British Classical Music: The Land of Lost Content

Proms 1951: An Old Programme

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000Z

I always buy oldconcert programmes if I see them going reasonably cheaply in second-handbookshops. The other night I found one dating from September 1951. It makes fascinating reading and provides aninteresting resource for anyone interested in performance history.

In those day, the frontcover, which was a kind of blue-green, proudly proclaimed that ‘The BBCPresents the Fifty-Seventh Season of the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts ‘ And1951 was the year when the Festival of Britain was held in London and allacross the kingdom. My programme was for the concert held on Saturday 1 September.

The inside front coverhas an advert for Columbia who modestly claim to be ‘the finest name on record.’The works being advertised were Rachmaninov’s great Suite for Two Pianos,Op.17, Arthur Benjamin’s Caribbean Dance,his Jamaican Rumba and the Mattie Rag, the ‘Popular Song’ fromWalton’s Façade and finally DariusMilhaud’s Scaramouche suite. Theywere all played by the husband and wife duo, Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick. Theywere recorded well before Smith tragically lost the use of his left hand to athrombosis. The rear cover was a corporate advert for ‘His Master’s Voice’

One of features of Promprogrammes at this period were the articles by Alec Robertson entitled either ‘NextWeek’s Music’ or ‘This Week’s Music’depending on the day of the week: they did not ‘do’ Sunday concerts in thosedays. Robertson ‘looks forward’ to anall Brahms night, to Scheherazade, toDelius Sea Drift and Elgar’s Enigma Variation. He noted that there were only two concertosin this coming week- Alan Rawsthorne’ s Violin Concerto and Lennox Berkeley’sPiano Concerto in B flat. He notes that bothof them have ‘a large misuser of lyricism that betokens ‘warmth of heart notalways hitherto apparent in their music, and very welcome it is.’ One major ‘novelty; to be heard was AlanBush’s Piers Plowman’s Day. This was a symphonic suite in three movementsevoking the atmosphere of three different facets of medieval life as describeby William Langland in his The Vision of Piers Plowman. A work appears to havedisappeared from trace – but perhaps more about that in a later post.

Back to Saturday’sconcert: the BBC Symphony Orchestra were performing under Sir Malcolm Sargent.The soloists were Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick – hence the advert.

There were six works inthe programme. The first part opened with Roger Quilter’s A Children’s Overture with its delightful compendium of well knowntunes – ‘Boys and Girls, come out to play’, ‘Dame, get up and bake you pies,’ ‘Isaw three ships come sailing by,’ 'Baa Baa black sheep' and 'Oranges andLemons'. This was followed by an extractfrom Verdi’s opera Un Ballo in Maschera. Cyril smith was the soloist in Grieg’subiquitous Piano Concerto in Minor. Thelast work before the interval was Tchaikovsky’s Overture-Fantasia, Romeo and Juliet.

At ‘approximately’9.5p.m. Smith and Sellick gave aperformance of Camille Saint-Saens’ well-loved Le Carnaval des Animaux for two pianos and orchestra. The concert concluded wth Ottorino’s delightfulrealisation of Rossini’s melodies in LaBoutique Fantastique. Sargent chose to play the suite, which contained someof the most attractive movements in including the ‘Tarantelle’, the ‘Mazurka’,the ‘Danse Cosaque’ and the ‘Can-Can’.

A very useful page inthe programme gave details of forthcoming ‘novelties.’ This included thealready noted work by Alan Bush, Ernest Bloch Scherzo Fantastique and Peter Racine Fricker’s Symphony No.1, whichwas receiving its first London performance.

A list of artistsmaking their first appearance at a Prom makes interesting reading. Theseinclude Herbert Downes, one-time principal of the Philharmonia Orchestra, the contralto Kathleen Joyce, theWelsh bass Howell Glynne and the cellist Vera Canning.

Finally, a list of members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra concluded thematerial in the programme. One name thatsprang out at me was Sidonie Goossens, the harpist.

Moreover, all thisinformation cost the princely sum of 6d (2½p) which I guess was quite a lot inthose days. A man’s wage was probably less than £4 a week. Ipaid 50p for this fascinating piece of ephemera.

Peter Hope: Geordie Tunes

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000Z

One short piece that caught my ear recently was the delightful Geordie Tunes for descant recorder and harpsichord by Peter Hope. They feature on a new CD of works by North Country composers released by Prima Facie. The work consists of five ‘straightforward’ arrangements of Northumberland tunes. I am afraid that I did not recognize the first three, however Peter Hope has kindly sent me this list:-

The five ‘movements’ are based on ‘Go to Berwick, Johnny’, ‘Bonny at Morn’, ‘Fairly Shot of Her’, ‘Blow the Wind Southerly’ and ‘Bobby Shaftoe’. For many listeners these ‘tunes’ will bring mind the late Kathleen Ferrier: certainly the beautiful ‘Blow the Wind Southerly’ for which she was justly renowned.

The composer told me that the genesis of the ‘Tunes’ goes back to the 1970s when he ‘collected’ a number of North Country folk tunes with the intention of making orchestral arrangements of them. This work was not realised. Eventually, in 2009 Hope rediscovered the melodies and felt they would make an excellent set of ‘easy’ recorder pieces.

It is fair to say that these pieces are not simple. It is true that there is little development or variation, but that is not the purpose of the suite. Peter Hope has suggested to me that that the invention there is contained in the idiomatic harpsichord part. I imagine that soloists will have to take great pains in any performance of this work. I remember a well-known musician once telling me an old adage – easy notes hard to interpret: difficult notes, easier to ‘fake.’ It may not be 100% guaranteed, but it serves as a warning.

One reviewer of a live performance has noted that these ‘tunes’ are ‘delightful and unpretentious, these miniatures are utterly charming, and make a fine entertainment, which pleased us all.’ It is a good analysis.

There is at least two other arrangements of this work. The first is scored for descant recorder, oboe, guitar, string quartet, harpsichord and piano: Hope doubts that the work will be performed in that format again! The second is for descant recorder, string orchestra and harp. The published version is for descant recorder (or oboe) & piano (or harpsichord with optional cello.

Geordie Tunes was first performed on 2nd October, 2009 in Bury Parish Church with John Turner, recorder, Ian Thompson, harpsichord and Jonathan Price, cello.

Finally, it is no secret that John Turner suggested the title of the work to the composer. It was an inspired choice.

The Geordie Tunes are available on Recorder Fireworks PRIMA FACIE PFCD010. The work (in its original version) is published by Forsyth’s of Manchester.

Eric Coates: Television March

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000Z

Eric Coates’ Television March is a work that is not often recorded. There are some 15 versions of the Knightsbridge March from the London Suite listed in the Arkiv catalogue. I have found four for this work the march dotted around the ‘net. Not all will be easily available.

To be fair, the Television March is not in the same class as some of the more famous pieces by Coates. It was composed during 1946 at a time when the composer was musing over the idea of writing an operetta. The March was completed in May of that year and had been specifically composed for the re-opening of BBC Television. It was destined to be the first music heard on the new service. Geoffrey Self notes that the piece was composed in ‘great haste’ as the BBC had given him little notice. He feels that it is one of the ‘least striking or memorable marches.’

I rather enjoy this work. For me it is a piece that is bright and breezy. To be fair the trio of the March may not be up to the standard of his later work for ATV. However the piece fairly rolls along. It is probably hard to for any under the age of 70 to imagine what TV must have been like in 1946. But one thing was sure. It was a time of optimism in the world of broadcasting and, in spite of post-war austerity; it was the beginning of a huge adventure. Eric Coates music does contribute to the excitement of the times.

The Television March can be heard on YouTube [alas the link has been removed]

John Cranko: The Lady and the Fool / Pineapple Poll

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000Z

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)

The Lady and the Fool (arr. Charles Mackerras) (1954)
Svetlana Beriosova, Ray Powell, Ronald Hynd,

Royal Opera House Orchestra/Charles Mackerras

Choreographed by John Cranko (1927-1973)

Studio recording, transmitted 3 May 1959

Arthur SULLIVAN (1842-1900)
Pineapple Poll (arr. Charles Mackerras) (1951)
Merle Park, David Blair, Stanley Holden, Brenda Taylor, Gerd Larsen, cast ofthe Royal Ballet

London Symphony Orchestra/Charles Mackerras

ICA CLASSICS ICAD5040

I do not believe thatit is the role of the critic to ‘spoil the plot’ of a ballet or an opera whilstwriting a review. Even with a work like Madame Butterfly or SleepingBeauty it would be presumptuous of a writer to assume that all theirreaders knew the libretto or the ‘book’. However, a few brief observations areprobably in order. For example is it a comedy or a tragedy? Does it tell astory or present a series of tableaux? These are questions worth answering. Butto give a complete synopsis in the manner of Kobbé’s Opera orBalanchine’s Festival of Ballet is both redundant and unfair. I willconfine my remarks to generalisations and concentrate more on the presentationof the story and music rather than the story itself.

The two ballets presented here are contrasting tales. One, Pineapple Poll,is a gay, light-hearted romp whilst the other, The Lady and the Fool isbittersweet: both are technically comedies.

It is useful to give a brief thumbnail sketch of the life and career of JohnCranko. He was born in Rustenburg in the Transvaal in 1927. From an early agehe was interested in dance and movement, developing puppet shows for hisfriends. His first stage appearance as a dancer was in 1943 in a performancegiven by the Cape Town University Ballet. After some early ballet trainingunder Dulcie Howes, he produced his first ballet, The Soldier’s Tale. In1946 he moved to London and worked as a dancer and then as a choreographer withthe Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, which was the forerunner of The RoyalBallet.

Cranko is best known for his collaboration with Charles Mackerras in PineapplePoll although other triumphs included The Prince of the Pagodas tomusic by Britten and Harlequin in April with a score by Richard Arnell.Other ballets that he choreographed included Onegin based on music fromTchaikovsky’s The Seasons and Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet.However, his activities were not confined to the ballet. He devised a West Endrevue called Cranks which opened in 1955 and ran for over 200performances. He died in 1973 after a reaction to a sleeping pill taken duringa transatlantic flight.

The title The Lady and the Fool along with the intelligence that this isa ‘comedy’ probably gives the game away as to the story line. This work waspremiered by the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet at the New Theatre in Oxford on25 February 1954. However, the original choreography did not satisfy Cranko:the ballet was reworked for Covent Garden and was first given there on 9 June1955. This is the version presented on this DVD.

The score that Charles Mackerras devised is based on music from a number oflesser-known operatic works by Giuseppe Verdi. These include Alzira, Jerusalem,I Lombardi and Attila. I confess to never having heard of theseoperas!

There is a tremendous danger that this ballet can sink into sheersentimentality and any interpretation must try to avoid this. Certainly, thereis a degree of melodrama in the present realisation, however it does not becomeoverpowering. The tension between the sympathy the audience will feel towardsthe poverty-stricken clowns Moondog and Bootface who are asleep on a streetbench and the antipathy towards the dashing, narcissistic Capitano Adoncino isthe basis of any appreciation of this ballet. Any tendency for the ballet tobecome morbid is offset by the magnificent ballroom scenes where the heroine LaCapricciosa dances with her suitors who represent wealth, gallantry and rank.The ‘pas de deux’ between Moondog and La Capricciosa is the highlight of theballet and is both moving and beautiful.

The three principals are superb: Svetlana Beriosova as La Capricciosa, RonaldHynd as Moondog and Ray Powell as Bootface. All the dancers execute theirroutines with grace, expressiveness, ease and fluency. However the viewer willbe moved by Ray Powell’s presentation of Bootface, the clown who does not winthe lady’s love.

Pineapple Poll is a ballet in three scenes or tableaux - all set inPortsmouth. The story derives from ‘The Bumboat Woman’s Story’ which is fromone of W.S. Gilbert’s lesser-known works the Bab Ballads. A ‘bumboat’ bythe way is a small vessel that is used to ferry stores between the dock andships at anchor. The score is a glorious collation of Sir Arthur Sullivan’smusic devised once again by Mackerras. The tunes are taken from virtually theentire catalogue of G&S comic operas but also include Cox and Boxand the Overture di Ballo. As a score, this work quite simply sparkleslike freshly popped champagne. Moreover, Mackerras has presented Sullivan’sgreat music in a form rarely heard - for full orchestra rather than a theatreensemble.

Unlike The Lady and the Fool the title Pineapple Poll givesnothing away about the story. However, it does seem to imply comedy. In fact,this is a comic masterpiece. Any viewer will be impressed with the vivaciousdancing and the ‘built in’ humour which pervades the work. The three principalcharacters are Pineapple Poll, a flower seller, Jasper, a ‘pot boy’ from thelocal inn and Captain Belaye of the H.M.S. Hot Cross Bun. Other dancers includethe captain’s fiancée Blanche and Mrs Dimple, her aunt.

Merle Park is quite simply stunning as Pineapple. However David Blair makes anexcellent captain, a role which he created. Stanley Holden playing Jasperraises the audience’s sympathy.

Two highlights of Pineapple Poll are the captain’s solo dance based onthe hornpipe and the general riot on the deck of the Hot Cross Bun when thescratch crew of women are discovered. Pineapple Poll was first seen atthe Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 13 March 1951.

What criticisms of this DVD can I make? Virtually none. However, a silly bit ofwishful thinking: would that it had been in colour! The costumes look as ifthey would have been absolutely magnificent. Secondly, the studio-basedperformance means that there is a distinct lack of the atmosphere that anaudience would have provided. Thirdly, these performances were created fortelevision over half a century ago with all the limitations that this implies.However, it would be totally wrong to use present day canons of set design andlighting to judge their success or failure. For their time and technicallimitations they are definitive.

It is wonderful to have these two masterpieces of balletomania easily available.At present this is the only version of either work on DVD. It may be for aballet company in the future to revive one or both of these ballets but atpresent this is a splendid addition to the catalogues. It is not to be missedby ballet enthusiasts, G&S cognoscenti and lovers of obscure but delightfulVerdi!

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.

Arthur Benjamin: Violin Concerto, Romantic Fantasy etc. on Dutton Epoch

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000Z

Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960)

ViolinConcerto (1931) Romantic Fantasy for Violin, Viola and Orchestra (1936) Elegy,Waltz and Toccata [Viola Concerto] for Viola and Orchestra (1943)

LorraineMcAslan (violin) Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola)

RoyalScottish National Orchestra/John Gibbons

DuttonEpoch CDLX 7279

Iwill not be the first reviewer to note that Arthur Benjamin’s most popular workis the ubiquitous Jamaican Rumba. Accordingto the Arkiv catalogues there are some 36 versions of this work currentlyavailable to the listener. In 1938 hewrote the work for two pianos, but it was later dished up in a number ofincarnations: it is most usually heard in its orchestral guise. I am notashamed to say that I love it.

Slightlymore adventurous listeners will have bought his Symphony on the Lyrita or theMarco Polo labels. By implication theywill have been introduced to the CotillionDances, the Overture to an ItalianComedy and the North American Square Dance Suite. In 2001 Dutton Epoch released a CD ofinteresting and attractive chamber pieces, including the Sonata for viola andpiano (see below). Other bits and pieces are scattered throughout thecatalogues, some of which appear quite hard to get.

However, the fact remains that only a tinypercentage of Benjamin’s works have been recorded. The listings in Grove MusicOnline note over thirty works for orchestra alone. Then there are the sixoperas, a large array of songs, much chamber music and many piano solos. Anotherimportant element of Benjamin’s work was his commitment to film music.

Dutton have chosen to record three concerted works,two of which are world premiere recordings. However, note that Viola Concertoin its earlier chamber incarnation, the ‘Elegy, Waltz and Toccata’ was recordedin a version for viola and piano by William Primrose, and as the Sonata forViola and piano it has been released on Dutton Epoch CDLX 7110.

A detailed biography of the composer is notnecessary here and the reader is referred to PamBlevins’ excellent article on these pages. However a few notes will not goamiss.

Arthur Benjamin was born in Sydney, Australia in1893, and was given his standard musical grounding in Brisbane. He was hailedas being something of a genius. In 1911 he sailed to England to study at theRoyal College of Music with Charles Villiers Stanford and Thomas Dunhill. He servedin the Great War as a gunner in the Royal Flying Corp and was later a prisonerof war at the Ruhleben camp near Berlin. After a short period in Australia as piano professor at the New South Wales Conservatorium (1919–21) he returned to London. He wasappointed to the staff at the RCM. Benjamin had a heavy schedule ofperformances as a concert pianist. Two of his major triumphs were the firstperformances of the Gershwin and the Lambert piano concertos in the UnitedKingdom.

In 1938 Arthur Benjamin went to Vancouver where hetaught and gave radio broadcasts for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Hewas duly appointed to the conductorship of the CBC SymphonyOrchestra. After the end of the SecondWorld War Benjamin returned to the United Kingdom and resumed his job at theRCM. He died in London on April 10, 1960.

The Violin Concerto is an undoubted masterpiece.Constant Lambert noted that this work stood out ‘because of its general air ofsmartness . . . in the word's most complimentary sense. The concerto is clear,logical, slick, and well turned out . . . It is a brilliantly executed work,the type of piece in which English music is so painfully lacking.’ Frank Howes writing in the then current Grove(Supplementary Volume) suggested that this work reflected ‘the fashion forcrisp and dry writing.’

ArthurBenjamin composed the Concert in 1931. On 29^th January 1933 it wasgiven a ‘run through’ at a studio (Studio 10) with the BBC Symphony Orchestraand Antonio Brosa as soloist. Other works at that broadcast included Delius’ On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring,Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini andHaydn’s Symphony No.101 (The Clock). The programme was conducted by Frank Bridge,with Benjamin conducting his own work.

TheConcerto has eschewed the traditional formal structure. Benjamin has giventhree movements, however the first is a ‘Rhapsody’, the second is an ‘Intermezzo’and the finale is, more traditionally, a ‘rondo.’ An early reviewer was concerned that themelodies played by the soloist were accompanied by short motifs picked out onthe other instruments, often brass. He was troubled as to what was the mainmaterial of the movement – the epigrams or the rhapsody? It seemed to him to presenta difficulty in focusing on the long-breathed phrases and the short motifs atthe same time. Wendy Hiscocks, in her excellent liner notes, suggests thatthere are an ‘almost overwhelming number of musical ideas’. However she assuresus that there are only some eight initial themes and four motifs to contendwith!! Actually there is some considerable beauty in these pages and I guessthat the listener who has absorbed the Walton Violin Concerto and other worksof the mid-to-late twentieth-century will have little trouble in appreciatingand enjoying this complex of sounds. The music is often challenging withoutever becoming too difficult or unintelligible.

TheIntermezzo is on more secure grounds, owing something to Delius and to Vaughan Williams.It has a ‘lilting siciliana' as its fundamental theme. This is introspectivemusic that allows the soloist to soliloquise in a deeply moving manner.

TheRondo strikes me as having the energy and vitality of Stravinsky as its motivationwithout it in any way being a parody. The soloist is called upon to provide allsorts of technical gymnastics. Yet, even in amongst all this energy and drivethere is a certain sadness and reflection. However, by the end of the work allthis is blown away and the work ends in a blaze of excitement and energy.

TheTimes reviewer in 31 Jan 1933 suggested that this work contained ‘much ofinterest, some moments of beauty and some crisp effect, but it is not a violinconcerto.’ I guess I have to disagree with him. Things have come a long waysince 1933 – formally, melodically and harmonically. Certainly, anyone comingto this work for the first time will have no difficulty in regarding the workas an entity. It is certainly a concerto by any canons of criticism applied in ourtime. Furthermore, I believe that after a few hearings listeners will come tosee this as a masterpiece.

The Romantic Fantasy for violin and viola isa substantial work lasting well over twenty minutes. It was composed in 1936 inresponse to a request from the great violist Lionel Tertis. The score isdedicated to Arnold Bax. In fact, Lewis Foreman has noted the opening theme ofthe work quotes the ‘faery horn theme from Bax’s In the Faery Hills’.

The work is in three well-balanced movements withan opening Nocturne, a Scherzino and a Sonata-Finale. However the design of the piece allows themovements to slip into each other.

The combination of violin and viola in concertedform is somewhat unusual. Yet Benjamin’s mastery of technique and orchestralcolouring makes this seem perfectly natural. In fact the instruments do notcompete: they support, comment and engage with each other.

However, this is not a simple work, there sounds tobe difficulties on every page. In fact, William Primrose, who recorded thiswork, has noted the tricky cadenzas in this work, not only for the soloists butalso for the ensemble.

I am sure that the Romantic Fantasy tells astory. Yet we are not going to find just what that narrative was. I guess thatthe title balances both generally used meanings of the word ‘romance’.Certainly the reprise of the gorgeous opening theme at the very end is a masterstroke. It is guaranteed to bring a tear to a glass eye.

If the listener is looking for an antecedent forthis work he could worse than to imagine influences from William Walton, ArnoldBax, Frederick Delius –and dare I say it Erich Wolfgang Korngold!

The Romantic Fantasy was first issued on RCAin 1965 with Heifetz and Primrose as the soloists.

The final work on this CD is an orchestration ofthe Viola Sonata dating from 1942. The work is also known as the Elegy,Waltz and Toccata and was originally composed for the great violist WilliamPrimrose. Benjamin and Primrose hadalready worked in partnership. Therewere recordings of the Jamaican Rumba, Matty Rag, Cookieand From San Domingo. This is adark work that does not endear itself to the listener – at least not on a first(or even second) hearing.

LewisForeman has noted that the Viola Sonata is essentially a ‘wartime’ piece – withthe central ‘Waltz’ being more like a 'danse macabre'’ rather than anythingmore romantically inclined. The ‘Toccata’ has been described as projecting a‘manic, surreal drive’.

TheConcerto was first heard at the 1949 Cheltenham Festival with Sir JohnBarbirolli conducting the Hallé Orchestra and with Frederick Riddle as thesoloist. Amusingly, the contemporary reviewerin The Musical Times notes the ready charm (!!) and vitality expected of ArthurBenjamin. Both adjectives do not apply to this work. Yet there are someimpressive pyrotechnics for the soloist to engage with.

Interestingly, Hans Keller writing in 1950suggested that ‘sadlyenough, it is the arrangement of his own viola sonata as viola concerto whichwould appear to misfire in parts, both because the orchestration tautologizesand because it sometimes dims perception.’

Ifthe listener is looking for a stylistic comparison, it would be best to viewthis work in the light of Hindemith. However as with the concerto this work isnot beholden to anyone.

IfI am honest, I did not enjoy this work – there is to my ear not enough lightemerging from the score- if that is not mixing a metaphor. It is largely darkand troubled. Yet I am convinced that this is another work that is possibly oneof the composer’s best: it is just getting one’s head round it that is theproblem.

The production of this CD is excellent. Everything about itfeels good. Naturally the most important thing is the music, which has beenbeautifully recorded. Every nuance of the violin and viola solos is finelybalanced against the orchestra. Both soloists make an amazing contribution tothis disc- Lorraine McAslan in the difficult Violin Concerto is seriously impressive.Equally so, Sarah-Jane Bradley brings drive and drama to the thorny Violaconcerto. Both work together perfectly in the gorgeous Romantic Fantasy. TheRoyal Scottish National Orchestra and the conductor, John Gibbons are quoteobviously committed to this music: their enthusiasm is palpable. The liner notes by Wendy Hiscocks areimpressive, although a little bit more biography may have been useful for anylistener not ‘au fait’ with Arthur Benjamin’s life and works. As usual with Dutton Epoch recordings thesleeve makes uses of some stunning poster art.

Let us hope that this superb recording is the start ofsomething big for the music of Arthur Benjamin. I guess that Dutton do not needme to remind them of the large number of musical possibilities they have forfurthering Benjamin’s interests. However, just for the ‘record’ how about the Prelude to a Holiday, the Concertino forpiano and orchestra, the Light MusicSuite and the ‘Concerto quasi un Fantasia’.

This is a fantastic CD. I hope that all enthusiasts ofBritish music will rush out to buy it. I can hardly begin to imagine how suchimportant and beautiful works (if a little difficult in places) have remainedlargely hidden from view for so long. It has been a great pleasure and anhonour to review this CD.

Withthanks to MusicWeb International where thisreview was first published.

Robert Farnon: State Occasion

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000Z

With the up and coming celebrations for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee it is a good time to reminisce about music that was written to celebrate other occasions in the Queen’s long and glorious reign. Apart from masterpieces like William Walton’s Orb & Sceptre March and Arthur Bliss’s Welcome to the Queen there are other occasional pieces such as the multi-composer a-cappella choral work A Garland for the Queen and Cedric Thorpe Davie’s Royal Mile: Coronation March.

Amongst the lesser-known pieces is Robert Farnon’s attractive State Occasion. The work was composed in 1953 and has been heard on a number of occasions. Of particular note was a performance given by The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines during the Royal tour of Canada in 1984. This celebrated the bi-centenary of the inauguration of New Brunswick and also the 150th anniversary of Robert Farnon’s birthplace, Toronto.

Robert Seeley writing in The Gramophone September 1992 suggests that this is a ‘mock-Waltonian march’ and I guess that this is a good description. However it does not quite have the bite and rhythmic drive of William Walton. Yet as the 2002/2003 Penguin Guide to Classical Music points out that ‘this short work could hardly sound more imperially British, and it is appropriate, if maybe not now politically correct...’ My own view is that if anyone is troubled by the ‘political’ nature of this work (or any of the ceremonial marches) then that is their problem!

State Occasion is rather short, lasting just under or over three minutes. The score suggests that the music be played ‘marziale pomposo’ and ‘marziale con maesta’. Certainly the ‘big’ tune (trio) is worthy of Elgar and Walton. Interestingly Farnon does not reprise this tune, which I feel may be a slight ‘drop off’ as I imagine most listeners will be desperate to hear it again.

The piece is reasonably well represented in the CD Catalogues, including on Marco Polo, Reference Recordings, Naxos and Guild Light Music. Some of these links have a short extract of the work.

The John Ireland Companion Edited by Lewis Foreman

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000Z

The John IrelandCompanion Edited by Lewis Foreman

TheBoydell Press, hardback 74 b/w photographs,34 b/w illus. + musical examples: 568pages.

£40.00

Ihave had to wait nearly 40 years for this book: it has been very well worthwaiting for. I first came across John Ireland when I was still at school. Oneof the sixth-formers was performing the song ‘If there were dreams to sell’ asa part of his O-level music practical. Shortly after that, I discovered an oldSaga LP that had a good selection of Ireland’s music. I got to know ‘Sea Fever’and had a friend play to me The IslandSpell. I was hooked. However, at that time (1973) there was virtuallynothing about the composer in print. All I could find to read (with limitedaccess to libraries) was the Schaeffer interview (included in this presentvolume) and the relevant entry in the then current Grove. What was lacking wasa major biography or study of his music such as A.E.F. Dickinson’s volume on R.V.W.which I had recently devoured. Over thefollowing years I discovered the somewhat sparse literature about the composer,and was lucky enough to be able to add most of it to my library. More about thisliterature later.

ThisCompanion ought to have a wide currency.Many groups of people will need to own a copy. Firstly, there are themusicologists, both professional and amateur. There is such a wide variety ofhistorical and critical material in this book that demands to be devoured andunderstood before any further evaluations of the composer can be made. Secondly,there are the performers: gone are the days that a professional pianist orsinger can bash their way through a piece of music without gaining a ‘sitz imleben’ of the work. Thirdly it will serve people who have a passing need tounderstand some aspect of Ireland’s work. I am not suggesting that every ‘ClassicFM’ listener will have this book on their bedside tables, however anyenthusiast of British music will find it a helpful compendium of material toimprove their enjoyment of the composer’ music. And finally, it will be anessential acquisition for all universities, music college libraries and thelarger public institutions.

Oneof the key problems with any discussion of the composer’s life and music hasbeen the absence of ‘documentation of Ireland’s early and middle years.’ Therehas always been a ‘strong suspicion that the companion of his later years NorahKirby...had sanitised the archive, suppressing letters and documents of whichshe did not approve’. It is a problem that may never be surmounted.

Thispresent book is not a biography of the composer, in spite of it containing avast array of biographical information and critical data. That volume, alongwith an edition of the composer’s letters is still eagerly awaited. The raison d’êtreof the book is an attempt (extremely successful) to shine ‘a succession ofsearchlights onto the often hazy Ireland scene, and presenting some of thelatest research in the light of performances and recordings of almost all themusic.’ Certainly this Companion is ahandbook rather than a volume to be read from cover to cover.

