It's not British, but...Maurice Ravel's Piano Music on Danacord Vol.1

The year 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth. While it may be self-evident that Ravel, as a French composer, might not be considered part of the "Land of Lost Content," allow me to offer three reasons for his inclusion here. Firstly, Ravel has long been one of my most cherished composers, regardless of nationality. Secondly, he stands as one of the towering figures in the history of Western music. Finally, there is a distinctly British connection: between 1907 and 1908, Ralph Vaughan Williams studied orchestration under Ravel in Paris. The two became close friends, maintaining a correspondence for many years. Ravel's guidance proved invaluable, helping Vaughan Williams refine his musical voice and shed what he once described as the "heavy contrapuntal Teutonic manner."

To commemorate this milestone, I will dedicate three posts to reviewing the recently released collection of Ravel’s complete piano works, presented on three discs by the Danacord label.

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) was a French composer renowned for his precision, innovation, and mastery of orchestration. Born on 7 March 1875 in Ciboure, France, to a Swiss father and Basque mother, Ravel's upbringing was steeped in cultural richness. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, where his modernist tendencies clashed with the institution's conservative ethos. Despite this, he developed a distinctive style blending clarity, baroque influences, neoclassicism, and jazz.

Ravel's works include the hypnotic Boléro (1928), the evocative Daphnis et Chloé (1912), and the virtuosic piano suite Gaspard de la nuit (1908). His orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition remains iconic. A meticulous craftsman, Ravel composed fewer works than his contemporaries but left an indelible mark on music. His fascination with Spanish culture and exotic sounds often colored his compositions. Though sometimes labeled an Impressionist, Ravel's music defies strict categorization, embodying elegance, and innovation.

A new survey of Maurice Ravel’s piano music is always welcome. When the plan is to record everything that the composer wrote for the instrument that is extant, it is even more of a significant event. This is a major “first.” And when it is performed by Danacord’s superstar pianist Oleg Marshev it is simply perfect.

What is the added value of this present disc? Firstly, the programme is chronological. This allows for an informed and progressive appreciation of Ravel’s development as a composer. And secondly, there are several pieces that rarely make it onto surveys of his piano music. The cases in point here are La Parade, the Menuet in C sharp minor and the Fugue in F major.

The first novelty is Le Parade (1896). This was devised for Antonine Meunier of the Paris Opera to accompany her interpretive dancing. Le Parade features several dances, including two marches, two waltzes and a mazurka. It was composed under the pseudonym “Jacques Dream” and remained unpublished until 2008. Certainly, no masterwork, it retains interest simply because it is by Ravel. That said, I enjoyed it, and I recognise that it is an essential part of any “complete” survey of his music.

Menuet in C sharp minor dates from 1904. Ravel wrote it on the back of a composition exercise by his pupil Maurice Delage (1879-1961). It is unknown whether this was created for the student’s benefit or for his own amusement. Whatever the genesis, this is a gorgeous miniature that deserves to be better known. It lasts just over a minute but is full of beauty and charm. It is not a fragment, but a well-constructed piece complete with a climax and an ideal equilibrium of harmony and melody.

The Fugue in F major is a rarity indeed. Along with several others (possibly now lost) it was composed as part of Ravel’s “serial and unsuccessful attempts” to win the Prix de Rome between 1900 and 1905. The holograph is written on four staves, reflecting the practice of Bach in his Art of the Fugue. Oleg Marshev has arranged this for two hands at the keyboard. It is a wonderful fugue that has no whiff of the pedantic about it, even if it is not typically Ravelian in style.

The CD opens with the earliest surviving piano piece. The Sérénade Grotesque was completed around 1893. It combines hints of the “fantastic irony” of the composer’s future style (such as Scarbo from the Gaspard de la nuit) and nods to the past, with echoes of Chabrier’s Bourrée fantasque.

The Menuet Antique foreshadows Ravel’s true genius. Once again Emanuel Chabrier was the inspiration. It is a beautifully organized pastiche, where the composer plays with the “antique” minuet form. That said, there are some wonderful contemporary harmonic touches.

Little need be said about the ever-popular Pavane pour une infante défunte (1899), save that this is not programme music. It is not an elegy for an unnamed member of Spanish royalty. Ravel once said that he “simply liked the sound of these words and I put them there, c’est tout.” On the other hand, there is a heart-breaking wistfulness about the grave and stately progress of the dance.

Some listeners may imagine that the ultra-impressionistic Jeux d’eau (1901) was influenced by Claude Debussy. In fact, it was the other way round. Ravel in turn, was likely to have been inspired by Franz Liszt’s ‘Les Jeux d’eaux à la Villa d'Este’ from the Troisième année of the Années de pèlerinage (1877).

The composer wrote, “In Jeux d’eau can be found the origins of all the pianistic innovations that people notice in my works. The piece was inspired by the sound of water, of fountains, waterfalls, and streams. It is built on the two motives of a sonata form movement, without, however, conforming to the classical scheme of tonality.” Despite this loosely classical formal scheme, the overall impression to the listener is of ‘cascading arpeggios.’ Marshev gives a delightfully imaginative performance of this ultimate in “water music.” It was dedicated to Ravel’s teacher Gabriel Fauré.

Miroirs marks the composer’s “establishment of [his]…firmness of style and pianism.” Here, he refines his pianistic technique to perfection. It is a major contribution to the literature of the piano. The opening movement, Noctuelles, conjures the fluttering of moths at night-time. Oiseaux Tristes muses on birds, who the composer described as “lost in the torpor of a very dark forest, during the hottest hours of summertime.”  The best-known movement is Une Barque sur l’océan which gives an impression of a very blue Mediterranean, with just a hint of a breeze stirring up wavelets. Spain is visited next with Alborada del gracioso – the Dawn Song of the Clown. Here Ravel introduces all the panoply of the Iberian Peninsula: “twanging guitars and clacking castanets, all conspiring in typical rhythms” complete with double glissandi and repeated notes. It is the most technically challenging of the set. The final movement, La Vallée des cloches evokes bells heard in the distance. It is a study of deeply felt piano sonorities. The composer once stated that the closing chords echoed “the sound of the big bell in the Basilica of Montmartre in Paris.” Each movement was dedicated to a fellow member of Les Apaches, who were a group of avant-garde musicians, writers, and artists. Oleg Marshev provides a sensitive, but commanding, performance which captures the magic from the first to the last page. At all times, the mood and atmosphere are well judged and balanced.

As always with Danacord, the recording is impressive. The liner notes prepared by Peter Quantrill are excellent. They give a good account of each piece and provide a contextualisation of the music with Ravel’s life and times. 

Track Listing:
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Sérénade Grotesque (c.1893)
Menuet Antique (1895)
La Parade (1896)
Pavane pour une infante défunte (1899)
Jeux d’eau (1901)
Menuet in C sharp minor (1904)
Miroirs (1904-5)
Fugue in F major (1900)
Oleg Marshev (piano)
rec. July 2021 Cultural Institute, Milan
DANACORD DACOCD 903
With thanks to MusicWeb International, where this review was first published.

Charles Ancliffe: Smiles, then Kisses Waltz

Charles William Ancliffe (1880–1952) was an Irish-born composer best recalled for his light music, particularly salon piano music, genre dance pieces, and light character pieces. Born in Kildare, Ireland, he was the son of an army bandmaster and followed in his father's footsteps by studying at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall. Ancliffe served as bandmaster for the First Battalion, South Wales Borderers from 1900 to 1918, during which he composed many popular pieces, including marches like The Liberators and Castles in Spain.

His waltzes, such as Nights of Gladness Waltz (1912), became immensely popular, that in the early 1950s the BBC named a long-running light music program after it. Other notable works include the Thrills Waltz, Southern Nights, April’s Lady, and numerous short genre pieces. After leaving the military, Ancliffe was a regular conductor of the Scarborough Military Band and frequently conducted his own works on BBC wireless.

Smiles, then Kisses Waltz was composed in 1913, the year before the start of the First World War. It is characterized by its graceful melodies and playful rhythms, making it a onetime favourite in light music programmes.

