Arnold Cooke: Complete String Quartets, Volume 1

The final paragraph of the liner notes brilliantly provides the context for this first volume of Arnold Cooke’s cycle of five string quartets: “Taken as a series [they] form an important thread through the chamber music of Britain in the middle years of the twentieth century. The longest-surviving pupil of Hindemith in England, he admittedly used the language and mannerisms of his teacher – but with restraint and always with an ear for lyrical beauty.”

A good hermeneutic for appreciating Arnold Cooke’s music is to accept his debt to his composition teacher Paul Hindemith. Musicologist Malcom MacDonald stated that what Cooke “imbibed was a broad framework of technique and a sense of direction: a view of music as a living polyphonic entity and a feeling for individual instruments that goes back to the practice of J.S Bach.” Also of importance is the influence of Bartók. And then there are some nods to “an undeniable English lyricism” that does not depend on overt pastoralism. Finally, Cooke typically did not use compositional systems such as serialism.

Helpful biographical details about Arnold Cooke can be found here on MusicWeb International.  

The String Quartet No. 1 was completed in 1933, shortly after Cooke had returned from study in Berlin. This was just before he assumed the position of Professor of Harmony at the Royal Manchester College of Music. The Quartet lasts for about twenty-two minutes. A contemporary critic (Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer) noted that Hindemith’s influence was clear in “its lack of adipose tissue [body fat!], its studious avoidance of the purple patch, its astringent but apt writing for strings and for the quartet medium, and its strained tonality.”  The Manchester Guardian suggested that listeners “wore the hairshirt of Mr. Cooke’s quartet.” Yet there is more to this work than acidity. The opening fugue begins conventionally, but soon drifts off into a tonal no-man’s land. The Scherzo, which is placed second, is vibrant, if severe. Yet, the slow movement, an Intermezzo, is often songlike, if at times a little bitter. The finale is vibrant, with little to challenge the listener. Strangely, it ends on a common chord, thus negating much of its modernity.

According to Eric Wetherell’s monograph on Arnold Cooke (British Music Society, 1996) the composer wrote the String Quartet No.3 (1967) “because he had always enjoyed playing quartets at Cambridge but had not tried his hand at this medium since 1948.” I think that Bartók is a more relevant influence here than Hindemith. The opening Allegro energico sports a “strong dotted rhythm” and is “strongly contrapuntal.” Equally Bartókian is the Scherzo with its driving dance-like theme. This is preceded by a lyrical Andante where Cooke charts his own individual course. The middle section disturbs the overall poise of the mood with its “martial interlude.” The finale, Allegro vivace, is characterised by a prominent “Scotch-snap” as well as a remarkable pizzicato passage. The movement concludes emphatically in the “home” key of G major.

Arnold Cooke’s final String Quartet (No.5) was completed in 1978. It was commissioned by the Ticehurst and District Music Club, Sussex. This is a short piece, lasting for less than ten minutes. Although the track listing shows that there are three movements, the liner notes suggest that it is “ostensibly in one movement, embracing all the elements of a traditional four-movement sonata. The opening Moderato presents a short unison theme, which is the basis for the melodic material of the entire quartet. It is initially worked out in shortened sonata form. This slips into an energetic Scherzo, which also includes two “calmer and more lyrical” passages. The finale is powerful, combining a fugal opening, a dance-like romp, hints at earlier material and a brief, but vigorous, coda culminating in a terse pizzicato chord.

The liner notes, written by Peter Marchbank, give detailed information about all three quartets, including descriptive notes as well as some reception history. They have been immensely helpful in the preparation of this review. This is preceded by a useful mini biography of the composer. A resume of the Bridge Quartet is included. Toccata Records have already release a CD of Arnold Cooke’s organ music, reviewed here.

The performance by the Bridge Quartet is committed and enthusiastic. They have played these works at concert venues over the past few years and are clearly powerful advocates of Cooke’s chamber music. The recording is ideal.

Finally, Hindemith is often credited with promoting Gebrauchsmusik which effectively meant music aimed at a social or didactic purpose, often deemed to be playable by amateurs. It was not seen as being “art for art’s sake.” Hindemith was to eventually disown this appellation applied to his work. Certainly, the term cannot be applied to Cooke’s music on this CD, whether descriptively of pejoratively. Each Quartet is an accomplished piece of writing, technically involved and satisfying to all concerned. Even a cursory hearing will not detect any element that can be described as “improving” for either the performers or the audience.

It is fantastic that listeners can hear a fairly wide range of Arnold Cooke’s large catalogue, including symphonies, organ music and chamber works on CD. I look forward to assessing the second volume of String Quartets soon.

Track Listing
Arnold Cooke (1906-2005)
String Quartet No.3 (1967)
String Quartet No.5 (1978)
String Quartet No.1 (1933)
Bridge Quartet, Colin Twigg (violin), Catherine Schofield (violin), Michael Schofield (viola), Lucy Wilding (cello)
rec.21-22 November 2022, All Saints’ Church, Thornham, Norfolk.
Toccata Classics TOCC0696

Arnold Cooke: Organ Music on Toccata Classics

I am grateful to the outstanding liner notes by Harvey Davies during the preparation of this review. I have evaluated this disc in chronological order. 

Arnold Cooke began writing for the organ in the early 1960s. The Sarabande was finished in 1961 and was his first piece for the instrument to be published. It was originally for piano, the second movement of a Suite in C, written in 1943-44. There is a little Hindemith in these pages, but more nods towards Bartók. The liner notes mention an unpublished early Wedding March, D19 composed in 1936 for a family wedding.

The earliest major work on this disc is the Prelude, Intermezzo and Finale, completed in 1962. This was a commission by Novello & Co. for their extensive series, the Organ Music Club. The liner notes sum up the opening Prelude well: it displays “a gentle, Hindemithian idiom leavened with a certain Englishness in it use of modal lines and harmonies…” The Intermezzo is signed to be played “mostly quiet and reflective, maintaining an even flow.”  The Finale is jig like. Despite using fugal passages, it never descends to the pedantic, but keeps up its jaunty humour to the last notes.

Cooke’s Fantasia is remarkable. It was commissioned in 1964 by the Revd Dr Peter Marr, a former student of the composer. The liner notes mention the “improvisatory character” of the music. However, this is not the full story. There are many contrapuntal explorations and some harmonic derring-do. This is an exciting piece, which despite being “academically constructed” is full of interest and vivacity.

The Toccata and Aria (1966) was also commissioned by Peter Marr. It was first heard on 22 April 1967 at St Giles Church, Reading, as part of the celebrations commemorating the centenary of the organ rebuild. The opening Toccata is powerful and dynamic, as all such titled pieces should be. The momentum barely slows down. The Aria, on the other hand, is introspective and just occasionally ominous in mood.

Also written in 1966, the Impromptu was originally published in OUP’s once popular Easy Modern Organ Music. (I confess to not finding any of these numbers “easy” to play.) The Impromptu is relaxed and cool, with its gentle exposition and relaxed, slightly modernist, harmonic language.

In 1971, Arnold Cooke was commissioned by the Cardiff University Musical Department, under the auspices of Alun Hoddinott, to compose the Organ Sonata No.1 in G. The premiere was given at the Cardiff Festival on 14 February 1973 by Richard Elfyn Jones.

The Sonata is presented in three movements. The opening Allegro moderato has two contrasting, but well-balanced themes. The liner notes mention “harmonies based on fourths and fifths, the imaginative contrapuntal textures, cross rhythms and natural lyricism.” The middle movement, an Andante, is melancholic in mood except for a short scherzetto section. The gem of the Sonata is the finale, Allegro con brio. After an opening flourish, two themes are contrasted: the first a typically “toccata-like” figuration of semiquavers and the second, a gentler tune, looking back to the slow movement. It concludes with a powerful “triumphant fanfare” and several loud chords. The entire Sonata is a fusion of Hindemith, Bartók, and an undeniable English lyricism that nods to Walton and Vaughan Williams.