Oneof the earliest contributions to Ireland scholarship was by Joseph Holbrooke inhis rather idiosyncratic volume ContemporaryBritish Composers (London, 1925). Apart from a number of articles in the musical press and the essay inA.L. Bacharach’s British Music in ourTime, (1951) the first modern attempt at writing ‘biography’ was JohnLongmire’s John Ireland -Portrait of a Friend(1969) – this is exactly what it claimed to be, a portrait and not a biographyor a study of the music. This was followed in 1979 by Muriel V. Searle’s John Ireland- The Man and his Music whichmay be seen as skirting around contentious issues: it is to some extenthagiographical. Two major publicationsincluded the John Ireland, A Catalogue,Discography and Bibliography produced by Stewart R. Craggs in 1993 andsubsequently updated in 2007. The other major contribution to Irelandscholarship was The Music of John Ireland(2000) written by Fiona Richards. This was the first (and so far, only) studyof the composer’s music seen in the light of his life, his character and his times.Finally in 2006 Rachel O’Higgins edited a book of letters between her father,Alan Bush and John Ireland.

Thereare a goodly number of dissertations and doctoral theses that consider themusic of the composer, however these are usually difficult to obtain and areoften deeply technical and analytical.

Thepresent volume takes a vitally important place in the relatively sparsebibliographical catalogue of John Ireland’s life and music. Its main value isthe sheer diversity of important, learned and often unknown or forgottenwritings. The content ranges from newly written chapters by ‘various writers oftoday’ alongside reprints of material that has already been published but maybe hard to locate – even in the digital age. There are plenty of challengingand thought provoking views expressed in this book that will cause the readerto re-evaluate much that they have come to understand about this composer.

Thereis so much information, discussion, opinion and analysis in this book, writtenby such an impressive array of historians, musicologists, performers andfriends that it is well-nigh impossible to discuss each and every chapter fully.However I will try to give a brief overview of some of the material containedin this book followed by a slightly more detailed description.

Thebook is organised into five major sections. Part I looks at the life and times of the composer and his friends andcolleagues. Part II considers the musical output of John Ireland. Part IIIallows some of Ireland’s pupils to discuss their teacher. The next section,Part IV, reprints a number of ‘notable articles’ on Ireland and his music. Thefinal section, Part V is dedicated to a comprehensive selection of writings bythe composer, both about his own music and that of other composers andperformers.

Themain sections of the book are preceded by the usual editorial introductions,acknowledgements and an extremely useful chronology of the composer’s life andtimes. The end matter presents animportant catalogue of Ireland’s music and a comprehensive discography. Finally,there are excellent indices –both general and of the works. Included in thebook is a CD containing historical recordings of John Ireland and his music.

PartI is largely historical and biographical. If I could only read one essay inthis book, it would be Colin Scott Sutherland’s ‘John Ireland: A Life in Music’.This would be followed by the same writer’s somewhat briefer study of ‘ArthurMachen and John Ireland.’ It is notpossible to fully understand the composer’s music without some knowledge ofMachen’s writings. As Scott-Sutherlandremarks, ‘...Machen is not so much an influence as an impact –a catalyst thatbrought to the surface that spirit of place which Ireland...had felt from quitean early dare.’

FionaRichards has contributed an impressive chapter on ‘Helen Perkin: Pianist,Composer and Muse of John Ireland.’ It is unfortunate that Perkin is largelyremembered only for her connection with Ireland’s Piano Concerto. She had animportant career in her own right: it is good that it is recognised here. Itmay lead to the rediscovery of some of her compositions.

Anotherkey chapter is the dialogue between the pianist Alan Rowlands who is one of themajor champions of Ireland’s piano works and the editor. The discussion rangesacross the music, the composer’s personality and interests and stories aboutRock Mill, the composer’s last home.

Inoted above that Murray Schaeffer’s interview with Ireland had been included: itis another good place to begin a study of this volume. The editor has also collecteda number of interviews with diverse friends of the composer, including thecritic Felix Aphramian, the composer Alan Bush and the Rev. Kenneth Thompson,who was Ireland’s friend and confidant for over 30 years.

Thelongest chapter in the book is about John Ireland’s relationship with the BBC.Lewis Foreman considers this from the point of view of composer, performer and speakerand his participation in the BBCs musical advisory panel. This is a closely-writtenchapter with many tables and quotations from letters, but well-rewards study.

Otherarticles include Freda Swain’s ‘Remembering John Ireland and his World’, astudy of the creative relationship between ‘John Ireland and Charles Markes’ byGeorge Dannatt, a short consideration of the composer’s time at Deal by JulieDeller and a look at ‘John Ireland’s Personal World’ from Fiona Richards.

Twointeresting essays are provided by the Director of the John Ireland CharitableTrust, Bruce Phillips. The first of these is a discussion of his personaldiscovery of the composer’s music, his time living at the Mill and his conversationswith Ireland’s housekeeper and companion Norah Kirby. The second essay is ahelpful, short history of the Charitable Trust and some of the problemsassociated with Mrs. Kirby’s will.

PartII is concerned with the music in detail. The pianist Alan Rowlands hascontributed ‘John Ireland: Some Musical Fingerprints’. Although a wee bittechnical this is essential reading for anyone caring to review or comment onthe composer’s music. Another advocate of the piano music is Eric Parkin. Heprovides an excellent overview of the repertoire laced with some anecdotes and recollectionsof his discussions with the composer. Healso included a useful ‘graded’ list of Ireland’s piano pieces.

LewisForeman has collected the programme notes he has written over the years for theorchestral pieces. A similar collection of notes is provided for the major chamberworks by Bruce Phillips. Both are extremely helpful to the student andlistener.

Itis often forgotten that John Ireland wrote an amount of music for the church.Jeremy Dibble explores this repertoire and looks at the works composed for HolyTrinity, Sloane Street, that written at St. Luke’s in Chelsea and also the hymntunes including ‘Sampford’ and ‘Love Unknown’. Stephen Le Prevost, the Directorof Music at the Town Church, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, has given a short articleon Ireland’s organ music.

Irelandis probably equally as famous for his songs as for his piano music. In 1973 thelate Charles Markes, who was one of the composer’s choristers at St. Luke’sChurch, wrote a major essay on the songs. This makes a superb, non-technicalintroduction to these important and beautiful works. He emphasises the poeticcontent of the songs, rather than the musical superstructure. One aspect of Ireland’s music that is usuallyignored is the largish number of part-songs. Philip Lancaster has remedied thisomission with a good overview of the material. It is to be hoped that thesepieces will soon be available on CD.

Thewell-known baritone, Roderick Williams has made a major contribution to Britishsong in recent years. So it is appropriate that he has contributed an essay on ‘JohnIreland and Poetry’ viewed from a ‘singer’s experience. His enthusiasm is palpablehe concludes by suggesting the he can ‘think of few better places to start fora singer interested in the English song repertoire’ than those of John Ireland.

Finallyin this section Robert Matthew-Walker has given an introduction to the subjectof ‘John Ireland on Record’. It is not a discography (this comes later) but anoverview. Its aim is not ‘a critique of every important recording...to havebeen issued in the last one hundred years...but an attempt to trace the moresignificant achievements of the gramophone in making his art available to themusic lover...’

PartIII has two very important chapters by John Ireland’s former pupils. Thisincludes a major essay by the composer Geoffrey Bush from his book Left, Right and Centre (1983). Shorter observationsare presented from Richard Arnell, Alan Bush, Benjamin Britten, E.J. Moeran andHumphrey Searle.

PartIV includes two remarkable articles from the author Jocelyn Brooke: there was amutual admiration between the two men. The first is ‘John Ireland: A Reminiscence’which is both heartfelt and humorous. The second is a short extract fromBrooke’s book The Birth of a Legend,which is a discussion about Ireland and Arthur Machen. Both these pieces arehard to find, as they are buried deep in library archives. Earlier in the book,Brooke’s ‘analysis ‘ of the piano piece Month’sMind is also given, extracted from his book The Dog at Clambercrown.

Animportant analysis of Ireland’s Piano Sonata by the pianist Frederic Lamond isincluded. It is maybe just a little too heavy on musical examples and light on description,but valuable nonetheless. The musicologist (and composer) Marion M. Scott providesa good review of the Sonata’s first performance by Lamond at the WigmoreHall. I am especially grateful for JackMoeran’s brief introduction to Ireland which was published in The Music Bulletin as part of a serieson ‘modern composers’. It is concise, informative and well-written, taking the listenerup to and including Mai Dun. Howeverthe important essay in this section is by the redoubtable Edwin Evans. This isa reprint of a major two-part article in the Musical Times dating from 1919.

Includedin this section are a number of articles, notes or broadcast written or made byJohn Ireland. Of considerable interest are a small number of programme noteswritten by the composer. These include the Sonata No.2 in A minor for violinand piano, Sarnia and the PianoConcerto.

Twoextremely important features of this book are the catalogue of the composer’smusic and an up-to-date discography. The catalogue is presented by genre –orchestra & band, chamber, solo piano etc. and then in alphabeticalorder. Details of the published score orthe whereabouts of the holograph are also given. Personally, I would have likedthis to have been given chronologically, however as the text points out, for a‘full historical listing’ the reader is referred to Stewart R. Craggs excellentcatalogue. In Craggs’ volume the reader will also find details of firstperformances and a bibliography for each work. For this level of engagement with Ireland’s music, both books are absolutelyessential.

StephenLloyd’s discography is a model of its kind. It includes not only currentlyavailable CDs but also cassette recordings, vinyl and 78rpm records. It ispresented alphabetically by work. The author denies that the discography is exhaustive:it seems to be pretty thorough to me!

Iwould have liked to have seen a larger bibliography. However the scope suggeststhat this is only a ‘complete listing of books, pamphlets and thesis’ and aselection ‘of important articles.’ Once again the serious reader will need torefer to both editions of Craggs’ catalogue.

TheCD which is provided at the end of the book is significant. There are some 17tracks exploring a variety of subjects. Perhaps most important are the voicerecordings of the composer, including his recollections of Charles VilliersStanford and his ‘Introduction to Beethoven’. A number of piano works played bythe composer are given, including live recordings and piano rolls. Interestingly, the well-known Sonatina isplayed by Helen Perkin. After half a dozen songs recorded in the composer’slifetime on 78rpm’s there is a version of TheForgotten Rite conducted by the composer. Certainly I found hearing thecomposer speak was quite moving. A great ‘bonus’ to this volume.

Finally,the reader can be extremely confident that this book has been edited to thehighest standards. The editor, Lewis Foreman has been the doyen of British Musicfor many years and has been responsible for promoting and celebrating composersand their music. He is best known for his masterly Bax: A Composer and his Times he has also recently edited thesister publication to this present volume – ThePercy Grainger Companion. Equally important is his commitment to the DuttonEpoch recording projects where he acts as an independent advisor and hasoverseen the production of a wide range of important, but largely forgottenBritish music. This present volume is a testament to his industry anddedication to his chosen discipline.

Thisbook is a collection of essays, articles and lists. As such it is hardly likelyto be read from cover to cover. However the themed nature of the sections makesit an ideal book to dip into and discover new facts, shades of opinion andclues towards the understanding and interpretation of John Ireland’s music. Iimagine that most readers will use this book as a reference tool and sourcebook. The indices which allow the reader to track people and musical worksthrough the volume will make this an ideal tool for study of the music. Forexample, there are some 50 references scattered throughout the book to The Forgotten Rite, one of my favouriteIreland orchestral scores. Following up on these will suggest further avenuesof exploration.

Thebook is priced at £40 which may appear to be expensive. Nonetheless, for anacademic book it is actually very reasonably priced. The reader will becompletely satisfied with the format and presentation of this book. The quality of the paper is excellentalthough the font is just a little bit small. However, this has (probably) allowedmore material to be shoehorned into the number of pages. A striking feature ofthe book is the huge number of photographs, illustrations in the text andmusical illustrations. This is a major gallery of material that will hardly bebettered. Only one drop off: the ‘blurb’ issued by The Boydell Press suggeststhere are only 448 pages - Amazon notes 600: I counted about 568!

Thisbook is essential reading for all enthusiasts of John Ireland’s music inparticular and British Music in general. It is one of a triumvirate of majorscholarly productions about the composer–the other two being Fiona Richards’ importantstudy and Stewart Craggs’ Catalogues.

PersonallyI shall enjoy dipping into this book and using it as a reference tool for manyyears to come.
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this book review first appeared.

Highlights from the European Brass Band Championships: 2011

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000Z

Highlights from theEuropean Brass Band Championships: 2011
DOYEN DOYCD285

This compilation ofworks played at the European Brass Band Championships 2011 in Montreux cannotfail to impress. There is music here for all tastes – from works especiallycomposed for brass forces through to arrangements of well-known favourites byway of a few novelty pieces. Doyen has wisely left audience sounds and applauseon these tracks and this adds greatly to the atmosphere of sheer fun andenjoyment that must have been a huge part of the week’s activities.

There are a number of major brass band works on these discs that deserveattention. The CD gets off to an impressive start with the Swiss composerOliver Waespi’s Audivi Media Nocte which was one of the set-pieces. Itis a complex and invigorating composition that exploits a volatile mixture of‘virtuosity and lyricism, frenetic energy and calm expansiveness’. It’s a workthat will certainly appeal to the brass band cognoscenti.

The twenty-year old Jean-Selim Abdelmoula provides a dramatic Toccatafor Brass Band which once again is perfectly tailored to the medium. It soundsextremely intricate in design and makes a fine test-piece.

The first CD ends with Edward Gregson’s large-scale Of Men and Mountains.Gregson’s website notes that the piece ‘was commissioned by the NetherlandsBrass Band championships for their tenth anniversary contest in Drachten inDecember 1990.’ The notes continue by setting the work in context: ‘In July theprevious year ... [Gregson] and his wife took the Trans-Canadian Railway fromToronto to Vancouver.’ The journey through the Rocky Mountains was the startingpoint for Of Men and Mountains. Gregson writes that: 'its high peaks andshafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, its canyons and ferociousrapids made me understand a little more about the majesty of nature and thefragility of humanity. The eternal struggle between man and nature waspersonified in the building of this incredible railway hence my title (afterBlake).' This is a major piece of work that has staked its claim to a place in the brassband repertoire. Complex, diffuse and often impressionistic it is a worthychallenge to players and listeners alike.

Old Licks Bluesed Up by Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen is a long, multi-facetedpiece lasting some 18 minutes. The composer explores a number of Bach-likefigurations but brings them very much up to date: a good balance between thepast and present. The percussion section is very much to the fore with someespecially good passagework for the vibraphone.

Jan Van Der Roost’s From Ancient Times was apparently inspired bythe Franco-Flemish School of the Renaissance – artists such as Rubens, VanDijck, Breughel and Van Eyck and musicians such as Lassus, Willaert, Ockeghem,Obrecht, Isaac, Dufay and de Monte. However this is not a pastiche of anyhistorical piece: this is dramatic, vibrant music of the first order. Modern itis, with a whole array of brass clichés that are both exciting and technicallyextremely difficult. This is one of the best brass band pieces I have heard fora while.

Turning now to the shorter, but equally effective pieces. I loved SimonDobson’s The Dreaded Groove and Hook. This cool, groovy, up-tempo, acidjazz piece is just what the doctor ordered. It is music that one wishes wouldgo on for ever. Let us hope that we hear much more from this composer. StephenHodel’s Vortex is the most ‘modern’ or ‘avant-garde’ sounding piecepresented these CDs, yet even here there are some beautiful and quite movingmoments of a more traditional nature. If anything, there is a wee bit of animbalance between the stylistic parameters of this work.

I enjoyed Peter Graham’s Brillante with its nods to British patrioticsongs making it a kind of updated brass versions of the ‘sea-songs’. Goodeuphonium solos here too.

There are a number of arrangements of music which are always interesting frompoint of view of hearing brass instrumentation applied to works derived from arange of genres. These include Howard Snell’s take on an old Swiss melody ‘TheOld Chalet’, a rumbustious version of Karl Jenkins; popular Stabat Materand a fantasy of Welsh songs written by Gordon Langford and Gareth Woods. Thispiece certainly swings along with a new twist to some old favourites tunes.

I was not so convinced by the Duo Synthesis who played an arrangement called GankinoHoro and Benediction by John Stevens. This appears to be amarimba/euphonium combo. Although the music sounds good, to my mind this is along way off being a brass band! Other good arrangements include Cole Porter’s‘Be a Clown’, a medieval sounding piece called Agincourt Song by JohnDunstable, and aptly arranged by Elgar Howarth, The Lonely Maid arranged byThomas Rüedi, the nimble Pas Redouble by Saint-Saëns as arranged by acertain Bach – I think Michael and not J.S. or J.C. ‘Es Burebuebli’ GoesStrange is a fun piece of the traditional ‘oompah’ type of tune arranged by‘James’: it would make a great encore at any brass band concert.

Finally the double-CD concludes with a good pot-boiler: ‘Hawkins’ arrangementof the ‘Finale’ to William Tell. Certainly a piece to bring the housedown.

In spite of the excellent music and fine recordings, this CD gives the listenerand the reviewer a number of problems. Firstly there is a lack of dates – forcomposers and for their music. Both are essential for a good understanding ofthe music. I do not believe that it should be necessary to spend much timelooking for details on the Internet which should be part of the liner-notes ortrack-listing. Who, for instance are the arrangers ‘Hawkins’ or ‘James’? Itwould be good to know. Secondly, the designers of the CD package should takenote of the fact that the track-listing is in such a tiny font (black ongrey/pink) that it is hard for anyone with any kind of sight impairment toread. Over and above this Doyen have overprinted photographs with text. My eyesare not that bad, but I needed a magnifying glass. Finally, after listening tothis CD on my ‘hi-fi’ I wanted to import it onto my iPod for further study.However, the details seemed to come up in Japanese! So end of that idea.

All this is a pity, for this is a great compilation of tunes that were given atThe Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux. I will not suggest that I enjoyed everysingle track but on the whole it is an impressive series of performances thatexplore a huge variety of music. It will be essential listening for all brassband enthusiasts.

With thanks to MusicWeb Internationalwhere this review was first published

Neville Cardus on William Walton & British Music

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000Z

I recently found the following comments about William Waltonin the ‘Autobiography’ of Neville Cardus. They are worth posting. In his day,Cardus was regarded as being equally important on the worlds of Music andCricket. (See the extract from Wikipedia below). His thoughts concern the Symphonyin B flat minor completed by Walton in 1935 and the lack of ‘passion’ incontemporary (1946) British music.

‘As proof that I was not, asManchester Guardian [1] men in bulk are said to be, a friend of every countrybut his own I must record here that I welcomed with arms not less open thanthose of my colleagues the advent of an English composition not debilitated andmerely ‘cultured.’ Already in 1931 I had praised Belshazzar's Feast [2] in enthusiastic language: ‘It is certain,’ Iwrote, after the first stupendous performance at Leeds under Malcolm Sargent, ‘thatnowhere on the Continent of Europe at the present time would one be likely to heara composition of more convincing power than Walton's Belshazzar's Feast.’

To my sorrow and no doubt to myloss, the Walton Symphony has not retained for me its power; the vitality I feelhas too quickly hardened into a formula of insistent rhythm and harmonicemphasis, with an obvious disinclination to be easeful, quiet and simple. Butat least Walton composes like a man with something to say, even if he is inlabour while saying it. [3]

The output of his contemporariesis destined before we are much older to go the way of the mightily conceivedtone-poems and choral odes and music dramas of Holbrooke, Bantock, Holst [4]and the rest. If only our Brittens and Tippets and Berkeleys [5] could think ofa single melody that would take possession of the memory, one chord that would onceand for all pierce the musical consciousness. If only they could hurl us,whether we were ready to be hurled or not, into a new work-as Strauss hurledhis contemporaries into Rosenkavalierat one swift attack of the horns, or as Elgar hurled us into the Violin Concerto.Even the admirers of our present-day ‘protégés’ don't pretend they are ever ‘hurled’rather, they are persuaded by taste and fashion to give their cultured ears tothe various ‘Diversions’ and ‘Sinfonias’ and ‘Sinfoniettas’ and the rest. Bythe side of Kodaly's Psalmus Hunqaricuseven the Belshazzar of Walton is theOld Testament in musical Technicolor. I can think of few examples of convincingEnglish music composed in the last dozen years or so.

Neville Cardus Autobiography(1947) p.262 (with minor edits)

Sir JohnFrederick Neville Cardus CBE(3 April 1888 – 28 February 1975) was an English writer and critic, best knownfor his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for TheManchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticismwas subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his criticalcontemporary Ernest Newman. Before becoming a cricket writer, he had been acricket coach at a boys' school. His writing about the game was innovative;turning what had previously been in general a purely factual form into vividdescription and criticism. Wikipedia

[1] Manchester Guardian was founded in 1821. In 1959 the title was changedto The Guardian to reflect ‘its national distribution and news coverage.’ Theoffices were relocated in London.

[2] As noted, the Belshazzar'sFeast was first given at theLeeds Festival on October 8 1931. The work has remained one of Walton's bestloved works and is one of the most popular works in the English choralrepertoire.

[3] Interestingly, there are some 30 recordings of Walton’s First Symphonyin the catalogues. This compares to 12 recordings for the Second Symphony. William Hedley writing in the pages ofMusicWeb International sums up the current critical acceptance that Walton’s Firstis a masterpiece:-

'Theearliest performance is that of the First Symphony, set down in 1951 withWalter Legge as producer. What a work it is! Walton reportedly had troublefinding a way of ending it, and the first performance was given without thefinale. In spite of its somewhat episodic structure, and even a bit ofnote-spinning, I have never subscribed to the view that the finale is ananti-climax. The slow, triple-time opening is wonderfully majestic, and theclose, with its cruelly taxing trumpet solo, is as impressive a symphonicperoration as one will hear anywhere. The third, slow movement is marked to beplayed “with melancholy”, and the second movement scherzo “with malice”! Thisis all wonderful music, but the first movement is the most impressive of all. Aquarter hour of constant development of two short motifs, it seems to have beenconceived in, as it were, a single breath.'

[4]Bantock and Holbrooke have been reappraised in our day, and are not foundwanting. The ‘mightily conceived tone-poems and choral odes and musicdramas’ are beginning to establish themselves in the repertoire – at leastamongst British music enthusiasts. Iwonder which works he is referring to in regard to Gustav Holst?

[5]Nowadays we would not criticise these composers for not ‘hurling’ the listener.However we can possibly see where Cardus was coming from.

1962-2012 – Great British Music reaching their Half-Centenary

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000Z

Theyear 1962 was an impressive one for British music. A number of senior composerssuch as Havergal Brian and Cyril Scott were still producing works ofconsiderable accomplishment. However the new generation were coming to thefore. The Manchester Group of composers, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Daviesand Harrison Birtwistle were flexing their musical muscles. In-between thesetwo poles were a number of more ‘conventional’ composers producing music thatwas challenging but approachable to most concert-goers. These included RichardRodney Bennett, William Mathias, Kenneth Leighton and Daniel Jones.

Well-establishedcomposers such as Arthur Bliss, Lennox Berkeley, Michael Tippett and Alan Bushwere all writing considerable amounts of music.

Readerswill note a number of names that appear to have fallen by the wayside: fewworks by Benjamin Frankel, Iain Hamilton, Elisabeth Lutyens and Wilfred Mellersare heard these days – which is more the pity. I certainly think a ‘Hamilton’revival is long overdue. Fortunately, Richard Arnell has been reappraised- atleast in the world of CDs.

Composerssuch as Gordon Crosse, Thea Musgrave and Robin Holloway are still activelycomposing music.

Many thanks to theEric Gilder and his indispensible Dictionary of Composers and their Music. Ihave simply presented this list in alphabetical (by surname) order rather thatchronological (by composer’s age). Please note that 1962 may be the date thework was composed, completed or received its first performance.

Richard Arnell: Concerto fortwo violins and strings
Richard Rodney Bennett: London Pastoral Fantasy, for tenor andchamber orchestra: Sonata No. 2 for solo violin; Fantasy, for piano
Lennox Berkeley: ‘Batter My Heart’,for soprano, chorus, organ and chamber orchestra; Sonatina for oboe and piano;'Autumn's Legacy', for voice and piano orchestra;
Harrison Birtwistle: Chorales fororchestra (1962-3)
Arthur Bliss: The Beatitudes,cantata
Havergal Brian: The Jolly Miller, comedy overture; Symphony No 20
Alan Bush: The Sugar Reapers, opera; Variations, Nocturne and Finale on anEnglish Sea Song, for piano and orchestra
Gordon Crosse:Concerto da Camera, for violin, wind and percussion; Changes, for soli, chorus and orchestra
Peter Maxwell Davies: First fantasiaon In Nomine of John Taverner, for orchestra; Sinfonia for chamber orchestra;The Lord's Prayer, for SATB unaccompanied; Leopardi Fragments, for voices andinstruments; Four Carols, for SATB unaccompanied
Benjamin Frankel: Symphony No 2;Sonata No 2 for solo violin
Roberto Gerhard: Concert for Eight,for instruments
Walter Goehr: A Little Cantata of Proverbs; Two Choruses for mixed choir acappella
Iain Hamilton: Arias for smallorchestra; Sextet
Alan Hoddinott: Symphony No 2;Variations for flute, clarinet, harp and string quartet; Rebecca, forunaccompanied voices
Robin Holloway: Garden Music, for eight players
Gordon Jacob: News from Newtown, cantata
Daniel Jones: St Peter, oratorio
Wilfred Josephs: The Nottingham Captain, music-theatre;Cello Concerto; Five Fictitious Folk Songs, for woodwind quartet; King of the Coast, musical for children(1962-3)
John Joubert: 'Sweet Content', forunaccompanied chorus; Sinfonietta for orchestra; In Memoriam 1820, fororchestra
Kenneth Leighton: Festive Overture;Missa Sancti Thomae, for chorus and organ
Elisabeth Lutyens: Music forOrchestra II; Five Bagatelles for piano
John McCabe: Concerto Funebre, for viola and chamberorchestra
William Mathias: Sonata for violinand piano; Dance Overture; Invocation and Dance for orchestra; Serenade forsmall orchestra; Partita for organ; AllThy Works Shall Praise Thee, for mixed voices and organ; Variations on ahymn tune for organ
Nicolas Maw: Chamber Music for fiveinstruments Scenes and Arias for voices and instruments
Wilfred Mellers: Trio for flute,cello and piano; Cantilena e ciacone, for viola; Noctambule and Sun-Dance, forwind band
Thea Musgrave: Chamber Concerto No.1;The Phoenix and the Turtle, for smallchorus and orchestra
Andrzej Panufnik: Piano Concerto;Landscape, for string orchestra; AutumnMusic, for orchestra
Alan Rawsthorne: Medieval Diptych,for baritone and orchestra; Divertimento for chamber Cyril Scott: Sinfonietta for strings; Quintet for piano and wind; Piano Trio
Robert Simpson: Symphony No 3
John Tavener: Piano Concerto(1962-3); Three Holy Sonnets, for voice and orchestra
Michael Tippett: Concerto for orchestra (1962-3); Praeludium, for brass, bells andpercussion; Piano Sonata No 2; Songs for Ariel
William Walton: A Song for the LordMayor's Table, song cycle
Hugh Wood: String Quartet No 1; ThreeElegies, for chorus.

2012-01-01T01:30:00.000Z

A Happy and Prosperous New Year

to All Readers of

The Land of Lost Content

Composer Anniversaries for 2012:-

William Vincent Wallace 1812-1865 200th Anniversary of Birth

Frederic Delius 1862-1934 150th Anniversary of Birth

Edward German 1862-1936 150th Anniversary of Birth

Daniel Jones 1912-1993 Centenary of Birth

Samuel Coleridge Taylor 1875-1912 Centenary of Death

John Ireland 1879-1962 50th Anniversary of Death

Some important works that are celebrating significant anniversaries include:-

150 years ago:-

Sir Arthur Sullivan’s The Tempest – incidental music(completed 1861, but first performed at Crystal Palace in 1862)

100 years ago:-

Sir Edward Elgar: The Music Makers for contralto, chorus and orchestra- first performed at, the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival, 1912

Fred. Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, for orchestra -composed 1912, f.p.1913

Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry: Symphonic Fantasia (Symphony No.5)

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Phantasy Quintet for Strings (f.p.1914)

Gustav Holst: Choral Hymns from the Rig-Veda, Group 4

Josef Holbrooke: The Children of Don, opera

Frank Bridge: String Sextet

John Ireland: Greater Love Hath No Man, motet

Arnold Bax: Christmas Eve on the Mountains, for orchestra (revised 1921) Nympholept, for orchestra (orchestrated 1915)

The 50th Anniversary Compositions will feature in a subsequent post.