This charming little piece captures the romantic and carefree mood of prewar Edwardian society. It opens with a short slow and expressive introduction which uses a melody to be heard later. The waltz theme is heard for the first time, before a short ‘jubiloso’ bridge passage gives way to a reprise of the main tune. The Trio is slow and romantic, ‘Tres expressif,’ and is also written in ternary form with a slightly more tragic sound. The big tune is heard again, before the recapitulation of the waltz theme. The number ends with an accelerando coda.

Listen to Charles Ancliffe’s Smiles, then Kisses Waltz on YouTube, here. Ronald Corp is conducting the New London Orchestra. It was issued on the Hyperion Record label, CDA67148 in 2000.

Grace Williams: Missa Cambrensis (1971)

It is a mark of the lack of appreciation of Welsh composers that Grace Williams’s Missa Cambrensis (1971) has waited 54 years to receive its premiere recording. To be sure it was revived in 2016 at the St David’s Hall, Cardiff, but for such a masterwork to be ignored for so long seems reprehensible. Yet, the same fate has fallen on many of her near contemporaries including Alun Hoddinott, Daniel Jones, David Wynne, and William Mathias.

The Missa Cambrensis is a big production by any stretch of the imagination. The Guardian reviewer of the 2016 performance regarded it as Mahlerian in concept. Malcolm Boyd in his study of Grace Williams has suggested that it is “in many ways the consummation of her life’s work.” Scale wise at least, I was reminded of Herbert Howells’s colossal Missa Sabrinensis.

Grace Williams (1906-1977) is often regarded as Wales's most significant female composer. Born in Barry, Glamorgan, she developed an early interest in music, learning piano and violin. Winning a scholarship to Cardiff University in 1923 she later studied at the Royal College of Music in London under Gordon Jacob and Ralph Vaughan Williams. In 1930, she spent a year studying with Egon Wellesz in Vienna. Williams wrote across a wide range of genres, including two symphonies, an opera - The Parlour, concertos, chamber music, film scores and songs. Her compositions were often inspired by Welsh landscapes and the sea, most notably the Sea Sketches (1944). Some of her most ‘popular’ pieces include Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes (1940) and Penillion (1955), written for the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.

The Missa Cambrensis was written between 1968 and 1971 as a commission for the Llandaff Festival. Paul Conway, in the liner notes, reminds the listener that the adjective Cambrensis means “of Wales.”

Rhiannon Mathias, in her book about Grace Williams, explains that the festival committee had a policy of encouraging works which explored the connection between Christianity and the Church. Seemingly, Williams originally thought about producing an opera for the event but decided that a Mass would be more suitable for the venue.

It is intriguing that Grace Williams, a confirmed agnostic, should have chosen to compose a setting of the Mass. Williams had previously produced a handful of liturgical works including a Magnificat (1939) and a Benedicite (1964). Yet, as Mathias notes, her teacher, Ralph Vaughan Williams, also an agnostic, wrote numerous pieces for the church.

As can be seen from the credits the Mass is scored for large forces, including four soloists, mixed chorus, boys’ choir, and speaker. The orchestra is large, with much percussion and includes a piano. It is important to recall that it was devised for the concert hall and was never intended to be used at a celebration of the Eucharist.

Structurally, the Missa Cambrensis is divided into the five movements of a traditional Mass: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus with Benedictus and finally the Agnus Dei. The language used is Latin. However, Williams has provided two “extra-liturgical” sections. The first is the inclusion of her 1955 Carol Nadolig (A Christmas Carol) to a text by Cymraeg poet and nationalist Saunders Lewis. Sung in Welsh by children’s voices it makes a delightful interlude. The other interpolation is the recitation of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10). This series of blessings from the Sermon on the Mount are spoken by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

Despite some critical contention that the interpolations fail due to the relative “feebleness” of the music, I found them quite moving. They are not essential to the overall structure of the work. Another criticism levelled is the preponderance of slow music after the Gloria. Yet this did not cause me any problems. The overall impact is one of intensity coupled with melancholy, and an unsettling balance between an austere sound and a few moments of warmth. The spirit is lifted simply by the sheer power of her writing.

The Missa Cambrensis was premiered at Llandaff Cathedral on 16 June 1971. It was deemed a success by composers and commentators present but was ungenerously panned by Kenneth Loveland in The Times.

The putative listener will wonder what Grace Williams’s Mass sounds like. At the time of its premiere, Malcolm Boyd noted similarities with Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. The added non liturgical texts partially accounted for this opinion. Other music that may have influenced her are Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and RVWs’ Dona Nobis Pacem. Yet there is a distinctive, if intangible, Welsh feel about the Missa Cambrensis. Whatever antecedents may have been in her mind, the resultant is entirely Grace Williams’s invention.

The present performance cannot be faulted. A great deal is demanded of all the singers and instrumentalists. The recording of this remarkable choral work is impeccable. The extensive liner notes devised by Paul Conway is a masterclass. He provides a thirteen-page essay including an introduction to Grace Williams and her achievement, as well as a detailed discussion about the genesis of the Mass, and a non-technical analysis of the music. Texts and translations are included at the front of the booklet.

I think the last word can go to Malcolm Boyd: “[The Missa Cambrensis] may not be [an] unflawed masterpiece, but it is a work of great power, rich in incident, generous in feeling and exemplary in craftsmanship.”

Track Listing:
Grace Williams (1906-77)
Missa Cambrensis (1971)

April Fredrick (soprano), Angharad Lyddon (mezzo-soprano), Robert Murray (tenor), Paul Carey Jones (bass-baritone), Dr Rowan Williams (narrator), BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC National Chorus of Wales, Côr Heol y March/Adrian Partington

rec. 20-21 January 2024, Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff
Lyrita SRCD 442

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

Minor Masterpieces of Organ Music No.2: Percy Whitlock’s Salix

Percy Whitlock (1903-1946) was an English organist and post-romantic composer. His music, influenced by his teachers Charles Villiers Stanford and Ralph Vaughan Williams, is characterized by its rich harmonic language and lyrical expressiveness. Whitlock's compositions, primarily for organ and choir, often feature a conservative yet imaginative use of traditional forms and structures. Notable works include the Plymouth Suite, the Sonata, and Five Short Pieces for Organ, which all retain their place in the repertoire. Whitlock’s style blends the romanticism of his era with a clear personal voice, that sometimes veers towards a cinema organ style. His music is always accessible and enduring.

In 1936, Whitlock became the full-time Borough Organist at Bournemouth, after resigning his post at St Stephen’s Church the previous Christmas Day. Major works at this time included the magisterial Sonata in C minor for organ. This, strangely, was dedicated to Dorothy L Sayers and Harriet Vane, the heroine of her Lord Peter Wimsey novels. Work also started on his largest score, the Organ Symphony, which premiered the following year.

The Plymouth Suite, written in 1937, is a celebrated work in the organ repertoire. Inspired by a trip Whitlock and his wife took to Plymouth for a conference of "The Incorporated Association of Organists," the suite consists of five movements, each dedicated to organists who attended the conference. The movements are: Allegro risoluto, Lantana, Chanty, Salix, and Toccata. The dedicatees, respectively, were Harvey Grace, then at Chichester Cathedral, Dom Wilfred of Buckfast Abbey, Dr J.H. Reginald Dixon, longtime organist at Lancaster Cathedral, Henry Austin Dewdney and Dr Harold Moreton, Plymouth’s Borough Organist.

The Allegro risoluto is energetic and bold, while Lantana is lyrical and flowing. Chanty evokes the spirit of sea shanties, and the Toccata is a virtuosic finale.

The fourth movement, called Salix is an example of the pastoral style just beginning to wane at the time of writing. The piece's depth is more intense than the 'light-hearted' dedication would imply. The dedicatee was the above-named Henry Austin Dewdney who was a Bournemouth pianist. He engaged in local music-making during the nineteen thirties. The composer himself states that he was “A perpetual grouser, yet with much humour.”

Salix means a willow tree - a weeping willow. The main theme is a gentle 'Sicilian' tune in 6/8 time. Whitlock expert, Malcolm Riley has noted echoes of the folksong Sing all a Green Willow my Garland Must Be and echoes of Percy Grainger’s song My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone in this movement.

