festivals. Of interest is the fact that Reed played violin in the late flowering chamber works by the elder man: the Violin Sonata, the Piano Quintet, and the String Quartet. As a violinist, he was consulted by Elgar about the technicalities of the solo part of his Violin Concerto.
In fact, Reed was also a
conductor, teacher, author, and composer. He was born in Frome, Somerset on 29
July 1875. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Émile Sauret, violin
and Frederick Corder and Ebenezer Prout for theory and composition.
Much of Reed’s career was spent
playing in chamber ensembles and the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1936, he
published his important volume Elgar as I knew him. This is essential
reading for all enthusiasts of his music. Interestingly, this book included
sketches for the Symphony No. 3 which was later “completed” by Anthony Payne. In
1939 he issued a study of Elgar in the Master Musicians series.
W. H. Reed died whilst on
Associated Board duties in Dumfries, on 2 July 1942.
As for Reed’s own compositions, there are numerous character pieces for violin and piano. Several of these were issued on the Dutton Epoch label (CDLX7135) in 2003, played by Robert Gibbs (violin & viola) and Mary Mei-Loc Wu (piano). However, this CD tended to provide a skewed impression of his achievement: it emphasised the “salon music” element. On a grander scale there are some orchestral works including the tone poems Among the Mountains of Cambria, The Lincoln Imp and Aesop’s Fables, as well as a set of variations for string orchestra, a Violin Concerto in A minor and the tantalising Two Somerset Idylls for small orchestra. These all remain unrecorded.
The String Quartet No.4 (1913) has four movements. The opening Allegro moderato presents a cheery first subject followed by a “wistful” second. The slow movement was regarded by contemporary critics as being the highlight of the quartet. Signed as Ritornello (Lento ma non troppo) this is really a “threnody” or lament for someone or something unknown. The title implies that all four soloists play the main theme, with episodes of “quasi-recitative” on single instruments. The third movement has two diverse moods. Firstly an “intermezzo reminiscent of Brahms.” This is succeeded by a “fantastical scherzo.” The final movement once again contrasts a “darkly portentous opening" [Adagio con espressione] with “a more light-hearted mood [Allegro moderato] …veering between playfulness and lyricism.”
Overall, this is “heterogenic”
music: various models and influences (Brahms, Vaughan Williams?) will recommend
themselves to the listener. This is not really a problem. The general balance
of invention, wide-ranging moods, and emotions, outweigh any sense of lack of
individuality.
The Quartet was dedicated to the
Wessely Quartet, an ensemble popular during the first two decades of the 20th
century.
The Légende for String Quartet was written in 1922-23. It was dedicated to “Miss Jessie Snow,” who led her own ensemble for some thirty years. The booklet explains that Reed had previously composed a Violin Concerto for her (a desideratum, surely) in 1918. Légende was originally produced as Two Legends. A contemporary review (The Era, 4 April 1923, p.7) described its impact perfectly: “Like all Mr Reed’s work, these show a refined and sensitive quality of musical thought and considerable ingenuity on quartet writing, though not, perhaps, a striking vein of inventiveness.” I do not know if there is any hidden programme implied by the legends. I think not. The first juxtaposes a pastoral mood with a “melancholy” waltz, whilst the second is a “romp.” The liner notes suggest it is like an “Irish leprechaun [who] has come face to face with Dukas’s Sorcerers Apprentice.” Listening to this piece a century later, reveals some considerable depth and nostalgia for a pre-War age then recently passed.
W.H. Reed finished his String Quartet No.5 in A minor during 1915. It was submitted to that year’s Walter Willson Cobbett chamber music competition where it won second prize. First prize was joint and was presented to Frank Bridge and Albert Sammons. There are four well balanced movements, each presenting hugely contrasting material. The opening Allegro con brio is deliberately insecure, balancing a searching mood with one of almost pastoral calm. The Vivace ma no troppo presto is carefree and certainly bounces along, with dynamic rhythms and a sense of fun. Here and there Reed introduces something a little more reserved. The slow movement, Adagio (quasi recitativo) opens with a melancholy cello solo before developing into a modally tinged elegy. It is hardly surprising that this deeply felt music was written during the second year of the Great War. The liner notes are correct in noting the mood of the finale, an Andante misterioso-Allegro Moderato, nodding to the opening movement, with its “questioning” tone. Yet, all is not as it seems. Somehow, Reed managed to pull the music out of the doldrums and lead the listener to a conclusion infused by optimism, if not triumph.
All three works are convincingly and sympathetically played by the Cirrus String Quartet. The sound quality of the recording is always vibrant and clear. The present violinist Martin Smith devised the detailed programme notes, as well as providing an impressive introduction to the life and times of the composer. The booklet has a well-designed cover montage of the Three Choirs venues, as well as including a couple of photographs of the composer.
This is a splendid introduction to the music of W.H. Reed. It provides three pieces that are well-constructed, technically competent, always interesting, and often quite moving. There is nothing challenging here. In fact, he was writing in an idiom that would have been deemed old-fashioned at the time. But to listeners in the 2020s this is no longer an issue.
I understand the Royal Academy of Music is custodian of Reed’s archive. Many interesting scores may be languishing in the stacks. Let us hope that many more are “re-discovered” and are performed in concert or on CD. W.H. Reed may not be a major composer, but based on this recording he deserves to be better known and enjoyed.
Track Listing:William Henry Reed (1875-1942)
String Quartet No.4 in C major (1913)
Légende for string quartet (1922-23)
String Quartet no.5 in A minor (1915)
The Cirrus String Quartet: Martin Smith (violin), Suzanne Loze (violin), Morgan Goff (viola), David Burrowes (cello)
rec. 16-19 February 2022, Pamoja Hall, The Space, Sevenoaks School, Kent, England
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