Nine years later, Cooke completed his Organ Sonata No.2 in E. The impetus to compose it probably came from an organist named Eric Fletcher. It was premiered in Edinburgh during 1981. The Sonata is presented in four movements. It opens with a powerful Fantasia, which, is described as “a sort of blend of fanfare, toccata, and carefully constructed counterpoint.” The thoughtful Aria is quite simply gorgeous, with its long breathed melodic lines, undulating counterpoint and gentle dotted rhythms. The Scherzo, in 6/8 compound time, fairly bounces along with lots of complex figurations, peppery harmonies and a slightly softer, but brief, trio section. The Finale harks back to the opening movements. An Allegro, it includes fanfare and toccata styles bringing the Sonata to a satisfying peroration.

In 1989, Arnold Cooke wrote his penultimate organ piece. It celebrated the new instrument at Tudeley Parish Church in Kent. The premiere performance was given by the late Simon Preston. Prelude for Tudeley balances a powerful opening fanfare with a quiet melody. It builds up to a big climax, ending on a glorious E flat major chord. Cooke had lived at nearby Five Oak Green with his partner, William Morrison, since 1963. William had died the previous year, so naturally, there is a tinge of sadness in this Prelude.

Cooke’s final work for the organ was the Suite in G (1989). It is a fusion of a classical sonatina and various baroque tropes. The opening Chaconne explores a set of diverse variations, over a basso ostinato. The second movement is a lively Allegro vivace, that is neither cheerful nor melancholy, but strangely reflective. The Andante may once again be influenced by the death of his partner: it is sombre in mood. The notion of a Baroque Suite is recalled in the concluding Allegro con brio. This is a good old fashioned jig that brings the work to a jolly conclusion.

The liner notes are superb. There is a major essay length discussion about Arnold Cooke and the Organ by Harvey Davies. This includes an overview of the composer’s life and times, as well as a discussion of his musical style. Each of the pieces are given a detailed, but always interesting commentary. The organ soloist, Tom Winpenny has provided a short paper on the magnificent Harrison and Harrison organ at St Albans Cathedral. The specification of the instrument is included. Finally, the is a resume of the soloist.

Tom Winpenny has become one of the leading organists on record. His expertise and technical command is clear in every bar of this recording, giving stimulating and absorbing performances. Winpenny is a popular soloist in the United States and Europe. At present he is Assistant Master of the Music at St Albans Cathedral. He has made recordings of a wide range of music, including discs devoted to Peter Racine Fricker, John McCabe, Malcolm Williamson, Charles Villiers Stanford and Elgar. He has released five volumes of Messiaen’s organ music.

The recording, engineered by Andrew Post, is ideal. It is clear and resonant, allowing the listener to gain a sense of “being there..”

Any consideration of Arnold Cooke’s music eventually resolves on the question – “Has the frequent association of his name with that of his teacher, Paul Hindemith, ultimately been deleterious to Cooke’s standing as a composer?” And leading from this is he simply too derivative: does he lack distinction? (Harvey Davies, Thesis 2021).

I have noted before that Malcolm MacDonald states that what Cooke “really imbibed [from Hindemith] was a broad framework of technique and a sense of direction: a view of music as a living polyphonic entity and a feeling for individual instruments that goes back to the practice of J.S. Bach.” In other words, he was a master-craftsman. Furthermore, Havergal Brian wrote as long ago as 1936 that Cooke “appears to think and breathe contrapuntally … and he has tradition in his bones: his working principles are nearer to the Elizabethans and Bach than to Wagner and [Richard] Strauss.”

So, Arnold Cooke’s music is a subtle fusion of German technique with a largely English sensibility. It is a perfect synthesis of styles.

Track Listing:
Arnold Cooke (1906-2005)
Sonata No.1 in G, D118 (1971)
Fantasia, D 95 (1964)
Prelude, Intermezzo and Finale, D 87 (1962)
Sarabande, D34 (1960-61)
Toccata and Aria, D104 (1966)
Suite in G, D167 (1989)
Impromptu, D105 (1966)
Prelude for Tudeley, D166 (1989)
Sonata No.2 in E, D146 (1980)
Tom Winpenny (organ)
rec. 25-27 August 2021, the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, St Albans, Hertfordshire
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0659

Léon Goossens plays Arnold Cooke's Concerto and Sonata No.1 for oboe

First things first. I reviewed these two works from a CD-R of a downloadable album. I have not listened to this latter version. I understand that this hard copy is available, priced £7, from Oboe Classics, and will appeal to people who would rather not download or stream. 

Putting these two pieces into context should have been an important part of the descriptive notes. Arnold Cooke wrote much chamber music, including five string quartets and many sonatas for various instruments. More specifically, there are numerous works featuring the oboe. They span six decades, from the earliest, an Octet for string quartet and woodwind, op.1 (1931) to the late Intermezzo for oboe & piano, dating from 1987.

Both works on this CD were composed in the 1950s. Other important music written at this time included the Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra, the Concerto No.1 for clarinet and strings, and the Violin Concerto.

I am more enthusiastic about the Oboe Concerto than Eric Wetherell (Arnold Cooke, British Music Society, 1996). There, he refers to it as a “slight work”, based on its duration. Yet, this Concerto is no piece of light music. It is typically cerebral rather than heart-on-sleeve and emotional. That said, the themes are attractive, and their exposition are always tightly controlled.  The Concerto was completed in 1954 and was presumably dedicated to Léon Goossens. There is no statement about this in the notes. The recording on this CD was made from “a mangled tape.” This has resulted in 10 seconds of missing music. I agree with Jeremy Polmear, that unless the listener is following the score, this will hardly be noticed.

The Concerto opens with a brisk Allegro moderato, which indulges in some eight-part string writing, rare in the “habitually clear textures if this composer.” This is followed by a vivacious Scherzo, which packs a lot of excitement into three minutes. The obvious heart of the work is the Andante. This is a beautiful Aria which I guess comes nearest to the idea of being “recognisably English in style.” This lyrical tune is supported by an idiomatic use of strings. The work closes with a spirited Rondo.

I feel that the composer’s use of a string, as opposed to a full, orchestra is justified here by giving the soloist the “maximum of limelight.” Yet the scoring is integral to the work’s success and is not just mere accompaniment. This Concerto has an intimate character, that may be best served at a smaller venue. At the 1955 Proms performance, the strings were apparently lost in the acoustic of the Albert Hall. In this present recording, they admirably serve their purpose.

In fine, this Oboe Concerto epitomises Arnold Cooke’s English-Hindemith-ian style - and is none the worse for that. And there is not a cow-and-gate in sight! 

Arnold Cooke’s Sonata No.1 for oboe and piano was completed in 1957 and was dedicated to Léon Goossens.  It is part of a sequence of four important chamber works for wind instruments written between 1956 and 1962. They include a Flute Sonatina (1956, rev. 1961), a Clarinet Sonata (1959), a Wind Quintet (1961) and the Clarinet Quintet (1962). The only one to have really taken off is the Clarinet Sonata, which has been beautifully performed and recorded by Thea King and Clifford Benson on Hyperion (CDD22027). Subsequent editions have been made since.

The liner notes explain that this present recording is in mono, but this does not detract from the splendid performance by Léon Goossens and Clifton Helliwell.

The entire Sonata is predicated on a simple melodic device. This is used skilfully to create a wide-ranging work full of interest. The first movement opens Andante with a long breathed and slightly lugubrious oboe melody, accompanied by an equally sombre piano part. Then suddenly, the pace takes off, with a lively and energetic Allegro. The movement ends with a revisiting, rather than a full recapitulation, of the opening material. The Andante comes closest to an evocation of the English landscape. This music is pastoral, but never descends into sentimentality. The middle section is more forceful in mood. The concluding Rondo: Allegro giocoso is harder edged in its response, but never deserts its lyrical base. It is a little Jig. In fact, this movement closes with a cyclical reference to the opening bars of the Sonata. One point of note is the closing cadenza, which is given to the piano rather than the oboe as would be expected.