This gentle piece opens [fig.1] in E minor with a wistful phrase supported by gentle dissonances and a little imitation of the melody. The middle section [fig.2] is brighter, but still thoughtful. The reprise of the main theme has a slightly more complex accompaniment before it concludes in a brighter E major.

Salix is characterized by its serene and lyrical nature, providing a tranquil contrast to the more robust and energetic movements of the suite. The music is marked ‘andante tranquillo,’ indicating a calm and peaceful tempo. Whitlock uses rich harmonies and flowing melodic lines to create a soothing atmosphere. The tune is simple, yet elegant, weaving through the texture with a sense of grace and poise. The gentle use of dissonance and resolution enhances the movement's emotional depth, making it both introspective and evocative.

The skilful registration choices allow the organ's timbres to shine, highlighting the instrument's expressive capabilities. Salix stands out as a beautiful example of Whitlock's ability to combine lyrical writing with subtle harmonic language.

One cannot discuss the Plymouth Suite without noting the concluding Toccata. This was dedicated to the above-mentioned Dr Harold George Moreton (1864-1961). Strangely, this is Whitlock's only essay in this form. It is in the tradition of the great French Toccatas of Boëllmann, Gigout and Mulet. This is a magnificent finale to a superb suite. Superficially, it is ‘easy’ to play, but the subtle changes of key and figuration make it much harder to 'bring off' than a first glance would suggest. There are two themes here: a slow-moving pedal tune is set against a semi-quaver accompaniment on the manuals. The solo reed emerges and lifts this piece into the heavens. The Toccata would make an excellent recessional for a wedding if only more people were aware of its existence.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where some elements of this essay were first published.

With thanks to the Glasgow Society of Organists Diapason Journal where this essay was first published. 

Richard Addinsell: Ring Round the Moon (1950)

Christopher Fry’s adaptation and translation of French playwright Jean Anouilh’s comedy L’Invitation au Chateau, renamed as Ring Round the Moon was a popular play in the early 1950s. It is best recalled today (where at all) in the performance which opened at the Globe Theatre, London on 25 January 1950. This production starred Paul Scofield, Margaret Rutherford, Cecil Trouncer and Audrey Fildes.

The play is set in a grand estate in France, the story explores themes of love, mistaken identity, and the complexities of human relationships. The plot revolves around Hugo, a wealthy and aloof man, who is planning to marry a beautiful, but spoiled, woman Diana Messerschmann. However, Hugo’s twin brother, the more playful and free-spirited Frederic, secretly arranges a romantic twist to disrupt his brother’s engagement. Through a series of misunderstandings and hidden motives, the characters navigate the intricacies of love, identity, and societal expectations. Anouilh/Fry uses wit and humour to examine the nature of love, and the illusions people hold about themselves and others. The play's light-hearted tone contrasts with its underlying reflections on personal freedom and the search for happiness in a world full of complications.

The incidental music was provided by English composer Richard Addinsell (1904-77) (of Warsaw Concerto fame). Philip Lane in the liner notes for the only commercial recording of this work (Dutton Epoch, CDLX 7209) explains that he was able to reconstruct the score from tapes that were hired to amateur dramatic societies. He scored it for a “modestly sized orchestra, albeit a little fuller than originally.”

The Suite: Ring Round the Moon contains eight short movements, most bearing the title of a dance. It begins positively, with a fetching Prelude, complete with an obligato for piano. The second is a spry Two Step that Addinsell would later reuse in The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. The Invitation Waltz was later made into a standalone concert piece and was also used in the film Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957). It is a wistful, haunting piece. The longest number is the Tango, with its lugubrious, Latin-American lilt. Things become happier with the cheery Light Waltz: it is a quintessential piece of light music. Equally merry is the jolly Polka. The penultimate number is a Sad Waltz which lives up to its title. Very much a piece of its time. Happiness is restored with the vibrant Galop.

Listen to Richard Addinsell’s Suite: Ring Round the Moon on YouTube, here (scroll down on the right hand side for the individual movements). The BBC Concert Orchestra is conducted by Roderick Dunk.

Vivian Ellis: Holidays Abroad Suite (1961)

Vivian Ellis (1903–1996) is now remembered for his masterly Coronation Scot written in 1938 and subsequently used as the theme tune to the BBC Radio programme, Paul Temple. It is one of the most evocative pieces of ‘railway music’ ever devised, conjuring up images of speed, sophisticated travel, and the joys of journeying behind a powerful steam locomotive.

Ellis was a prominent British composer, best known for his contributions to musical theatre. A key figure in the golden age of British musical comedy, he created a string of successful stage productions, particularly during the mid-20th century. Good examples of his work include Mr Cinders (1929), The Fleet’s Lit Up (1937) and Bless the Bride (1947), all of which reflect his signature blend of catchy melodies, engaging lyrics, and romantic themes.

Ellis's career began in the 1920s as a concert pianist but he soon became and arranger in London's West End. By the 1930s, he had established himself as a composer. Throughout his career, he collaborated with notable lyricists and librettists, producing shows that enjoyed critical acclaim and popular success. His musicals highlighted a cosmopolitan yet accessible style, characterized by lively orchestrations and lyrical charm.

Holidays Abroad (1961) is a light-hearted suite written by Vivian Ellis. It reflects his signature style of catchy tunes and witty lyrics. It has five descriptive movements – more like postcards really. The first is ‘Reunion in Vienna’ which is a delightful waltz that is both energising and reflective in equal measures. Then follows a picture from Spain’s ‘Costa Brava’: it is an engaging tone-poem describing the sights and sounds of this lovely part of Sunny Spain – just before it was discovered by teeming holidaymakers. The third movement is a gentle evocation of the piazza around the ‘Leaning Tower of Pisa.’ I guess the composer must have had the early morning in mind, as I have never seen it this quiet. The most evocative music comes next: ‘Paris Taxi.’ Anyone who has endured a trip in one of these vehicles at ‘rush hour’ and has negotiated the Place de la Concorde will empathise with Ellis’s ‘take.’ Lots of scurrying, screeching brakes, horns and even hints of a frayed temper and the odd police whistle. The finale is a relaxing ‘Swiss Air.’ I have never been to Switzerland but have often flown over the Alps. This present ‘air’ imagines a pasture rather than a mountain peak. There is a suggestion of lovers walking together on a cool, cloudless day. Monia Liter (1906-1988) was responsible for the subtle orchestrations of these delightful mood pieces.

Though it was not as commercially successful as some of Ellis’s earlier works, it remains notable for its light, frothy narrative and its reflection of post-war optimism and the rising popularity of overseas travel. The music embodies the joyful escapism of the late 1950s, capturing the spirit of adventure and leisure of the time.

Listen to Vivian Ellis’s Holidays Abroad Suite on YouTube, here. The New Concert Orchestra is conducted by Paul Hamilton (Actually Monia Liter) (GLCD  5195) It was originally released on Decca DFE 6667 in 1961.

Introducing Hubert Clifford

Hubert Clifford (1904–1959) was a distinguished Commonwealth composer and conductor, recognised for his contributions to both classical and film music. His early career focused on conducting and teaching as well as composing. He also held positions at the BBC, where he worked on a wide range of performances and broadcasts.

Clifford is best known for his association with British films in the 1940s and 1950s. His task involved commissioning and adapting scores for popular films such as The Winslow Boy (1948), and Cry, the Beloved Country (1951). His own original scores included Mystery Junction (1951), House of Secrets (1956) and Bachelor of Heart (1958). He also provided scores for a number of short documentary films.

In addition to his work in film, Clifford wrote orchestral pieces, including a Symphony and a String Quartet. His music is characterised by a clear, lyrical style, with strong influences of English romanticism and a degree of pastoralism. Unfortunately, his life was cut short by illness, and he passed away at the age of fifty-one.