My Five Discoveries (or Rediscoveries of 2011 (Part 2)

2011-12-30T05:55:00.000Z

This is the second part of my Five Discoveries (or Rediscoveries) of 2011. The Number 2 slot is for a British Symphony that has lain dormant for nearly as long as I have been alive. It is a treasure. And the Number 1 piece is the stunning Piano Quartet No.2 by Charles Villiers Stanford.

Carlo Martelli’s Symphony. Op.4 (1955-56)

Apart from a few pieces of ‘light’ music such as Persiflage and the Jubilee March, I have never heard any significant work by Carlo Martelli. This present Symphony is certainly an eye-opener and is in a totally different league to these more ephemeral pieces – at least from the point of view emotional power, concentration and architecture.

There are four things that need to be said about this excellent Symphony. Firstly, although it may not be the greatest example of the genre from its era, it is a fine, important work that is both challenging and interesting and compares favourably to symphonies by Frankel, Searle and Gardner. Secondly, one needs to bear in mind that the composer was only 19 years old and was still studying at the Royal College of Music. Although there is nothing precocious about this music, it is a superb early work that any composer would and should be immensely proud of. There is much here that is original, in spite of some nods to Shostakovich and other contemporary figures. Thirdly, the quality of the instrumentation shows great skill and imagination – much of the score is unsettling but the use of colour and texture is satisfying. And finally, it is hard to believe that a work which showed such promise has been virtually ignored for over half a century. I know that this has affected many symphonies by British composers from this era, but in Martelli’s case it is especially unfortunate as the work was initially widely fêted and was then subsequently forgotten.

Dutton Epoch CDLX7270

Charles Villiers Stanford Piano Quartet No.2 n C minor, Op.133

The top-line comment for the Piano Quartet No. 2 in C minor, Op. 133 is Wow! We have the Stanford (and many other composers) scholar Jeremy Dibble to thank for editing the manuscript of this work and producing a performing edition. It was given its first modern performance at the Corbridge Festival, Northumberland, in August 2010 by the Gould Trio. The liner notes suggest that the work probably only received a single contemporary performance by members of the Wesseley Quartet and the pianist Johanne Stockmarr at the Bechstein Hall (now the Wigmore Hall) on 14 March 1914. It is almost unbelievable that a work which is so manifestly impressive has been unheard for over ninety years.

The work is a product of Stanford’s time of political involvement with the anti-Home Rule movement in Ireland and of his support for Edward Carson in Ulster. Although there is not a political programme to this music, the seriousness and depth of the argument can be compared to the great Irish Rhapsody No. 4 with its wide emotional sweep from grandeur and boldness to tenderness. That Rhapsody was prefaced by the following lines: - ‘Land of Song!’ said the warrior-bard, ‘Tho’ all the world betrays thee, One sword at least thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee!’ and carries the subtitle The Fisherman of Loch Neagh and what he saw.

The Piano Quartet is written in strong contrasting movements. The opening of the work is simply stunning – two contrasting themes present a balance between a restive mood and one of open-hearted generosity, and, rare for this work, warmth. This is one of the finest ‘first movements’ that I have heard from Stanford’s pen. It has been well summed-up by Jeremy Dibble as being a display of ‘passionate gravity’.

I find the slow movement deeply moving and often troubling. The liner notes point out that this music moves between 3/8 and 5/8 time creating an unsettling mood. There is much here that nods to Irish music, without an actual folk tune being utilised. However there is nothing pastoral or bucolic about this movement, nor is it in any way heart-easing or encouraging.

The ‘scherzo’ is to my mind scary. There is much happening in this movement that pushes the emotional content beyond most of what Stanford has previously written. It is not achieved by dissonance but by rhythm and a sense of propulsion that seems almost inhuman. However the trio section does restore the equilibrium a little.

The last movement, an allegro, which as Jeremy Dibble points out, ‘exudes an air of confidence’ with its large and generously proportioned main theme. This movement is to a certain extent cyclic with references to the slow movement. The most magical part of the work is a reminisce of the opening of the first movement in a moving ‘tranquillo’ shortly before the coda and the positive conclusion.

Whatever one’s political views about the ‘Home-Rule’ movement and Edward Carson’s opposition to it, there is no doubt that it was a time of great stress and worry for all people living in Ireland. It was a period when various private armies began to line up against each other, with tragic result that rolled on into the future. The present Piano Quartet is the Dublin-born Stanford’s expression of the fears, doubts and hopes of many Irishmen, most especially Ulstermen. As such, it is supremely successful: to my mind it is a major masterpiece of the chamber music repertoire.

NAXOS 8.572452
With thanks to MusicWeb International where these reviews were first published.

My Five Discoveries - or Rediscoveries of 2011 (Part 1)

2011-12-28T05:55:00.000Z

2011 has been a good year for British Music. However, as always some pieces stick in the memory more than the rest. I have picked out five pieces that particularly impressed me over the past year. Four of them were works that I had never heard before. One of them being a piece that I have not got round to listening to for many years. I have extracted the comments from my past reviews of these works and have linked to the CD listings on Arkiv or the CD company.

I present them in two posts and in reverse order with my number one 'hit' being last!

Gareth Glynn: The Welsh Incident

The title track of the CD, Welsh Incident is a marvellous piece. When one takes the poetry of Robert Graves, the music of Gareth Glyn, and the voice of the Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce one is guaranteed a successful work of art. In addition there is a virtuosic part for double-bass which is beautifully played by Dominic Seldis. The action of this ‘narration’ takes place in the sea-side town of Criccieth: it concerns the arrival of ‘aliens’ on a local beach. Do not try to read too much into the text: just enjoy the lovely language and the striking imagery that owes not a little to Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood. It is one of my discoveries of 2011!

SAIN SCD2653 2 CDs

Arnold Bax: Morning Song (Maytime in Sussex)

No piece could be in such contrast to Bax's dark and uncompromising Saga Fragment than the Morning Song (Maytime in Sussex). Andrew Burn suggests two key factors leading to the composition of this ‘light’ but satisfying piece of music. Firstly, Bax had taken a weekend break from the London Blitz during 1940. He had headed for the Sussex Downs and stayed at the White Horse Inn at Storrington. He enjoyed the atmosphere of this village so much that he rented a room at the inn on an open-ended basis. In fact it became his main residence for most of the remainder of his life. The second event was his appointment as Master of the King’s Musick. Whether he was an appropriate or satisfactory incumbent of that sinecure is a matter of debate, however it did result in a short piece written to formally celebrate the 21st birthday of Princess Elizabeth. Harriet Cohen made a recording of this work in February 1947 and then publicly performed it at one of Sir Robert Mayer’s children’s concerts. Sir Malcolm Sargent conducted the London Symphony Orchestra. Interestingly enough, neither the recording nor the premiere coincide with the Princess’ birthday which was on 21st April!

Morning Song has been given a wee bit of a hard time by critics, for example M.E.O. writing in the Gramophone has suggested that it ‘has moments of touchingly simple lyricism, but others of aimlessness and clod-hopping as well; it is minor stuff...’

I personally think this is a lovely work. There is a freshness and a transparency about the music that suggests the composer, who was sixty-four at the time, was looking back to a simpler and happier life. This is not a literal depiction of the Sussex landscape so the ‘clod-hopping’ is disingenuous. Neither are there cows in the byre nor lambkins frisking. It is simply the reflection of a middle-aged man considering a fine landscape and a beautiful and intelligent woman who had just reached her (then) majority. It is optimistic, positive and downright gorgeous.

NAXOS 8.572597

David Dubery Cello Sonata (2006)

The masterpiece (in my opinion) on this present CD is the Cello Sonata. This work was originally conceived for double-bass and piano; however that work never came to pass. The Sonata was completed in 2006 and lasts for about eleven minutes. It is in three movements. This is lyrical work, that sits fairly and squarely in the late twentieth century tradition of music that does not challenge the listener with issues of musical language, but certainly makes demands on their emotional engagement. The heart of the work is the deeply-felt ‘lento’ – which is both profound and moving. The composer suggests that this music was inspired by a tramp across the hills above Varenna, near Lake Como in Italy. However all is put to rights in the frenetic ‘energico’: apart from a brief respite, this is all movement and pace. The cello part sounds extremely difficult, with the pianist’s technique is pushed a bit too. The conclusion is ‘bravura’ to say the least. This is an important Cello Sonata that must surely enter the repertoire. There is not a bar of this piece that is not interesting, enjoyable and satisfying.

Metier MSV28523
With thanks to MusicWeb International where these reviews were first published.

Christmas Day Greetings

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000Z

A Very HappyChristmas to all readers of

The Land of LostContent

My offering this yearis the wonderful poem by William Wordsworth, ‘Minstrels.’

The minstrels played their Christmas tune

To-night beneath my cottage-eaves;

While, smitten by a lofty moon,

The encircling laurels, thick with leaves,

Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen,

That overpowered their natural green.

Through hill and valley every breeze

Had sunk to rest with folded wings:

Keen was the air, but could not freeze,

Nor check, the music of the strings;

So stout and hardy were the band

That scraped the chords with strenuous hand.

And who but listened?--till was paid

Respect to every inmate's claim,

The greeting given, the music played

In honour of each household name,

Duly pronounced with lusty call,

And "Merry Christmas" wished to all.

'Minstrels' is from Wordsworth's collection The River Duddon, a Series of Sonnets which were published in 1820. They were dedicated to the poet's younger brother Dr. Christopher Wordsworth. The cycle opens with a dedicatory poem addressed 'To the Rev. Dr.W-' who at the time was Rector of St Mary's Church, Lambeth.

The poem quoted above refers to the annual visit of the Christmas minstrels to the poet's house at Rydal Mount.

The River Duddon is described thus in the collected edition of Wordsworth's Poems:- 'This River Duddon rises upon Wrynose Fell, on the confines of Westmoreland, Cumberland, and Lancashire ; and, having served as a boundary to the two last Counties for the space of about twenty-five miles, enters the Irish Sea, between the Isle of Walney and the Lordship of Millum'. It remains one of the most attractive rivers in the Lake District.

John Carmichael: Sleigh Ride To Thredbo

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000Z

I am delightedthat this small piece has caught the imagination of presenters and listeners atClassic FM. I must admit that when I first heard this tiny tone poem, I imaginedthat it was ‘set’ somewhere in Scandinavia – somehow Thredbo seemed to suggestFinland or Lapland or even a place in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. However the truthis that it is a major ski resort in New South Wales, Australia. On the otherhand, the CD liner notes do point out that the music ‘reflects snow sports and alpine (my italics) scenery as the ridetakes in winter slopes.’ So there is a European as well as an Antipodean feelto this music.

The Sleigh Ride is the last movement of the Thredbo Suite which was originallyconceived for pianoforte. It was composed in 1980. The other two movements are entitled‘Air from the High Mountain’ and a Nocturne. The work was orchestrated byPhilip Lane.

It is quite definitelya miniature -lasting just under two minutes however it is packed full ofinteresting things. The listener should look out for an ‘echoing horn andtrumpet figures’ in the frosty air. Dominy Clement on MusicWeb Internationalhas suggested that the work, ‘while less overtly jingly-jangly (no bells) asthat of Mozart’s dad, provides a fun ride nonetheless – full of descriptivewhoops and whistling.’

As other reviewers have noted itmakes a good foil to Leopold Mozart’s effort from some two centuriespreviously. I have added it to my list of ‘sleigh’ pieces to listen to over theChristmas Season. These include Delius’ Sleigh ride, Leroy Anderson’s similarlyentitled work and Prokofiev’s Troika.

The piece can be heard on NAXOS 8.570331

Gustav Holst: The Coming of Christ –another contemporary review

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000Z

Another review of this superb ‘discovery’ by the English Music Festival and their CD division. This time from the New York Times. The recording can be bought direct from EM Records. I have given a few notes at the end of the review.

Canterbury, England May 28.

The mystery play [1]– that medieval theatrical convention whereby the Church once tried to explain to the unlettered laity the teachings of the Bible and the ritual – was revived today in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral. Three of England’s foremost artists in the fields of poetry, music and stagecraft collaborated to produce a drama which is adaptable to any church which wishes to add colour or beauty to its forms of worship.

John Masefield wrote the play about the Nativity, and gave it the simple title ‘The Coming of Christ.’ Gustav Holst, composer, whose ‘The Planets’ was played in the last New York musical season [2], wrote the organ, pianoforte and trumpet accompaniments. In his music, combined perhaps with Masefield’s words or others, there is one tune which is a real addition to English hymnology. Charles Ricketts, [3] designer of operatic settings, recently elected member of the Royal Academy, designed the costumes. For the setting there was the cathedral itself, unadorned and impressive

Three thousand persons crowded two performances today and 3,000 more have taken tickets for tomorrow. In today’s audiences were many celebrities of the London theatre and arts worlds, including Bernard Shaw, but most onlookers were humble townsmen and townswomen [4] of Canterbury, many of whose kinfolk collaborated with the authors either in sewing costumes, making properties or helping in the choruses.

The play, while given without intervals and consuming only and hour and twenty minutes, naturally falls into four episodes. There were only fourteen characters, including one which the British play censors forbids on the London stage. Anima Christi [5], Masefield labels the character, but clad in white robes and wearing a jewelled crown, it appears as that of the living Christ.

The play opens after the trumpeters’ fanfare, with four angels, The Power, The Sword, The Mercy, The Light, trying to dissuade the Anima Christi from entering man’s form and enduring the suffering they see with prophetic eyes. Anima Christi is resolute. He converses with the spirits of Paul and Peter, coming followers through whom he is confident he can overcome the world.

‘Pass onward into life, O resolute soul!’ bids one angel then, and a heavenly host appears to sing him on his way.

Three Kings [Magi], Baltasar, Melchior and Gaspar, appear, escorted by medieval knights: Baltasar, a warlord, Gaspar, a ruler of commerce and Melchior a leader of science – each conscious of failure unless he can find the King.

Then there is the scene of three shepherds talking by night on a snowy hillside, and in the lines Masefield gave two of them he and the Dean of Canterbury, the Very Rev. K. A. Bell, [6] encountered outspoken Tory criticism before the play was put on. The two shepherds talked ‘radical propaganda the gospel of discontent’ [7] according to the critics and ought not to be allowed to say such things in a cathedral. ‘What would you have had them talk – foot and mouth disease?’ Masefield snapped back at his critics. The Dean of Canterbury soothed the alarmed conservatives, pointing out that the eldest and wisest of the shepherds rebuked the radicals even to the extent of knocking their heads together in the good old British fashion, and that all three knelt together at last before the manger.

The final scene is the adoration of the Madonna and Child by the kings and shepherds.

‘It is the first time a mystery play ever was given in Canterbury Cathedral, though often given in near-by buildings in the middle ages.’ The Dean said. ‘We hope to give others. I look upon mystery plays as a chance to recapture the arts for the service of the church, a chance to offer the gifts of poetry, music, beauty, colour and design, singing and acting, the arts and crafts to worship. Today as well as many centuries ago, mystery plays may present great religious truths to man’s imagination and senses as well as his mind.

New York Times May 29 1928 [with minor edits]

NOTES

[1] Mystery Plays date from the Middle Ages. They usually represented a biblical subject such as Adam and Eve or Noah and the Ark. The language was the vernacular. The Mystery Plays were originally held in churches, but eventually secular locations were used. The texts were often interpolated with ‘apocryphal and satirical’ elements. The plays were later organised into series or cycles, with the best known being the Chester, the York and the the Wakefield Plays. They had by and large disappeared by the beginning of the seventeenth century.

[2] The Planets were first performed in the United States on 29 Dec 1921 simultaneously (nearly) in both Chicago and New York.

[3] Charles De Soussy Rickets, R.A. 1866-1931. Ricketts was an illustrator, a book designer, a publisher, a painter, a sculptor, a stage designer, an author, an art critic, an art advisor, and an art collector. He was truly a polymath.

[4] This part of the review does seem a little patronising to the ‘good folk’ of Canterbury. However, I guess that his meaning is clear. It was not just the great and the good and the professional who contributed to the success of the work.

[5] Anima Christi – literally Soul of Christ. It was forbidden at that time to represent Christ on the stage.

[6] George Kennedy Allen Bell (1883 1958) was an Anglican theologian, Dean of Canterbury, Bishop of Chichester, member of House of Lords and a pioneer of the Ecumenical Movement. He was a man of extraordinary vision, giving his support in 1943 to the pioneering notion of a World Council of Religions that would support the then League of Nations, and unify the world's spiritual traditions around a common set of values. Elected the first moderator of the World Council of Church's Central Committee in 1948, he also served as a President of the WCC from 1954 until his death. During World War II, he placed his own career at risk by condemning the saturation bombing of Germany. He was a strong supporter of the anti-Hitler Confessing Church in Germany, and gave asylum to Jewish and other refugees. Many speculate that he forfeited the Archbishopric of Canterbury for his forthright, but politically unpopular, views on saturation bombing, yet this left him free to walk on the world stage through his leadership within the World Council of Churches. He can properly be considered one of the founders of the ecumenical movement. A man of courage, he did not hesitate to disagree with the prevailing political opinion of his day. (New World Encyclopedia)

[7] It is interesting to see that like today the church had to deal with attacks on its ‘political’ theology and social concerns. One thinks of Gustav Holst’s good friend Conrad Noel, The Red Vicar of Thaxted who flew the Red Flag in his church.

William Mathias & Vaughan William: Piano Concertos

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000Z

William MATHIAS (1934-1992)
Piano Concerto No.1 (1955) Piano Concerto No.2 (1961) Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Fantasy for piano and orchestra (1896-1904)
Mark Bebbington (piano)
Ulster Orchestra/George Vass
SOMM CD246

I first came across Ralph Vaughan Williams ‘Fantasia’ for piano and orchestra whilst carefully studying the 1996 imprint of Michael Kennedy’s invaluable ‘A Catalogue of the Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams.’ It was one of many pieces that were hidden from view and were likely to remain so due to an embargo on works that the composer had withdrawn or laid aside around the end of the Great War. These included The Rape or Prosperine, the Heroic Elegy, the Bucolic Suite and the present Fantasia (Fantasy). They were works that I imagined I would never hear. Fortunately Ursula Vaughan Williams lifted the embargo and in recent years a number of these compositions have been recorded. Each time I have listened to one of these re-discovered pieces I have felt that the musical world has been cheated of a great piece of music for such a long time. This is the case with the present Fantasy. It may not be one of the composer’s masterpieces, but it is certainly a work with which the listener can do business.

This twenty-one minute score was originally begun in October 1896 and was finally completed on February 9 1902. It was subsequently revised in 1904. Since then it has lain in the British Library. This Fantasy (Kennedy refers to Fantasia) is regarded as a ‘student’ piece by critics, however it must be realised that R.V.W. continued study until relatively late in life. His sojourn with Ravel was during 1907/08 when the composer was thirty-five years old! The present work was begun when he was 24 years old and finished when he was 32. So it is hardly a neophyte’s ‘prentice piece.

For many listeners R.V.W. is not normally associated with the pianoforte. To be true he made use of it his Double Concerto and in Fantasia on the Old 104th Psalm Tune. Both of these works have their enthusiasts and have been reappraised in recent years. However, there are only a handful of solo piano works, not a few of which are arrangements of other works or are teaching pieces.

The form of the Fantasy is in one movement of six sections with an overall structure of slow-fast-slow. Without perusing the score it is hard to say how idiomatic the solo part is: how well it fits under the pianist’s hands. However the impression is that it has all the hallmarks of a ‘romantic concerto.’

Many listeners will play ‘spot the influence’. And it is not hard to hear all sorts of things going on in this work. Certainly Brahms and Grieg are never too far from the second section. Rob Barnett at MusicWeb International has identified a mood of orthodox chant: I felt that Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition was recalled. Liszt is amongst the exemplars. However, this is no stitching together of other composer’s music. Vaughan Williams has created a valid work that reflects the times in which it was written and possibly the fact that he had studied with Stanford and latterly Max Bruch. Finally, there are moments when the ‘real’ RVW stands revealed and we hear intimations of Job (is it my imagination?) and the later Symphonies. It is this, more than anything that makes the Fantasy such an important work to have on disc.

William Mathias has been reasonably well-served with recordings. Just a quick glance at the Arkiv catalogue reveals some 77 discs dedicated to, or featuring music by, the composer. However there are a number of critical works missing from these listings. For example I believe that there is no recording of the Concerto for Orchestra, Litanies and the Holiday Overture. The present CD fills in an important gap with the early Piano Concerto No.1 which dates from 1955 and the Second Concerto from some five years later. Lyrita have already presented the Third Concerto on SRCD325.

Dr Rhiannon Mathias has noted that her father ‘always held a fascination’ for the concerto form. Apart from the piano concertos, there are ‘one each for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, horn, organ, harp and harpsichord’ in the composer’s catalogue as well as a couple of early concertos written when in his teens.

The Piano Concerto No.1 seems to me a very confident and well-wrought work for a nineteen year old student at Aberystwyth University, although it is in no way precocious. Apparently, the work seriously impressed Edmund Rubbra, who was the external examiner. The work was premiered in London on 19 May 1957. After a few more performances it was withdrawn.

The concerto is written three well-balanced movements. The Guardian critic of this present CD rightly points out that this work is ‘angular’ in its effect. However this is not the whole story: the slow movement contains ‘nocturnal’ music that is particularly reflective and beautiful. However, much of the concerto does nod to Bartok and Prokofiev although this is presented with many of the fingerprints that were to dominate much of Mathias music over the next thirty-five years. For example, we hear sharp harmonies and syncopated rhythmic figures and the playing of the main themes together rather than separately. The piano part has been described as ‘exhilarating’ and this mood is well reflected in Mark Bebbington’s interpretation of the work. The score for this recording was prepared and edited by Dr Rhiannon Mathias.

From the ‘cool’ opening bars of the Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 13 we are in a different world to the earlier piece. This is a lyrical work that is suffused with poetry. Much of the opening movement is reflective and perhaps even tentative in its exploration of the two main themes. However there are moments of tension and even angst in these pages.

Mathias has added a ‘scherzo’ in all but name. In fact, it is presented as a ‘danse infernale’ which promotes music of ‘ferocious energy’ that utilises ‘brittle and rhythmically alert’ themes and harmonies. This is in complete contrast to the typically gentle first movement.

The ‘lento’ is the heart of the work and has an improvisatory feel to much of the proceedings. That said there is a structure to this movement that references a theme from the first movement, and gradually leads the music to a ‘nobilmente’ climax before a brief link passage leads to the concluding ‘rondo.’ This is Mathias dance-music at its best: from the initial solo piano statement of the main theme to the concluding riot of sound this music impresses. The composer makes use of themes from earlier movements and this gives the ‘rondo’ a sense of unity and purpose.

This is a work that is difficult to tie down for influences: I have detected Malcolm Arnold and Michael Tippett, but the truth is that this is William Mathias’ own unique sound-world at its best. It is hard to see why this concerto is not so much more popular and regularly played.

The work was commissioned by the Welsh Committee of the Arts Council of Great Britain, and was duly given its first performance at the 1961 Llandaff Festival.

It almost goes without saying that Mark Bebbington’s playing is superb throughout the entire disc. Bebbington has done so much for British music in recent years, with his cycles of music by John Ireland and Frank Bridge, the Dale and Hurlstone Sonatas and the Fergusson and Bax piano concertos. In the present disc the playing of these three very different works call for a wide range of interpretation and technical styles. These have been dealt with admirably and suggest a huge sympathy towards, and understanding of, these works.

As usual with SOMM recordings, everything is ‘done decently and in order:’ the sound reproduction is first calls, the cover painting by James Hamilton Hay (1874-1916), the sleeve notes, the background preparation of the scores by Dr Graham Parlett and Dr Rhiannon Mathias. It all adds up to an excellent production.

It seems redundant to say that I recommend this CD! Every R.V.W. enthusiast will demand a copy for the World Premiere Recording of the Fantasy. I guess that fewer listeners will be Mathias fans (however, they ought to be!) but these two works, again premiere recordings, are important additions to the catalogue of British (Welsh) piano concertos. For fans of William Mathias they are essential: for newcomers to his music they are a fine introduction to a great composer who has a style that is largely all his own.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.

John Masefield & Gustav Holst: ‘The Coming of Christ’

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000Z

One of the highlights of British musical endeavour in 2011 has been the recording of Gustav Holst’s incidental music to John Masefield’s play ‘The Coming of Christ’. As the ‘blurb’ for the CD says:-
‘The Coming of Christ, by Gustav Holst, was commissioned in 1927 by the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, George Bell, as a setting of a text by John Masefield, words and music together forming a Mystery Play reminiscent of medieval religious dramas. Although the work received its première the following year to critical acclaim, it was thereafter abandoned – until its resurrection at The English Music Festival in 2010; and it is here presented in recorded form for the first time’.
I found a review, written by Marion M. Scott, of the first performance at Canterbury Cathedral. The first performance was given on 28 May 1928. As Scott notes the Cathedral choir was supplemented by Holst’s pupils from Morley College and St Paul’s Girls’ School. The work was conducted by the composer. I shall post one or two contemporary reviews of this work over the Christmas Season.

One of the most important recent artistic events has been the production in Canterbury Cathedral of John Masefield’s new play, ‘The Coming of Christ,’ with music by Gustav Holst.

Holst’s music consists of seven numbers, and has been written with masterly economy of means and maximum effect. For the opening, plainsong is employed. With the coming of the Kings this changes into a folksong idiom. Their procession is accompanied on a grand pianoforte off the scene. As the play is outside time this is not anachronistic, and serves the purpose of differentiating the secular music of the Kings from that of the Heavenly Hosts in which the organ is employed.
With the plainsong and the folksong elements in his score, Holst has interwoven a third, that of the chorale. A very beautiful Mixolydian [1] melody named ‘Hill-Crest’ (from Masefield’s house) [2] appears at intervals, and forms the climax of the whole work in the last scene, when not only the actors but all the audience join in singing the hymn to full instrumental accompaniment – far above- the pealing of the Cathedral bells. The effect is overwhelming, the more so for the austerity of the earlier numbers. Following it, the Postlude for the solitary trumpeter should be wonderful, but in practice it was an anticlimax.

Yet aesthetically it was only at these points of beginning and end that Holst’s musical design coincided exactly with that of the play. In between the music moved on a steadily ascending plane to the one climax, while the play stood four-square. The difference in design has some advantages, but it induces an ulterior restlessness.
One would like to know the name of the clarion soprano who took the solos in the special choir which Holst brought from London to assist local musicians.
Marion M. Scott The Christian Science Monitor June 23 1928 (with minor edits)
With thanks to Pam Blevins who is currently preparing a volume of Marion Scott’s Musical Criticism

Notes

[1] Mixolydian refers to the modal scale beginning on G of the white notes of the piano. F is not sharpened.
[2] John Masefield at this time lived at Hill-Crest, Boar’s Hill, Oxford.

Philip Lane: Three Christmas Pictures

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000Z

Philip Lane’s charming Three Christmas Pictures is my seasonal discovery (so far) of 2011. I have had the Marco Polo CD in my collection for a wee while, but only recently got round to listening to it. This work is a little gem.

There are three contrasting movements: - ‘Sleigh bell Serenade’, ‘Starlight Lullaby’ and ‘Christmas Eve Waltz’. The first movement would seem to be the most popular – in fact Naxos claim that is has been performed all over Britain, and on every inhabited continent. Perhaps someone has even got this track loaded on their iPod in the Antarctic!
It was first recorded in Australia in 1986. It was first performed by Ron Goodwin and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra during Christmas 1981. A number of years later words were added to produce a choral version. The work is scored for full orchestra with a vast array of percussion – including Chinese blocks, whip, tubular bells and the inevitable sleigh bells. The entire piece lasts for about 10 minutes.

The opening movement takes it place alongside Fred. Delius’ Sleigh Ride, Prokofiev’s Troika and Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. It is a perfect evocation of a journey we would all like to make –on an evening through the forests when the snow was deep and crisp and even.
The second movement, the Starlight Lullaby is a truly beautiful miniature. This music conjures images of both the baby Jesus and excited children desperately trying to get off to sleep on Christmas Eve before Santa Claus makes his special deliveries! In spite of the nod to Henry Mancini’s Moon River, this is a well worked out piece of music that deserves to be heard alongside the more famous first movement.
The final impression is the lovely Christmas Eve Waltz. I guess this evokes a time and a place long gone – if it ever really existed except in the mind of Charles Dickens. However this particular waltz is probably from the 1950’s. It is a perfect pastiche of the light music genre – and that is not a criticism.