What does Arnold Cooke sound like? The glib answer is (as noted above) that he is an English Hindemith-ian. But that is predicated on the reader being aware of Paul Hindemith’s contribution to teaching and composition.  In Cooke’s case, I think his style can be explained as music that is tonal, urbane, “emotionally reserved”, making considerable use of counterpoint, playable and accessible. And all leavened with an English lyricism that defies analysis.

Unusually for Oboe Classics, the descriptive notes for each work are minimal. These can be downloaded from the Oboe Classics website. There are no biographical notes about the composer and performers, although it could be argued there is always the World Wide Web!

The liner notes include a scan of the Radio Times listing for the Concerto advertising a broadcast on the BBC Home Service on 22 July 1956. Of interest, the Oboe Concerto was given its London Premiere at the Proms on 5 August 1955. Goossens was the soloist, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron.
The Oboe Sonata was given its premiere broadcast on the BBC Third Programme on 19 February 1959. Whether these are the actual recording dates for both works remains to be seen.
The sound has been well cleaned and enhanced by Christopher Steward.

I was unable to locate another commercial recording of Arnold Cooke’s Concerto for oboe and string orchestra. There is none listed in Michael Herman’s discographies in these pages. For the Oboe Sonata, a great modern version is available on the Mike Purton label (MPR 108, reviewed here). This features Melinda Maxwell, oboe and Harvey Davies, piano.  

The added value of this Oboe Classics CD is twofold. Firstly, the privilege of hearing one of the world’s finest oboists perform these two works far outweighs any issues with the sound quality, missing bars or the packaging. And secondly, it gives the listener the opportunity to hear what seems to me one of the most enjoyable and interesting Oboe Concertos written by an English composer. Both works should be regular features in the recital room and concert hall. Alas, I somehow doubt this will be the case.

Track Listing:
Arnold COOKE (1906-2005)
Concerto for oboe and string orchestra (1954)
Sonata No.1 for oboe and piano (1957)
Léon Goossens (oboe), Jacques String Orchestra/Reginald Jacques, Clifton Helliwell (piano)
Rec. 1956 (Concerto), 1959 (Sonata)
OBOE CLASSICS CD-R copy of Download Album CC2317
With thanks to MusicWeb international where this review was first published.

Arnold Cooke: Chamber Music for flute, clarinet, violoncello and piano

This fascinating new CD pushes the total number of recorded chamber works by Arnold Cooke towards half of those in his catalogue. Bearing in mind that Cooke is hardly a household name, this is a noteworthy achievement by any stretch of the imagination. Mike Purton Recordings have been at the forefront of this project: this latest disc compliments three previous CD releases on his label. In total, 18 pieces of chamber music have been issued on these discs.

The opening work on this disc is the longest and the most profound. The Trio for clarinet, cello and piano, D98, was commissioned by the Hilary Robinson Trio, and was premiered by them at the Wigmore Hall on 9 December 1965 (not 9 January 1966 as stated in the liner notes).  The Trio has four movements, which balance considerable gravity with playfulness. Much use is made of counterpoint in the development of the musical material, especially in the opening Allegro non troppo. The Scherzo is reminiscent of Bartok, a composer whom Cooke admired, with its metrical twists and turns. Unsurprisingly, the heart of this Trio is the melancholic third movement, Lento ma poco con moto. It is one of the most beautiful passages of Cooke’s music. Here he achieves a near perfect synthesis of his Continental and English influences. The finale lightens up the mood: it fairly bounces along. The Times reviewer of the premiere performance notes that the composer had not attempted to move with the times: “the players keep to their own seats and their own written notes…” All traits of the then contemporary avant-garde. Cooke has been true to his own musical precepts: the “concise, no-nonsense kind of Hindemith-inspired logic that he has for many years made his own.”

The Quartet for flute, clarinet, cello and piano, D93 was commissioned for the Macnaghten Concerts. These significant events originally ran between 1931 and 1937, under the auspices of Anne Macnaghten, Iris Lemare and Elisabeth Lutyens. The concerts were restarted in 1952 as the Macnaghten New Music Group, with financial support from the Arts Council. The booklet notes that Arnold Cooke had several compositions performed at these events.  The Quartet takes as its model Paul Hindemith’s Quartet for clarinet, strings and piano (1938). This was freely admitted by the composer. Nevertheless, this would seem to apply to structure, rather than the aesthetics: his music is more angular and dissonant than Hindemith’s exemplar. The overall impact “is darker and perhaps of a less jovial tone than many of Cooke’s chamber works.” This seriousness is countered by a vivacious tarantella finale, but even this is tinged with anxiety.

It is easy to consign Sonatinas to the category of teaching music. Yet, who would write off John Ireland’s and Maurice Ravel’s examples of this genre for piano as pedantic. Arnold Cooke wrote his Sonatina for the rarely used alto flute and piano around 1985.  I enjoyed this reflective piece: it is “uncomplicated, economical, and attractive.” Like the Ravel and Ireland works mentioned above, there is nothing trivial or ephemeral about this Sonatina. At 13 minutes duration it is substantial. The use of the deep-toned flute provides much depth to this music. Even the rapid finale is introspective rather than extrovert.

The liner notes state that Cooke, like his teacher Paul Hindemith, was not averse to writing for slightly obscure instruments. There is a Sonata for harmonica and piano D116 (1970), a Suite for three viols D140 (1978-79) and a modern example of a work for brass ensemble, the Sextet D11 (1931).

The Alla Marcia was published in 1947. It was specially written for Alan Frank at Oxford University Press. The title is a little misleading. There is little here that resembles a march. It is a good old-fashioned minuet and trio which presents thoughtful and lyrical material. It has a “dainty touch of humour” that is characterised by the two soloists “chasing each other in imitation”, but never quite catching up. Despite being designed as teaching music, it is equally at home in the recital room.

Equally effective is the Prelude and Dance for clarinet and piano. This piece, also didactic, was commissioned for Josef Weinberger’s Jack Brymer Clarinet Series, Volume 2, for advanced students. It was published in 1980. Stylistically, the Prelude and Dance owes more to the impressionism of Debussy, than the Gebrauchsmusik (Utility Music) of Hindemith. It is a real treat.

Equally lacking in pedantry is the lovely Pavane for flute and piano composed in 1969.  The liner notes explain that it is not serial in construction, but the opening melody does traverse all twelve tones of the chromatic scale. A wide-ranging chromaticism pervades this work, but it still manages to sound ageless in effect. It is a fusion of Hindemith and Debussy, with a touch of Cooke’s English magic. It was included in OUP’s Modern Flute Music (1971) alongside works by Kenneth Leighton, Colin Hand, John Addison, William Mathias, Phyllis Tate and Arthur Veal.

Biographical details about Arnold Cooke can be found on MusicWeb International.  The excellent liner notes are written by the present pianist, Harvey Davies. They are detailed, informative and enjoyable. This is hardly surprising, as Davies is currently completing his doctoral thesis on the composer and his music. Like all good notes, they balance biography, context and analysis (but not too technical). The “D” numbers have been assigned by Davies. The sound quality of this CD is ideal. The playing is committed, and clearly the Pleyel Ensemble relish Cooke’s remarkable musical style.

Whether there are more recordings in the offing remains to be seen. But whatever the business case for English Chamber Music may be at the present time, Mike Purton Recordings have made a major contribution to recording of Arnold Cooke’s chamber music. A key genre currently missing from CD are the five string quartets.

Arnold Cooke is a composer I can do business with. Typically, his compositions do not exhibit the cerebral gymnastics of Serialism, nor the sentimentality of Pastoralism. I appreciate his sympathetic balance between the Continental rigour of technical construction, with a definite English sensibility that defies analysis.