Biography

• Hubert Clifford was born on 31 May 1904 at Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia.
• He initially read chemistry at University of Melbourne.
• Became a pupil of Fritz Hart at the Melbourne Conservatorium,
• Conducted the Victoria Opera Company in the late 1920s.
• Emigrated to England during May 1930
• Studied at the Royal College of Music under Ralph Vaughan Williams and C.H. Kitson
• Befriended Benjamin Frankel and Mátyás Seiber.
• Employed as a schoolmaster at the Beckenham County School for Boys.
• Gained his Doctor of Music from the University of London
• Won the W.W. Cobbett prize for A Kentish Suite, devised for school orchestras.
• Employed by the BBC as Empire Music Supervisor between 1941 and 1944.
• Broadcast of the Symphony on the BBC Home Service on 26 January 1945.
• From 1946 to 1950 he was Musical Director to London Film Productions.
• Commissioned scores for many films including Anna Karenina, The Fallen Idol, and The Third Man.
• Between 1952 and 1954 he was on the staff of the BBC Light Music Department.
• Appointed professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London
• Hubert Clifford died of a heart attack in Singapore on 4 September 1959, aged 55 years. He was in that country administering music examinations for the Associated Board.

Twelve Selected Works

The pieces chosen provides an excellent overview of Hubert Clifford’s oeuvre. It covers various genres and gives a good introduction to his concert hall music as well as his lighter compositions. All are available on CD or streaming.

1.  A Pageant of Youth orchestral overture (1926)
2. Voyage at Dusk - Fantasy for Orchestra (1928)
3. Dargo: A Mountain Rhapsody (1929)
4. Irish Comedy Overture (1930)
5. A Kentish Suite for orchestra (1935)
6. String Quartet in D (1935)
7. The Casanova Melody for orchestra (1949) (orchestrated by Rodney Newton, 2000)
8. Symphony 1940 (1940)
9. Five English Nursery Tunes suite for orchestra (1941)
10. Serenade for Strings (1943)
11. Shanagolden orchestral tone poem (1953)
12. The Cowes Suite (1958)

Further Reading

Sadly, there is no Hubert Clifford Society to promote his work. Neither is there a dedicated biography or major study of his music. Listeners must piece together information from a variety of sources. A good place to start is with the liner notes for the four dedicated CDs that have been issued in the last quarter of a century. These have been prepared by Lewis Foreman. There is an entry in the fifth edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, but no mention in the current on-line version. A short Wikipedia article gives a succinct introduction and a works list along with a few cross references.

There are two important studies of Clifford’s Symphony. The first was published in Volume 1 of Jürgen Schaarwächter’s Two Centuries of British Symphonism From the beginnings to 1945 (2015) and the second appeared in Rhoderick McNeill’s The Australian Symphony from Federation to 1960 (2016). Both essays give a brief biographical introduction as well as a detailed study of the symphony.

Hubert Clifford on Disc….

In 1999 Chandos Records (CHAN 9757) released an edition of Hubert Clifford’s Symphony 1940, coupled with Edgar Bainton’s Symphony No.2 in D minor (1939-40) as well as John Gough’s Serenade for small orchestra (1931). The BBC Philharmonic was conducted by Vernon Handley. Four years later, Chandos issued a follow-up disc (CHAN 10019) featuring Clifford’s A Kentish Suite, The Casanova Melody, Five English Nursery Tunes and Shanagolden: An Irish Pastoral Sketch. This was coupled with Bainton’s Epithalamion for full orchestra (1929) and An English Idyll (1946). Once again, they were performed by the BBC Philharmonic, this time conducted by Martyn Brabbins.

Clifford’s Serenade for Strings was released by Dutton Epoch (CDLX 7174) in 2006. This was played by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth. It was coupled with a selection of music by Julius Harrison, including his remarkable Bredon Hill: Rhapsody for violin and orchestra (1941). Also in 2006, Dutton Epoch issued the String Quartets by Edgar Bainton and Hubert Clifford (CDLX 7163), performed by the Locrian Ensemble.

There is only one disc dedicated entirely to Hubert Clifford. This was the remarkable 2017 Dutton Epoch (CDLX 7338) disc featuring a broad selection of his orchestral music. This included several “lighter” pieces such as The Cowes Suite, An Irish Comedy, Voyage at Dusk: Fantasy for orchestra, Dargo: A Mountain Rhapsody and A Pageant of Youth. Two film score tracks were included: Left of the Line (1945) and Hunted (1952). The BBC Concert Orchestra was conducted by Ronald Corp.

Finally, if you can only listen to one work…

Hubert Clifford’s Serenade for strings a bit of a crossover between his ‘light’ and more ‘serious’ styles. It gives a pleasant introduction to his music. As Lewis Foreman has pointed out in the liner notes for CDLX 7174, “Hubert Clifford writes in a diatonic and diffuse style influenced by English folksong yet enlivened with some taut harmonies and unexpected enharmonic modulations.”

The Serenade is presented in four movements, each of sufficient length and depth to be approaching symphonic breadth. Rob Barnett (MusicWeb International 10 March 2010) has suggested that Clifford’s style “is gracious and pastoral-romantic and steps easily between the realms of light music and the rural idylls espoused by Butterworth, Bridge and Howells.” The opening Allegro moderato is light-hearted and sounds familiar. The Scherzo is slightly darker in mood. It is the Lento that is the core of the work, with nods to Gerald Finzi and Gustav Holst. The work ends with optimism and enthusiasm with Barnett suggesting a nod to Frank Bridge. 

This delightful composition was first performed on 8 December 1944 by the BBC Empire String Orchestra.

Kenneth Leighton: Burlesque, op.19 (1959)

In the past 30 years, much of Kenneth Leighton’s catalogue has been recorded, including all the organ works, the three symphonies, and choral music. Sadly, there are still gaps in this repertoire. One of the missing numbers is the vivacious Burlesque, op. 19 which epitomises Leighton’s balance of humour and sophistication. Fortunately, a broadcast recording from (probably) the BBC has been uploaded to YouTube, here. Colin Davis conducts the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) was a notable British composer and pianist as well as a professor of music. Born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, on 2 October 1929, he showed early musical talent and became a chorister at Wakefield Cathedral. Leighton studied Classics and Music at Oxford, where he was mentored by Bernard Rose and later by Gerald Finzi. He won the prestigious Mendelssohn Scholarship, which allowed him to study in Rome with Goffredo Petrassi.

Leighton's compositions spanned various genres, including church and choral music, pieces for piano, organ, cello, oboe, chamber music, concertos, symphonies, and an opera. He held academic positions at the Universities of Leeds, Oxford, and Edinburgh, where he was appointed Reid Professor of Music. His opera St Columba and other works reflect his deep love for Scotland's landscape and Celtic traditions. Kenneth Leighton died in Edinburgh on 24 August 1928.

In music, the term "burlesca" (or "burlesque") refers to a work that is light-hearted, playful, and often comic. Originating from the Italian word "burlesco," which means jest or mockery, a burlesca typically incorporates witty, lively, and whimsical elements. It often uses unexpected twists, contrasting themes, and playful rhythms to entertain and amuse the listener. Examples of the genre would include Bartok’s Scherzo Burlesque, Richard Strauss’s early Burleske in D minor for piano and orchestra and the fifth movement of J.S. Bach's third Partita, in A minor, BWV 827.

Kenneth Leighton’s Burlesque for orchestra was written during the Spring-Summer of 1957. On the Wise Music website, the composer is quoted as stating that "There is no programme to it. It sets out simply to express feelings of exuberance and sometimes playfulness with a good deal of orchestral brilliance, as I hope!". The following note then explains that “There are two main ideas, the first is a fast rhythmic motive given out at once by the strings, punctuated by loud brass chords. A brass fanfare contributes a subsidiary idea, and these two themes are immediately given rhythmic development. The second main theme, entering at the peak of a climax on the horns, is a broader tune marked ardente. The piece follows roughly the design of classical sonata form, but there is an extended Coda, in which the second broad theme achieves a final transformation on full brass. There is a good deal of antiphonal treatment in the orchestration.”

The premiere performance was given during a Promenade Concert on 3 September 1959. The BBC Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Leighton. This concert was packed with music. It opened with Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro, before Witold Malcuzynski played Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.2 in A major. Before the interval Prommers heard Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No.2 in D major. Refreshed, the second half began with Leighton’s Burlesque, followed by piano solos. The concert concluded with Antonin Dvorak’s Carnival Overture. The other conductors that evening were Malcolm Sargent and Maurice Miles. The concert was broadcast on the BBC Third Programme.     