It would be nice of Classic FM picked up on this piece for their Christmas playlists. It certainly takes its place amongst the other seasonal pieces that I mentioned above. It would also be good for organiser of Carol Concerts to include this work as a purely orchestral item to balance the singing.
The Three Christmas Pictures are available on Marco Polo 8.225185 alongside other pieces by the composer.

Frederick Delius: A Delius Collection of Rare Historic Recordings

2011-12-10T06:00:00.001Z

Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934)

A Delius Collection of Rare HistoricRecordings

Performersinclude Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Eugène Goossens, Constant Lambert, IsobelBaillie & Heddle Nash.

FullTrack List at end of Review

Recorded: 1929-55

DANACORDDACOCD717

ThisCD presents an excellent range of rare historic recordings of Frederick Delius’music played by a diverse range of conductors, orchestras and performers. I hold my hand up and admit that I am not abig fan of ‘historical’ CDs, preferring something newly minted withnear-perfect sound quality. However, I do recognise the importance of retainingearlier performances in the catalogue for reference purposes. And very oftenone of these ‘blasts for the past’ can hit the spot. Several pieces in thiscompilation meet this expectation.

Thefirst thing to notice about this collection is that Sir Thomas Beecham is not represented.To be fair, many of that conductor’s recordings of Fred. Delius are easilyavailable on Naxos, Somm and elsewhere. For example, there are at least half adozen currently available recordings of Beecham conducting On hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring. So it is good to exploreother artists’ work which languishes inthe archives.

Thereis a great diversity of music on this CD varying from such well-known numbersas La Calinda, A Song of Summer and the above mentioned First Cuckoo. But this is only part of the the programme. There aresome relative rarities here too. For example the songs ‘The Violet’ and ‘Sweet Weevil’with the soprano Joan Stuart and the pianist Gordon Watson are not a regularfeature of CDs or recitals. Evlyn Howard-Jones who was Delius’s favourite interpreterof his Piano Concerto plays an excellent version of the rarely heard ThreePreludes for piano. This recording is the oldest on this CD dating from 1929. Equallyunusual is the Légende for violin andpiano performed by by the Danish violinist Henry Holst accompanied by GeraldMoore in 1942. It was the first recording of this piece.

Iam not too sure how satisfying Maggie Teyte’s rendition of ‘Indian Love Song’or Isobel Baillie singing ‘Love’s Philosophy’ will be to modern ears. However,one has to allow for changes in style of singing English song and thelimitations of the recordings. However I was impressed by Heddle Nash’s renditionof ‘To the Queen of my Heart’ dating from 1934. Anthony Pini and Wilfred Parrypresent an interesting version of the rarely heard ‘Caprice and Elegy’. Thiswas another of Fenby’s collaborations with the composer and was written for theEnglish cellist Beatrice Harrison. It is a work that is perhaps a little darkerthan the usual Delius fare.

Thebig orchestral pieces include a particularly beautiful version of The Walk to the Paradise Gardens withEugene Goossens conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra dating from 1946.It is one of the best I have ever heard. Anthony Collins’ reading of On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring isan old favourite: I guess it is the same version as used on the old DeccaEclipse LP. This was my first introduction to Delius and remains for me adefinitive performance. The Hallé under Sir John Barbirolli give a landmark performanceof A Song of Summer. This piece whichwas completed with the aid of Eric Fenby was inspired by memories of theYorkshire coast. It is a near-perfect account of this impressionistic work.Equally attractive are the Two Aquarelleswhich are deliciously sensuous arrangements for string orchestra of the part-songs‘To be sung of a summer night’. Thefirst, in particular, is one of the most moving pieces that the composer wrote.

Theopening piece on this CD is Constant Lambert and the Hallé Orchestra with awartime recording of La Calinda. Itis a pleasure and a joy to hear.

FinallyI was not convinced by Sidney Beer’s reading of the Irmelin Prelude with the National Symphony Orchestra. For me it isa little to sharply focussed and hard-edged.

Thepresentation of this CD is excellent, the liner notes are first-rate and thequality of the sound, bearing in mind the limitations of historical recordingsis very good indeed.

Thisis an outstanding disc that will be an important and essential addition to allDelius cognoscenti. Whatever’s one’s thoughts are about ‘historical recordings’this is a valuable document reflecting a number of fine artists.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published

FullTrack List

LaCalinda [3:29]

HalléOrchestra/Constant Lambert

Recorded30 July 1941: HMV C3273

IrmelinPrelude [5:03]

NationalSymphony Orchestra/Sidney Beer

8June 1944: Decca K1834

Caprice& Elegy [6:43]

AnthonyPini, cello - Wilfrid Parry, piano

1955:Argo RG47

Airand Dance [4:33]

TheBoyd Neel String Orchestra

20October 1938: Decca X147

TheViolet [2:32]

JoanStuart, soprano - Gordon Watson, piano

1955:Argo RG46

SweetVenevil [2:54]

JoanStuart, soprano - Gordon Watson, piano

1955:Argo RG46

Onhearing the first Cuckoo in Spring [6:18]

LondonSymphony Orchestra/Anthony Collins

23& 25 February 1953: Decca LXT2788

IndianLove Song [3:12]

MaggieTeyte, soprano - Rita Mackay, piano

DeccaLXT6126

Tothe Queen of my Heart [3:07]

HeddleNash, tenor - Gerald Moore, piano

7December 1934: Columbia SDX7

Love'sphilosophy [1:48]

IsobelBaillie, soprano - Gerald Moore, piano

31May 1945: Columbia DB2178

TwoAquarelles (arr. Fenby) [3:49]

HalléOrchestra/Sir John Barbirolli

1April 1948: HMV C3864

ThreePreludes for piano [3:34]

EvlynHoward-Jones, piano

4April 1929: Columbia 5444

TheWalk to the Paradise Garden [9:23]

[AVillage Romeo and Juliet (arr. Beecham)]

CincinnatiSymphony Orchestra/Eugène Goossens

14February 1946: RCA Victor 11-9493

Légendefor violin & piano [8:40]

HenryHolst, violin - Gerald Moore, piano

7August 1942: Columbia DX1094

ASong of Summer [11:02]

HalléOrchestra/Sir John Barbirolli

2February 1950: HMV DB9609/70

A Memory of Parry as a Lecturer: Gustav Holst

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000Z

Just a very short post today. I found this anecdote by Gustav Theodore Holst about Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry in an old copy of the Music Student. I think that is it entirely self-explanatory and needs no commentary save to say that Holst studied composition under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. Parry had died on 7 October 1918.

A MEMORY OF PARRY AS A LECTURER

By G, T. HOLST.

My first impression of Sir Hubert Parry, on meeting him in 1892, was that at last I had met a great man who did not terrify me. It was my first term at the Royal College of Music, and I think all raw students, like myself, must have felt grateful for his unfailing geniality and sympathy. Unfortunately, some had not the opportunity of realising what lay beneath.

An insight into this was accorded me at the first of his lectures on musical history. He began it in quite an ordinary way. He gave names and dates and events, and I settled down to listen to the sort of lecture I had often heard before, only this time, far better done.

Then he looked up from his notes, and said:

‘I suppose you all know what was going on in Europe at that time?’ He then stood up and while walking about, he gave us, so it seemed to me, a Vision rather than a lecture- a Vision of people struggling to express themselves in ‘war, in commerce, in art, in life: a Vision of the unity that lay under these various forms of human effort: a Vision of the unity of a certain century with those that preceded and followed it: a Vision that I learnt from that moment to call History.

The Music Student November 1918.

Ignaz Moscheles: The Recollections of Ireland for Piano

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000Z

Afew days ago I published a post about Ignaz Moscheles: The Recollections ofIreland for Piano. I held my hand up and admitted that the composer was notBritish. However he did spend a considerable part of his composing and playingcareer on these shores. The subjoined review is from The Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review from Oct 1826. I make no apologiesfor including this discussion of the Recollections. For one thin it shows how differentis the approach to musical criticism between our own day and that of 185 yearsago. Nowadays the work would either be described in two dozen words orsubjected to a Schenkerian analysis that would mystify most readers and borethe remainder. I am not suggesting that we return to prosy description of ourmusic like our Georgian forbears. However there must surely be some lessons tobe learnt.

Certainlythe work has borne up to the passing of the years. It is still an impressivepieces that commands our interest and attention.

The Recollectionsof Ireland, a Grand Fantasia on ‘The Groves of Blarney’, ‘Garry Owen’, and StPatrick’s Day for pianoforte, with orchestral accompaniments by I Moscheles.Cramer, Addison and Beale and S. Chappell

Thislesson was composed by Mr. Moscheles for his own performance, at his ownconcert, last season, where we had the pleasure of hearing it, at a time whenthe composer was stimulated alike by the occasion, and the natural ardour ofgenius in the prosecution of its own creations, to give it the greatestpossible effect, and when it flowed from under his hand with a smoothness,brilliancy, and mastery of art that called forth the undivided and enthusiasticapplause of a crowded audience.

Tous, memory still throws her charms around ‘Recollections of Ireland’, but tomost of our readers this satisfaction is denied, and we must therefore, howeverreluctantly, yield to her power only so much as to bear in mind the effect ofwhich the lesson is capable, while we turn to its closer perusal. Althoughwritten for a similar occasion to that which called forth ‘The Fall of Paris’,the two lessons are so essentially different in almost every point, that theydo not come within the limits of comparison. The latter was written at a timewhen Mr. M.’s talents as a performer were but new to an English public, andwhen as a composer he was totally unknown, and his object was to show his powerin both ways. When the Recollections are composed, he writes in the fullconfidence of an established reputation, for numerous pupils whom he hashimself qualified to appreciate his style, and for a public, who by frequentopportunities of hearing his performance, are prepared to receive hisproductions with the approbation they deserve.

Theseare the principal points of difference, yet when all is considered we should beinclined to rank The Recollections of Ireland’ higher as a composition, and inits own particular style, than ‘The Fall of Paris’ on the ground that is drawsits effects from more natural sources, and is written more with a view ofpleasing than astonishing – in fact, that Mr. Moscheles is here seen more inthe light of a composer, whereas in the former instance he was to be regardedrather in character of an artist.

Theintroduction can only be considered as a field for the powers of execution, butthis execution perhaps, generally below the present standard of difficulty, ismore chastened, and freer from that straining after effect than is usual, evenwith Mr. M.

Thechoice of airs is very happy- they are popular, good in themselves, and affordgreat room for contrast. The first, now best known under the name of ‘The LastRose of Summer’ is arranged with the delicacy of taste and truth of feelingthat bespeaks the refined artist.

Thekey of F major, at the conclusion of this air, changes to a movement, sombre inits modulation, in the key of D flat major. There s a degree of samenesspervading the next four pages, which consist principally of difficultarpeggios, dependent on harmony for effect. The composer however soon showsboth the power of contrast and his knowledge of effects. The lively air of‘Garry Owen’ steals upon us by degrees, till at length, after a gradual changethrough B sharp, to the brilliant key of B flat major, this exhilarating melodybursts forth, aided in its sudden appearance by the truly characteristic styleof its arrangement. Here we conceive Mr. Moscheles to be more in his elementthan when treating the first air; his genius is of that buoyant sparking, andenergetic kind, the selects either the most gay and joyous themes to work upon,or seizes on the strongest and most vehement expression of passion, but whichrests not with the same felicity on subjects of a middle class, the simplypathetic, or moderately brilliant. The present air is carried through six pagesof shewy, but light and close execution – that is to say, there are none ofthose immoderate and unmeaning skips which do little beyond astonishing at theinstant. ‘St Patrick’s Day’ is treated in the same manner without monotony fortwo pages, when for the next two it is combined with ‘Garry Owen,’ and thenfollows a short andante in ¾ time, of a most singular and ingeniousconstruction. The object here aimed at is the combination of the three airs, sothat each may be distinctly recognized, and yet all so blended together as toform an agreeable and not incongruous whole.

Thedifficulty of the task will be readily acknowledged, but Mr. Moscheles hassucceeded admirably. The combination of airs in this manner is not new, but itis by no means a common practice, and the means by which it is so wellaccomplished in the present instance are so simple, that although it generallyrequires a practiced ear to trace such combinations, almost the mostuncultivated, may follow this.

Theairs being transferred alternately to the two hands. The greatest difficulty ofthis portion of the lesson, however, lies in its performance, in the skill withwhich each air is made to blend with the others, and yet to bear its propercharacter, without obtruding too much on the notice of the hearer, and bearing down its companions. Theconcluding tow pages are in 6/8 time, spirited and brilliant.

Wehave no other comments to offer on ‘Recollections of Ireland.’ To those whohave seen it, or who had the good fortune to hear it performed by the author,no recommendation will be needed, and to those who have not, we trust we havealready said to raise their curiosity. One more remark we must make, which is,that Mr. Moscheles’ style appears by this specimen to have lost none of itsoriginal brilliancy, but to have gained in solidity and strength ofconstruction by the curtailment of the superfluity of ornament which has markedmany of his pieces, and which may be compared to a plant overloaded withflowers, whose strength is permanently wasted, though its temporary beauty isincreased.

Dan Godfrey Encores on Dutton Epoch

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000Z

Dan Godfrey Encores

Ferdinand Hérold (1791-1833) Overture: Zampa (1831) Byron Brooke(1898-1983) Gee Whizz! (1931) Percy Whitlock (1903-1946) Carillon fororgan & orchestra (1932)

Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) Overture: The Boatswain’s Mate (1914) Howard FlynnClatter of the Clogs: A Novelty Fox-Trot (1930) Sir Landon Ronald(1873-1938) In an Eastern Garden (No.2 from TheGarden of Allah) (1920) CecilArmstrong Gibbs (1889-1960)The Betrothal Ballet Music, Op.34 (1921) MontagueBirch (1884-1947) Dance ofthe Nymphs (c.1923) Ina Boyle (1889-1967) The Magic Harp(1919)

Ludwig Pleier Karlsbad’sDoll’s Dance (Karlsboder Puppentanz) Characteristic Piece (1903) Rutland Boughton(1878-1960) The Immortal Hour- Love Duet for orchestra (1913 arr.1924) Montague Birch(1884-1947) Intermezzo (Pizzicati) (1913) CecilWhite A Sierra Melody (1931) BournemouthSymphony Orchestra/Ronald Corp

DuttonEpoch CDLX 7276

Oneof the great frustrations of reading Stephen Lloyd’s masterly monograph Sir Dan Godfrey: Champion of Britishcomposers (Thames Publishing 1995) are the listings of music that wasplayed at Bournemouth that has now been largely lost to the listener. As arandom example, page 81 elucidates that the following works were performedduring the 1906-07 season:- Nicolas Gatty’s Prelude, Ernest Halsey’s Suite de Ballet, Landon Ronald’s Birthday Overture, Richard Walthew’s Three Night Scenes, Arthur Hervey’s Dramatic Overture and a May Festival Overture by Arthur Wight. Two things stand out here; firstly the worksare totally forgotten, but secondly, so are many of the composers.

DanGodfrey largely created what might be termed the ‘Bournemouth Problem.’ Hisenthusiasm for British music caused him to encourage a massive range ofcomposing talents. His programmes are full of music by up and coming composers,one hit wonders and established talent. Most likely there were a few ‘has beens’as well. However relatively few pieces ‘stuck’ in the repertoire and I guessmost of these ‘novelties’ after a couple of performances have been put to oneside and quietly lost. And, unfortunately that often included the score andparts as well. Stephen Lloyd’s listings are a fantasy- largely works that willnot and perhaps more disturbingly, cannot be recovered.

DuttonEpoch have gone some little way towards addressing the ‘Bournemouth Problem’ inthis latest disc of Dan Godfrey Encores.Here is a collection of fine pieces that will entertain, fascinate andoccasionally move the listener. It acts as a taster of what has been lost.

Thisis definitely not a CD to listen to in a half-hearted manner. In spite of the‘frothy’ nature of some of these ‘encores’ they are all to be savoured andenjoyed. They may not shake the foundations of musical endeavour, but they areall good and worthy of their composers: they demand our interest.

Thefirst work on the CD is not British, but from across the Channel in Paris. Ifirst came across Zampa in a volumeof piano reductions of operatic overtures. It has fascinated me ever since.With the opera’s almost Gilbertian plot of a nobleman turned pirate, it is fullof good tunes, and exciting orchestral pyrotechnics.

ByronBrooke is represented by Gee Whizz! whichis a little cracker, complete with its tricky part for solo xylophone. It musthave brought the house down.

Mostpeople will have come across the music of Percy Whitlock, most likely his ‘FolkTune’ or Toccata from the masterly PlymouthSuite for organ. However Whitlock, who had a long association with Bournemouth,wrote much music in a variety of genres- some of it being decidedly high-quality‘light’ music including a Bucket &Spade Polka. The present Carillonfor Organ is an example of his more thoughtful writing. The music here isinvolved and although a touch ‘retro’ in its style is internally consistent andin spite of a little Delius-like slippery harmonies is beholden to no one. Thisis great music that is reflective, often moving and is well-wrought. Itdeserves to be welcomed to the repertoire.

DameEthel Smyth is probably better known for her opera (and overture) The Wreckers, than for The Boatswain’s Mate which is a one-actopera dating from 1914. This was a comic opera based on a retired boatswain’sattempt to persuade a widowed pub landlady to marry him. The music in theoverture is actually quite dark in places – more than the plot would seem todemand. Yet it is a well written piece- let us hope that one day the entireopera is recorded.

HowardsFlynn’s Clatter of the Clogs: ANovelty Fox-Trot is quite simply a pure joy to listen to. Would that there weredozens more pieces of music like this!

SirLandon Ronald is a composer that I would like to know more about. Works entitledA Birthday Overture, Britannia’s Realm and A Winter’s Night all excite interest. The present piece, ‘In anEastern Garden’ is the second number from the incidental music to the play The Garden of Allah by Robert Hitchensand Mary Anderson. It is a lovely evocation of peace and reflection with thesolo violin well to the fore.

CecilArmstrong Gibbs’ The Betrothal Balletmusic is a little bit of an enigma to me. It is great music, and deserves to berecorded. However, I cannot for the life of me see what made this a ‘popular’encore. This is quite serious music thatreflects a second rate ‘fairy’ play by Maurice Maeterlinck. It is music to besavoured and in many ways is not typical of the composer as we have come toregard him. Look out for the ravishing waltz theme: it beats Richard Strauss’Rosenkavalier! It is great to have this piece of music included here andsuitably divorced from a long-forgotten play where it spent most of its timesupporting dialogue. Forget any plot: just enjoy this deliciously romanticmusic.

Montague Birch has two calls on this CD – firstly the characteristic Dance of the Nymphs with its ‘will o’the wisp’ mood created by celesta and strings. The Intermezzo (pizzicato) isone of those pieces that one feels that one knows. Yet I guess I have neverheard this before. It is a finely crafted piece of music that hovers on thecusp between ‘light’ and ‘just a touch serious’ music.

TheIrish composer Ina Boyle was a pupil of Ralph Vaughan Williams and this isreflected in her stunningly beautiful TheMagic Harp. This work received a Carnegie Award in 1919 and was taken up byDan Godfrey. It proudly stands alongside Stanford’s Irish Rhapsodies and Hamilton Harty’s With the Wild Geese, for evoking the mood of the Emerald Isle. Thisis a magical piece that archives its success by eschewing sentimentality of theMoore’s Irish Melodies but manages to create a mood that evokes history, mythand landscape. It is a masterpiece. Let us hope that her Symphonies and ViolinConcerto are forthcoming.

TheGerman Ludwig Pleier Karlsbad’s Doll’s Dance is a lovely piece of whimsy thatuses ‘strings played with [goose] quills to give the magical pizzicato effect.

RutlandBoughton is probably best recalled for his important opera, the Celtic fairyplay The Immortal Hour. However thiswas one small part of a massive catalogue of the composer who saw himself as beingthe English Wagner and forming an English Bayreuth at Glastonbury. The operas typicallyexplored British mythology and included titles such as Avalon & Galahad, The RoundTable and The Birth of Arthur.The present piece is the ‘Love Duet’ from act one of The Immortal Hour arranged by the composer for orchestra. It is aromantic piece that exceeds all expectations. This is beautiful music that isboth inspiring and moving. It is good that Dutton Epoch have already recordedthe opera The Queen of Cornwall. Forpeople who are not opera buffs the Third Symphony is a great place to beginexploring Rutland Boughton’s music.

Thefinal piece on this CD is A Sierra Melodywhich has been realised by Malcolm Riley. This miniature gives great solopassages to the cellist and trumpet player. Again it is hard to define this as‘light’ music – it is just totally pleasant and absorbing. A ‘sierra’ isSpanish for a range of mountains- so look out for a touch of Iberian colouring.

Thisis an excellent CD. Naturally, one would wish it to be Volume 1 of umpteen! Theplaying by the ‘home’ orchestra and Ronald Corp is brilliant with an obviousenthusiasm for these ‘lost’ or misplaced works. Unsurprisingly, Stephen Lloydhas provided the exceptional and comprehensive liner notes giving considerabledetails about the pieces and their composers. And the cover is evocative of a time when mostseaside resorts had their resident orchestras. Heigh ho!

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published

The Complete Delius Songbook Volume 1

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000Z

Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
SevenSongs from the Norwegian RT V/9 (1889-1890) Four Old English Lyrics RT V/30(c.1915) Eleven Early Norwegian Songs: ‘Over the mountain high’ RT V/2(undated, Pub.1974) & ‘Mountain life’ RT V/6 (1888) ‘They are not long, theweeping and the laughter’ RT II/5 (1906) Two Songs for Children- ‘Little birdie’RT V/29 (1913) Songs to Words by Various Poets – ‘The Nightingale has a lyre ofgold’ RT V/25 (1910) & ‘I-Brasil’ RT V/28 (1913) [English] Four PosthumousSongs – ‘In the Forest’ RT V/10 (1890/91) & ‘I once had a newly cut willowpipe’ RT V/14 (c.1892/93) [from the Norwegian] Three Songs, the Words byShelley RT V/12 (1891) Five Songs from the Norwegian RT V/5 (c.1888)
MarkStone (Baritone) Stephen Barlow (piano)
Stone Records 5060192780062

A.K. Holland hit the nail on the head when he wrote (1952)that ‘in the ultimate assessment of Delius’s art it is conceivable that hissongs will occupy a somewhat minor place.’ Certainly when set beside the well-known orchestral works such as Brigg Fair, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and In a Summer Garden or his great choral works such as the Mass of Life and Sea Drift, they will nevercommand a deal of attention. Delius’situation is not in the same category as John Ireland or Benjamin Britten wherethe ‘lieder’ make up a vital and integral part of their musical achievements,irrespective of what other fine works they produced.

Yet there is a danger that in accepting the largely incidentalnature of Delius’ songs to his corpus of music, we cast them aside asundeserving and trivial. Nothing could be more mistaken or wrong-headed. Theymay not define the composer’s career, but they are worthy and enjoyableexamples of the genre which both entertain and move.

Ihave had a quick check of these songs against Robert Threlfall’s (RT) catalogueand also the Mary Christison Huismann Guideto Research and conclude that there seem to be about 61 songs currentlylisted. The present CD has recorded some 27: the remainder will be issued on asubsequent release.

Any consideration of this excellent new Delius CD willinvolve the listener taking a view about the use of English throughout. I am atraditionalist at heart and consider that if a song, opera or oratorio iswritten in a particular language, then that is how it ought to be heard. Thereare times when I do get off my ‘high-horse’ – for example, with some of theexcellent performances at the Coliseum with English National Opera. The problem arises with a number of the songsrecorded here: the beautiful ‘Funf Lieder’ and the ‘Sieben Lieder’ both ‘fromthe Norwegian’ which Delius originally set in German! The purist (or thepedant) would argue that they must therefore be sung in German. However as theyhad already been translated (Norwegian to German), then another translation(German to English) does not do too much harm to the artistic integrity of themusic.

Thearguments in favour of English inthis particular case are twofold. Firstly, it allows the listener to easierapproach and understand some fine songs that are not well-known to the generalrecital-going or gramophone-listening public. The second argument is moreconvincing: the scores of these songs typically have the English translationwritten above/beneath the German text. So the editor and the publisher, if notthe composer, must have imagined performances of these songs in English as wellas in German and, much less likely, Norwegian.

Theredoes not appear to be a chronological format to the track-listing on this CD,however the order chosen makes for an attractive programme.

Therecital opens with the lovely Seven Songs from the Norwegian which werecomposed in 1889-1890. Delius had beenimpressed by the literature he had read whilst visiting Grieg in Norway. Infact, the Norwegian composer had set six of these seven texts (‘Young Venevil’was the exception.) These (Delius’) are songs that are straightforward and oftenemploy a simple diatonic or modal tune with a more chromatic accompaniment. Interestingly, six of the present translationsof these poems were made by Peter Pears. They make good introduction to any explorationof Delius’ songs.

Thelatest group of songs in this recital are the Four Old English Lyrics. The liner notes point out that Englishpoetry makes up a ‘disappointing eleven items in Delius’ song catalogues’ (notincluding the Maud settings andHenley’s Late Lark.) The present four songs were composed duringthe Great War after the composer had been forced to return to England. At thistime many English composers had been seduced by Elizabethan music ‘and weretrying to catch its spirit, sometimes with pseudo-Tudor and modalsophistications.’ Perhaps the best known exponent of this style was Delius’friend Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock) who was a composer and an editor of Elizabethan musical material. However Delius doesnot attempt to use the prevailing retro ‘song fashion.’ These four numbers,‘Spring, the sweet Spring’, ‘To Daffodils’, ‘So white, so soft, so sweet isshe’ and ‘It was a lover and his lass’ are written in a complex ‘Euro’ stylethat reflects considerable chromaticism and an involved and sometimes awkwardmelody.

Interestingly,there are only two of the ‘Four Posthumous Songs’ recorded on this CD. I hopethat other two will appear on a future CD. However, both ‘In the Forest’ and ‘Ionce had a newly cut willow pipe’ are derived from Norwegian texts: the othertwo are from the German. The liner notessuggest that these are the latest, (1891-1901) of the Norwegian songs, in spiteof their relative simplicity. I find these songs a little edgy to listen to:they are both introspective and despairing in their tone.

Ido wonder why only one of the Two Songsfor Children was included on this CD. According to the catalogues thesewere originally conceived for unison or two-part chorus with pianoforteaccompaniment. They were composed in 1913 for use in American schools. Bothsongs were to texts by Tennyson: ‘What does the little birdie say?’ and ‘TheStreamlet’s Slumber Song’. The first song is quite charming and has a number of‘Delian’ fingerprints in the accompaniment. Could they not have squeezed theother one in?

Imust admit to enjoying the Three Songs,the words by Shelley (1891) in spite of their critical failings. TrevorHold has pointed out that the composer wrote these ‘in the only Englishtradition that he was aware of, the drawing room ballad.’ He then outlinestheir defects, including ‘hackneyed figurations and harmonies’ in the pianopart, ‘sentimentality of conception in which emotions are falsified and sent melodramatically‘over the top...’’ These are amongst the earliest published songs by thecomposer. Yet they are, to my ear at least, good examples of the ballad genreand deserve to be given an occasional airing.

Anumber of other songs recorded here include two of the Eleven Early Songs which were published in 1974 as ‘songs hithertouncollected’ -‘Over the mountain high’ and ‘Mountain life’. One of the songsfrom the composer’s Songs of Sunsetwhich was originally scored for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestrais also presented with piano accompaniment. This version of the song derivesfrom a manuscript sketch prepared before the choral work was composed. Finally,Henley’s ‘The Nightingale has a lyre of gold’ and Fiona McLeod’s ‘I-Brasil’which explores the idea of the legendary island off the West coast of Irelandare included. ‘I-Brasil’ is one of my favourite Delius’ songs: it manages tonod towards a Scottish folk-song style without adopting any kind of obvious‘tartanry.’

TheCD concludes with Five Songs from theNorwegian. These are amongst the earliest of the Scandinavian settings,being composed in 1888 and are dedicated to Nina Grieg. In comparison to theslightly later Shelley songs, these five lyrics are a near perfect balancebetween text, melody and accompaniment. The difference could not be morestriking. The first song, the ‘Slumber Song’, is surely faultless. The entireset is possibly the most moving sequence in this recital.