Track Listing:
Arnold COOKE (1906-2005)
Trio for clarinet, cello and piano, D98 (1965)
Quartet for flute, clarinet, cello and piano, D93 (1964)
Sonatina for alto flute and piano, D156 (1985)
Pavane for flute and piano, D112 (1969)
Prelude and Dance for clarinet and piano, D142 (1979)
Alla Marcia for clarinet and piano, D38 (1946)
The Pleyel Ensemble, Jonathan Rimmer (flute, alto flute), Janet Hilton (clarinet), Heather Bills (cello), Harvey Davies (piano)
Rec. Carole Nash Room, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, 5-6 September 2018 (Trio), 27-28 October 2018 (Quartet, Pavane, Prelude and Dance, Alla Marcia), 19 December 2019 (Sonatina)
MIKE PURTON RECORDING MPR 109

Arnold Cooke: Complete Music for Oboe and Sonata for Two Pianos

I recently reviewed the second volume of Arnold Cooke’s chamber music in this ‘edition’ (MPR105) for MusicWeb International. I discussed the stylistic parameters of the composer’s music there. Biographical details can be found in the introductory remarks to my review of Cooke’s Symphonies No.4 and No.5 on Lyrita REAM1123.  I will limit myself to a single comment here. Arnold Cooke typically eschewed various modernist techniques such as serialism and was never attracted to the avant-garde. He once wrote that his music is ‘mainly based on traditional procedures and principles…I do not have any particular theories of composition, just a natural inclination for it.’ Cooke’s music is eclectic, approachable, and firmly rooted in traditional tonality spiced with dissonance and a modicum of ‘Bartókian ruggedness’. Although there is little in the way of British nationalism in his style, there is much ‘English lyricism’ that adds warmth to his music.

I am beholden to Harvey Davies’s excellent liner notes for details of all these pieces. Despite the majority of works on this CD being for oboe and piano, I chose to listen to the Sonata for two pianos first. It is the earliest piece in this disc.

Arnold Cooke wrote this Sonata between 1936 and 1937. It clearly predates similar examples by Paul Hindemith (1942), Igor Stravinsky (1944) and Francis Poulenc (1953). It is unlikely (but possible) that Cooke would have been inspired by Arnold Bax’s Sonata for two pianos written in 1929 for Ethel Bartlett and Rae Robertson. Bax’s work is predicated on pastoralism, sea music and Hebridean dance rhythms.  The liner notes explain that Cooke admitted that Stravinsky’s Concerto (not Sonata as stated in these notes) for Two Pianos, ‘which had appeared in 1935, had made a considerable impression on him and that he had probably been influenced by it to some extent…’

Cooke’s Sonata opens with a slow introduction, which seems to be a characteristic of his music – at least in the works included on this disc. Then the movement ‘gets going’ with an ‘allegro’ in sonata form. Much of this music is bitter-sweet, with touches of the baroque thrown in. Counterpoint between the two pianos is the modus operandi. It is often exiting and builds to an enthusiastic and exhilarating coda. The slow movement is written in Cooke’s English-Hindemithian style. This is elegant music that balances repose with relatively relaxed effort. The middle section is typically wistful and dreamy in its gentle exploration of piquant harmonies. Cooke concluded his Sonata with a rapid ‘tarantella’ that provides a happy conclusion to this sometimes austere and lyrical sonata.  The entire work maintains the listener’s interest from the first note to the last.

Arnold Cooke’s Sonata for two pianos was written at the behest of the pianists Adolph Hallis and Franz Reizenstein, who duly gave the premiere at the Aeolian Hall on 17 March 1937.

I was impressed by the Quartet for oboe and string trio written in 1948. This work was a commission from Mrs. Lys Hackforth. Her husband, the classics don Richard, ran the Thursday Concert Series at Cambridge University. Léon Goossens gave the premiere performance on 1 December 1949 at this venue accompanied by the Carter String Trio.  The work is in three balanced movements which all reflect Cooke’s post-war musical ethos of economy, ‘imaginative counterpoint’ and sheer craftsmanship applied to structure and means. The opening movement explores a limited amount of melodic material with considerable ingenuity. Imitative counterpoint leads to memorable phrases and musical interest. The liner notes suggest that the modality of the themes provides ‘a gentle English melancholy’ to what is largely a ‘cheerful’ movement. This is followed by a haunting ‘Aria’. The track listing shows that this should be performed ‘Allegro ma non troppo’ (not too fast). In fact, it is played slower than that, but with no detriment. It is an idyllic movement that seems to display a gentle pastoral mood, without making use of any rustic clichés.  The finale is a sheer delight. Dance-like music, bounce, a long slow central cadenza, and a closing jig make this an exuberant varied and enjoyable conclusion.

Arnold Cooke’s ‘first’ Sonata for oboe and piano was completed in 1957. It was written specifically for Léon Goossens.  The entire work is based on a relatively simple melodic device. However, this is established with skill and craftsmanship and used to produce a work that is full of interest and lyrical adventures that never flags or descends into mere note spinning.  The opening movement is written in ‘modified sonata form’. There is a brief slow introduction followed by the exposition with the first and second subjects lacking in contrast. Cooke has abandoned the development section, in favour of a rework of the introduction.  I found the following ‘andante’ plaintive and reticent. The composer has presented a series of ‘long melodic lines’ and used these to create a ternary (three-part, ABA) movement. The middle section is ‘urgent’ in its effect. The despondency returns, bringing this troubled movement to an end. The finale is effectively a jig. The liner notes explain that this includes the most technically difficult music of the entire sonata. It is not difficult to see how the wide ranging and rhythmically diverse melodic lines are challenging. One of the episodes of this ‘rondo’ has been described as ‘caricaturing the oboe’s sound in a tune reminiscent of clucking and pecking hens!’ I am not sure about this imagery, but this ‘Grotesque Dance’ is certainly energetic and lively. The work ends with some thoughtful reminiscences of the Sonata’s opening bars. Interestingly, the cadenza is given to the piano, rather than the oboe. It is a creative touch.

The Sonata for oboe and cembalo (or piano) (1962) is remarkably in advance of the 1957 work. It is hard to believe that only five years separate these two works.  For the curious, cembalo is simply the Italian word for harpsichord. I hesitate to say this, but I am glad that the present soloists have chosen to play this work in its alternative setting for piano (authorised by the composer). It is not that I dislike the harpsichord, I just the piano. It is the same for me with Bach! Additionally, the keyboard part is better suited to the piano. Rapid left-hand octaves can be awkward on the cembalo.

This Sonata is more dissonant and edgy than the earlier work and requires concentrated and sympathetic listening. The work begins with a slow introduction, followed by a powerful allegro, with much of its material derived from opening bars. The melody does not rely on a tone-row, but it has a strong chromatic feel about it.  The ‘adagio’ presents music with dark hues. There is nothing straightforward here: all is enigmatic and restless. The last movement balances the dissonant and chromatic excursions of the slow movement with a certain forced ‘jollity.’ But to no avail. This is complex and involved music that cannot escape angst and sorrow.

This Sonata was composed specifically for Evelyn Rothwell, wife of the well-known conductor Sir John Barbirolli. The dedication is shared with Valda Aveling, who at that time was Rothwell’s musical partner. It was first performed in Huddersfield by the dedicatees during 1962.

It is always tempting to regard musical birthday gifts as ephemeral. The Intermezzo, a ‘mere’ 27 bars long, is a case in point. This was composed as part of the Léon Goossens’s 90^th Birthday Celebrations held at the Wigmore Hall on 12 June 1987.  Yet this short piece is full of good things. The music is simple, evocative, and concise. The oboe and piano weave its contrapuntal spell on the listener. It may not be a major work, but it is of the highest quality. This is a lovely, moving and satisfying piece that deserves a solid place in the oboe and piano music repertoire.

Despite living until 2005, Arnold Cooke ‘retired’ from composing in 1991, as far as his oeuvre is concerned, this ‘Intermezzo’ is a late work. It should be noted that the indefatigable John Turner ‘tempted’ Cooke out of retirement in in the mid-nineties to compose two works: A Little Suite No.2 (1993) for recorder and piano: and Songs of Innocence (1996) for soprano, clarinet and piano.  