The Daily Telegraph (4 September 1959, p12) critic “J.W.” refers to the Burlesque as a “prom titbit.” Despite the work’s nods to Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and William Walton’s overtures, Leighton saw that the “the orchestra is put through these hoops with many a crack of the whip.” On the downside, he considered that “jollity without a strong personality behind it has a shadow ring, and it is difficult to feel that this piece has resulted from an over brimming of personal high spirits.” Despite this the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra played “brightly for the composer.”

The score was published by Novello in 1960. Stephen Plaistow (Musical Times June 1961, p.373), reflecting on some recently published scores, suggests that Leighton has avoided any search for his “individual voice.”  In fact, in the Burlesque, he “shelves the problem and gives the impression of marking time as far as individuality is concerned.” This would not be deemed a problem nowadays. Plaistow notes that the piece “owes much to Walton of the Portsmouth Point and Johannesburg Festival overtures” and has “strong, bright colours and exhilarating rhythmic variety.” Finally, he thinks that it has “solid workmanship” and “restrained scoring,” which give it an “engaging unpretentiousness.”

André Caplet: Centenary of his Death.

I guess that the centenary of the death of André Caplet will not be recalled by many folks during 2025. Certainly, there is little mention of this anniversary on the news feeds. I first heard of him in 1974 when perusing the track listing of Jean Martinon’s epic recording of Debussy’s Orchestral Works issued on HMV SLS 893 during that year. Caplet was responsible for the orchestration of the elder composer’s whimsical but enchanting La Boite à Joujoux, and his charming Children’s Corner Suite. I later found out that he transcribed the ubiquitous Clair de Lune from the Suite Bergamasque, and Pagodes from Estampes for orchestra. He assisted Debussy with the orchestration of now rarely performed Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien.

André Caplet was a French composer and conductor whose work is often associated with the impressionistic movement in music, though his style evolved to encompass elements of both romanticism and modernism. Born in Le Havre on 23 November 1878, Caplet was a well-regarded figure in early 20th-century French music, noted for his mastery of orchestration and his contributions to both vocal and chamber music.

Caplet’s musical education began at the Paris Conservatory in 1896, where he studied under several then-eminent teachers. This helped him develop a solid technical foundation. Caplet was the recipient of various prestigious awards, including the Prix de Rome in 1901, which allowed him to study at the Villa Medici in Rome. It was his exposure to the Impressionist movement, particularly through the works of Claude Debussy, which would leave a lasting impact on his style. His music is marked by rich textures, innovative use of orchestration, and a keen sense of colour. His work as a conductor allowed him to experiment with orchestral sonorities, and his compositions often feature subtle and evocative instrumentation. Caplet’s compositions include works like his Epiphany, a musical fresco based on an Ethiopian legend and Le Masque de la mort rouge – a symphonic study after Edgar Allan Poe. There were many songs, and a few piano pieces.

Caplet was an influential figure in the Parisian music scene, often performing his own works and championing the music of others, including Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. He was highly respected by his peers, and his contributions were recognized during his lifetime. In 1912, Caplet became the Boston Opera Company’s musical director.

Tragically, Caplet’s life was cut short by illness. He died at Neuilly-sur-Seine on 22 April 1925 at the age of forty-six from complications related to the Spanish flu pandemic and wartime gassing. Despite his short life, Caplet’s works left a significant mark on the development of French music during the early 20th century.

Listen to André Caplet’s Légende, poème symphonique for orchestra (1903 orch. 1904) on YouTube, here. The Orchestre Philharmonique De L'Etat De Rhénanie-Palatinat is conducted by Leif Segerstam.

Schumann and Liszt on Piano Erard London 1856

Erard pianos have always been highly regarded. The company was founded in Paris in the late 18th century by Sebastian Erard. The instruments were popular with many composers including Liszt, Mendelssohn and Hummel. They were known for their powerful tone, with complex overtones. The present instrument was made in 1856 by Erard London and is currently housed in York University's School of Music Performance. The piano in the present recital is tuned in ‘unequal temperament.’ For the record, ‘Equal temperament’ divides the octave into twelve equal parts, allowing consistent tuning across all keys. ‘Unequal temperament,’ however, varies the tuning, favouring certain keys for richer harmonies. Each has its own unique sound and character, influencing the music's emotional expression and historical development. As for the sound of this piano, it could be summarised as intimate and nuanced, in the quieter moments, but equally capable of making powerful, dramatic statements. And another remarkable facet was the incisive tone in the concluding fugato passage of the Liszt Sonata.

I did wonder if I would enjoy Schumann’s Carnival played on a period instrument. This captivating suite of twenty-one short piano pieces was written in 1834-35 when the composer was 24 years old. The work posits personalities at a masked ball, during the Venetian carnival season. Schumann introduces characters fictional and actual. There are offerings to Chopin, Paganini, and his future wife Clara Wiek. Estrella is Ernestine von Fricken, who at that time was his secretly engaged fiancée. Then there are figures from the commedia dell’arte, such as Arlequin, Pantalon and Colombine, and Pierrot. Of importance are Eusebius and Florestan, who represent Schumann’s alter ego: the former the tempestuous side of his character and the latter, the reflective. And there are the unplayed Sphinxes or cryptograms which provide a “sense of unity amongst the seemingly disparate musical aphorisms.” They “spell out’ Asch, the birthplace of Ernestine. Carnival concludes with the splendid Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins, which represents “the eternal battle between the outmoded and the new.”

Any performance of Carnival must balance whimsy, imagination, and sheer hedonism opposed to introspection. Misgivings about Daniel Grimwood’s use of the Erard London 1856 were misplaced. He has created a satisfying account, and as it unfolds “dizzyingly,” he holds the disparate sections in a cohesive whole.

Whilst residing in Vienna, separated from Clara save by letters, Robert Schumann produced three important works, the Arabesque (or Arabeske), op.18, the Blumenstück, op.19 and the Humoreske, op.20. The first of the three is heard here. The Arabesque is a modified rondo, with a memorable principal theme and two episodes in the minor key. One is stormy and the other is oppressive. Unusually, the piece ends with a quiet ‘epilogue’ which is of “pristine beauty.”

Clara Wieck Schumann Soirées musicales, op.6, no.2 (1836) was one of a set of six written when she was only sixteen or seventeen years old. They were influenced by Schumann as well as Chopin. The second number of the set, Notturno, is quite lovely. A simple tune, with some remarkable decoration and varied accompaniment, at times chordal, typically arpeggiated.

Much has been penned about Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, S178. Most famously, Richard Wagner stated that “The Sonata is beyond all conception, beautifully great, lovely, deep, and noble – sublime.”  Completed in 1853, it was dedicated to Robert Schumann. It is ostensibly presented in a single movement but encompasses the traditional four movements. The unity of the Sonata is derived from a small set of themes that are subject to constant transformation as it develops. Although there is no programme attached to the Sonata, it has been suggested that the Faust legend may have been in Liszt’s mind.

This is a massive work that requires an unbelievable amount of technical skill and stamina. Equally important is the interpretation which covers a massive range: there is drama, power, tenderness, and love. It has been said that there is “virtually every emotion known to humankind in these pages.”

There is an eye watering number of recordings of the Liszt Piano Sonata. Great masters have presented their interpretations to the world: Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Emil Gilels, Van Cliburn and Vladimir Horowitz. Yet, despite being a little skeptical at first, I cannot fault Daniel Grimwood’s powerful and unified performance on the Erard London piano. It would not be my first choice for listening, but it makes a refreshing change to the modern concert grand.

Franz Liszt completed the second version of his six Consolations in 1850. They remain amongst his most popular piano works. No.3 in D flat is really a Nocturne, which was clearly inspired by Irish composer John Field, much admired by Liszt. The entire piece is gentle and lyrical, with a lovely melody supported by delicate arpeggios and ending with a short cadenza and a ppp close. It sounds well on the Erard London.