TheCD is well-presented with an excellent performance by Mark Stone and StephenBarlow. The liner notes are extremely helpful and contain the texts of all thesongs preceded by a good introduction to the composer’s life and work. Detailedremarks explain some of the often convoluted translation and publicationhistory of these songs. My onlyconcern is the uniformity of ‘voice’: I would have liked an edition that madeuse of soprano, alto, tenor and bass, where appropriate. Much as I have enjoyedMark Stone’s attractive and well-rounded renditions of these songs, I wouldhave preferred a little variety such as Hyperion provided in the Frank Bridgeand John Ireland cycles.

ThisCD is an essential purchase for all enthusiasts of Fred. Delius in particularand English ‘lieder’ in general. It has been argued that Delius’ songs are notas ‘good’ as RVW, Warlock or other English composers. However, any hearing ofthis disc must encourage the listener to explore this ‘lost’ or ‘forgotten’aspect of the composer’s life and works. The last word can go to A.K Hollandwho wrote that ‘measure for measure… [these songs] yield a fruitful reward tothe singer of intelligence and imagination as the work of a master who hasacres to till but does not disdain to cultivate his flower-garden.’ For‘singer’ in this assessment we can substitute ‘listener’.

Thepresent CD is a fine introduction to these songs and I look forward to thesubsequent volume.

Frank Tapp Overture: Metropolis

2011-11-28T06:00:00.006Z

I recently posted about Frank Tapp’s second prize-winning work in the Daily Telegraph ‘overture writing competition.’ I found the programme notes that were included in the BBC Promenade Concert where the work was given its first performance. The work is not available on CD (or record) but one lives in hope. Certainly it ‘sounds’ as it may be an interesting work, bearing in mind that contemporary critical commentary suggested that Tapp’s music tended to sound like Elgar. Perhaps we have another Cockaigne Overture on our hands? And there is a little more on Tapp still to come!

‘Metropolis’ is obviously inspired by the life of such a city as London and the opening, with its hint of St Martin’s bell, suggests early morning and the city’s awakening. After the first introduction, four horns with a declamatory entry foreshadow the main theme, and after working up to ‘forte’ and again dropping to pianissimo, the music grows in strength and speed to reach the main theme itself, allegro moderato. The upper strings have it first, a clear-cut, decisive theme in which the hearer will notice a characteristic drop of a fourth. Full of vitality, the movement carries on without a break in the same rhythm, until an espressivo episode is reached, quieter and more thoughtful. It leads to the second subject, begun meno mosso by the oboe; a quite definite second section of this subject follows, rising to a moderate climax, and then, in allegro the working out begins with the first subject, passing through various keys. The movement broadens; first and second subjects are heard in combination, and there is a quiet moment when the first and then the second are heard in 3-2 rhythm. A short section like a recitative, still on the two main subjects, leads gradually to a stretto, with the thematic material still the basis of the music; that works up to a big climax and a restatement of the second subject, varied in its presentation. A loud chord on the full orchestra begins a coda, in which both subjects are used contrapuntally, and with a reminder of the bell effect from the opening, the overture closes as though a carillon gathered up all the impression which the music has set forth. D.M.C.

BBC Promenade Concerts (with minor edits)

Charles Shadwell: Lulworth Cove

2011-11-26T06:00:00.007Z

I imagine that few people will have visited Swanage or Corfe Castle in the Isle of Purbeck for a holiday and not made their way to Lulworth Cove. It is one of the most beautiful parts of the Dorset coast and justly deserves its status as a World Heritage Site.

Charles Shadwell wrote a fine tone poem musically depicting the mood of this beauty spot.

However the problem with Lulworth Cove is that it is way too short. The composer has generated a surplus of good things for this score which are almost wasted on the three minute span of this work. I guess that the reason is that the piece was tailored to suite one side of a 78 rpm record, so he probably had little choice.

Jonathon Woolf at MusicWeb International has written that this piece is full of ripe romanticism, with a fine rippling waves lapping into the shore.

Fundamentally the work has three main elements. Firstly a series of chords that sound somewhat disconnected, almost as if the listener has arrived in the middle of a storm. Secondly there is a barcarolle like tune played on a solo oboe gently accompanied by a barcarolle like figure on the orchestra, and lastly there is a sweeping romantic string passage. Effectively these three elements are repeated and juxtaposed to each other with two climaxes. On the second appearance of the romantic string theme the flutes add highlights that suggest sea spume and the cry of gulls. Before the final climax there are a series of interesting modulations. The work closes with an evocation of a call summer’s day.

Certainly I would like to hear a modern version of this piece with a full symphony orchestra however I am grateful to the recording on the Golden Age of Light Music: Charles Williams conducts the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD 5107

Frank Tapp: Symphony No. 1 in E ‘The Tempest’

2011-11-23T06:00:00.001Z

It is always hard luck when one comes across a review of a work that one has not heard and probably has little chance of hearing. However, it is worth while posting this review from The Times newspaper for Frank Tapp’s Symphony No.1 in E ‘The Tempest’. The work was completed in 1913 and was duly given its first performance at a Bath Pump Room Concerts with the Pump Room Orchestra conducted by the composer. It is a work that one has to hoe will reappear at some stage, although I know that it was not published, so it is really serendipity as to whether the manuscript will reappear.

"The production of Mr. Frank Tapp’s Symphony in E major, ‘The Tempest’ drew a large audience last week at the Pump Room, Bath.

The work is laid out on a large scale, the actual playing time being at least 70 minutes. There are the usual four movements. The first opens with a theme that might be described as the Prospero motif; and this theme plays an important part, not only in the first movement but throughout the work, just as in Shakespeare’s play Prospero is the dominating force. The slow movement depicts the love scene between Ferdinand and Miranda. In the Scherzo Ariel does his ‘spriting gently’, and Caliban is introduced in a sinister manner towards the end of the movement. The finale is a portrayal of Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda, and, like the first movement, is in sonata form; the coda of the finale is, however, of unusual proportions, and partakes of the nature of a new movement in the form of a dance, in which is welded together the thematic material of the whole work.

The Symphony, quite apart from its programme, is attractive; and although the development sections and codas of the first and last movements seemed unduly prolonged, yet the work never became wearisome, and much of it improved on a second hearing. There is a wealth of orchestral device, effective modulation, and harmonisation. Mr. Tapp is very happy in his endings, the final touch of the first movement being especially noteworthy; and there is much charming writing in the Scherzo.

The work was well received, and at a second performance in the evening of the same day the audience, though smaller, was much more appreciative."

‘From a Correspondent’ The Times Dec. 2 1913 [with minor edits]

Ignaz Moscheles:Fantasia Recollections of Ireland, Op.69

2011-11-21T06:00:00.003Z

Ignaz Moscheles is not British, but he did compose a delicious piece entitled Fantasia Recollections of Ireland, Op.69. I just love every note of this short four movement ‘concerto-ette.’ It is full of fun and poignancy, excitement and reflection. Never for a moment does the technical prowess of the soloist have cause to relax.
The work was allegedly written shortly after the composer's visit to Dublin in January 1826. His diary has preserved his description of the hair-raising crossing from Holyhead to Kingstown. He wrote that ‘in the howling storm, and as sea-water hissed into his cabin, he put his faith in an Almighty Providence and thought calmly of his sleeping wife and baby.’ But all was to be well: Moscheles was to see his family again. Henry Roche, the writer of the Hyperion CD liner notes suggests that this work was written out of gratitude for his survival. However another slightly more prosaic suggestion is that he was in the habit of concluding his Irish recitals with a ‘Fantasy of Irish Airs.’ So perhaps these Recollections were just an extension of this conceit. But I will stick with the former explanation.
These potboilers were written to a definite formula. For example the opening movement had to have a long orchestral introduction before the soloist enters in the 'grand manner.' It is all about virtuosity - usually through more and more complex development of material. The succeeding movements explore differing aspects of the Irish folk tradition. For example the slow movement is based on the well known tune 'The Groves of Blarney'. However we know this melody as 'The Last Rose of Summer' nowadays. This is a beautiful rendition of this tune, complete with subtle ornamentation. Soon we are into the allegro based on a Redcoat tune called 'Garry Owen'.
The last movement is interestingly described by Roche as belonging to an Ivesian soundscape- insofar as Moscheles combines most of the tunes he has used in the 'traditionally ebullient conclusion.'
The Recollections of Ireland is available on The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 36 – Moscheles 4 & 5 Hyperion CDA67430
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.

Frank Tapp: A Forgotten British Composer

2011-11-18T06:00:00.002Z

I recently came across the composer & conductor Frank Tapp whilst reviewing the The Pump Room Orchestra Bath: Three Centuries of Music and Social History by Robert Hyman and Nicola Hyman. I noted there that I would welcome any more information about this gentleman. Rob Barnett has written a brief resume of the composer and, with his permission I publish it here. With thanks to MusicWeb International.

Frank H. (or W.) Tapp was born in Bath in 1883. He is now an almost totally forgotten figure in British music though his work was frequently played in its day. Initially a pupil of Sir Percy Buck he gained a composition scholarship at the RCM. His eight years at the College saw him studying composition with Stanford, Sir Frederick Bridge and Sir Charles Wood. His piano tutor was John St Oswald Dykes. He studied organ with Sewell.

While at the College he played his Rhapsody for two pianos with Edward Dannreuther. A visit to the RCM by Glazunov had Tapp playing the celesta when the composer conducted the Raymonda Suite. As might be expected from this background his music was reportedly romantic in style with a "zest for style and architecture with clear texture … he has not yet been touched by the 'isms' of the atonal group. Clear headed thinking and direct expression are the visible aims in his long list of large and small-scale compositions."

He married Kathleen Mary Vaughan. He was awarded a Scholarship for Composition at RCM and Sullivan Prize. Appointed to conduct Bath municipal orchestra in 1910 he directed the Pump Room concerts with an orchestra of 24 players on occasions augmented to forty. He followed the example of both Godfrey and Bantock in encouraging composers to conduct their own compositions there. Tapp gave Schoenberg's Five Orchestral Pieces in Bath. He also conducted the first West of England performance of Enigma Variations. He gained a reputation in Bath as "too much the autocrat" and left the orchestra in 1914.

As a student in 1904 he played his Rhapsody for two pianos with Dr. Harold Rhodes. He also composed a Prelude and Fugue for organ (publ. Houghton) which was broadcast by Dr Rhodes from Coventry Cathedral. His String Trio was performed by the Walenn Trio in 1909. His compositions include three symphonies of which one (in E) was based on Shakespeare's Tempest. This is in four movements and was his first large scale work. This was conducted by Tapp, initially at Bath and then at Bournemouth on 17 December 1914.

Fond of variations he wrote Symphonic Variations (on Tom Bowling) for piano and orchestra and appeared as soloist in this work in Bournemouth on 4 November 1909. The work had been premiered at a Patron's Fund Concert in June 1905. There was also a Rhapsody for piano and orchestra on Tipperary. After its premiere this work was described as "ingenious and most deftly transformed." The soloist was Marie Novello who later toured the work throughout the U.K. Later the composer took over the solo part of this work which eventually 'clocked up' over 400 performances.

His predilection for variations took its most extreme shape around the banal tune "Pop Goes the Weasel". He wrote three large-scale works for piano and orchestra written around this tune. The first dates from 1915 and was produced at Bath. The second was written in 1930 and broadcast by the BBC conducted by Aylmer Buesst. The score for this work together with five others was stolen from a car outside the GSM. Buesst ended up having to conduct the score from a fiddle part and Tapp played the piano solo from memory. In a kind gesture the BBC had a new score made from the orchestral parts. A third edition of variations on this tune was written in 1935 and in 1936 still awaited its premiere. All three works are apparently "serious in their purport … exhibitions of ripe musicianship."

There are also various orchestral overtures. Metropolis was the work by which Tapp's name came to national prominence. It won second prize in the 1934 Daily Telegraph concert overture competition and was premiered at the Proms that year. The overture is reported to be an abstract picture of London. The only specific pictorial reference is a bell in F sharp the idea for which came to the composer while he was in the neighbourhood of St Martin's. Apparently the overture is not a light jeu d'esprit but depicts a 'serious London.' It would be interesting to match this with the Elgar, Coates, Ireland and RVW works associated with the City. Other overtures include Highgate Hill (broadcast by Reginald King), Village Revels, and Island Festival. The overture Beachy Head features parts for three saxophones and is timed at between 5'30" and 7'. It was premiered by the BBCSO conducted by Anthony Collins on 23 December 1938.

Tapp came to Bournemouth during the Easter Festival of 1923 to conduct his Suite de Ballet, a work produced for a Patron's Fund concert earlier the same year.

The lighter orchestral suites include English Landmarks which has three movements each playing for about 3': a waltz Ascot, Tintern Abbey and the march Whitehall. Published by Peter Maurice & Co., this work was broadcast eighteen times. In the same genre, and similarly popular 'on air', there are the suites Knick-Knacks and Land of Fancy. The latter has movements: A Swing Song at Morn (3'15"); Sprite's Lullaby (3'0") and The Pixies' Parade (5'30").

Smaller pieces include A Wayside Melody (publ Peter Maurice & Co.), Woodland Echoes (8' with a part for saxophone), Entr'Acte Woodland Scenes (Bosworth) and Evening Glory (Maurice again). Naturally these pieces also existed in solo piano arrangements.

The Waltz Idyll (à la Viennoise) for piano solo dates from 1938. Colin Scott-Sutherland describes Valse Idyll as "a superb piece that outdoes Godowsky's Alt Wien". There are also the songs The Green Lawns of England (Chappell) and Highgate Hill (Peter Maurice) both popular on air. In 1936 he set the words of L. Wane Daley in three serious songs: Moods, Birthright and Field Folk.

In addition there are string works and chamber music amongst which there is a Violin Sonata (1931) and a Wind Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn both works sharing "the same serious driving force."

Tapp must have been a formidable pianist. He was the soloist with the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra in Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in December 1916. In any event he listed his recreations as drawing, walking and cinema. In 1935 he lived at 129 Leeside Crescent, Golders Green.

Rob Barnett c.1997

William Mathias: Violin Sonata (1952)

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001Z

This early Violin Sonata is a real treasure. To be sure, it is to a certain extent a ‘retro’ work with the composer writing in a highly charged romantic style that would have been largely anathema in the early ’fifties. Geraint Lewis suggest that this piece, written when the composer was eighteen years old. ‘represents a culmination of what he [Mathias] always referred to as his ‘juvenile’ phase.’ The work was first performed on 16 May 1953 with the violinist Edward Bor and the composer at the piano. However the performance history has not been straightforward. Mathias withdrew some two dozen ‘student’ works and these were not performed again. This included the Violin Sonata.

Towards the end of his life the composer did review his entire ‘compositional archive’ before it was prepared for presentation to the National Library of Wales. Some of the discarded works were singled out as possibilities for performance. However, Lewis assures us that the Violin Sonata was not amongst them. In 2008 representations were made to the composer’s estate and the present work was given a ‘trial run’ at the Wigmore Hall. All were agreed that the sonata is not representative of the composer’s work but it was felt that it was of ‘such astonishing power and originality as a self-taught pre-student work that it should be heard in that light’. It was duly ‘premiered’ at Galeri, Caernarfon on 2 July 2010.

The Sonata is in three well-balanced movements that are typically romantic in their outlook. Rob Barnett has noted that this sonata is in a trajectory from Howells, Ireland and Bax. I also agree with him that the sound-worlds of Cyril Scott and John Ireland permeate this work, however it never becomes pastiche.

I accept that this is not ‘typical’ Mathias - any more than most composers’ ‘early horrors’ are typical of their mature work. Yet this Sonata is excellent and enjoyable. Its parts are well balanced and the mood, whilst largely romantic is never kitsch. It is a work worthy of the composer and ought to be in the repertoire of many violinists.

This Violin Sonata can be heard on Naxos NAXOS 8.572292

Daily Telegraph Orchestral Overture Competition: 1934

2011-11-13T06:00:00.007Z

Daily Telegraph Orchestral Overture Competition: 1934 In 1934 the Daily Telegraph ran an Orchestral Competition. I guess one can hardly imagine a newspaper, no matter how ‘broad the sheet’ indulging in such an elitist scheme nowadays. However, on April 21st 1934 the results were announced. The first prize (£100) went to Cyril Scott for his Festival Overture, the second (£75) to Frank Tapp for his overture Metropolis and the third (£50) to Arnold Cooke for a ‘Concert Overture.’

It had certainly been a prestigious competition: the judges included Sir Henry Wood, Sir Hamilton Harty, Frank Bridge and Arthur Bliss. The scores were all submitted under a pseudonym and naturally the judges had no knowledge of the identity of the competitors. In all there were 223 overtures submitted.
All three works were performed on Thursday 30 August 1934 at the Promenade Concerts in the first half of a wide ranging programme of music

Alas two of these works have seemingly not survived to the present day – at least they are not in the concert repertoire, nor have any recordings been made of them. Frank Tapp’s wonderful sounding Metropolis appears to have vanished without trace. Cooke’s Overture had its premiere at a concert at the Royal Manchester College of Music when the Hallé Orchestra was conducted by R.J. Forbes, the college's principal. Yet it has now disappeared.
As for Cyril Scott, the winner, his piece is a little bit of an enigma. It originally began life as the Overture: Princess Maleine, after Maeterlinck’s play, in 1902. This work was premiered at a Prom in 1907. It was subsequently revised with choral part in 1912. It was further amended in 1929 and was finally entered as the ‘Festival Overture’ in the 1934 competition. A recording of the work (1929) is available on Chandos.

Three things spring to mind:-
1. What happened to all the holograph scores of these 223 overtures? Were they returned to the composers? Or do they still lurk in an archive?

2. Is there a list of who entered the competition somewhere out there?

3. And finally, it is a pity that the Daily Telegraph does not have a digital archive (like the Times, Guardian, Glasgow Herald etc. do) It would then be possible to explore this competition in a little more detail.
Perhaps some more info will come to light. Meanwhile I look forward to exploring the reviews of the three overtures that are available.

Roger Quilter: Complete Piano Music

2011-11-11T06:00:00.001Z

Roger QUILTER (1877-1953)

Three Studies Op.4 (1901/1909) Three Pieces Op.16: Dance in the Twilight; Summer Evening; At a Country Fair (1909/1915) Two Impressions Op.19: In a Gondola; Lanterns (1914/1919) Four Country Pieces Op.27: Shepherd Song; Goblins; Forest Lullaby; Pipe & Tabor (1923) Suite from Where the Rainbow Ends: Rosamund & Will-o’ the Wisp; Goblin Forest; Moonlight on the Lake; Fairy Revels (1911/1912)

David Owen Norris (piano)

EM Records EMR CD002 [47:00]

It is like chalk and cheese…! Just compare ‘Rosamund’ from Where the Rainbow Ends and ‘At a Country Fair’ from the Three Pieces. Two works could not be more different. The first is a dreamy Delius-like meditation on a ‘fair-lady’ complete with slippery harmonies; the second is almost Bartokian in its ferocity, fire and sheer power.

For most listeners Roger Quilter’s name will always be associated with his exquisitely wrought songs that explore such a wide range of English verse and poetry. However there are a few more strings to his bow- not least some fine ‘light’ orchestral works including the once famous Children’s Overture. There are also a fair few stage works such as the children’s play Where the Rainbow Ends, incidental music to As You Like it and to The Rake. Included in his catalogue are surprising quantities of choral works which seem to be rarely heard. Finally, there are a number of instrumental works which include piano solos, and a handful of chamber music pieces for a variety of ensembles.

The present CD claims to present the complete piano works. I guess it depends on how one defines ‘complete’. I personally would have included the piano version of the Children’s Overture, the Three English Dances and the missing numbers from Where the Rainbow Ends. After all, one has to assume that the Rainbow Suite (which is included) was derived (by the composer) from the theatre orchestra score or at the very least the short score.

The works are presented in chronological order, with the exception of Where the Rainbow Ends which is placed last.

The recital opens with the Three Studies with the first dating from 1901 and the other two some eight years later. The first, is I believe the best with its ‘fluid’ mood of ‘waywardness’, however the second nods to Brahms and the third to Rachmaninov. All three are worthy pieces that do not deserve their obscurity.

The ‘Three Pieces’ are superb. However, I do not think that they belong together as a set: the style is totally different. The opening ‘Dance in the Twilight’ is a competent example of salon music. However the impressionistic ‘Summer Evening’ is a long, complex piece that could possibly be regarded as one of Roger Quilter’s masterpieces. The final ‘At a Country Fair’ is a little aggressive and a million miles away from the idyllic dreams of the previous piece. The irregular rhythms and complex pianism suggest a mood more in keeping with the Balkans rather than Banbury. I have noted Bartok as a comparison: it is not too far fetched.

The Two Impressions straddle the years of the Great War. Lapping waters of Thames or the Lido haunt the barcarolle ‘In a Gondola’ from the first bar to the last. It is an introspective reflection that utilises the whole-tone scale to create the enigmatic mood. ‘Lanterns’, which was originally entitled ‘Carnival’, is probably the most intricate piece on this CD. This is a work that ‘sparkles and glitters’ with involved harmonies and rhythmic devices.

The last set of pieces is the Four Country Pieces. The opening ‘Shepherd’s Song’ reminded me of Percy Grainger in its errant harmonies. It is obviously not a ‘heigh ho’ type of rustic, but a deeply reflective man or woman who ponders this deeply felt ‘hymn’. ‘Goblins’ is fun – a bouncy piece that creates a mental image of a not too scary supernatural creature. Once again the mood changes: ‘Forest Lullaby’ is a well wrought little piece that is more akin to a meditation than trying to put the child to sleep. That said, there is a good use of the rhythm ‘go to sleep’ throughout the piece some lovely harmony and a well-poised tune that make this a little gem. ‘Pipe & Tabor’ is exactly what it ought to be: a romp through a Hardy-esque landscape. Lots fun, but just a hint of a little trouble somewhere over the horizon.

I first came across Where the Rainbow Ends in an old ex-library piano score. A few years later I heard the orchestral suite on the Marco Polo retrospective of Quilter’s orchestral music. I loved it from the word go. Quilter wrote this incidental music for this children’s play in 1911 with libretto by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey. The first performance was at the Savoy Theatre in London and the cast included Noel Coward and Jack Hawkins.

The music for this play is absolutely gorgeous. Every bar, every note even, has a sense of magic and wonder. The opening ‘Rosamund’ is utterly beautiful: this is truly heart-easing music at its most gorgeous. ‘Fairies’ and ‘Will o’ the wisp’ and ‘Goblins’ all appear in this suite. However the heart of the work is the atmospheric Moonlight on the Lake.

Alas, in spite of a run of some 48 years today’s generation of children are unlikely to see this magical production. There is so much that is ‘wrong’ with the story that our politically-correct age would abhor. We could not possibly have our children (and ourselves) traumatised by tales of magic carpets, the notion that Great Britain counts for something in history, children in search of their mother and father and the Patron Saint of England, George being their (and our) protector and guardian!

Meanwhile enjoy this beautiful music: it certainly rewards the listener and as Percy Grainger once wrote, it is ‘weal-bestowing’ and ‘soul-feeding.’

The liner notes are divided into two parts. The first is an overview of the works recorded and is preceded by an excellent mini-biography of the composer by Dr. Valerie Langfield. The second part is an essay by the David Owen Norris about the pleasure and problems of playing Quilter’s music, although he does not actually mention the composer till more than half way through!

I would have liked the CD to be a bit longer: certainly the inclusion of the English Dances and the Overture would have scraped it beyond the hour mark. Certainly 47 minutes does seem a wee bit skimpy.

However, this is a great CD that explores a repertoire that has been largely forgotten, or at best has been hidden on a number of reasonably obscure and often hard-to-find recordings.

David Owen Norris is a great advocate for this music and presents it with enthusiasm and sympathy. He has a gift for taking pieces that may just be on the cusp of being ephemeral salon pieces (e.g. Dance in the Twilight) and presenting them as if they were an integral part of the piano repertoire that reflects the dynamic pianism of the English Musical Renaissance. Perhaps he ought to turn his attention to the piano music of that triumvirate of didactic composers, Messrs Swinstead, Dunhill and Rowley?

The piece that most surprised me has to be the Bartokian ‘At a Country Fair’, however my favourite piece is ‘Summer Evening’ with its evocation of an English landscape that is captured in the fine cover picture by Wilfrid de Glehn, ‘The Picnic’. It is a masterpiece that rivals anything by John Ireland or Arnold Bax.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review first appeared.

The Pump Room Orchestra Bath: Three Centuries of Music and Social History

2011-11-08T06:00:00.003Z

The Pump Room Orchestra Bath: Three Centuries of Music and Social History by Robert Hyman and Nicola Hyman

The Hobnob Press, soft covers, 214 pages

ISBN 978-0-946418-74-9

£14:99

On Monday 17 April 1939, The Time magazine reported that Bath’s Pump Room Orchestra was to be disbanded. The reason given was ‘that for its size, Bath's orchestra had set a new record in box-office flops. This year's expected deficit: $25,000 (then about £6000)’. At that time the eighteen-piece group, conducted by Maurice Miles was the oldest established orchestra in the British Empire. This was apparently the end of an era that had begun back in the early 1700s under the auspices of England’s most famous dandy and early style-guru, Richard ‘Beau’ Nash. The money saved by the council was put towards the building of an air-raid shelter situated below the Pump Room. However that was not the end of the matter: in February 1940, the Bath branch of the National Council of Women organised an Eighteenth Century Tea Party to ‘boost morale.’ It featured such famous Bath characters as Jane Austen, the Linley sisters and the Countess of Huntingdon. The ‘soundtrack’ to the event was provided by a string quartet drawn from members of the disbanded orchestra. The music performed includes Purcell, Handel and Mozart.

Some 72 years later, ‘the band still plays’ in the Pump Room. To be fair it is not a large orchestra, but a Trio with four members-including one of the authors of the present book, Robert Hyman! It plays every day of the year except Christmas and Boxing Day. The tradition has been maintained.

The Pump Room Orchestra Bath: Three Centuries of Music and Social History is about the ‘struggles, joys, tragedies and ambitions of the ‘forgotten army’ of musicians who have spanned three centuries. The sweep of the narrative explores the story of the early Pump Room Band as it metamorphoses into the Orchestra and finally into the present-day Trio.

This is a book that will appeal to a wide variety of readership. Firstly it will be required reading for all local historians in and around Bath: the Pump Room was (and are) an integral part of a city that owes it origins to the ‘Aquae Sulis’ (the waters of the goddess Sulis) which were deemed curative for a wide range of maladies. Secondly the massive readership of Jane Austen will enjoy knowing some background history to her characters, especially Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey who visited the Pump Room as part of the novel. There are also many people interested in Georgette Heyer’s recreation of the Georgian and Regency periods, especially her novel ‘Bath Tangle.’ From a musical point of view, the story of the music at the Pump Room is full of interesting characters, such as Thomas Linley, Frank Tapp and Sidney Jones. There were many visits from international artists and composers including Edward German, Myra Hess, Albert Coates, Peter Dawson and Haydn. The works played at the concerts range from Storace to Sullivan and from Johann Strauss to Ethel Smyth.

The presentation of the Pump Room Orchestra’s history is largely chronological. It begins with a brief introduction outlining the development of the Spa as a fashionable tourist attraction and destination for the halt and the lame. There is mention of ‘a band of musick’ playing under a sycamore tree on the Gravel Walks in 1670. The story develops through ‘Beau’ Nash’s early Pump Room Band by way of Francis Fleming and the famous Thomas Linley. Other names that appear are William Herschel, astronomer, organist and band leader, Venanzio Rauzzini who was a castrato for whom Mozart had written the aria ‘Exsultate Jubilate’ and Sidney Jones, onetime violinist aboard Cunarders. Each twist and turn in this fascinating and often disturbing tale of friction and backstabbing is given in some detail. Many famous characters make cameo appearances throughout these pages: it is almost a compendium of artistic endeavour throughout the ages.