The liner notes are informative, fulsome and a model of their kind, with comprehensive details about each work that is not available from any other source.  Performers details are included. I was surprised that there was no biographical sketch of Arnold Cooke. I accept that most devotees of this composer will know the basics. On the other hand, this disc will appeal to oboe music enthusiasts who may need a little introduction to Cooke’s life, times, and achievement. The playing in all these pieces is splendid, although I have nothing to compare the performances to. Certainly, the players encapsulated the vibrancy, the introspection, and the clarity of all these works. Equally captivating is the quality of the recording. The cover design is an evocative collage of Manchester including a tramcar, very unlike those running in 2020.

In my review of MPR 105 I noted that there are some 45 chamber works in Arnold Cooke’s Catalogue of Works. Mike Purton’s remarkable record label has now recorded 12 of them (plus the two-piano sonata). I do hope that this is an ongoing project. I did see that there were only four CDs proposed: perhaps some more may be envisaged. There are plenty more tantalising pieces to explore.

Track Listing:

Arnold COOKE (1906-2005)

Sonata for oboe and piano (1957)

Sonata for oboe and cembalo (or piano) (1962)

Intermezzo for oboe and piano (1987)

Quartet for oboe and string trio (1948)

Sonata for two pianos (1937)

Melinda Maxwell (oboe works), The Pleyel Ensemble: Sarah Ewins (violin), Susie Mészáros (viola), Heather Bills (cello) (Quartet) Harvey Davies (piano, Helen Davies(piano) (Sonata for two pianos)

Rec. The Carole Nash Room, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, 28 August 2017 (Sonata for two pianos); 8-9 September 2018 (Oboe works)

MPR 108

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

Arnold Cooke: The Complete Violin Sonatas

I recently reviewed the second and third ‘volumes’ of Mike Purton’s recordings of Arnold Cooke’s chamber music for MusicWeb International. In Volume 2, I discussed the stylistic parameters of the composer’s music. Biographical details can be found in the introductory remarks to my assessment of Cooke’s Symphonies No.4 and No.5 on Lyrita REAM1123. 

I will limit myself to a repeating a single comment here. Arnold Cooke typically eschewed various modernist techniques such as serialism and was never attracted to the avant-garde. He once wrote that his music is ‘mainly based on traditional procedures and principles…I do not have any particular theories of composition, just a natural inclination for it.’ Cooke’s music is eclectic, approachable, and firmly rooted in tonality, spiced with dissonance, and a modicum of ‘Bartokian ruggedness’. Although there is little in the way of British nationalism in his style, there is much ‘English lyricism’ that adds warmth to his music.

As with my previous reviews of Arnold Cooke’s chamber music on the MPR label, I am beholden to Harvey Davies’s excellent liner notes for details of all these pieces.

Only one work on this CD has been recorded before. In 2005 the British Music Society issued a notable disc (BMS432CD) featuring three strings sonatas by Cooke. These included the Viola Sonata No.2 (1937), the Cello Sonata No.2 (1980) and the Violin Sonata No.2 in A (1951). The album was rereleased in 2014 by Naxos (8.571362).

I guess that Cooke’s Duo for violin and viola will never be a ‘popular’ work. It is, as the liner notes suggest, ‘austere’. That said, it is no academic exercise or ‘intellectual exercise in counterpoint.’  Jonathan Woolf, on MusicWeb International, has described the compositional technique as ‘playfully rigorous.’ It is a perfect description.

The Duo was composed between 1934-35 when the composer was working at the Royal Manchester College of Music as a teacher of composition, counterpoint, and harmony. It was premiered by the South African violinist David Carl Taylor and the well-known Scottish violist Watson Forbes at the Royal Academy of Music on 4 March 1937.

The Duo opens with one of the composer’s trademark long ‘slow’ introductions. The remainder of this movement is predicated on the material presented in these bars. It is markedly contrapuntal throughout, with each instrument making its own headway. The liner notes state that the ‘andante’ presents an initial melody made up of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale. It should be noted that this is not a strictly serial composition. This is intense music that adds to the Duo’s concentration and reserve. The finale is a tour de force. The melodies are once again highly chromatic with much focus on the interval of the perfect 4^th (e.g. C to F). This all sounds technically demanding, especially the final ‘breathless presto.’  I listened to this piece three times through and am just beginning to ‘get it.’ There is much subtle lyricism and good humour hidden amongst the rarefied contrapuntal devices.

The immediate pre-war years were a busy time for Arnold Cooke. The liner notes list several important works composed between 1935 and 1940 including the Sonata for viola and piano (1937), the Sonata for two pianos (1937), the Concerto for piano and orchestra (1939-40) and the Passacaglia, Scherzo and Finale for string orchestra (1937), This latter work is surely a candidate for recording. The Sonata No.1 in G for violin and piano composed at this time, is probably the most immediately approachable work on this CD. It was devised for the violinist Thomas Matthews and the pianist Dora Gilson. The date of this Sonata’s premiere has not been established, but it was probably during 1939.

This Sonata is presented in three balanced movements. The work opens with the exposition of the two main subjects, the first of which is ‘soaring’ and the second is pensive. There is no development of these themes as such, but instead, a third subject is introduced which soon leads to the recapitulation and a surprisingly slow and meditative conclusion. All this is beautiful and relaxed music that seems at odds with the historical times. The heart of the work is the ‘pastoral’ ‘Lento’. Nevertheless, this is not quite as it seems. The middle part of this considerable movement is a lively scherzo, which blows away the cobwebs, before returning to the reflective slow music which now sounds almost heart-breaking in its wistful backward glance.  Finally, the dance music returns for the last time. The last movement is really a little rondo. The main theme is easy going and urbane. However, it is subject to some novel twists and turns. One significant episode is when the violin plays a melody in harmonics with an abbreviated accompaniment from the piano (left hand only) which, according to the liner notes gives ‘the effect of someone whistling in the distance’. After the return of the suave melody, the work ends with a splendid coda and a powerful conclusion.

The Sonata No.2 in A for violin and piano was commissioned by the amateur musician Gerard Heller for his wife, the violinist Rosemary Rapaport and her musical partner Else Cross. The work was duly premiered at the Wigmore Hall, London on 17 May 1951. I noted in my review of the BMS CD that this Sonata was first heard during year of the Festival of Britain, and the work reflects much of the post-war optimism encouraged at that time. This is certainly obvious in the opening ‘allegro con brio.’ Naturally, there are some reflective moments, but the general mood is of happiness and joie de vivre. There is a good balance between rhythmic bounce and lyrical thoughtfulness. The atmosphere of the beautiful ‘andante con moto’ is truly inspiring. Jonathan Woolf (op.cit.) has suggested that this movement sits in a trajectory from John Ireland by way of Herbert Howells. It is a lovely, near-pastoral idyll that is not a cow leaning over a fence but is concerned with deeper matters and is valedictory in mood. Any sense of regret is overcome by the boisterous finale. This is ‘cosmopolitan’ music that requires no emotional anchorage in a bucolic landscape. There are moments of reflection here, the music is often lyrical, but the overall mood is one of excitement and optimism. The Sonata ends in a blaze of ‘post-romantic’ glory. 

Eric Wetherell, in his monograph on the composer (British Music Society, 1996) explains that Arnold Cooke always ‘stressed the importance to him of sonata form’ and in a broadcast talk told ‘of his enjoyment in writing the commission from the Music Department of Cardiff University’ for a Sonata for solo Violin.  The work was first heard during the Cardiff Festival at Llandaff Cathedral on 13 March 1970. It was performed by James Barton. The Sonata itself justifies the view that Cooke was an ‘English Hindemithian’. On the other hand, Bartok, who had written a similar work in 1944 is also a clear influence. This is a stark work that is well constructed in every detail. The opening movement, which is written in sonata form is proceeded by a long, slow introduction (separate track) and is followed by vibrant but often acerbic melodic statements and development. The slow movement is structurally of interest. It is nominally written in ternary form (three-part, ABA) but the reprise of the opening section is varied considerably. The middle section is complicated, with pizzicato, tremolos and counterpoints. The movement opens with a long cantilena that is poignant and haunting. The finale is a brilliant ‘molto allegro’ that is full of life. Here the composer indulges in cross rhythms, fast repeated notes, and pizzicato chords. There is a brief respite before the movement and the work comes to a broad and convincing conclusion. Arnold Cooke’s Sonata for solo Violin is not an easy work to come to terms with. Yet, there is much musical interest here that would reward the skills of any recitalist who chooses to ‘take up’ this rigorous work.