In three of these works, the recitalist has adopted the “old practice” of improvising a Prelude before beginning to play the work proper. It is not helpful. The pieces are designed to be standalone or part of a set and do not need any introduction to prepare the mood for the listener.

Daniel Grimwood is noted for his performances of 19th-century virtuosic piano repertoire, particularly the music of the German composer, Adolph von Henselt. He has performed at significant venues worldwide, including the Wigmore Hall, and Symphony Hall, Birmingham, as well as venues in Europe, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, and Australia. Grimwood is a Research Associate at the University of York, specialising in 19th-century performance practice. For enthusiasts if British music, his recording of Doreen Carwithen and William Alwyn’s piano music (Edition Peters, EPS007, 2019) was well received by The Gramophone and the BBC Music Magazine.

The liner notes are helpful, giving a good introduction to the music, as well as the information about the piano and performance aesthetics. The recording is splendid.

As noted above, historic pianos would not be my preferred choice for listening to this repertoire. Nonetheless, it was a fascinating experience to hear Carnival, and the Liszt Sonata played on an instrument that would have been more or less contemporary with the music.

Track Listing:
Robert Schumann (1810-56)
Carnival, op.9 (1834-35)
Prelude - Arabesque (1839)
Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-96)
Prelude -Soirees musicales, op.6, no.2 (1836)
Franz Liszt (1811-86)
Sonata in B minor, S178 (1852-53)
Prelude - Consolation No.3 in D flat major, S172 (1849-50)
Daniel Grimwood (piano)
rec. 2-3 November 2024, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, York, UK
Danacord DACOCD 986

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

Brian Easdale and The Battle of the River Plate

The Battle of the River Plate is a 1956 British war film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It relates the story of the 1939 naval battle between the British Royal Navy and the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee. The film focuses on the bravery and strategic manoeuvres of the British crew as they engage in a tense and dramatic confrontation with the German ship in the South Atlantic Ocean. The battle leads to the scuttling of the Graf Spee by its own crew to avoid capture.

Brian Easdale (1909-1995) was a distinguished British composer known for his contributions to both film and concert music. Born in Manchester, he studied at the Westminster Abbey Choir School and then at the Royal College of Music under Gordon Jacob and Cecil Armstrong Gibbs. Easdale's early career included some large-scale orchestral works and his first opera, Rapunzel, written at the age of seventeen. During the Second World War, Easdale served in the Royal Artillery and collaborated with the Public Relations Film Unit in India, where he developed an interest in Indian music. This experience led to his first major film score, Black Narcissus (1947), produced by Powell and Pressburger. His most renowned achievement, however, is the score for The Red Shoes (1948), which earned him an Academy Award.

Despite his success in film music, his concert works, such as the Missa Coventriensis for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral, receives little attention. Christopher Palmer in The New Grove described Easdale’s music as "an eclectic English idiom that owes something to Britten as well as to the Bax-Bridge generations". 

The film features a big star cast, including John Gregson as Captain Bell of H.M.S. Exeter, Anthony Quayle as Commodore Harwood of H.M.S. Ajax, and Ian Hunter as Captain Woodhouse also of H.M.S. Ajax. Bernard Lee portrays Captain Dove of the sunk merchant ship Africa Shell. The cast also includes Lionel Murton as the American reporter Mike Fowler, Andrew Cruickshank as Captain Stubbs of the Doric Star, and finally, Peter Finch takes on the role of Captain Langsdorff of the Admiral Graf Spee.

Brian Easdale's score for The Battle of the River Plate is a remarkable piece of film music that effectively captures the tension and drama of the naval battle. His style blends lush Romanticism with "ethnic" colour, influenced by his wartime exposure to Indian music. This unique combination creates a rich and evocative soundtrack that heightens the film's atmosphere. The score's dynamic range, from the powerful and heroic themes to the more sombre and reflective moments, helps to convey the emotional journey of the characters and the significance of the historical events. Overall, Easdale's score is a testament to his skill as a composer and his ability to create music that not only complements the visuals but also stands on its own as a powerful and evocative work of art.

A long critique was given in What's On in London, a weekly booklet with "News, Reviews and full details of all London's entertainment: (2 November1957):

It is easy to see why, after all the uproars of past years, Powell, and Pressburger's The Battle of the River Plate (Odeon, Leicester Square) was selected as this year's Royal Film. The story of a British Naval victory (if an inconclusive one in a sense) could cause no controversy, surely. Ah, but I wonder ...

Long, meticulous in its Naval detail, a little confusing sometimes to the landlubber like myself, wonderfully photographed, the film shows the story of the battle between three small cruisers ("Exeter", "Ajax" and "Achilles") and the very large German pocket-battleship "Graf Spee". The battle is savage (though, commendably, not repellently bloody on the screen), exciting and extremely well staged and one gets some idea of what this kind of long-distance fight at sea must be to those who took part in it.

But some of the best scenes are the earlier quieter ones between Capt. Langsdorff (Graf Spee) and his prisoner Captain Dove (Bernard Lee). Finch, Lee, John Gregson (Capt. of the gallant "Exeter") and Anthony Quayle (of the "Ajax") all give performances above the average.

(With thanks to The Powell & Pressburger Pages website).

Although I concede that the music for The Battle of the River Plate is not quite as impressive as Walton’s original score for The Battle of Britain, (the film release used music largely prepared by Ron Goodwin), there is something quite dark and menacing in both the Prelude and the March that is perhaps less romantically overblown but has a touch of seriousness that is entirely appropriate to the story of the Graf Spee and its scuttling. Great stuff!

Listen to extracts from Brian Easdale’s score for The Battle of the River Plate, on YouTube, here. It is a rather poor recording but allows the listener to get a measure of the music.

It's not British, but...Piano Music by Déodat de Séverac on Naxos

One commentator gave a good rule of thumb for appreciating Séverac's music: it reflects the landscape, the folk music and people of his Languedoc homeland, and Catalonia and the Spanish Pyrenees, reflected through the prism of urbane Paris. By this he meant the Impressionist movement, and the composer’s contemporaries, such as Debussy and Ravel.

The recital opens with Baigneuses au soleil (Souvenir de Banyuls-sur-mer) which was completed in 1908. It was originally meant to be part of the Cerdaña Études, however was published as an “isolated piece.” It was dedicated to the French pianist Alfred Cortot. Baigneuses au soleil is said to conjure naked women lying in the sun and bathing in the Mediterranean. It is really a perfect study in impressionism, with warmth, water, waves, and sparkling reflections. The liner notes are correct in suggesting that despite certain obvious nods to Debussy, this is not an imitation of that composer, but a development of Séverac's own style of impressionism. This redolent work concludes with just a hint of twilight shadow.

Cerdaña, Cinq Étude pittoresques was written between 1908 and 1911. The title alludes to one of the historical counties of Catalonia. There are five pieces, which last in total for more than half an hour. The first, En Tartane: l’arrivée en Cerdagne conjures a two wheeled, mule drawn wagon as used in Catalonia arriving in the district. Sévérac has mimicked the “light trot” as well as a rattle snake in the score! Yet this activity is bookended by a cool evocation of the Pyrenees mountains. The second study, Les Fêtes (Souvenir de Puigcerda) opens quietly, but develops into a fandango, with several charming episodes celebrating the village fair. The score notes “A Delightful Encounter,” “Carabineros” (militia) and “Where one finds dear [Laura] Albeniz.” The entire number has huge contrasts and ends quietly as night approaches. The long titled Ménétriers et Glaneuses (Souvenir d'un pèlerinage à Font-Romeu) suggests a rustic band of ‘Fiddlers and Gleaners’ as well as Catalonian women on their knees in prayer. Wide variety is again a characteristic of Les Muletiers devant le Christ de Llivia. Here there is supressed power subtly juxtaposed with the drivers’ reaction to the “sorrowful image.” It is the heart of this suite. In Le retour des muletiers the proud riders are returning home, lively, now divorced from devotion, with just the occasional moment of reflection. It is a long, difficult to play, work, which requires skilled presentation to avoid losing the plot. Serena Valluzzi’s magical performance always holds the attention.