From amongst this mass of history three things especially interested me. Firstly there was the visit of Haydn to Bath in August 1791. The composer’s music had been popular in the city and his Symphony No.53 in D major was (likely) played at the Pump Room. Whilst in Bath, Haydn stayed at the home of Rauzzini. The second thing was the disturbing story of Otto Heinrich who was a violinist in the Pump Room Orchestra for some twenty-five years. However at the outbreak of the Great War this Bath musician, violin maker and teacher was branded as an ‘alien’ by the authorities and was ‘threatened with internment and bleak times for his family of ten children.’ It was an episode that was to be repeated up and down the country and affecting many musicians and artists with German sounding names –including Gustav Holst at Thaxted! And thirdly much space is given to considering the contribution of the Bath-born Frank Tapp (1853-1953). Unfortunately this composer has largely disappeared from view. Yet in the first quarter of the Twentieth century he was popular and had his music regularly played. Although largely remembered (where at all) for his light music such as his English Landmarks Suite, including ‘Ascot’, ‘Tintern Abbey’ and ‘Whitehall’, he is known to have composed an important Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra and also a symphony. He is surely a composer ripe for rediscovery: who could resist titles such as Overture Beachy Head?

The book is extremely well presented. It is printed on good quality paper, in a clear and highly readable font and is well-bound. Many quotations from contemporary letters, newspapers and diaries add a personal interest: all sources are referenced. Included in the text are plenty of illustrations and a centre section of some 14 colour plates: there are photographs, drawings and engravings of all the key players in the story. The book is not burdened with footnotes: all references are placed at the end of the book in a clear and legible font. A formal bibliography is not given, but in its place is a listing of sources. The comprehensive index is helpful to all serious readers.

I have one minor concern. The history of the Pump Room Orchestra is complicated, with many names flitting in and out of the story. It would have been extremely helpful to have given a kind of summary in tabular form by date.

Finally I enjoyed reading the book: it is written in a good ‘popular’ but never pedestrian, historical style. It is not an ‘academic’ book as such, but that does not belittle the depth of the study and the care and attention given to the presentation of information.

At today’s prices this not an overly expensive book and is priced at £14:95. Bearing in mind the superb presentation and the above-mentioned proliferation of illustrations this is certainly excellent value. I am presuming that this book will be on sale at all bookshops and tourist attractions on Bath, including the Pump Room. However, this is an important contribution to historical musicology and as such will also find its way into many academic institutions.

Certainly it gives me many ideas for future investigation, not least the musical compositions of Mr Frank Tapp.

Britten in Scotland: The Complete Scottish Songs

2011-11-06T06:00:00.002Z

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)

Britten in Scotland: The Complete Scottish Songs

A Birthday Hansel, Op.92 (1975) Who are these children? (1969) Cradle Song (Sleep, my darling, sleep) (1942) O that I’d ne’er married (1922)

Ca’ the Yowes (1959) There’s none to soothe (1946) O can ye sew cushions (1942) The Bonny Earl o’ Murray (1942) Bonny at Morn (1976)

Come you not from Newcastle? 1946) Dawtie’s Devotion (1969) The Gully (1969) Tradition (1969) Four Burns Songs (arr. Colin Matthews) (1975)

Mark Wilde (tenor), Lucy Wakeford (harp: Hansel, Bonny at Morn) David Owen Norris (piano)

NAXOS 8.572706 [74:42]

It is great to have all the Scottish songs by Benjamin Britten on one disc. However it is not only the completeness that is important. Most of the works on this CD have been relatively rarely recorded. At present the Arkiv catalogue lists only three other versions of The Birthday Handsel and five versions of Who are these Children? I cannot find a reference to the ‘Four Burns Songs’. So it is a welcome addition to the catalogue. Add to this, the committed and often moving performances from all three soloists and one has a ‘must-have’ CD for all Britten enthusiasts.

A Birthday Handsel was composed in 1975 to celebrate Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s seventy-fifth birthday. It was one of the composer’s last works. The song-cycle contained seven songs in the Scottish dialect culled from the collected poems of Robert (Rabbie) Burns. Out of interest, the word ‘Handsel' means a gift that is given to someone before the start of a new enterprise, or it can mean a welcome gift.

Britten does not utilise ‘existing’ folksongs, nor does he write pastiche tunes. What he has achieved is a synthesis of the distinguishing features of Scottish folk and dance music and applies it to Burn’s poems. In the present recording, Mark Wilde varies the ‘richness’ or ‘depth’ of the dialect which I think is a good plan. Unremitting ‘Harry Lauder’ would be difficult to stomach. The harp part is much more integral to the work than mere accompaniment: the Britten website notes that it employs ‘a wide range of devices and effects to colourful effect as well as providing the necessary transitions from song to song.’ It is this equilibrium between singer and instrumentalist that makes A Birthday Handsel so effective. It is convincingly performed by Mark Wilde and Lucy Wakeford.

The first performance of A Birthday Handsel was on 16 January 1976 at Uphall which is near to Sandringham. The performers were Peter Pears and the harpist Osian Ellis. A recording was later made at The Maltings, Snape by the same artists and was released as part of the Britten Edition on Decca.

After Britten’s death, the composer Colin Matthews made an arrangement for tenor and piano of four of the songs from A Birthday Handsel. It was published as Four Burns Songs. If I am honest, I prefer these settings to the original!

Finally, Chris Bull has written in the sleeve notes that Britten used an ‘old’ edition of Burns’ poems which had a degree of anglicising of the ‘Lallans Scots’ dialect. He states that in A Birthday Handsel these words have not been corrected: however in the ‘Four Burns Songs’ the text has been collated to ‘The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns Bi-Centenary Edition (1993)’

The liner notes gives the listener a good clue for approaching Who are these children?: it is best to regard this difficult song-cycle as ‘two works in one’: it is a balance between the ‘bairn’s’ songs and those of the ‘world of war and pain.’ In fact there are eight songs that explore ‘the happier, more innocent aspects of childhood’ and the remaining four examine ‘the plight of children in the context of violence and war.’ William Soutar is one of the great writers of the Scottish Literary Renaissance – alongside Hugh MacDiarmid. I accept that some of his political views may not appeal to everyone: neither will his pacifism. However, to be fair to Soutar, he did serve in the Royal Navy during the First World War, so at least he has experience of some of the subjects he explores in his poetry.

Yet the song-cycle itself, I find a little harder to come to terms with. I find that it lacks coherence. Some of the ‘songs’ are very short – one is just 34 seconds. Perhaps it is the mixing of the violence and innocence that I find ‘too near the bone?’

I have listened to this work a number of times in this version and also in Daniel Norman’s recording and long felt that it is a difficult work to bring off. However I believe that Mark Wilde manages to approach the ‘dialect’ issue well. It is a fine performance of an often morbid and always challenging piece of music.

The present recording includes three additional poems from the cycle that were not used in the final arrangement. Three of the shorter dialect songs were set – ‘Dawtie’s Devotion’, ‘The Gully’ and ‘Tradition’. Britten wished these setting to be performed as separate songs and insisted that they were not to be incorporated into the song-cycle.

Finally, NAXOS has included all the ‘Scottish folksongs’, including the beautiful ‘Ca’ the Yowes’. However the lovely ‘O Can ye sew cushions?’ and the charming ‘Come you not from Newcastle’ should not be missed. One last treat is the attractive Cradle Song (Sleep, my darling, sleep) by Louis MacNeice who squeezes into this collection as an Ulster-Scot.

Lastly, I note that the assumption is made that listeners will have access to either the Internet or a range of Scottish poetry books for finding the texts of the songs. Interestingly the Naxos website uses the word ‘lyrics’ as its link to the poems! I never really associate Soutar and MacNeice as ‘lyricists’.

The sound quality is good, the singing is effective and as I have noted above Mark Wilde does not overdo the ‘local colour’. Piano and harp both contribute to the overall value of this excellent and often moving CD.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.

Philip Lane: Prestbury Park for orchestra

2011-11-03T06:00:00.005Z

Prestbury Park is a heady mix of horses, music and countryside. This delightful piece originated as a brass band work some 35 years ago. It paints a musical portrait of Cheltenham Racecourse on any typical race day, although the mood does tend to suggest a summer’s day and picnics. John Quinn on MusicWeb International has suggested that anyone who has 'braved the crowds there, particularly on Gold Cup day will recognise the hustle and bustle of large numbers of people out for a good time.’

Like much so-called light music this work could be used as a soundtrack for a variety of pictorial images including holidays, trains and a ramble in the Gloucestershire countryside. However the composer does give the game away by including an ‘orchestral impersonation of a neighing filly right at the end of the work. And also look out for the whip cracks too.

In many ways Prestbury Park epitomises so much that is good about the genre. The main melody is both catchy and at times a little wistful. The instrumentation is superbly done and the piece is a satisfying whole. The piece is well summed up the American Record Review writer Haldeman who has written that ‘The music can stand alongside almost anything of its type: it has lovely melodies, incessant charm, and moments of incidental but sincere beauty...’

Philip Lane’s Prestbury Park can be heard on Marco Polo 8.225185

Sir Arthur Somervell; Piano Concerto in A minor ‘Highland’ (1921)

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000Z

I find that Sir Arthur Somervell's Piano Concerto in A minor ‘Highland’ dating from 1921 a little bit problematic. This is not to say that there are not some lovely moments in this work. Certainly, the work is well constructed with some good melodies and attractive writing for piano. However I do worry a little about the use of tunes that seem to be ‘highlan’’ folk-tunes. At times there seems to be just a little bit too much of the ‘scotch snap’ about this work: it is almost like a parody of Scottish music. Lewis Foreman assures the listener that all the themes are original although they are ‘based on such strong traditional Scottish elements as to make one constantly find the title of a familiar tune is on the tip of the tongue’.

The first movement is massive and vacillates between ‘pesante’ dance tunes and a romantic ‘second subject’. It is really a set of variations; yet again it does appear to have a sonata form structure. The opening of the slow movement is ‘misty’. However the composer has suggested that this is more ‘Scottish’ than ‘Highland’. There is a lovely pentatonic melody which dominates much of the musical development of this movement. Actually, this is heart-achingly lovely music that would ‘bring a tear to a glass eye.’ As a Scot myself, I find this music is really a tone poem that paints a picture of a ‘lowland landscape’ possibly the Solway (Somervell would have known that area as a Westmorland lad) or the Clyde Estuary on an autumn day. It is certainly a deliciously romantic mood that reminds this particular listener of many happy days with remembered friends in Scotland. The finale is a successful balance between the vitality of dancing and the continuation of the romance. It is a great way to bring this concerto to a conclusion.

I guess that my overall impression of this Piano Concerto is that it has the qualities of film-music. It could be used as a soundtrack to a piece of highland jiggery-pokery such as Brigadoon or the Gathering of the Clans. That does not make it a bad piece of music: it just suggests that it is a wee bitty full of ‘clichés.’ However, in spite of one or two reservations, I will return to this largely impressive and often beautiful work in the future. It is a good connection with my Scottish roots and brings many memories back to this sentimental Scot.

This concerto can be heard on The Romantic Piano Concerto Volume 54 HYPERION CDA67837

Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen:Concertstuck (1897)

2011-10-29T06:00:00.005+01:00

If someone had suggested forty years ago that any work by Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen should be recorded as a part of a major series of piano concertos (and concerted works) they would have been laughed out of court. Cowen was even further down the list of ‘worthy but ultimately ‘boring’ English composers that included Stanford, Parry and Macfarren. In 1990, Marco Polo records broke this jinx by presenting The Butterfly Ball and the Scandinavian Symphony. A few years later the now defunct Classico label issued Symphony No.6 ‘The Idyllic’. Both CDs showcased a composer who was worthy of further exploration.

Interestingly the seventeen-year old Cowen wrote a Piano Concerto in A minor. Unfortunately, along with his first two symphonies the score has been lost. Some thirty years later, in 1897, he composed his Concertstück for the Polish pianist Paderewski. I think that this is a really impressive work that defies the listener (and critic) to explain why it has been lost to view for many years. One cannot help thinking that if this work had been by Liszt it would have been well established in the repertoire.

The music is written as one continuous movement, however there are clearly ‘marked’ sections, including a good cadenza. The heart of the work is the ‘tempo tranquillo’ that is beautifully written and is often touching. There are many gorgeous episodes throughout the work that exploits the soloist’s skill and with attractive and often sensitive orchestration. The end of the work builds up to an exiting ‘prestissimo’ before ‘the final dash to the end contains brilliant passagework which goes on and on as if neither side is willing to give up.’

This concerto can be heard on The Romantic Piano Concerto Volume 54 HYPERION CDA67837

Haydn Wood: Fantasy Concerto for Strings

2011-10-27T06:00:00.004+01:00

Most people who know the music of Haydn Wood will do so because they have purchased the excellent Marco Polo recordings of his 'light' music. (Marco Polo 8.223402 & 8.223605.) A previous generation was enthralled by the melody of 'Roses of Picardy' written when the Great War was at its height. Many people remember the theme from the BBC programme Down your Way - the March: Horseguards, Whitehall.

However, before the success of the ‘Rose’ Haydn Wood had been marked out as a ‘serious’ composer. He studied with Charles Villiers Stanford at the RCM. His catalogue includes an excellent Piano Concerto in D minor (Hyperion 67127) that was published in 1947 and a Concerto for Violin from 1933. There was an early set of Variations on an Original Theme which appeared in 1903. Quite obviously Elgar was the ‘model’.

The Fantasy–Concerto started life as a chamber work. Originally produced for the Cobbett Chamber Music Competition as Phantasie in F minor. It was written in 1905. He was successful in winning third prize in the very first of these prodigious competitions. How many works have been composed for this annual event? Fortunately many have survived into the current repertoire. Vaughan Williams, Bridge and Britten to name three.

The original work was composed for string quartet and was dusted down by the composer in 1949. It was recast into a shorter time frame – 14 minutes as opposed to the original 23 minutes.

It is a wonderful piece. Technically involved – demanding a fine string technique from all the players. There is a touch of Elgar here - one is reminded of the Introduction and Allegro; there are harmonic constructions worthy of Delius. I am left wishing that Haydn Wood had written more music in the 'classical' vein - and let it be hastily added that I am a great fan of his 'light' music. For me he is generally on a par with Eric Coates -if slightly more 'old-fashioned'.

Haydn Wood: Fantasy Concerto for Strings can be heard on Naxos 8.555068 It also features on YouTube

Haydn Wood: Violinist & Composer

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000+01:00

This short article from the Musical Standard September 1912 is well worth printing. It is one a precious few texts dealing Haydn Wood. It is also interesting for the long digression the unnamed author makes about the problems facing 'today's composers. I guess not too much has changed in the past 100 years.

Mr. Haydn Wood was born in the year 1882 of musical parents, at Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield. When he was three years of age his parents moved to Douglas, Isle of Man, where he studied the violin under the supervision of his brother Mr. Harry Wood, who holds a prominent position as a conductor there.

Our young musician studied well, an in 1897; at the age of fifteen he gained an open three years’ violin scholarship at the Royal College of Music. At the end of these three years he was awarded the Morley scholarship, which entitled him to three years’ additional study – six years in all. During this period he studied the violin under Senor Arbos [1], and musical composition under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, winning many prizes during his college career. Amongst these prizes were the Dove and Hill prizes for violin playing and the Arthur Sullivan prize for composition.

In 1903 Mr. Wood left the Royal College, and, journeying to Brussels, continued his violin studies under Professor Cesar Thomson [2] the famous Belgian violinist, with whom he remained a year. On his return to London he was immediately engaged by Mme. Albani [3] for her tours, and for the last eight years he has been here violinist at all her concerts, which have consisted of tours in the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India. He rendered the same assistance at her recent farewell tour and concert at the Albert Hall. [4]

Mr. Wood has appeared very successfully at the Harrison Concerts, the Royal Albert Hall Sunday Concerts, the London Ballad Concerts and other functions.

As a composer Mr. Wood has a just claim to our sympathetic attention. His serious compositions show marked ability and considerable resource, both in invention and the treatment of ideas. He won a prize for a fantasy for string quartet [5] in the first of the Cobbett competitions. In the same competition the late W.Y. Hurlstone [6] won the first prize but died before the result was announced. The three best works, were published by Messrs. Novello and Co. Mr Wood’s other compositions include Lochinvar, a ballad for chorus and orchestra, which was given its performance last March by the Edward Mason Choir at the Queen’s Hall, a Pianoforte Concerto in D minor, which was first produced at a Patron’s Fund concert, and an orchestral suite, which was also first performed at a Patron’s Fund concert.

Among his lighter works are many pieces for the violin and for the pianoforte. He also composed many songs, a considerable number of which were published. Some of these are becoming very popular, for example Three Sea Songs, Twelve Little Songs of the Year, Bird of Love Divine. This last was sung for the first time by Miss Felice Lyne at one of the last season’s London Ballad Concerts.

The difficulties which bar the way to the publication of a work in any of the larger forms being almost deadly apathy of the music-buying public, which turns pale at the sight of a British name upon a piece of music, a composer of serious music is almost entirely dependent upon the public performances which a fickle fate doles out to him at the dictates of what appears to be sheer caprice. For this injustice the public is to blame. It will damn or praise a work without much apparent reference to its musical qualities, which on the other hand are often very difficult to judge at all fairly at a first hearing. If at such a performance the attitude of the audience is lukewarm, the chances of a second performance in front of the same audience are almost microscopic, and the best that can be hoped for is that a second performance may be given somewhere in the provinces with more success. This system is a bad one, for under it a work is always a novelty, and therefore subject to that undeserved neglect which ignorance so ungrudgingly awards to merit.

In view of this fact the second performance of any considerable work has a serious moral claim upon all true lovers of music. It is not to be expected, nor to be desired that they should praise indiscriminately, for such praise is actually harmful; but it is most decidedly expected that they should support such a performance by their sympathetic and careful attention, in order that they may detect real merit and give it unanimous and vigorous support, for without such support art can scarcely live.

Of such a nature is the forthcoming performance in the autumn of Mr Haydn Wood’s above-mentioned Pianoforte Concerto in D minor, the soloist being Miss Tina Lerner and the orchestra, the London Symphony. The question as to whether the concerto is good or bad is neither here nor there – what is demanded of music-lovers is that they should go and hear it and strive to arrive at a fair estimate of its value as an art-work. In the meantime the best that we wish its composer is that he should meet with just treatment at the hands of a discriminating audience.

The Musical Standard September 7 1912. p.34 [with minor edits]

[1] Enrique Fernández Arbós (1863-1939 was a Spanish violinist, composer and conductor. He divided his career between working in Spain and in London.

[2] César Thomson (1857-1931) was a Belgian violinist, teacher and composer.

[3] Dame Emma Albani DBE (1847-1930) was a leading soprano of the 19th century and early 20th century, and the first Canadian singer to become an international star. Her repertoire focused on the operas of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Wagner. She performed across Europe and North America. (Wikipedia)

[4] On Saturday 14 October 1911, Mme. Albani gave her farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Artist included Adelina Patti, Muriel foster, Ada Crossley, Gervase Elwes, Plunket Greene and Sir Charles Santley. Also present were Sarah Bernhardt, Adela Verne and Haydn Wood. The concert was conducted by Landon Ronald.

[5] Phantasy for String Quartet was later score for string and renamed a Fantasy Concerto.

[6] William Yeates Hurlstone (1876-1906) was an English composer who studied piano and composition at the Royal College of Music, after gaining a scholarship. His piano professors were Algernon Ashton and Edward Dannreuther. His composition teacher, Charles Villiers Stanford, considered Hurlstone, among the many brilliant students whom he taught, to have been his most talented. In 1906, he returned to the college as Professor of Counterpoint, but died later that year of bronchial asthma. He is buried in Croydon Cemetery with members of his family. (Wikipedia)

Sir Granville Bantock: Overture to a Greek Tragedy: Oedipus at Colonus

2011-10-22T06:00:00.002+01:00

Sir Granville Bantock perhaps suffers from a surfeit of composition. His ‘works list’ in an earlier edition of Groves extends to some 10 pages of close written text. As one critic says about the composer- “he suffers from post-Wagnerian elephantitis and lack of self criticism.” Whether this is a fair analysis is for others to decide. I personally feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume and intellectual reach of Bantock’s music: I know I will never find the time nor the inclination to do justice to more than a fraction. Yet there are plenty of works that just demand the listeners attention.

The composer had a taste for the exotic –or perhaps it is fairer to say the pseudo-exotic. His devotion to the ‘Orient’ for example is derived through the works of Fitzgerald and Southey. His ‘Scottish’ phase resulted in a now unheard opera The Seal Woman with libretto written by Margery Kennedy Fraser. Of course, all British music enthusiasts know the fine Hebridean Symphony. Then there was a flirtation with Dante, Browning, Shelley and a host of others. Last but not least there was his deep interest in the Greek tragedians, including Sophocles.

The present ‘overture’ was written in 1911 and was published in 1912. It is hardly a mere overture – but is in fact a major tone poem. Now a brief look at Sophocles’s Oedipus at Colonus reveals a somewhat formless play that lacks a major plot. However the passing of the king is of great and sublime beauty. The Overture is really a meditation on this passing and the blessing of the site of his death. Much as I like Sophocles, I cannot help feeling that I would rather listen to this great music ‘absolutely’ than have images of Anthony Quayle and Juliet Stevenson from the 1986 TV performance of the play floating round my mind…

The reviewer in the Musical Times gives a fair account of the work's premiere at the Worcester Three Choirs Festival in 1911.

"A new 'Overture to a Greek Tragedy,' by Granville Bantock, was a very important novelty. The tragedy shadowed in the overture is stated to be that of Oedipus at Colonos (Sophocles), but no detailed clue to the music was afforded by the composer. The work as music is generally ominous, austere and, as befits its theme,suggestive of fearful and solemn thoughts. The climaxes are so full of strenuous sound, that it is difficult, at least for ordinary listeners, to resolve them into music; but one feels that they represent a mood.Probably their keenness was over-accentuated at Worcester by the acoustic properties of the small hall. Orchestration of this powerful kind demands a more appropriate arena. The themes are undoubtedly striking, and they are employed with skill. The Coda is a fine one, and the whole work exhibits a consistency of style and treatment that binds it into a unity.Doubtless it will be heard at many of our coming orchestral concerts." The Musical Times 1 October 1911.

Surely the last sentence was over-optimistic for our times. At least this work is available on two CDs Lyrita SRCD269 and Hyperion CDA67395 and the boxed set of Bantock's music Hyperion CDS4481-6

William Alwyn: Orchestral Music on Naxos

2011-10-19T06:00:00.003+01:00

William ALWYN (1905-1985)

Dramatic Overture: ‘The Moor of Venice’ (orch. Philip Lane) (1956; 2001)

Concerto Grosso No.2 (1948) Serenade (1932) Seven Irish Tunes –Suite for Small Orchestra (1936) Concerto Grosso No.3 (1964)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones

NAXOS 8.570145

I have said this before, but it bears repeating: it is hard to imagine that a quarter a century ago there was virtually no music by William Alwyn in the record catalogues. The Lyrita symphonies were an honourable exception. Then, in the ‘nineties there was the Chandos series. And now Naxos is getting close to finishing their release of the largely complete orchestral music. I guess the added value of this particular cycle is that Naxos have discovered a number of works that were deemed to be lost. The present CD includes two orchestral (or is it three?) premieres alongside three (or is it two?) works that are less well known, but deserving of greater exposure.

The earliest piece on this CD is the Serenade which was written in 1936 although it appears that it was never performed in the composer’s lifetime. Certainly this not a pastoral ‘English’ serenade, in fact, it was Ravel who sprang to mind when I first heard it.

The work is in four contrasting movements. It begins with a Prelude which opens from a little trumpet motive into something expansive, especially for a movement that lasts just over two minutes. The second movement is a ‘Bacchanal’ which is really an attractive little scherzo. There is a good part for flute solo, that depicts ‘a piping faun leading a rout of naked nymphs and satyrs.’ Once again, this develops into huge climaxes in the space of a few seconds. The ‘Air’ is written for muted strings only. It is based on an elitist quotation from Nietzsche’s Thus Spake Zarathustra, ‘...beauty’s voice speaketh gently: it appealleth only to the most awakened souls.’ The finale has ‘Home thoughts from Abroad’ written at the head of the score. Does this refer to Browning’s poem, or is it more personal? The resulting music is a little bit ‘folksy’, but can been seen as nodding towards Dvorak- even down to the 'Hovis’ music impression at the midpoint.

Taken in the round, this is not really a consistent piece. My main criticism is that there is an immense amount of ‘potential ‘in the varied material generated by the composer for this work, yet it is only some eleven minutes long. It seems that Alwyn has wasted so many good ideas and has tricked the listener into expecting something larger and more profound. However, it is good have at least one recording of it for the ‘record’.

In 1923 Alwyn had selected a number tunes from the Petrie Collection of Irish Music and produced as set of Seven Irish Tunes for string quartet. In 1936 he chose to arrange most of them for small orchestra. The tunes are ‘The Little Red Lark’, ‘Country Tune,’ ‘The Maiden Ray,’ Reel: ‘The Ewe with the Crooked Horn,’ ‘The Gentle Maiden,’ ‘The Sigh’ and a ‘Jig’. I have not heard the string quartet arrangements of these tunes; however the present orchestral version works very well. It shows that the thirty-one year old composer had a fine ear for orchestral colouring. It was an accomplishment that would stand him good stead, especially with his interest in writing film scores. These pieces are receiving their first recording.

I have known the brass-band version of The Moor of Venice since Chandos released ‘Brass from the Masters Volume 1’ back in 1997. Four years later, Philip Lane arranged this piece for full orchestra: the original work was written in 1956 as a BBC Light Programme commission. The idea behind the piece is a compression of the ‘plot’ of Shakespeare’s Othello. This is an attractive work that has the feel of a film score about it; however, it is not really a piece of ‘light’ music as suggested from the original commission. I enjoyed the orchestral version, but am not quite sure why it was/is necessary? The brass band incarnation seems to serve its purpose perfectly well. And I guess that it is more likely to be performed in that format rather than full orchestra.

The main events on this CD are the second and third Concerti Grosso. Naxos has already recorded the first of the series on 8.570704.

The Concerto Grosso No.2 was composed in 1948 and is dedicated to Muir Mathieson. This dedication is appropriate for two reasons: Mathieson was the conductor of many of William Alywn’s film scores and, secondly, there is a definite ‘film music’ feel to some, but not all, of this work.

This Concerto Grosso is scored for a string quartet group with a full string orchestra, although only the first fiddle of the ‘concertino’ seems to have an involved part. It certainly nods to Handel on a number occasions even if it is not a pastiche. The opening and closing movements are lively and cheerful however I enjoyed the second movement best which is more complex and profound and has been likened to a ‘Homage to Dvorak’. It is truly lovely music. The quality of the scoring is impressive, although the string quartet part is hardly virtuosic (as composed by Alwyn, not as played!). There is a good contrast between the 'straightforward’ themes and their ‘vigorous elaboration.’

The Concerto Grosso No.2 was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall on 7 May 1950: Sir Malcolm Sargent conducted the London Symphony Orchestra.

The Concerto Grosso No.3 is the masterpiece on this CD. In fact, I think it is one of William Alwyn’s most accomplished works. The score was completed at Blythburgh in 1964. It is important, to realise that it was a BBC commission to mark the twentieth anniversary of the death of Sir Henry Wood (1869-1944). Alwyn has written that ‘throughout the years between the wars Sir Henry Wood was the focus of my musical world. I played on his orchestras and he performed my music – the first at a Prom in 1927.’ It is a genuine tribute from a grateful composer.

In this work there is no use made of the ‘concertino’ group of soloists that is so characteristic of the ‘classical’ concerto grosso form. In this work the three sections of the orchestra interplay with each other. However in the first movement the brass dominates, in the second it is the woodwind and finally in the last is it the strings turn to take the lead.

However, if the listener thinks that this Concerto Grosso is going to be a ‘po-faced’ elegy to the great man, then they are hugely mistaken. In fact, Alwyn has suggested that it is largely written on ‘broad vigorous lines’ rather than in a ruminative style. However, the final movement is heart-renderingly beautiful, without being morbid. It is a fitting and ultimately optimistic tribute to one of the greatest figures in British music.

I enjoyed this CD, especially the Concerti Grosso. However I do feel that the other works, although interesting, are not essential. Nevertheless, they will be part of every William Alywn enthusiast’s collection and will allow scholars and listeners to gain a wider understanding of the composer’s art.

The sound quality of this disc is excellent, especially so in the concertos. I enjoyed the crisp performances and I was very impressed with the liner notes by Andrew Knowles: they are informative and comprehensive.

As to the future, I do hope that Naxos will issued the Manchester Suite, the school orchestra music and the Coronation March (if these scores are available). Apart from those pieces, I guess that most of Alwyn’s orchestral works are now available on CD. This is a magnificent achievement that I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams some 40 years ago.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review first appeared.

Stanford's Irish Symphony: A New York Performance, 1917.

