Liza Lehmann: Cobweb Castle for piano (1908)

For many non-Christians, Christmas represents a cultural festivity rather than a religious one. It is a time for family gatherings, exchanging gifts, feasting, and enjoying the atmosphere of joy and goodwill. It is also about taking a break from everyday routines, enjoying festive decorations, and participating in community traditions. For some, the holiday season is less about belief and more about celebrating togetherness and the end of the year. It might mean something different to each person, but it tends to be a period of giving, reflections, and festive fun.

One pleasure that many indulge in is the pantomime, with productions such as Cinderella, Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk. These are all derived from ancient fairy tales from a variety of countries. And then there are the Christmas films, such as It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas. The ballet is occasionally part of the celebrations, with performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, based on a folk tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Readers, including myself, may turn to the Charles Dickens’s Christmas Tales, including A Christmas Carol, in which people are shown to have a duty to take care of one another, to uphold values of charity, compassion, and forgiveness. We can but try!

All through these ‘secular’ delights is a sense of wonder and magic. Fairy tales vie with religious truths to entertain and inspire us. Liza Lehmann’s delightful piano suite Cobweb Castle (1908) is redolent of cosy nights by the fireside, lost romances and half-remembered, slightly scary, ghost stories. As the imagery of the title implies, these six pieces are frozen in time. Like a lost castle in a dark secret wood, they are just beyond our reach.

Liza Lehmann (1862-1918) was an English soprano and composer, known for her songs. Born in London, she was the daughter of painter Rudolf Lehmann and music teacher Amelia Chambers. After vocal studies with Alberto Randegger and Jenny Lind, and composition studies with Hamish MacCunn, she made her singing debut in 1885. She pursued a concert career for a decade before marrying musician Herbert Bedford in 1894 and focusing on composition. Lehmann wrote songs, children's music, and stage works, including the song cycle In a Persian Garden (1896). She was the first president of the Society of Women Musicians and a professor of singing at the Guildhall School of Music

The Suite opens with the almost impressionistic In the Owl’s Turret, which creates a dreamy mood. The middle section is just that little bit more insistent.

Fly Away, Ladybird is a delightful bit of whimsy. It evokes the fact that her “house is on fire, and your children have flown:” a nursery rhyme text quoted in the score. It is signed to be played ‘leggiero” which suits the mood. There are some lovely arpeggios in the ‘trio’ section.

The inspiration for By the Sundial is surely Sir Edward Elgar. It opens quietly, before the main theme is explored, ‘a little stately.’ There are lots of octave chords in the right hand, with added sixths, giving a rich, romantic feel.

The fourth number, A Legend is a little rondo. Here Lehmann tells her story with slight digressions. There is no suggestion as to what the story might be about, except that it is to be played ‘misterioso.’ It is not a gripping tale, but just a little spooky yarn by the fireside.

Evensong, written in a steady cantabile, may well conjure up a service in a candlelit church, with the organ playing melancholically. Yet, this is more of a nocturnal meditation, rather than liturgical. Once again there are hints of Elgar in these pages.

The finale would appear to be the most difficult movement. My Lady’s Jester requires the soloist to make several well-judged glissandi, to compliment an almost Billy Mayerl-like dance. There is a reflective middle section before concluding with a little bit of musical onomatopoeia with eleven forceful, repeated chords, Ha, Ha, Ha...

The entire suite captures the playful and imaginative essence of a forgotten, imaginary castle, displaying Lehmann's lyrical and evocative style. It is a charming work that highlights her ability to create vivid musical imagery.

The liner notes to the only available recording of Cobweb Castle, explains that Lehmann “always complained that her serious music wasn’t given much consideration.” The author assumes that this suite falls into that category. Strangely, she did not mention it in her memoirs, The Life of Liza Lehmann, by Herself, published posthumously in 1919.

Liza Lehmann’s Cobweb Castle can be heard on YouTube, here. It is played by a gentleman called “Julian.” It comes complete with score. A commercial recording was made by Michael Stairs and was released on the Direct to Tape Recording Company, DTR9701. Other works featured on this CD include Haydn Wood’s Mood Suite, H. Balfour Gardiner’s Five Pieces, Billy Mayerl’s Four Aces Suite, and Autumn Crocus, Hubert Bath’s Cornish Rhapsody, as well as the title track, O Dear! What can the matter be? by Felix Swinstead.