En Languedoc, Suite pour piano (1903-4) dates from Séverac’s student days at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. It is another long composition lasting over half an hour. Historically, the title Languedoc-Roussillon was given to the coastal region in southern France, extending from Provence to the Pyrenees Mountains and the border with Spain. It is now part of Occitanie. 

The opening piece, Vers le mas en fête (Towards the festive farmhouse) paints a picture of a journey home, passing a torrent, stopping at a fountain and eventual arrival at the house. Debussy is to the fore here, as an influence, but also Ravel. Sur l’etang, le soir (On the pond in the evening) is deliberately soporific. The liner notes suggest that the “crepuscular rustlings, the lazy sparkles” evoked, have an affinity with Chabrier. The rapid third number, A cheval dans la prairie (On horseback in the prairie) plays upon musical onomatopoeia, complete with the horse pawing the ground before departure and a “brisk gallop, rhythmic pace, [and] pause in the shade…” Yet, it can be heard as a satisfying ‘toccata’ without any programme. There is definite fascination in Coin de cimetière, au printemps, (A corner of the cemetery in spring) which fuses religious meditation with romantic love recalled, before falling into quiet resignation. It is an incredibly beautiful piece. The finale, Le jour de la foire, au mas (Fair day at the farmstead) is a picture of the country fair, with bells, dances and “the hesitant steps of drunks.” Amongst the merriment the Angelus is heard from afar... The entire work is performed here with distinction, love, and creativity.

Pianist Serena Valluzzi, born in Gioia del Colle, Italy, began her musical formation at the age of four. She graduated from the Conservatorio "N. Piccinni" in Bari at seventeen and continued her studies under several renowned pianists. Valluzzi has won numerous awards including the "A. Speranza" International Piano Competition, and the Alkan Prize for piano virtuosity. She has performed throughout the world including Brazil and the United States. Currently, Serena Valluzzi teaches principal piano at the U. Giordano Conservatory of Music in Foggia, Italy.

The liner notes, in English, are by Luca Ciammarughi. They are helpful and provide a good introduction to the composer and music. A short resume of the soloist is provided, as well as four photographs of the artist.  

The repertoire on this disc is a testament to Déodat de Séverac’s ability to present so many emotions musically, often tumbling over each other, from joy to sadness, but always tinged with reflection and optimism. This must be reflected in any performance. It is all played with technical brilliance, tremendous sympathy, and vivid imagination by Serena Valluzzi. 

Track Listing:
Déodat de Séverac (1872-1921)
Baigneuses au soleil (Souvenir de Banyuls-sur-mer) (1908)
Cerdaña, Cinq Études pittoresques (1908-11)
En Languedoc, Suite pour piano (1903-04)
Serena Valluzzi (piano)
rec. 13 April 2024, DiG Area Studios, Molfetta (BA), Italy
Piano Classics PCL10276 [75] 

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

Herbert Howells: A Sailor Tune for piano

Every so often I listen to Herbert Howells’s most massive composition – the Missa Sabrinensis (1956). This is a complex work that presents the players and singers with ‘prodigious difficulties.’ Yet recently, I was listening to A Sailor Tune for the piano. It certainly offered little in the way of formidable technical challenges or demanded concentration from the listener. Yet in its own way it epitomised the invention and the craftsmanship of the composer.

Although, typically, Howells is not seen as being a composer for piano, there are many pieces to his credit. His major works are the Lamberts and Howells Clavichord – which are often played on the piano. But there is much excellent keyboard music – including the Rhapsody, a Sonatina and Gadabout. Howells did write several miniatures which are suitable for teaching purposes or for the use of amateurs. The most significant of these are the Sarum Sketches, the attractive Country Pageant, and the Little Book of Dances. All these offer interesting, well-constructed numbers that do not wear their pedagogical nature.

A Sailor Tune was written shortly after the Dances in 1930 at a time when Howells was spending more time as a teacher than composer. Like many pieces that would seem to be simple, it does have nuances that lie in wait for the unwary performer. This is especially true of the cross rhythms which occur from time to time. Furthermore, it is important to ensure that the hands keep out of each other’s way as the ‘hornpipe’ progresses. It is presented in G major and is signed to be played ‘brisk and clear cut.’ There must be a strong sense of rhythm throughout. Although it is Grade 4, the overall impression of this bright piece is that it is more impressive than its grading may suggest.

Certainly, the A Sailor Tune was quite popular when it was reviewed. The Music & Letters reviewer suggested that it was “a well written short piece, a nice sense of humour.” Another suggested that it was “delightful, not easy, but very much worth working at and will wear well in the meantime.”

Of interest is that it was originally conceived as Sayler’s Tune which is inscribed on the manuscript. This would appear to be less of an archaic spelling as an eccentric one!

The work was published by J.B. Cramer in 1930. Listen to Matthew Schellhorn playing A Sailor Tune on YouTube, here. It was issued on Naxos 8.571383 (2022).

The Peter Jacobs Anthology Volume 2

This absorbing recital opens with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Petite Suite de Concert. It dates from 1911 or before, not 1916 as shown on the track listing. There are four pleasing movements beginning with the Schumanesque Le Caprice de Nannette with its multiple tunes. This is followed by Demande et réponse (“Question and Answer”) which presents a big, overblown love theme. This was a once popular salon piece, heard at pier ends and in the drawing room. It is not known who or what the inspiration for Un Sonnet d’amour, was, but is has been mooted that it might be a serenade to Columbine in the Commedia dell'Arte. The Suite concludes with La Tarantelle Frétillante, A Wriggling Tarantella, which provides an increasingly boisterous conclusion.

My personal favourite on this disc is High Marley Rest (1933) by composer/vicar Greville Cooke. It is a wonderful evocation of his piano teacher Tobias Matthay’s house High Marley in Surrey. There are splendid views on a clear day towards the English Channel. Peter Jacobs is correct in his contention that this is “An unknown treasure of the piano repertoire.”

The reason that Jacobs has included the rarely heard Mazurka and Waltz for a Little Girl (1922-23) by Delius is because Eric Fenby, the composer’s amanuensis, was his harmony teacher at the Royal Academy of Music. They are the first two numbers in the Five Piano Pieces. Despite being no masterwork, they are still reminiscent of Delius’s style. They were probably dedicated to Yvonne O’Neill, daughter of composer Norman O’Neill. The track listing gives the wrong date of 1933 for these pieces.

Somewhere in my collection of sheet music is a copy of English composer, pianist, and musicologist, Christopher Headington’s technically demanding Toccata for piano (1963). This balances tonal passages with twelve note structures, making it at once both modern and rooted in tradition. I disagree with the critic John Lade, that it “seems overlong for its rather slender musical ideas which no manner of brilliant treatment can make really convincing.” I find it fascinating from the first note to the last.

The most significant work on this disc is Edmund Rubbra’s Eight Preludes, op.131 for piano, dating from 1966. They were first given at the 1967 Cheltenham Festival. Peter Jacobs writes in the liner notes that Rubbra is an almost forgotten genius of British music. To be sure, there is no society to keep his achievement in the public eye. Yet a fair amount of his catalogue has been recorded, including all the symphonies (Chandos) and the ‘complete’ piano music (Dutton Epoch). All eight preludes have a “grave disposition” and lack humour or light. They should be played as a cycle; but the listener is liable to be depressed by the end of twenty minutes.

It is always a pleasure to hear Cyril Scott’s best-known piano piece, the sumptuously impressionistic Lotus Land (1905). Many years ago, it was described as “penny-postcard orientalism,” yet despite this canard, both Scott and Jacob manage to create just the right dreamland atmosphere. This languid evocation never fails to charm.

Cecil Armstrong Gibbs’s Lakeland Pictures were written in 1940 when he and his family moved from Danbury in Essex to Westmoreland. They were subsequently lost but were rediscovered in 1996. Jacobs has chosen two of them for this recital. First up, is the tumultuous After Rain - Rydal Beck. This non-stop number suggests that the brook is in spate. A melancholy mood hangs over the Quiet Winter (Tarn Hows) with its thoughtful progress. Alan Cuckston issued a recording of the complete cycle in 2001 (reviewed, here). I have yet to hear the full set.