2011-10-17T06:00:00.006+01:00

Of all the symphonies by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford his Irish Symphony has just managed to retain a place in the repertoire of orchestras. Understandably, this work was heard many times towards the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. It largely disappeared from the concert lists until it was rediscovered in the 1980’s. Even before the two major cycles of his symphonies on Chandos and Naxos there was a recording of the ‘Irish’ by Norman Del Mar and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta on EMI ASD 4221 dating from 1982. This symphony, which dates from Stanford’s early period, is considered to be one of the ‘most characteristic and beautiful compositions by its composer.’

I found a review in the Musical Times for the work’s performance in New York. It bears presenting here for the strong views on the works Irish inspiration.

‘It is interesting to note the opinion expressed by Mr. H. E. Krehbiel, the distinguished American critic, upon a recent performance of the Symphony under Mr. Walter Damrosch [1] in New York. He says: ‘Quite unexpectedly, even to those who had previously scanned its programme, the concert turned out to be one in which the spirit of racialism [2], if not nationalism, was celebrated from beginning to end. To start with, there was the overture Fingal's Cave [3] which is Gaelic in so far as it perpetuates the musical impression made upon the imagination of Mendelssohn by his first visit to the Hebrides, though the music was developed later in Italy.

Then came Sir Charles Villiers Stanford's Irish Symphony, of which Mr. Damrosch gave its first American hearing at a concert of the Symphony Society exactly twenty-nine years ago come next Sunday [4] We have heard it frequently since and with ever-growing admiration. In it a native Irishman who is one of the most scholarly of British musicians pays tribute to the folk-music of his native isle, and in its slow movement especially raises what we are disposed to consider the finest monument to the spirit of Celtic folk-song which artistic music has produced. The jollity of the hop-jig and the splendid pride of Irish chivalry speak out in the second and last movements, but these elements count as little compared with the pathos of the ancient lament which lies at the base of the slow movement and which so admirably expresses what Dr. Norman McLeod [5] once characterized as ‘the thoughts that lie too deep for tears-the music of an oppressed, conquered, but deeply feeling, impressible, fanciful and generous people'; the music appropriate to the harp in Tara's halls. That harp prelude is the introduction to the movement, and is heard again with its mournfully beautiful wail, toward the end. It is well that the Symphony is kept alive; it speaks a message the significance of which will be plainer to the world when the end of the present awful cataclysm permits the racial voice of music to speak out in clearer tones than it has yet done in the artistic music of the world.’

The Musical Times March 1 1917 [with minor edits]

The 'Irish Symphony' was first performed under Richter in London on June 27, 1887.

[1] Mr. Walter Damrosch (1862-1950). German born composer and conductor who latterly lived in the United States. He is perhaps best remembered as director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the world premiere performances of George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto on F (1925) and his American in Paris (1928).

[2] Racialism does not have negative connotations here – it simply means that this work exhibits traits deemed to be appropriate to people of a Celtic descent.

[3] The Hebrides Overture, also known as Fingal’s Cave written by Felix Mendelssohn after his visit to the Western Islands of Scotland in 1829.

[4] Walter Damrosch performed Stanford’s Irish Symphony with the New York Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in November 1887.

[5] Dr. Norman McLeod was a Scottish divine and miscellaneous writer. He lived from 1812-1872.

Carlo Martelli: Overture: Celebration Day

2011-10-14T06:00:00.002+01:00

Carlo Martelli’s Overture: Celebration Day is a minor masterpiece of pastiche. This is in no way meant as a criticism of what is a well-wrought and finely scored piece of light music.

The Overture was commissioned for the Rotary Club of Great Britain’s centenary in 2005 and was first performed in Dundee during August of that year with the National Symphony Orchestra of Scotland.

The sleeve notes sum up this piece very well: there are three main ideas that include a ‘lively’ skittish theme that is transformed into a ceremonial pomp and circumstance-type march in the final pages, a flowing lyrical idea and a sequence in the middle of the work that smacks of military rodomontade.’ For the curious, 'rodomontade' has negative connotations and means ‘pretentious boasting or bragging: bluster.’ Now I have to take issue with the writer of the sleeve notes here. A little bit of pomp and circumstance never ‘done no-one no harm!’ In fact, I am a great fan of virtually all Elgar’s works in this genre: Walton’s Crown Imperial and Orb and Sceptre also hit the spot. In the same way, I do not believe that Martelli is indulging in any exercise of crass jingoism. I think that he is simply having enjoying writing a work that is both fun and stirring. In many ways it reminds me of the overt and largely impressive Duke of Cambridge Overture by Sir Malcolm Arnold. A Celebration Day it certainly is: and memorable too. What more can a composer ask for?

I recently reviewed Carlo Martelli’s important second Symphony [Dutton Epoch CDLX7270]. I wrote there that the Symphony was certainly an eye-opener and is in a totally different league to these more ephemeral pieces (such as Persiflage and the Jubilee March) – at least from the point of view emotional power, concentration and architecture. But I am convinced that in spite of extravagant nature of Celebration Day, Martelli brings the same application, technical skill and imagination to this work as he did to his Symphony.

Strangely, this work which is included on Dutton Epoch’s British Light Music Premiers, has not been reviewed on MusicWeb International: most British music seems to find a place in those pages. Even Gramophone and the BBC Music Magazine do not return an entry in their search engines. So I guess that these few word of mine may be the only easily available comment on what is an enjoyable piece of music.

Carlo Martelli’s Overture: Celebration Day can be heard on Dutton Epoch CDLX 7170

Cyril Cork: Full Sail - for piano solo

2011-10-12T06:00:00.003+01:00

I can find nothing on the internet about Cyril Cork – not even his dates of birth and death: he may well be still alive. There is, however, a reference to a ‘Cyril Cork’ prize, but nothing about the man himself.

His piano work Full Sail is a little gem. This suite of pieces was published in 1966 by the redoubtable Manchester music publishing firm of Forsyth Brothers. In fact this is where I purchased this sheet music- it was in their sale, priced £1.

These are six excellent descriptive pieces, which are full of nautical imagery loosely based on the well-loved story by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island. The opening swaggering ‘Pirate’s March’, which is dedicated to John Longmire, gets the piece of to a technically demanding start – at least for Grade 4. Cork juxtaposes chromatic sequences, a jaunty tune and a chordal, almost hymn-like melody. Great use is made of melodic leaps of the ‘seventh’ and scattering of major second chords.

The second movement is entitled 'Lonely Inn'. It certainly has the feel of mist bound Admiral Benbow Inn from Stevenson’s story. The piece is written in compound time: alternating between 9/8 and 6/8 time. Again harmonic seconds are prevalent.

The third movement is perhaps the liveliest. This is a lop-side jig entitled ‘Evans the Stump’. A note on the score suggests that ‘The Welsh cook with a wooden leg. His cry of ‘Come and get it!’ could be heard almost to the other side of the ocean’. It is an intricate little piece that demands concentration by the player – and nimble fingers. However, I cannot recall a pirate or sailor called ‘Evans’ in RLS’s book!

Eventually the pirates or sailors reach ‘The Island’. This is represented by a little impressionistic piece in 6/8 time that explores a rising melody for the right hand with a barcarolle like accompaniment. Some subtle key changes and chromatic notes ensure that this easy piece never gets boring.

‘Joe the Parrot’ is naturally the ships parrot, who apparantly ‘could almost whistle back correctly if you sang him a tune.’ This is a lively little scherzando with lots of imitation and wayward melodic leaps.

The final movement is the eponymous ‘Full Sail.’ This is probably the best conceived part of the work. Certainly the 9/8 time signature allows the composer to portray a great ship speeding across the waves. However he uses expansive chords rather that figuration to achieve this sense of breadth. There are lots of added note chords towards the end. In fact it is a piece that I think would sound good if transcribed for a large orchestra.

I guess that this suite reminds me of some fellow Forsyth’s stable mate, the great Mancunian Walter Carroll and his music. However, Cork brings a good imagination and some original thought to these pieces that begins to transcend the boundary between ‘grade’ pieces and a work that would reward hearing in a public recital.

Perhaps I may hear more about Cyril Cork in the coming days. Meanwhile I append a list of his published works of which there are precious few. Most appear to be didactic pieces for the music student.

Four Hands Adventuring: piano duets H. Freeman & Co. c1962

Full sail Forsyth Bros. c1966

A guide to musicianship examinations, initial to grade III, with specimen tests London: Trinity College of Music, 1978

Singing sight-reading exercises for grade examinations London: Trinity College of Music, c1972

Specimen ear tests for diploma examinations London: Trinity College of Music, c1978

Specimen sight reading tests for licentiate pianoforte diploma London: Trinity College of Music, [1981?]

Benjamin Britten: Temporal Variations for oboe & piano

2011-10-09T06:00:00.005+01:00

The Temporal Variations were written partially in response to a plea by the writer Montagu Slater. Slater, who was a left-wing dramatist, poet and editor, had originally asked Britten to write a ‘War Requiem.’ Rather naively, Slater had imagined that if the twenty year Britten had written this work somehow the slide to war would have been halted! Of course, the War Requiem did not appear until some 28 years later, but in lieu the Temporal Variations were completed on 12th December 1936.

Unusually, they were given their premiere at the Wigmore Hall only three days later! I suppose I had always imagined that the soloist then would have been Léon Goossens, however it was in fact Natalie Caine with Adolph Hollis on the piano. They must have been quick learners!

I understand the reception of the work was somewhat luke-warm – with the critics not really understanding the significance of what they heard. Apparently, The Times euphemistically cited it as being ‘clever’ which probably could be interpreted as worthless. The work was immediately withdrawn by the composer for ‘reworking’ and was not played again until after his death.

Some critics and musicologists have declared that this work is ‘merely’ a set of variations –with no reference to current events or aspirations. Others have considered it a mine of allusions and cross references to contemporary and not so contemporary composers.

However let us consider when it was composed. It was at a time when the Spanish Civil War was getting under way and when Britten had just returned from a successful trip to the ISCM Festival in Barcelona where his Theme & Variations for Violin & Piano had been performed - so it was almost inevitable that there would be a subtext. In this case it was the inexorable slide to total war.

Furthermore Britten had begun to write music for the GPO Film Unit and this led to some use of instrumental colour in the Variations for extra musical effect (marching, sirens & bomb blasts)

The original theme begins somewhat obliquely before prefiguring some of the imagery that is considered in the variations.

The seven variations that follow are effectively ‘wartime vignettes.’ These cover such diverse images as marching, military manoeuvres (Exercises), an Anglican Church service, a waltz for ‘mutilaté,’ a bizarre ‘polka’ which reminded me of the Berlin portrayed by Christopher Isherwood. However the work comes to an end with a ‘resolution’ which offers an optimistic finish to a disturbing work.

Certainly the energy and intensity of this piece is an eloquent testimony to the prevailing pacifist thinking that pervaded much of the intellectual establishment in the pre-war years. Perhaps it was just a pity that it took some time to realise that dictators could not be defeated by chamber music or requiems, but typically needed bravery and force of arms.

Interestingly, Montagu Slater, the works dedicatee was to write the libretto for what many regard as Britten’s masterpiece, Peter Grimes. And another masterpiece was eventually performed in 1961 at Coventry Cathedral – The War Requiem. So, Slater was one way or another to play a hugely significant role in Britten’s musical achievement – even if the Temporal Variations were not quite what he originally had in mind.

An excellent performance of this work can be heard on Oboe Classics CC2008 with Emily Pailthorpe, oboe & Julian Milford, piano

Some Lost Works by British Composers from 1908

2011-10-07T06:00:00.003+01:00

I recently found this review of the Royal College of Music Patron’s Fund concert which was given at the Queen’s Hall on 14 July 1908. Of the composers represented, I guess that Montague Phillips has survived best: at least a recording of the Piano Concerto is available on Dutton Epoch. Paul Corder is recalled for his piano music and Fritz Hart has songs occasionally performed in the recital room. However Emily Lucas, James Lyon and John St. A. Johnson seem to have fallen by the wayside.
Out of all these pieces the ones that I would most like to hear is Paul Corder’s Morar and Fritz Hart’s Overture: From the West Country.

To all musicians who infuse patriotism into their art, the concerts given under the auspices of the Royal College of Music Patron's Fund possess peculiar interest. For one thing they are open to all composers of British birth who are under forty years of age; therefore it is obvious that these performances gauge the artistic status of our younger creative artists.
The past has shown that, with a few exceptions, the works performed have been those of promise rather than fulfilment. This was the case on July 14 [1908] at the concert given at Queen's Hall, albeit several compositions possessed an excellence that merits their performance elsewhere. In one instance - an effective set of nine Variations with finale on a Sarabande by Handel, composed by Dr. James Lyon: this suggested course has been anticipated, since the work had previously been performed in the provinces. A fantasy overture, entitled From the West Country, by Mr. Fritz Hart, should find a welcome in the West of England, for it is built up with genuine folk-tunes of this district, melodies that are treated with a skill which results in the production of an attractive piece. Another orchestral fantasia, called Morar, by Mr. Paul Corder, stated to have been written in the Western Highlands, shows that this young composer is sensitive to surrounding influences, and that he has admirable command of the orchestra; but over-development suggests that he stayed rather too long at 'Morar.'
A Pianoforte concerto in F sharp minor, by Mr. Montague Phillips, cannot claim great originality in melodic invention or construction, but the work shows a keen sense of what is effective, of the right place for climaxes, and an exuberant if somewhat superficial spirit that, with Miss Irene Scharrer at the pianoforte, fully accounted for the enthusiastic nature of the applause it elicited.
Miss Emily Lucas's Scena, 'Maud,' for soprano and orchestra, the words from Tennyson's well-known poem, is interesting as an example of the excellence of the musical training at the Royal Normal College for the Blind. The vocal part of the work is here and there unnecessarily difficult, and it says much for the skill of Miss Gladys Honey that the scena was so well received. More grateful to the singer were 'Songs of Selma,' by Mr. John St. A. Johnson, who shows great versatility in the appropriateness of his music to three poems of widely different style and sentiment.

The London Symphony Orchestra was specially engaged for the occasion. With the exception of the orchestral accompaniments of the songs, which were conducted by Sir Charles Stanford, each work was presented under the baton of its respective composer.
THE MUSICAL TIMES AUGUST I, 1908 (with minor edits)

The Golden Age of Light Music: Bright & Breezy on Guild

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000+01:00

The Golden Age of Light Music: Bright and Breezy

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5180

There are some 81 volumes of Guild’s ‘Golden Age of Light Music’ currently available. If one allows an average of 28 tracks per CD, this makes a grand total of about 2268 pieces of music. Now, I imagine that some listeners will think that Guild must be scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel to find good material for any subsequent releases.

In fact, I was beginning to wonder myself how much more of this kind of music is still hidden away. The answer is given as part of the liner-note discussion of Anthony Mawer and his delightful and trippy Painted Carousels. In fact, Mr Mawer (1930-1999) is a new boy to this series. Hailing from Sale in Cheshire, and a Manchester Grammar School lad, he was largely self-taught. However in the ten years between 1955 and 1965 he contributed some 500 titles to the De Wolfe sound library. If all this music were ‘rediscovered’ there could be a further 17 or 18 volumes just of his music!! And I am sure that many of the other composers represented on this CD will have similar large libraries of music attributed to them.

This is a strong selection of music that explores a wide range of moods and imagery. Included are a few standards such as Errol Garner’s Misty, Cole Porter’s Begin the Beguine and Lerner & Loewe’s ‘They Call the Wind Maria’ from Paint your Wagon. Big name ‘classical’ composers such as Hugo Alfvén with his Summerdance and Nino Rota’s film score for ‘La Vita Dolce’ rub shoulders with the masters of the ‘light music’ genre such Robert Farnon’s Sea Shore and Charles Williams’ Theme from ‘The Apartment’. Incidentally, Farnon’s work is one of the most evocative pieces on this CD – complete with chorus of sea-gulls and the magical piano playing of Rawicz and Landauer.

But what is really impressive with this CD is the number of composers that are largely new to the light music revival scene - at least to my understanding of it. These include the German Ernst Fischer with his attractive Suite: South of the Alps, which for me is the discovery of this disc. It manages to capture the spirit and romance of Italy’s Mediterranean coast in the shadow of those great mountains. Interestingly, this work also includes a ‘concertante’ part for cinema organ and balalaika, although this is not overdone ...

Other composers that are less mainstream than Farnon and Williams include Peter Dennis and his evocative Bright and Breezy which gets the proceedings off to a bouncy start. Harry Warren’s Carnival is perfect descriptive music – although the carnival is in Latin America and not Liverpool or Grimsby! Ragazza Romanza is a lovely tune by a composer simply billed as ‘Roberts’. Toy Town Trumpeters by William Davies is a predictable fun piece that once upon a time would have had some kind of vogue on Children’s Favourites. And Laurie Johnson (theme music for The Avengers and The Professionals) contributes the romantic theme music from ‘Tiger Bay’. Sheer heaven!

The American Sir Chauncey, whose real name is the slightly-less glamorous Ernie Freeman, conducts Christian Bruhn and Georg Buschor’s good string piece, Midi-Midinette. E Bello by a certain Dante Vignali is a moody number that balances strings and brass and sheer sultry romance. Kristina is a lady I would like to meet: I imagine that she impressed Maurice Grabmann too!

I really enjoyed the zippy Stringendo by Ivor Slaney. Musicians will know that this title means ‘gradually faster – pressing forward’: the piece lives up to its title. Dancing Daffodils by Johnny Steggerda is another one of those effervescent little pieces of light music that typifies the genre. Cyril Watters’ contribution Up and Coming is equally as effective whilst Mariano Marquina and his Spanish Gypsy Dance manages to conjure up the sultry summer sun of Spain. The fascinating Sweet Sue by Victor Young and a rather quirky musical portrait of San Francisco complete this musical feast.

One amusing thing I noticed on this CD are the number of people sometimes involved in creating a piece of music – for example Vincent Youmans, Otto Harbach, Herbert Stothart, Oscar Hammerstein II and Reg Owen were all involved in presenting the listener with 1:52 worth of Bambalina: Havergal Brian managed to compose the massive Gothic Symphony all on his own!

Yet every one of these pieces is a joy and a pleasure to listen to. Certainly, after recently reviewing the intense John Joubert Symphony No.2 (In memory of those killed at Sharpeville 21/3/60) it was a welcome relief and a bit of indulgent escapism. However, there is an important point. Each of the works presented on this latest Guild Light Music series can be regarded as a ‘mini-masterpiece’ – not necessarily moving and shaking the artistic world, but being attractive and well-wrought and displaying superb workmanship, imagination and invention.

The only downside to this CD is that Guild do not give the dates of all the composers in the track listings or the liner notes: not all of them can be easily found on the Internet!

Finally, this is a series than can probably continue indefinitely: roll on the next 81 releases!

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.

Gareth Glyn: Welsh Incident - a new CD

2011-10-02T06:00:00.001+01:00

Noson yn yr opera (A Night at the Opera) (1997); Welsh Incident (1989); Dinas Barhaus (Enduring City) (2010); Microconcerto for double bass and orchestra (2004); Cariad (2008); Conseirto i’r Utgorn (Trumpet Concerto) (2008); Gwylmabsant (1994); Llam Carw (Stag’s Leap) (2010); Cyfres Fechan i Linynnau (Little Suite for Strings)(2011)

Jonathan Pryce (narrator), Philippe Schartz (trumpet), Dominic Seldis (double bass) and Jane Watts (organ) BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Grant Llewellyn and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia/Gavin Sutherland & Julian Bigg

SAIN SCD2653 2 CDs

This is a fantastic CD: from the first to the last track there is interest, variety, and sheer enjoyment. All the works on this disc are approachable and satisfying, yet they bear repeated hearing. It would be easy to categorise Gareth Glyn’s musical style as being ‘light’ – a number of his pieces have been released on CDs dedicated to that particular genre. However there is a much greater depth and variety to his music that defies any easy attempt at stereotyping.

The first track on this two-CD album is close to my heart. I have to confess that of all the musical forms, opera, is the one that I least relate to. I have tried, but largely failed to get into Wagner, Verdi and Richard Strauss. [I do dote on G&S tho’!]

A Night at the Opera was commissioned in 1997 for the Beaumaris Festival. The composer has written that ‘a three act opera can take as many hours to stage...’ And even longer if it is part of The Ring! What this present piece does is condense the whole operatic experience into ‘one-twentieth’ of the time. The work begins with a mini-overture and is followed by a series of solos, duets, ensembles, recitatives and choruses – minus the vocal parts! Glyn has introduced all the passion, anger, love and humour into a short piece that is well constructed and delightfully scored. It is my kind of ‘Night at the Opera...’

The title track of the CD, Welsh Incident is a marvellous piece. When one takes the poetry of Robert Graves, the music of Gareth Glyn, and the voice of the Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce one is guaranteed a successful work of art. In addition there is a virtuosic part for double-bass which is beautifully played by Dominic Seldis. The action of this ‘narration’ takes place in the sea-side town of Criccieth: it concerns the arrival of ‘aliens’ on a local beach. Do not try to read too much into the text: just enjoy the lovely language and the striking imagery that owes not a little to Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood. It is one of my discoveries of 2011!

The following piece is a much more serious work that owes something to the musical style of Aaron Copland. Enduring City was written to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Bern, which was the first permanent seat of the colonial government of the US state of North Carolina. It is an historical portrayal of the city with an optimistic nod to the future. The work has number of sections which refer to people and events in the city’s history. Enduring City opens with a reflection of John Lawson and then Christoph von Graffenried who were the founding fathers. The next movement considers the history of ‘Tryon Palace’, which was the governor’s residence. In this music a variety of historical styles are rehearsed including ‘fife and drum’ bands, minuets and African slave music. The conclusion of this section combines all these elements into a riotous coda. The following movement considers the various conflicts that have beset the city, including a major battle during the Civil War, which is then followed by a long and beautiful meditation on ‘reconciliation and beauty’. Enduring City concludes with a positive look to the future. This is not light music: it is an involved and vital work which is written in an approachable language. It is probably the most important work presented in this retrospective CD.

The Microconcerto for double bass and orchestra is a little masterpiece. It was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 as part of its ‘Endangered Species’ series which was an attempt to encourage young people to take up instruments that were less popular. Gareth Glyn writes that it is the intention of this short work (lasting just 4½ minutes) to explore ‘the full range of the double bass – pitch, technique, style, and so on...’ It is an interesting and often striking exploration. The main ‘slow movement’ theme is gorgeous – I never knew the double-bass could be so expressive and play so ‘high’. It is a work that nods to Charlie Mingus without being in any way a jazz concerto. It should be a Prom favourite!

I really enjoyed Cariad, which is an arrangement or reworking of a number of Welsh folksongs with the theme of love (cariad). This is light-music at its very best with lots of lovely tunes, harmonies and effective orchestration. Look out for a few nods to the brass band tradition. Ardderchog!

The second CD begins with an impressive Trumpet Concerto. This is a good substantial work that is composed in a modern but not ‘difficult’ style. Each of the three movements has a title, which is in Welsh. The first is ‘Hyder’ meaning confidence – which is expressed in music that at times is ‘impetuous, quiet or assured’. It is exciting music that is well-balanced and evokes a variety of moods and emotions. The middle movement is entitled ‘Hiraeth’ which the composer suggests is untranslatable, but means something akin to ‘nostalgia’ or ‘longing’. Certainly Glyn has written heartfelt, almost valedictory music that uses the lyrical tones of the trumpet to such good effect. The finale is based on ‘Hwyl’ which in this usage means ‘farewell’. It is a romp from start to finish, with a gorgeous big tune emerging at the halfway mark. The work closes with rhythmical excitement which the composer suggests is somewhere between laughter and tears. This is a great concerto that demands to be in the repertoire of all good trumpet players. There are so few good examples of the genre: Gareth Glyn’s is one of the best.

It is always good to hear the organ in its secular guise. The concerted piece Gwlymabsant was commissioned by the BBC and was first performed on March 1 1994 with the present soloist, Jane Watts. Gareth Glyn points put that the title literally means ‘the festival of a patron saint’ which was for many years a tradition on Ynys Mon (Anglesey). It was originally a joyous religious festival which changed character over the years into an opportunity for dancing, drinking and feasting. This dichotomy is represented in the music, although the emphasis appears to be on the festivities rather than a deep meditation on the life of ‘any’ saint! The work is full of Mathias-ian rhythmic vitality and angular melodies. A real show stopper!

Llam Carw (Stag’s Leap) is based on a Welsh legend about St. Eilian. He was sent to Ynys Mon as a Papal emissary in the 5th century. One of his early acts was the ‘righteous’ blinding of a certain Cadwallon Lawhir (Cadwallan Long-hand) as a rather severe punishment for cattle rustling. However, the king begged for his sight to be restored. St Eilian agreed on the condition that he (or was it the Papacy) were granted the land that his stag could cover before being brought down by Cadwallan’s hounds. However, the stag leapt across a mighty gorge and escaped the dogs and ran far and wide. Much more land was gained than anyone imagined. The location of the jump is called ‘Llam Carw’ and is located near the town of Amlwch in Anglesey. The subject makes an ideal opportunity for an exciting and musically satisfying little tone poem. The work is in two sections with a ‘leap’ lasting a few seconds in the middle of the piece. The first section is the chase and a highly coloured ‘scherzo’ with some clever orchestration. The leap is cleverly contrived – brass over tremolo strings and then the stag is free (rhyddid) and with tonally unambiguous music escapes the threat of death.

Llam Carw is an excellent example of programme music which does not rely too heavily on the listener following a detailed narrative – chase/leap of faith/freedom is a fairly universal emotion that can be understood without the appurtenances of medieval hagiography. However, the story is a good one and deserves to be remembered.

The final work on this retrospective CD is the absolutely charming Little Suite for Strings. To my ear this is a work that is right up there with all the best ‘string orchestra’ pieces in the British music repertoire. The work is divided into five movements – Strings on the Wing, Waltz, Moto perpetuo, Prayer and Hoedown. Perhaps the opening movement is the most impressive and the waltz is a little gem. The concluding Hoedown is as good as the slightly better known example from Rodeo by Aaron Copland!

Only two minor complaints about this CD – firstly it is a wee bit short – with just over 100 minutes of music on two discs. And secondly, the liner notes are difficult to read: maroon-ish text on grey, shiny paper!

This is a great double CD that will give much pleasure and entertainment to listeners. However, there is also a great deal of music here that is deeper and requires our attention and concentration. Gareth Glyn is one of the best composer’s around and I guess that he deserves a greater popularity. This CD is an important step in that direction. I await (eagerly) a release of his fine symphony.

This CD can be ordered from Sain Records

Erik Chisholm

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000+01:00

Erik CHISHOLM (1904-1965)

Music for Piano, Volume 7

Five Elegies; Peter Pan Suite; Praeterita (Sonatina no. 4) – First Movement; Suite No. 1; Suite No. 2; Suite No. 3 (Ballet)

Murray McLachlan (piano)

Divine Arts ddv24155 [68:45]

According to the excellent liner notes by John Purser, this present volume of ‘Music for Piano’ by Erik Chisholm is likely to be the last. He writes that unless ‘current research work uncovers sufficient previously unknown material... [which] at present seems extremely unlikely,’ there will not be an eighth volume. It is a job well done. I have had the pleasure of reviewing all previous releases of this series and have been struck by the vitality, technical competence and sheer ‘enjoyability’ of virtually every work presented. The seventh volume is designed to tidy up a few loose ends. Purser suggests that this disc ought to be listened to ‘within the context of the whole series.’ And he is correct. I guess it is unlikely that many people will set off on their exploration of Chisholm’s piano music with this CD. Most of the pieces on this disc are ‘light’ music – with the exception of the Elegies and the Fourth Sonatina. However, that does not mean that the other works are unworthy of our attention or lack inspiration and sheer musicality.

The most important pieces on this CD must be the five Elegies with which the CD opens. These are dark introspective numbers that reveal the pianistic style of Erik Chisholm at his very best. Most of these elegies are derived from tunes which the composer had found in a variety of ‘song books’ such as the Reverend Patrick MacDonald’s Collection of Highland Vocal Airs. However it is important to emphasise that these are not direct transcriptions of the tunes; nor are they simply arrangements or variations. This is not a pastiche of ‘highlan’ music designed to portray a sentimentalised view of the people and places of Scotland. Chisholm’s music is manifestly influenced by his native musical sounds and rhythms, but the resultant can only be defined as a part of the Western tradition of both Schoenberg and Bartok. A note on the Chisholm Website explains this well – ‘He is also alone in his attempt to infuse into symphonic structure the forms of Celtic music-lore (e.g. the pibroch) as distinct from the introduction into present-day forms of merely discursive Celtic atmosphere.’ These five elegies display this ‘symphonic structure’ in spite of their short duration.