It is redundant to make a long-winded evaluation of the practicalities of this exploration of the ‘Complete Sonatas for Violin’. The sound quality of the MPR label always impresses, and the performance is excellent. Comparisons with the Susanne Stanzeleit (violin) and Raphael Terroni (piano) version of Sonata No.2 are unnecessary. Both are enjoyable, inspiring, and hugely competent. The liner notes by Harvey Davies are essential reading. Much detail is provided about each work. A brief, but useful biographical sketch of Arnold Cooke is included. There are the usual notes about the performers. 

I know that a fourth volume of Cooke’s chamber music is planned by Mike Purton at MPR. I reiterate what I have said in my reviews of Volumes 2 and 3 of this valuable ‘cycle’. I hope there may be further CDs: there are many Arnold Cooke chamber works that demand to be recorded. 

Track Listing:

Arnold COOKE (1906-2005)

Sonata No.1 in G for violin and piano (1939)

Sonata for solo violin (1969)

Duo for violin and viola (1934-35)

Sonata No.2 in A for violin and piano (1951)

The Pleyel Ensemble, Benedict Holland (violin), Susie Mészáros (viola), Harvey Davies (piano)

rec. 14 July 2016 (Sonata No.1), 28-29 August 2017, The Carole Nash Room, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK

MPR 103

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

Arnold Cooke: Chamber Music

Arnold Cooke has failed to make a major impact on listeners for, I feel, one good reason. There is a pernicious rumour abroad that he owes his entire style to his composition teacher Paul Hindemith. It has been suggested that Cooke ‘sold out’ his Britishness to become a clone of the German master. At the time of Cooke’s emergence onto the concert platform, many listeners felt that English music ought to sound like English music – either ‘pastoral ramblings’ or post-Elgarian bombast. Yet what Cooke did was to learn from his German teacher and absorb several musical lessons from him, but then bring his English tradition to bear on the results. This is no different to many other respected composers, the Francophile Lennox Berkeley who studied with Nadia Boulanger, the Frankfurt Group including Roger Quilter and Cyril Scott. And even Vaughan Williams had lessons from Maurice Ravel. All these composers managed to learn from their teachers, but also retained that nebulous ‘English’ quality that is so hard to define but is manifestly present. Malcolm MacDonald has written that what Cooke ‘really imbibed [from Hindemith] was a broad framework of technique and a sense of direction: a view of music as a living polyphonic entity and a feeling for individual instruments that goes back to the practice of J.S. Bach.’ He was a consummate craftsman. Furthermore, Havergal Brian wrote as long ago as 1936 that Cooke ‘appears to think and breathe contrapuntally … and he has tradition in his bones: his working principles are nearer to the Elizabethans and Bach than to Wagner and Strauss.’ So, Arnold Cooke’s music is a subtle fusion of German technique with a largely English sensibility. For me, it works remarkably well.

Cooke’s catalogue lists some 45 works for chamber ensemble of one kind or another. As the liner note correctly point out, a relatively small proportion has been played by ‘modern’ performers either in the recital room or the recording studio.

The present disc is the second in the Mike Purton Recordings series of chamber music CDs dedicated to Arnold Cooke. Earlier this year, MusicWeb International carried Jonathan Woolf’s excellent review of ‘The Complete Violin Sonatas’ issued on MPRS 103. This disc also included the Duo for violin and viola. The Sonata No.2 had been previously released on the British Music Society’s own label, BMS432CD and subsequently released on NAXOS 8.571362. This disc also included the Cello Sonata No.2 (1979-80) and the pre-war Viola Sonata (1936-37). 

The present CD, played by the Pleyel Ensemble, includes three world premiere recordings: The Piano Trio written during the Second World War between 1941-44, the Piano Quartet dating from 1948/9 and the late Piano Quinter composed in 1969.

I am beholden to the liner notes for assisting me to review these three pieces none of which I have heard previously.

The earliest work on this remarkable CD is the Piano Trio. The first two movements are serious in tone whilst the finale is marginally less troubled. The opening ‘poco lento - allegro’ is dominated by contrapuntal textures that builds pressure up towards an ‘uneasy’ conclusion. This is exciting music, if at times troubled and nervous. It is reasonably well-known that Cooke worked on the second movement of his Trio in ‘quiet moments[!]’ whilst at sea with the Royal Navy. He was the liaison officer aboard the Dutch tug D.S Thames based at Tilbury. His boat was tasked with towing part of the Mulberry Harbours across the English Channel during the Normandy Landings. It is amazing that Cooke found the inner peace to compose this magical score in these circumstances.  The finale is played at a frenetic speed, with an almost toccata-like drive. It is only slightly-less disturbed in mood. Listeners who hold to the ‘Hindemith Delusion’ will find little in this work to justify their claims. If anything, Brahms is the exemplar here.

The Piano Trio was first performed as part of a BBC broadcast on 11 August 1947. Cooke’s Cello Sonata and movements from his Suite for piano were also heard during this recital.

The Piano Quartet (1948-9) is surprisingly conservative for its date. The temper of this large-scale work is fundamentally Brahmsian, especially the first and third movements. The liner notes explain the ambiguous tonality of the work: it is never clear whether it is in a major or minor key. Much of the opening ‘allegro ma non troppo’ is concertante music. In other words, it is a wee bit like a piano concerto with the three string players acting as the orchestra and the piano as soloist!  The ‘scherzo’ is almost ‘light music’ in sound. Nothing too serious here, but contrapuntally exciting, often having a ‘swing’ and with some enjoyable harmonic twists and turns. Cooke’s English lyricism is obvious in the gorgeous ‘Lento’ movement. This is heartfelt music of the highest order. Largely polyphonic in its working out, the four players have equal billing. It is hard to imagine that this deeply autumnal music, harking back to the nineteenth century was composed in the same year that Olivier Messiaen’s great Turangalîla-Symphonie was premiered. But that’s musical history and aesthetics for you!  The finale is a neo-classical rondo that fairly bounces along, compete with quixotic episodes and a fugato conclusion. The echo of Franz Schubert can be heard in these pages.

The work was commissioned by composer and academic Patrick Hadley. It was premiered on a BBC broadcast on 11 August 1949. during a BBC Broadcast from St John’s College, Cambridge during that year’s Summer Festival of Music and Drama.

Due to lack of historical and analytical information about Arnold Cooke it is difficult for the listener to pin down stylistic changes, if any, in the chronology of his oeuvre. The same applies to the general paucity of recordings currently available. I feel that there is comparatively little ‘development’ in style between earliest and latest works on this CD despite being separated in time by quarter of a century. Certainly, Cooke has gone nowhere near avant-garde techniques developed by many composers in this period.

One important influence on Arnold Cooke was his ‘business’ connection and personal friendship with the Welsh composer, Alun Hoddinott. This was particularly important in several works commissioned by Hoddinott for the Cardiff Festival of Twentieth Century Music, which included the Sonata No.1 for organ and the Sonata for solo violin. Independently of the Festival, Hoddinott commissioned the present Piano Quintet for the Cardiff University Music Department. It was premiered there on 13 October 1970.

Harvey Davies notes the ongoing influence of Paul Hindemith, but also Dimitri Shostakovich. Perhaps it is not surprising that Alun Hoddinott is also a source of musical style. This is probably at a constructive level of composition. Both men were ‘magpies’ who made use of ‘powerful influences’ around them. In Hoddinott’s case it is Bartok, the Polish School (Henryk Górecki, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki et al) and native Celtic music.  An important shared compositional practice was their idiomatic use of ‘tone rows’ coupled with definite centres of tonality. Neither were bound by a strict application of the serial technique. Both included passages of great lyrical beauty in their music.