A surprise discovery was Croydon born composer Cecil Baumer’s Idyll (1935). He was a pupil of Mathilde Verne, who was in her turn a student of Clara Schumann. Known for his songs and piano music, the present work has echoes of Rachmaninov. Definitely someone to explore, save there seems precious little readily available. Puppet Piece and Alice in Wonderland with several other character studies are listed on WorldCat.

I think that the listener will need a listening strategy to approach Anglo-Indian composer John Mayer’s Calcutta-Nagar (1993). There are eighteen tiny ‘movements’ here, some lasting at less than half a minute. Each one has a title. Examples being The Rickshaw-Wallahs – in in Dharmatala Street, The River Hooghley, China Town, and The New Market. It is possible to sit down with Google Maps and explore each location. However, I tended to see them as a set of variations without a theme. Certainly, they are “wistful, humorous and cheeky” and from time to time redolent. Just occasionally there is a Spanish feel, especially in The Ghora Girls-in the horse carriages in Chowringhee Road. It is quite a delightful suite of music. And yes, the title was given to the work before the city’s official name changed to Kolkata in 2001.

It seemed unnecessary to comment on the playing of the above pieces individually. The performance overall is committed, enthusiastic and sympathetic. It is aided by an outstanding recording.

The liner notes by the soloist are succinct and provide most of the information needed to enjoy this recital. Dates of each composer would have been helpful. Some composition dates given in the track listing were wrong: I have noted the corrections above.

For details of Peter Jacobs’s achievement, please see my review of his British Piano Collection Volume 1 in these pages.

This captivating second anthology of rarely heard British piano music is a fantastic addition to Peter Jacobs record catalogue. One hopes that there will be many more.

Track Listing:
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
Petite Suite de Concert (c.1911)
Greville Cooke (1894-1989)
High Marley Rest (1933)
Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
Mazurka and Waltz for a Little Girl from Five Pieces (1922-23)
Christopher Headington (1930-96)
Toccata (1963)
Edmund Rubbra (1901-86)
Eight Preludes, op.131 (1966)
Cyril Scott (1879-1970)
Lotus Land (1905)
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960)
After Rain (Rydal Beck); Quiet Winter (Tarn Hows) from Lakeland Pictures, op.98 (1940)
Cecil Baumer (1891-1937)
Idyll (1935)
John Mayer (1930-2004)
Calcutta-Nagar (1993)
Peter Jacobs (piano)
rec. 14 May and 16 September 2024, Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth. 

Heritage HTGCD 131

John McCabe: Pastorale Sostenuto for organ (1965)

Whilst recently revisiting Alun Hoddinott’s Intrada for organ, I discovered John McCabe’s short Pastorale Sostenuto in the same volume. It was written in 1965 as a commission from Oxford University Press for the first of two volumes of Easy Modern Organ Music, which was duly published in 1967. Other works in this album included Kenneth Leighton’s Fanfare, William Mathias’s Chorale, Christopher Brown’s Nocturne, and Arnold Cooke’s Impromptu.

John McCabe (1939-2015) was a distinguished British composer and concert pianist. Born in Huyton, Liverpool, he was inspired by the music-filled environment of his childhood. He wrote over 150 works, including symphonies, ballets, and solo piano pieces. Notable compositions include the orchestral song cycle Notturni ed Alba and the Concerto for Orchestra, which brought him international recognition. McCabe also served as the director of the London College of Music from 1983 to 1990.

Apart from the Pastorale, McCabe also wrote a Nocturne for the companion series, Modern Organ Music Book 1, (1965). Important works for Novello include the Sinfonia (1961), Dies Resurrectionis (1963), Le Poisson Magique (1964), Johannis Partita (1964), Prelude (in Music before Service) (1964), and Elegy (1965). McCabe's organ music often features intricate counterpoint and rich harmonic language, demonstrating his profound understanding of the instrument's capabilities.

The Pastorale Sostenuto is a miniature, lasting for about three minutes. It is written in binary form. A solo flute-like figure is heard in the opening bars, which then dominates the piece:

Played initially by the right hand only, it is joined by soft, dissonant chords on the swell. Repeated over and over again it is soon accompanied with a counterpoint of the above figure in inversion. There are several changes of time signature, between 6/8 and 9/8. The ‘trio’ section is based on an eight-note figure:

This is reiterated eight times supported by triads in root position or first inversion. The final part of the work reprises the opening theme, this time in the tenor register. It is complemented by chords of the seventh, before the Pastorale concludes with a long, sustained chord and a final allusion to the main theme in the upper register.

The impact of this piece is well summed up by the word “hypnotic” or even “minimalist.” It is not hard to imagine a classical background revelling in Theocritean shepherds or even Pan himself.

The John McCabe Bio-Bibliography (Stewart R. Craggs, Greenwood Press, 1991) gives little information about this work. Apart from the publication data, the author was unable to trace the premiere performance. To my knowledge, it has not been recorded for LP or CD.

Listen to John McCabe’s Pastorale Sostenuto on YouTube, here. It is played by Rhys Arvidson on the William Anderson Pipe Organ located in the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Williamstown, Melbourne Australia.

Alexander Mackenzie’s A Musician’s Narrative Reviewed by Punch

Alexander Campbell Mackenzie (b Edinburgh, 22 Aug 1847; d London, 28 April 1935) was a Scottish composer, who was educated at the Royal Academy of Music, (of which he was later to become the Principal) He had further studies in Germany, where he made the acquaintance of Franz Liszt. (Unlike most of his English contemporaries he was brought up to music as a fiddler and an orchestral player rather than as an organist.) He was an indefatigable organiser both in London and in Scotland and an adventurous conductor. As a composer he endeavoured to blend Scottish nationalism, with advanced German romantic expression. Examples of this fusion are The Cotter's Saturday Night, to a text by Robert Burns, set for chorus and orchestra, his Scottish Rhapsodies and his Pibroch suite for violin). He wrote oratorios which were perhaps less successful, musically, and technically than his orchestral pieces, good deal of effective theatre music. He also composed two operas: The Cricket on the Hearth (1902) and The Eve of St. John (1924) and much chamber music.

A Musician's Narrative by Alexander Campbell Mackenzie is a fascinating account of his life and career. Published by Cassells and Co. London in 1927, it offers insights into his experiences as a violinist, organist, conductor, composer, and educator. The narrative provides a detailed look at his efforts to establish a National Opera in Britain, his interactions with notable figures like Carl Rosa, Franz Liszt and Anton Rubenstein as well as his reflections on the challenges and triumphs of his career. It is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of Victorian and Edwardian British music and Mackenzie's contributions to it.

The British weekly magazine Punch, or The London Charivari, established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and Ebenezer Landells. Its special brand of satire and humour soon made it popular. Topic covered included social, political, and cultural matters. It was the earliest journal to uses the term “cartoon” in its modern sense.

On 7 December 1927 (p.27) it published this humorous poem as a “review” of Mackenzie’s new volume. It also notes the composer passing his eightieth year.

Mackenzie, good Sir Alexander,

For many years, the wise commander

Of the historic Music school,

Which greatly prospered by his rule,

Has happily been moved to give,

In A Musician's Narrative,

The record of the strenuous part

He played in furthering native art,

As teacher and administrator,

Player, conductor and creator;

Wielding a pen—although he's eighty -

Witty and gay as well as weighty.

Of all the greatest in the muster

That lent the old regime its lustre

He has some first-hand tale to tell,

And tells it excellently well –

Of Liszt and Rubinstein and "Joe,"

And all the stars of long ago.

For, to be frank, our dear Mackenzie

Finds little more than sound and frenzy,

In short, what younger folk call" tripe,"

In music of the latest type.

Here, otherwise benign, and mellow,

He's prone to seeing red and yellow,

And finds a gloomy satisfaction

In noting symptoms of reaction.

With this small cavil,

I commend His genial book (which Cassell's send)

As worthy of an honoured friend,

Known and admired since '84,

Old " Mac," four-square, though now four-score.

“Joe” could be one of a number of characters. Most likely it refers to the great Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer, and teacher, and known to Mackenzie.