When I first came across Erik Chisholm’s music I read somewhere that he had composed a Peter Pan Suite. Alas, as each CD was issued, this work appeared to be missing. However all things comes to him (or her) who waits.

The Suite was composed in London during 1924, which was some 20 years after James Matthew Barrie’s children’s classic was first published as a stage production. Many people have tried to get to the bottom of this timeless classic and analyses abound. However, it needs neither Freud nor Jung to enjoy the story, save to say that the underlying themes would appear to be a ‘conflict between the innocence of childhood and the responsibility of adulthood’.

Erik Chisholm’s Suite is divided into five attractive, but rather concise movements. All the key players from Peter Pan and Wendy are incorporated into the music. From the capricious Peter himself, to the will o’ the wisp Tinker Bell, the lugubrious Crocodile, the more complex than would at first appear ‘Wendy’ theme. Finally, Captain Hook is portrayed by something a little more sinister.

There is nothing particularly difficult (aurally) about this music; however it fair to say that it is an adult’s appreciation of the childhood story. Chisholm never indulges in sentimentality or kitsch.

The Sonatina No.4 is a different story. Part of a series of works entitled E Praeterita (From the Past) is is one of six such pieces. [For the connoisseur, Nos. 1 and 2 are given in Volume 3, No.3 on Volume 4 and Nos. 5 and 6 on Volume 5 of this series]

Only one movement is included of this three movement work: one has been lost and another has reappeared as ‘The Jew’s Dance’ in the Fifth Sonatina. John Purser suggests that this surviving first movement is effectively a transcription of a lute-dance by Hans Neusiedler (1508-1563). However in Chisholm’s hands the music transcends time and becomes an exciting work that almost defies categorisation. It was completed in 1947.

The Three Suites presented here are attractive and enjoyable, but they are not in the composer’s typical style. However they differ from much salon music in their ‘spareness’ of texture, their lack of cliché and their harmonic subtlety. Listen to them one at a time.

The First Suite is in five ‘conventionally’ named movements. It opens with a ‘Caprice ‘that is full of light and sunshine. Yet even here there is a depth and modernity of language that would not be found in a similar suite by Montague Ewing or Haydn Wood. The Feuillet d’album (Leafs from an Album) is a diverse little piece that explores a variety of moods and pianistic formula. The Scherzo is a chipper number that ‘exploits [the] rapid alteration of hands.’ Certainly it sounds a bit tricky to my ear. The ‘waltz’ is probably quite typical of the genre: pleasant but nothing more. Finally, the ‘Moto Perpetuo’ brings the Suite to an exciting conclusion.

To my ear there is nothing of ‘persiflage’ about the Second Suite: it may be fun, but it is never trivial. The first movement is a complex, involved piece that belies the playful nature of some of the passages and the the use of a nursery tune at the conclusion. The second movement, a Caprice is played ‘allegro scherzando’. This is an intense scherzo that has a wide variety of moods and a certain hard edge that denies the concept of a ‘musical joke.’ The next movement is funny: it is based on Euphemia Allen’s universally known chopsticks, which are subject to a number of ‘petite’ variations. However even here there is an edginess that ensures the listener does not dismiss this as nugatory. The ‘Intermezzo’ is a trippy little piece that nods towards the salon. John Purser suggests that it appears to be ‘an exercise in simple pianism [rather] than an inspired piece of music’. He suggests a little editing may have done it a power of good. The final ‘Jig’ is complex and ‘fluent’ however it is not a ‘bucolic’ example so popular with composers of light music. It is an astringent piece of music.

The Third Suite is entitled ‘Ballet’. This is brittle, often staccato music that is hard to pin down. Purser has noted the cross-rhythms and the ‘quirky changes of pace.’ Yet it is quite definitely ‘dance’ music – one cannot listen to this without the mind’s eye seeing it interpreted by a dancer. One recalls Chisholm’s commitment to ballet – The Hoodie Craw and The Forsaken Merman being two important scores. The present Third Suite is often romantic in a fugitive sort of manner – but the abiding impression is of quicksilver. Puck or Robin Goodfellow is a likely inspiration.

John Purser sums this CD up very well when he notes that ‘we leave Chisholm’s music then, not with any grand gestures, modernist assertions, Scottish determination or lyricism, but with unaffected, easy going and undemanding pleasures...’

I have noted before the great commitment that the pianist Murray McLachlan has made to this cycle of seven CDs – as well as other recordings of Erik Chisholm’s music. It is a major achievement that deserves to be lauded. The liner notes by John Purser are essential reading, for apart from that author’s excellent monograph on the composer, there is little information about the man and his music that is easily available. The sound recording is superb and benefits from the sympathetic acoustic of the Whiteley Hall, Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester One minor criticism: I would have liked to see the dates for all these pieces given, however it may well be that they are not yet definitively established.

Finally two things need to be said. Firstly, this is the authoritative edition of Erik Chisholm’s music. I cannot imagine another cycle of this piano music being recorded in my remaining lifetime. We are fortunate to have such an exemplary production as that which Divine Art has provided for the listener over the past few years. And, secondly, it is hardly possible to listen to the works on this present CD and the other six and not wonder how such an important contributor to the literature of the piano has gone virtually noticed by lovers of piano music. I make no excuse for concluding this review by quoting myself! ‘I believe that Erik Chisholm is so important that his music ought to have International status rather than just a local interest. I repeat [again!] my assertion that this series of CDs showcase one of the most important “musical discoveries and revelations of the Twenty-First Century’.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published

Edward Elgar: Rare Movie film

2011-09-27T06:00:00.001+01:00

Just a very short post today. This lovely compilation of rare Elgar 'home movies' has appeared on YouTube. Lots of fine footage of Elgar's dogs,including Mina and Marco. They have been beautifully restored and make a very personal portrait of a great composer. Attractive music has been added as a soundtrack.

There is a concluding shot of the composer conducting at Abbey Road Studios.

And, finally look out for the composer throwing a match onto the ground outside Worcester Cathedral!

David Dubery: Songs and Chamber Works

2011-09-25T06:00:00.000+01:00

David DUBERY (b.1948)

Songs and Chamber music

Sonatina for oboe and piano (Threesome for 2 players) (1986); Three Songs to Poems by Robert Graves (for mezzo soprano, recorder and piano (2001); Four Songs for mezzo soprano and piano (1971-1985); Suite from Degrees of Evidence for recorder, oboe and viola (2004);‘Remember’ for voice and piano (2005) Two Stopfordian Impressions for recorder and piano (2008-2009); Sonata for cello and piano (2006); Escapades for recorder, bassoon and piano (2008-2009); Walking Cimbrone for bassoon and piano (2007) Harlequinade for recorder and guitar (2007) ‘Mrs Harris in Paris’ (Valse Temptation) for treble recorder and piano (2003)

Adrienne Murray (mezzo-soprano) John Turner (recorder) Peter Dixon (cello) Richard Simpson (oboe) Graham Salvage (bassoon) Craig Ogden (guitar) Richard Williamson (viola) David Dubery (piano) Paul Jones (piano)

Metier MSV28523 [78:47]

Until hearing this CD, David Dubery was a composer largely unknown to me. I had heard his short miniature Mrs Harris in Paris, but that is all. However, as a Manchester-based composer he appealed to me. It seems that so many great and good composers from that part of the world have been largely sidelined by the musical establishment. Think only of Eric Fogg, Thomas Pitfield, John Foulds and Alan Rawsthorne, to name but four.

It is not the place to give a comprehensive biography of David Dubery; however three things can be said. Firstly he was born in Durban in South Africa in 1948. In 1961 he came to his mother’s home town of Manchester. Secondly, from an early age he composed music and later studied at the Northern School of Music between 1964-1967. He has spent the intervening years working in the fields of music, stage and broadcasting. And thirdly, he works in a traditional musical language that is approachable, but sometimes demanding. He prefers to compose miniatures rather than large scale pieces, however amongst the songs and the chamber pieces there are a few musical theatre pieces such as Once upon an Ark and an American styled musical called Love Lines. Although there is no symphony (yet) there are a number of concerted works and tone poems.

The best place to start this fascinating musical journey is spending some time with Mrs. Harris [who] goes to Paris. This miniature for recorder and piano is subtitled Valse Temptation! The original work dates back to 1980 when the composer was working on a musical adaptation of the novel of the same name by Paul Gallico. Some of the music was reworked into the present ‘Parisian Waltz’ in 2003. Apparently the ‘temptation’ was not a man but a Dior gown! A lovely little piece to get to know the composer with.

I know that it is working backwards through the track-lisitng, but the delightful suite Harlequinade is a good place to continue our exploration. This was written in 2007 for the unusual combination of guitar and recorder. Just to recap, the name Harlequinade was given to the 18th century English adaptation of the Italian commedia dell’arte. There are four lovely, varied and balanced movements. The work opens with Pantalone’s Minuet which is a wistful (but with an occasional ‘edge’) little number with some really ‘Mediterranean’ moments about it. Pantolone was the greedy and ‘over-amorous’ father of the lovely Columbine. He tries to keep his daughter and Harlequin apart. The second movement, which is short, reveals her ‘gossiping and intriguing’. However, this is followed by Columbine’s Romance with Arlecchino (Harlequin). This is the heart of the work: a truly beautiful piece of ‘love’ music. The final movement is given over to Harlequin himself with a lively and vibrant dance –this includes a drunken moment from which everyone eventually sobers up. Altogether a great little suite that is totally in sympathy with its subject. However, I would prefer to hear the recorder part played by the flute: I understand from the composer that such an arrangement exists.

I would then move on to the short Walking Cimbrone written for bassoon and piano. It was inspired by a stray dog that ‘adopted’ the composer and his partner whilst they were visiting the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello. Dubery writes that the ‘dog was ... sad, comic and caused embarrassment at every turn. Certainly the present pieces matches Elgar’s Mina as a nice little character sketch of ‘man’s best friend!’ The piece was written for the bassoonist Graham Salvage.

Escapades also had Salvage in mind. These four short pieces were composed in 2008 for recorder, bassoon and piano. The musical idea is to present material as a conversation or dialogue between all three players. The suite has great variety, with an opening movement of considerable metrical change; the second is a bit hard-edged and has ‘oriental’ overtones. The third is a rhapsody of some beauty, whilst the final movement is a neo-classical dance.

As part of our wayward exploration of this CD it would be good to now examine some of the songs. A number of poets are represented including Hilaire Belloc, Jonathan Swift, Robert Graves, Douglas Gibson and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Begin with the lovely ‘Remember’ by Christina Rossetti from her Goblin Market sequence. It is a well-wrought little song that expresses the brave sentiments of the poem. Certainly the last line is heart-breaking ‘Better by far you should forget and smile/than that you should remember me and be sad.’

The Four Songs for ‘medium voice’ are worthy additions to the repertoire of English lieder. The set opens with Douglas Gibson’s fine poem ‘Another Spring’. Gibson is a poet that I do not know, but his lines are a perfect example of pastoral poetry that nods to John Clare: it is sympathetically set by Dubery. Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s great metaphysical poem, ‘Sudden Light’ (I have been here before/but when or how I cannot tell) is the heart of the cycle. This is deep and thoughtful music. Things lighten up a bit with Swift’s ‘rollicking, colourful Irish characterisation, ‘Onyons’. The final poem is the favourite Belloc poem ‘The Birds’ – (When Jesus Christ was four years old/The angels brought Him little toys of gold). It is a setting that reflects the childlike simplicity of the words, but also notes the deeper thoughts hidden between the lines. It was the composer’s first published song in 1971.

There were originally another two songs in this group but these were set aside.

Move back now to instrumental music. The Two Stopfordian Impressions for recorder and piano were written for the redoubtable John Turner. For those not blessed with North-Country connections the adjective ‘Stopfordian’ applies to people and things related to the great Cheshire town of Stockport: pupils at Stockport Grammar School style themselves Stopfordians. David Dubery has composed two delightful and utterly poetic little numbers called Pinch Belly Park and The Glass Umbrella. The former is evocative of a winter’s day walk in the said Pinch Belly Park, which is the local name for Vernon Park. This is a little bit of minimalism that creates a chilly feel. The latter is a musical portrayal of the stunning Victorian market hall and St Mary’s Church bells. The work was composed in 2010. There is also a version for oboe and piano.

I have a problem with the Three Songs to Poems by Robert Graves: I really feel that the woodwind part does not add value. In fact, I believe that the tonal characteristic of the recorder jar or competes with the singer: it certainly does not complement her. I would rather hear this in a revised arrangement for piano and mezzo-soprano only. The songs themselves and their performance (the above comment notwithstanding) are absolutely beautiful – encompassing moods from the dreamlike ‘Under the Olives’ to the urbane ‘I will write’ which borders on jazz. The first performance of these songs took place at Prestwich Music Club in 2003.

After this move onto the Suite from Degrees of Evidence for recorder, oboe and viola. Not the set of pieces that most impressed me: they seemed just a little contrived. For one thing they are only four of six pieces that were originally conceived. They are based on a ‘chapter heading class 4, ‘intellect’ from Roget’ Thesaurus!’ I find them disjointed and largely unmemorable. Perhaps the version for String Quartet may be more impressive? There are four movements: ‘Memory’, ‘Certainty’, ‘Possibility’ and ‘Absurdity’.

Lastly, it is time to move onto the two most impressive, and possibly the most important works on this CD. The disc opens with the Sonatina for oboe and piano which is subtitled ‘Threesome for 2 players.’ This short work is in three clever and well-balanced movements which display the talent and technique of both oboist and pianist. From the opening bars of the ‘allegro vivace’ with its ‘quirky’ tune to the closing ‘cheeky’ passages in the ‘presto’ this work hold the interest both entertains and impresses. The middle movement, which is a little ‘moderato’ pastoral, is truly lovely and quite moving. This Sonatina is fresh, tuneful and a delight. It deserves to be in the repertoire of all oboists.

The masterpiece (in my opinion) on this present CD is the Cello Sonata. This work was originally conceived for double-bass and piano; however that work never came to pass. The Sonata was completed in 2006 and lasts for about eleven minutes. It is in three movements. This is lyrical work, that sits fairly and squarely the late twentieth century tradition of music that does not challenge the listener with issues of musical language, but certainly makes demands on their emotional engagement. The heart of the work is the deeply-felt ‘lento’ – which is both profound and moving. The composer suggests that this music was inspired by a tramp across the hills above Varenna, near Lake Como in Italy. However all is put to rights in the frenetic ‘energico’: apart from a brief respite, this is all movement and pace. The cello part sounds extremely difficult, with the pianist’s technique is pushed a bit too. The conclusion is ‘bravura’ to say the least.

This is an important Cello Sonata that must surely enter the repertoire. There is not a bar of this piece that is not interesting, enjoyable and satisfying.

All in all this is a great ‘retrospective’ CD of music by the Mancunian composer David Dubery. With one exception, I enjoyed every single item on this disc. Let us hope that over the coming years many other works from his catalogue find their way into the recording studio.

Frank Bridge: Piano music on SOMM Volume 3

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

Frank Bridge (1879-1941) Piano Music Volume 3

Three Poems: ‘Sunset’, ‘Solitude’ & ‘Ecstasy’ (1913-14); Hidden Fires (c.1926); Arabesque (1914); Three Pieces: ‘Moderato’, Pensée Fugitive & Scherzettino (1902-03); Miniature Pastorals Set 3 (1921); Three Improvisations (for the left hand): ‘At Dawn’, ‘A Vigil’ & ‘A Revel’ (1918); Winter Pastoral (1925); Three Lyrics: ‘Heart’s Ease’, ‘Dainty Rogue’ & ‘The Hedgerow’ (1921-24); A Dedication (1926); Berceuse (1901); Canzonetta (Happy South) (1926); Gargoyle (1928)

Mark Bebbington (piano)

SOMMCD0107 [75:46]

It is absolutely necessary to explore this excellent, CD in a systematic manner. The last thing the listener should do is through-listen without a break. I would suggest a largely chronological walk through these pieces.

The Berceuse, which is the earliest piece on this CD was originally composed for violin/cello and piano in 1902. It was ‘dished up’ in a number of arrangements, including one for violin and orchestra, and also large and small orchestras. However, in 1929 a version was published for piano solo. This is a gorgeous little work with a ‘gentle, lulling tune’ that fully justifies its title. Like much of Bridge’s so-called ‘salon’ music, this goes beyond the genre with its subtlety and elegance.

Amongst the early pieces are three short works that may or may not be grouped together: - the Moderato, the Pensée Fugitive and the Scherzettino. They are presented as having separate catalogue numbers in Paul Hindmarsh’s catalogue. The ‘Moderato’ was composed in September 1903 which was some five months after Bridge had left the Royal College of Music. It is a rare little work that has hints of Vaughan Williams and is composed in a contrapuntal style, rather than with complex piano figurations.

The Pensée Fugitive from the summer of 1902 is a lovely little piece that is varied and interesting, certainly summing up the idea of a ‘fleeing thought.’

The Scherzettino was composed sometime between 1901 and 1902. It is a student work, but is none the worse for that. These three works are not particularly remarkable, however they were probably written to demonstrate various pianistic styles and techniques: they may not have been meant to survive into posterity.

The Three Poems (1915) are remarkable pieces. The liner notes rightly suggest that the composer is beginning to develop his musical language, without upsetting the sensibilities of his ‘Edwardian admirers.’ It would appear that originally these pieces were to be issued as ‘Four Characteristic Pieces which also included the Arabesque (1916). The three poems are ‘Sunset’, ‘Solitude’ and ‘Ecstasy’. I find these pieces quite challenging: they certainly contain a greater concentration of emotion and depth of interest than some of the earlier piano pieces. For one thing there is an increasing chromatic feel to this music, however this is not an abandonment of tonality but a certain blurring around the edges. This is especially evident in the ambiguous ‘Solitude’. ‘Ecstasy’ is massive, involved, colourful and full of passion.

The Arabesque sounds much more antagonistic than the title would suggest; certainly this is no will o’the wisp’ piece of whimsy.

The Three Improvisations (for the left-hand) were composed for the pianist Douglas Fox who had tragically lost his right arm during the Great War. The three pieces are:- ‘At Dawn’, ‘A Vigil’ and ‘A Revel’. The first two numbers are filled with emptiness and foreboding. The last is a little more open-hearted, but certainly does not fully justify the title. However, there is a rare beauty about these improvisations that defies analysis. Interestingly, the composer wrote to Fox, ‘I doubt whether you will be attracted when you try the pieces through at first, but just work at them a little and then I fondly hope they will stand up on their own legs and smile at you.’ There seems little to ‘smile’ about however, in these Improvisations.

Mark Bebbington recorded the Miniature Pastorals Set 1 in the second volume of his Bridge cycle. However, he has not chosen (so far) to include the second set dating from 1921. The present Miniature Pastorals Set 3 was not published in the composer’s lifetime. There were sketches and fair copies for three pieces dating from 1921 plus sketches only for a fourth piece. The first three were finally published in 1978 in an edition edited by Paul Hindmarsh: these include an ‘andante molto tranquillo’ an ‘allegro con moto’ and an ‘allegretto vivace’. The fourth piece, a ‘marziale e ben marcato’ was not included in the sheet music as it was felt the composer had rejected it: according to Hindmarsh, the ‘musical quality falls far below that of the other pieces.’ Calum MacDonald has defined these pieces well: he suggests that these miniatures ‘represent an elegant simplification of his mature idiom.’ They are truly delightful numbers that do not suffer from being in the gift of amateur pianists.

One of the few pieces of Frank Bridge that I can play tolerably well is ‘Heart’s Ease’ from the Three Lyrics. So it holds a special place in my ‘heart.’ Alas the other two pieces are not quite so ‘easy’. ‘Dainty Rogue’ could be a picture of Robin Goodfellow or Puck: it is a frisky little scherzo that is demanding of the player with its light figurations and chromatic passages. As Lewis Foreman says, Bridge ‘prefers his scherzos to be thistledown rather than hobnail boots.’ The final ‘Lyric’ is ‘The Hedgerow’. I am not sure that this piece is evocative of the English (or any other) landscape. Yet this work is a clever little confection – which opens with the promise of a folk-tune melody –that soon develops into something a lot more ‘advanced’. Yet the ‘tune’ is revisited – in spite of the rhythmic and metrical diversity of the contrasting material.

The first two ‘Lyrics’ were composed in 1921/22 and the final was not written until 1924. As Calum MacDonald has noted they therefore ‘frame’ the great Piano Sonata.

It has been suggested that in some ways this little suite could be seen to epitomise the composer’s career (so far). Perhaps ‘Heart’s Ease’ nods to the salon music of the Edwardian years, ‘Dainty Rogue’ may represent the ‘advanced’ chromaticism of the post-Great War period and the final ‘The Hedgerow’ could be pushing towards atonality.

Winter Pastoral from 1925 is written in Bridge’s ‘later’ chromatic style. In this case it is not a virtuosic piece; it can be played by any good pianist. However, its ‘chilly’ language and subtle balance of dissonance and traditional harmonies are difficult to ‘pull off’ well. It describes a cold, frosty morning to perfection. However, it is a million miles away from any kind of ‘folksy’ bucolic pastoral scene.

I love the little short ‘Canzonetta’ (1926) which was originally called ‘Happy South.’ It is a good balance between the dreamy pastoral mood of the outer sections and the short, and more frenetic ‘trio’. However this irruption is short lived: the gorgeous mood soon returns and the piece ends in quiet contemplation. It would make a good pendant to the Vignettes de Marseille.

Another innovative work from 1926/27 is Hidden Fires. Lewis Foreman notes that this piece was specifically composed for the recital room and demands total technical competence from the pianist. Mark Bebbington’s website suggests that this work is a ‘simmering toccata [that] recalls Scriabin’s Vers la flamme’. It is certainly the composer moving beyond his usual comfort zone, perhaps towards Bartok and bitonality? Yet he never entirely evacuates the work of romanticism.

The year 1926 also saw the somewhat mysterious A Dedication. For one thing, the work would appear to carry no actual dedication on either the printed score or the holograph. The musical basis of this piece would appear to be two simple themes; however they are developed in a ‘dislocated’ manner that lends towards harmonic complexity and ‘tonal ambiguity.’ This is a deeply felt piece that would appear to inhabit the same mood as that of the Third String Quartet and the later Oration for cello and orchestra.

The last original solo piano piece that Frank Bridge wrote is usually regarded as his ‘harmonically most advanced piano work.’ In fact, Gargoyles, which was composed in July 1928 was rejected by his publisher and lay unheard until 1975, when the pianist Isobel Woods performed it at a musical conference. This is an enigmatic, sarcastic, daring and technically demanding work that well reflects the title. This work is in total contrast to the early Berceuse composed a quarter of a century earlier. Yet in spite of the ‘bitonal procedures,’ its atonal mood and the largely impressionistic feel, there is certain intangible something to Gargoyles that makes this piece equally a part of Bridge’s canon of piano music as the salon pieces of the Edwardian years.

It is not possible to fault any part of this CD production by Siva Oke and SOMM. The playing by Mark Bebbington is superb and totally sympathetic to the various ‘periods’ of Frank Bridge’s compositional style, the sound is perfect, the liner notes by Lewis Foreman are totally helpful and informative.

I am not sure if this is the final chapter of the Bebbington Bridge Cycle – certainly there are a few more numbers that could be recorded, but many of these are arrangements or ephemeral works that may or may not be regarded as a part of the canon. Whatever the future, this present CD presents a number of remarkable and important works. It is a worthy part of what is a major, important project that adds a vital chapter to British recorded music.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.

The Festival of Britain 1951: Some commissioned works

2011-09-20T06:00:00.003+01:00

British Music was deemed to be an important part of the 1951 Festival of Britain. There were a series of eight concerts devoted to the music of Henry Purcell alongside recitals devoted to English Song, ranging from the lutenists to contemporary composers. Alongside this British music a vast range of works were played from the standard international repertoire.

However, a special feature of the Festival of Britain was the Arts Council decision to commission a number of new works. In many ways this brave attempt did not go entirely to plan. Arthur Bliss was approached to write a major choral work, however it did not materialise. Nothing came of Arnold Bax’s attempt at writing a 'Festival Overture'. John Ireland was also approached but nothing appeared.

However a number of important works did appear in the concert hall. These included William Alwyn’s Festival March, the Festival Te Deum by Edmund Rubbra, and Gordon Jacob’s Festival Suite for Military Band and Alan Rawsthorne’s Second Piano Concerto. Other works that appeared were a unison ‘Song for a Festival’ by Sir George Dyson, and Thomas Wood’s large scale The Rainbow: A Tale of Dunkirk for tenor, baritone, male chorus and brass band.

A competition was held for a work from young composers. This was won by Peter Racine Fricker with his Concerto for Violin and small orchestra Op.11. He also composed the score Canterbury Tales for the Ballet Rambert. Richard Arnell produced the score for Harlequin in April which was choreographed by John Cranko and Constant Lambert wrote the music for Tiresias for the Sadler’s Wells Ballet.

Other works were commissioned by organisations supported by the Arts Council. The included the new Ralph Vaughan Williams work The Sons of Light for the Schools Music Association. The Riddick String Orchestra produced Gordon Jacob’s Horn Concerto, Elisabeth Lutyens’ Nativity and Cyril Scott’s Irish Serenade.

Reflecting on these commissions some sixty years after they were first performed is a sad business. Virtually none of these works found a place in the concert hall repertoire in succeeding decades. Fortunately, a few of these works are available on CD or MP3, however these tend to be single performances. However in the case of Thomas Wood, Cyril Scott, Elisabeth Lutyens, Edmund Rubbra and George Dyson we still await a recorded performance.

Finally the stories of how Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd did not receive a performance at the Festival of Britain, of the endeavours of the composers 'Squirrel', 'Dudley Underwood', 'Stagestruck' and 'Charles Francis' to win a prize for an opera, and George Lloyd’s John Socman are perhaps material for a future post.

Haydn Wood: Frescoes for orchestra.

2011-09-17T06:00:00.003+01:00

The unfortunate thing about this short suite is that you need to have two CDs to hear the entire work! The suite is in three well-balanced movements, however it does not appear to have been recorded as a complete entity – at least it has not been released as such. The first movement is on a Guild Light Music CD and is played by the New Concert Orchestra conducted by Serge Krish and the second and third are part of the Marco Polo Haydn Wood retrospective Volume 2, played by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ernest Tomlinson. [Haydn Wood: Volume 2 Marco Polo 8.223605 & Joyousness-The Music of Haydn Wood Guild GLCD 5121]

Frescoes were composed around 1936, when the composer was in his mid-fifties. According to Ernest Tomlinson, the music was inspired by the ‘mural decorations by Miss Anna Zinkeisen which graced a famous music publishing house.’ In fact it was Boosey and Hawkes at 295 Regent Street. Unfortunately, the murals were destroyed by fire in October 1990. I wonder if anyone has any photographs? (Apart from one obscure shot in Tempo)

Out of interest, Miss Zinkeisen was a Scottish artist, born in 1901. She and her sister Doris was employed by John Brown & Son of Clydebank, Glasgow to paint murals for the Queen Mary’s Verandah Grill and ballroom. During the war, Anna was a war artist working with the Red Cross and the Order of St John.

The first movement of Frescoes convincingly portrays a ballroom somewhere in Vienna, complete with a Hollywood-inspired realisation of the waltzes and the flowing dresses. It is one of the most delicious little waltzes that Haydn Wood or any other Englishman has composed.

The listener will instantly recognise the two main tunes used on the second movement Sea Shanties. The music opens quietly with a dream-like calm. It develops into a reflective mediations on ‘Shenandoah’, before suddenly moving onto ‘What shall we do with the drunken sailor?’ with its lovely muted brass melody. However, the serious side of this music reasserts itself and the movement ends as it began with ‘Shenandoah’ played with Delius-like slippery harmonies.

The March: The Bandstand in Hyde Park, based on another fresco, is depicted in the last movement and is well portrayed with a fast-paced march tune. This is no concert march like Elgar or Walton would have produced, but is an everyday, popular tune that would have been enjoyed by countless holidaymakers and day trippers at bandstands around the country. The march’s trio is a good tune, without going over the top. But what impresses me most is the superb orchestration: it is masterly in its use of colour, especially in the brass section.

Frescoes deserves to have a modern recording as a complete suite. It is a well written work that is typical of the composer’s output.