The Piano Quintet (1969) balances considerable energy and vibrant motion. Listeners will notice that Cooke’s musical language is a little more ‘austere’ than in the earlier chamber works on this CD.  It is music that is immediately approachable but does benefit from repeated hearings. (I listened twice within a day or so). The slow movement which is placed after the ‘scherzo’ is the emotional heart of the work. The finale is a subtle balance of seriousness and ‘frivolity’ which I guess is a characteristic of the entire Piano Quintet.

The playing on this disc by the Pleyel Ensemble is excellent. The performances are vibrant and full of life. They are ideal advocates for Cooke’s music. The recording quality is excellent.

The liner notes are outstanding. They give a lengthy introduction to Arnold Cooke’s life and achievement as well as detailed programme note for all three works. They are written by the Pleyel Ensemble’s pianist Harvey Davies. Davies is currently studying Cooke’s music for his Ph.D. thesis. Hopefully, this will be published in book form as soon as possible. At present there is no major study of the composer, with the honourable exception of Eric Wetherell’s booklet-length study issued in 1996 and published by the British Music Society. The CD insert includes brief notes on the performers, their photos and a list of subscribers who made this CD a reality. I appreciated the haunting booklet cover, eloquently reflecting pre-war skies over Berlin, complete with the Brandenburg Gate and a civilian Zeppelin.   

I hope that this is genuinely part of a long-running series of CDs planned by Mike Purton. So far, he has ‘laid down’ seven chamber works on CD. There is only about another 38 to go! Based on the performance of these three world premiere recordings, the ongoing project promises to be both exciting and revelatory.

Track Listing:

Arnold COOKE (1906-2005)

Piano Trio in C (1941-44) [24:46]

Piano Quartet (1948-49) [28:50]

Piano Quintet (1969) [25:23]

Sarah Ewins (violin), Heather Bills (cello), Harvey Davies (piano), Susie Mészáros (viola) (quartet and quintet); Benedict Holland (violin) (quintet)

Rec. The Carole Nash Recital Room, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, 30 August 2017 (Trio), 3-5 April 2018 (quartet and quintet)

Mike Purton Recording MPR 105 [79:06]

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

Arnold Cooke: Sonata No.1 for organ (1971)

I was listening to Daniel Cook’s splendid 2010 recital from St Bees Priory, Cumbria (PRIORY PRCD 1052) the other day. Amongst the rarely heard pieces by Sir John Stainer, Arthur Milner and David Halls, I discovered Arnold Cooke’s Sonata No.1 for organ.  To my knowledge, this is the only recording of Cooke’s Sonata on disc. It is played on the Father Henry Willis organ originally installed in 1899, but subsequently restored and remodelled by Harrison and Harrison. 

In the liner notes Daniel Cook explains that this Sonata is now largely forgotten. Cook insists that the work is ‘compelling for its elegant structures and sparse textures.’ The notes point out that the first movement is in sonata form, having two contrasting themes: one based on long pedal notes with the second theme made up of ‘broken fourths and arpeggio figures.’ The andante is lyrical and restrained in its exposition but never becomes a ‘pastoral.’ The ‘middle’ section of the slow movement presents a short ‘scherzetto’ section which is quite magical. The finale appears to have two subjects which sit well together. The first is a typical ‘toccata-like’ semiquaver figuration, whilst the second theme seems more restrained, perhaps harking back to the mood of the ‘andante.’ The music eventually builds to a short, but considerable climax, that concludes with several loud chords.

Arnold Cooke’s Sonata No, 1 for organ was composed in 1971: it was commissioned by the Music Department of University College, Cardiff, with funds provided by the Welsh Arts Council. The premiere was given at the Cardiff Festival in 1973 by Richard Elfyn Jones.  The Sonata was duly published in 1973 by Hinrichsen Edition Ltd, Edition Peters 7182.

There have been precious few reviews of this work. The American Record Guide, January 2012, (reviewing PRCD 1052) has pointed out that the Sonata ‘is transparently an imitation of Hindemith, whom he studied with in Berlin.’

I have often argued that there is more to Arnold Cooke’s music than a simple debt to Paul Hindemith, his composition teacher. I have noted a touch of Bartok, an undeniable English lyricism and even some nods to Walton and Vaughan Williams. On other hand, Malcolm MacDonald sums up Arnold Cooke’s obligation to Hindemith writing that what he ‘really imbibed was a broad framework of technique and a sense of direction: a view of music as a living polyphonic entity and a feeling for individual instruments that goes back to the practice of J.S Bach.’  This is a perfect description of the Sonata No, 1 for organ.

Arnold Cooke: Concerto in D for String Orchestra (1948)

Arnold Cooke’s Concerto in D for String Orchestra was commissioned by the South American division of the BBC and was played on that radio service in 1948. The first concert performance was at Malvern some three years later. The programme notes suggest that it has little in common with contemporary essays – for example John Ireland’s Concertino Pastorale and Michael Tippett’s Double Concerto. There is certainly little here that suggests the English landscape or the musings of rustics on a summer’s day. However, this misses the point. Malcolm MacDonald suggests Bartok and Stravinsky as possible models, and I can see his point. Yet, I was forcibly reminded of Lennox Berkeley. But maybe we can both agree on the writer’s allusion to RVW’s Concerto Accademico?  

The title of ‘concerto’ is a little misleading. It is not a solo concerto and neither is it really a ‘concerto grosso’. The solo instruments emerge “briefly for textural and colouristic effect.”  The opening movement is full of energy and movement. The second, an ‘Andante sostenuto’ is the heart of the work. This is described as an elegy and is worthy of the title: deep music that tugs at the heart strings. Yet it is never sentimental. How this treasure can have lain hidden all these years is a mystery to me. This, to my ear is one of the great utterances of English music.  The last movement once again reminds me of Sir Lennox. It is a cheerful counterbalance to the profound thoughts of the ‘Andante.’ Here, if anywhere, with the ‘jig’ and the ‘pastoral lyricism’ we feel that perhaps Cooke approaches an ‘Englishness’ that is somewhat removed from Paul Hindemith.

Arnold Cooke’s Concerto in D for String Orchestra can be heard on Lyrita SRCD 203. 

With thanks to MusicWeb International where these notes first appeared.

Arnold Cooke (1906-2005) Symphony No.1 (1947)

I am convinced that one of the major problems in approaching Arnold Cooke’s music is the presumption that it owes virtually everything to Paul Hindemith. At least this seems to be the prevailing view amongst the few music critics that I have read. Most listeners will acknowledge Hindemith as a well-known composer and teacher, yet I guess he is not universally popular beyond Germany. There is a thinking abroad that somehow Cooke sold-out on his Britishness to become a kind of Germanic clone. On the other hand, there is an expectation that an English composer should write music in a recognisably nationalistic style: perhaps making use of folk tunes or nodding to the vocal lines of Tallis or the romanticism of Elgar. Yet, this assumption would destroy the reputation of a number of fine British composers. Think of Lennox Berkeley and his French connection, or Vaughan Williams’s valuable lessons with Maurice Ravel. And what about the Frankfurt Group including Balfour Gardiner and Cyril Scott? All these composers have absorbed teaching from French or German composers, yet have retained to a greater or lesser degree a sense of Englishness. So it is with Cooke.

Arnold Cooke was one of only two English pupils of Paul Hindemith: the other was Walter Leigh. It is fair to say that he learnt much from his teacher. Malcolm MacDonald sums this up in the programme notes to the Lyrita CD of this work. He writes that what Cooke ‘really imbibed was a broad framework of technique and a sense of direction: a view of music as a living polyphonic entity and a feeling for individual instruments that goes back to the practice of J.S. Bach.’ As Havergal Brian wrote in 1936, Cooke ‘appears to think and breathe contrapuntally … and he has tradition in his bones: his working principles are nearer to the Elizabethans and Bach than to Wagner and Strauss.’ And note here Brian's reference to the Elizabethans.

This is not the place to write even a short biography or musical study of Arnold Cooke. There is plenty of information available on MusicWeb and a fine booklet written by Eric Wetherell and published by the BMS that may still be found in second hand bookshops.

The first Symphony was composed in 1947, when Cooke was 41 years old. The general opinion of the critics seems to be that this work represents the first major statement of Cooke’s fully developed style – a style that was to change comparatively little over the next half century.

There are a number of possible models for this work including Hindemith’s Symphony in E dating from 1940. The British exemplars of that time would have been Walton’s B minor and Vaughan Williams’ 4th and 5th. It is fair to say that Cooke neither parodies nor cribs from any of these works. What he has written is original and quite personal.

There are four movements with the first being the longest. Interestingly, the classical model is altered, with the scherzo coming second. The general mood of the Symphony  as a strong and robust work is immediately apparent in the opening movement. This is in a reasonably traditional sonata form. Yet the tempo does not slow up for the second subject. There is some fine brass writing, particularly for the French horns. A good balance is maintained between what may be deemed ‘aggressive’ and ‘lyrical’ music.

The second movement is not really a proper Scherzo. The classicist would tell us that the ‘trio’ is missing. The impression is of activity: the momentum never seems to stop. It is not quicksilver - more of a whirlwind. There is a swing and a swagger to this movement that continues unabated to the very last bar.

The heart of this work is the elegiac slow movement. This is deeply considered music, timeless and beholden to no man. Here we find music that may nod, according to MacDonald, towards Bach or perhaps even the Elizabethan viol school. However, all this ‘source criticism’ is small beer compared to the overarching power of this expansive and frankly sad music.

Fortunately, the tension is diminished during the finale. This is an exuberant excursion into the world of festivals and fanfares. Lots of different themes and figures and episodes are tossed around before the work concludes with a fine coda.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published 7 May 2007. 

Arnold Cooke’s Symphony No.1 has been recorded in LYRITA SRCD.203

Arnold Cooke: Symphonies No.4 & No.5 on Lyrita

It is easy to condemn Arnold Cooke for his ‘Germanic’ debt to Paul Hindemith and the resulting ‘Cheltenham’ symphonic style. In fact, this glib assessment has probably done much to minimize Cooke’s impact on British music. Malcolm MacDonald sums up Cooke’s debt to Hindemith in the programme note to Lyrita SRCD 203. MacDonald writes that what he “really imbibed [from Hindemith] was a broad framework of technique and a sense of direction: a view of music as a living polyphonic entity and a feeling for individual instruments that goes back to the practice of J.S Bach.” 

Arnold Cooke was born in Gomersal in the West Riding of Yorkshire on 4 November 1906. He gained his B.Mus. from Cambridge in 1929. After this, he departed to Berlin where he was a student of Paul Hindemith at the Hochschule für Musik for four years.  On returning to England in 1932 he held a number of appointments including director of Cambridge Festival Theatre, and a Professorship of Composition at the Manchester College of Music (now the Royal Northern College of Music). During the Second World War he served in the Royal Navy. After demob, Cooke was professor of harmony, counterpoint and composition at Trinity College of Music, London. He remained in this post until his retirement in 1978.

Cooke eschewed various modernist techniques such as serialism, and was never attracted to the avant garde. He wrote that his music is ‘mainly based on traditional procedures and principles…I do not have any particular theories of composition, just a natural inclination for it.’ His music is eclectic, approachable and firmly rooted in traditional tonality spiced with dissonance and a modicum of ‘Bartokian ruggedness.’ Although there is little in the way of British nationalism in his style, there is a certain ‘English lyricism’ that adds warmth to his music.

He has composed a wide range of music including an opera, Mary Barton, a ballet, Jabez and the Devil, six symphonies, a number of concertos, choral works, songs, and chamber music. Arnold Cooke died on 13 August 2005 at his home in Five Oak Green in Kent: he lived to the grand old age of 98 years.

Brian Wilson in his review of this CD on MusicWeb International points out to the listener that they may not ‘fear that [Cooke’s] symphonies composed in the 1970s will be filled with all sorts of avant-garde features then in vogue…’ In fact, criticism is liable to come from the other direction that Cooke was outdated, unchallenging and a martyr to Elisabeth Lutyens swinging criticism of the ‘Wenceslas Generation’, who followed in their masters’ footsteps. In fact I am not sure that any symphony by Cooke was premiered at Cheltenham. The violin and the clarinet concertos along with the Piano Sonata No.2 were first heard here.

As an aside, Lutyens also called RVW’s followers ‘corn merchants’ not to be confused with Walton’s dubbing of Humphrey Searle and Lutyens herself as the ‘twelve tone Reds’.

Cooke’s Symphony No.4 was a Philharmonic Society Commission completed in 1974. The first performance was at the Royal Festival Hall on 15 January 1975. John Pritchard conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Meirion Bowen, reviewing the Symphony in The Guardian (16 January 1975) suggested that if a future edition of Radio 3’s once popular programme The Innocent Ear were to play this work, listeners would be baffled. Was it a forgotten essay by Paul Hindemith or a discovery from the pen of Anton Bruckner? 

Four years later, Arnold Cooke finished his Symphony No.5 in G major. It was first heard on a BBC broadcast on 17 July 1981 as part of the Midday Concert.  The Symphony had been recorded on 28 January by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and was conducted by Bernard Keefe at the New Broadcasting House in Manchester. I was particularly impressed by the woodwind writing in the slow movement featuring oboe and clarinet. It is a lovely moment that the listener wants to last for ever. I enjoyed some of the urbane and thoughtful writing in the trio section of the scherzo. 

Two things struck me about these symphonies. Firstly, they are both written in traditional four-movement form with the slow movement in second position. Bowen noted that Symphony No.4 was ‘crystal clear to follow, perfectly proportioned in the best academic traditions.’ I do hope that he is not using the word ‘academic’ here pejoratively. The same comment could apply to Symphony No.5.  Undoubtedly, at this time in musical history any symphony written in this style would have stood out from the crowd – it was an era or experimentation, breakdown of tradition and musical offence, often for the sake of causing offence. This is not the whole story, as a glance at Eric Gilder’s listings for the latter half of the 1970s will show: there was still much ‘tonal’ music on the horizon.   However, ‘progressive’ music was usually seen as the future, whether listeners appreciated/enjoyed it or not. Arnold Cooke’s Symphonies must have appeared reactionary or naive to the avant-garde’.

Secondly, I would suggest that whoever Cooke’s models were (and this may include Havergal Brian) he has synthesised them into his own voice.  Whatever the continental influences, Cooke is a British composer and this is evident in the mood and style of many passages, especially in the slow movements.  This applies to much of his other music as well.

I enjoyed both these symphonies. It is a great luxury that listeners in 2016 can look back 40 years and be untroubled by ‘isms’. We do not worry about what our musical ‘superiors’ tell us is important and vital and to what we ‘ought’ to listen.  There is much of interest in these two works: I was impressed and often moved by what I heard here.

The production of this CD is outstanding: after more than 45 years of listening to their records, I expect no less from Lyrita. The re-mastering of these two radio broadcasts seem to me to be near-perfect. Paul Conway gives a detailed analysis of both symphonies which deserve study before listening.

Eric Wetherell, in his short monograph on the composer (BMS No.3, 1996) suggested that ‘chief amongst Cooke’s orchestral works are his six symphonies.’ He adds that they are rarely heard. I have done a few searches on the ‘net and find little evidence of any further performances of these two distinguished pieces in the concert hall. I understand that the Symphony No.6, which was completed in 1986 has yet to be performed. (I look forward to being contradicted on both these points!) 

We are lucky in having four of Cooke’s six symphonies (Nos.1, 3, 4 & 5). One can only hope that one day [soon] the entire cycle will be complete.  Based on what I have heard, Cooke is an important ‘symphonist’ that deserves his place in the symphonic repertoire. 

Track Listings:-

Arnold COOKE (1906-2005)

Symphony No.4 in E flat (1974)

Symphony No.5 in G (1979)

BBC Symphony Orchestra/John Pritchard (Symphony No.4), BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra/Bernard Keeffe (Symphony No.5)

LYRITA REAM 1123 MONO 

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