The Peter Jacobs Anthology Volume 3

Peter Jacobs writes that the genesis of this disc is in a recital that he gave to the Havergal Brian Society in 1979. It was recorded at the time, but the tapes only resurfaced earlier this year. Sadly, the Brian pieces that he performed were missing. He explains that HB was “the presiding spirit over almost all the music he played that afternoon.”

I am not sure where the sheet music for the Prelude and March from Granville Bantock’s major choral work Omar Khayyám originated. The record company assured me that these transcriptions were made by Bantock, however, I cannot find any reference to them in the catalogues and guides to research. Whatever their provenance, they evoke a pseudo-orientalism, which, while a touch 'East of Dagenham' exotic, is vividly characterised.

The two Preludes and Fugues for piano by composer, scholar, teacher, and author Harold Truscott are splendid mid-20th-century essays in counterpoint, balancing tradition with a distinctly English voice. The E‑flat minor pair, around seven minutes, unfolds in a sombre prelude and a weighty Molto andante fugue, echoing late‑Romantic idioms. The C major pair, just over two minutes, contrasts with brisk energy and playful charm. They explore Truscott’s seriousness and wit, his admiration for Bach, and his belief in the fugue’s contemporary vitality. They are not part of a complete cycle.

William Allum was an English draftsman, poet, and composer, strongly associated with Havergal Brian. Born in Wheatley, Oxfordshire, he lived with Brian in 1918, and it was Brian who encouraged him to send his compositions to Granville Bantock. Allum’s output includes piano, organ, and vocal music such as Aspatia’s Song, Preludes on original vespers, and Sweet Was the Song.

The liner notes explain that Allum had a great love of Chopin, a devotion that is reflected in the two pieces heard here. The Prelude No.24 in D minor was written in honour of his idol, while the Nocturne in C sharp minor is a dreamy exploration of “unexpected melodic turns and languid harmonies.” Hopefully, Jacobs will explore more of William Allum’s music.

William J. Fenney was a Birmingham-born composer. Initially self-taught, he later studied composition under Granville Bantock at the Midland Institute School of Music. Deeply influenced by his admiration for Elgar, Fenney produced orchestral and chamber music, alongside songs and piano tunes. In later years, he ceased composing, feeling unable to adapt to contemporary idioms. Josef Holbrooke in his eccentric Contemporary British Composers (London, Cecil Palmer, 1925) believed that Fenney had an “introspective gift” and asserted that his Trio, op.20 “alone will place him in high estimation among musicians” concluding that Fenney’s music is “intrepid, malleable and interwoven in a charming way.”

Fenney's Au Printemps ('In Early Spring') is a remarkable bit of pastoral quaintness. The core sentiment underpinning the composition is that "even on the brightest day our scenery has at least a hint of melancholy." Unfortunately, few details about this 1915 suite (published by J&W Chester) are provided in the liner notes. The three movements are collectively dedicated to a Mrs Albert Halstead.

The opening movement, Romance, establishes a demanding pianistic style, using considerable octaves in the right hand and tenths in the left. It leaves the listener questioning its narrative - is it an unexplained tale of chivalry or adventure, or, much more likely, a movement nodding towards an emotional attachment between two people? The subsequent piece, In the Woods, is played with notable innocence and restraint. The collection concludes with On a Hillside, which is performed vivace e marcato. This final movement stands out as a technically challenging study of broken chords, which at times explodes into Lisztian passion. An interesting historical reference found in the Musical Times (March 1918) confirms the existence of an orchestral version of Au Printemps.

I was surprised to learn that the highly respected author and editor Malcolm Macdonald was also a composer. His books on Havergal Brian and John Foulds have long been in my library; he also served as editor of Tempo magazine and was a regular broadcaster.

The liner notes explain that Waste of Seas (1976) was inspired by a Hebridean seascape: it is bleak, lonely and adamant.

Robert Simpson’s “uncompromising” Variations and Finale on a theme of Haydn which was written in 1948 making it one of his few piano works. The theme was taken from the second movement, Menuetto al Rovescio, of Haydn’s Piano Sonata in A major, Hob. XVI:26 (1773) - a palindromic theme - also used in Haydn’s Symphony No.47 in G. All twelve of Simpson’s variations are also palindromic, except for the Finale. The variations are divided into three groups of four, the first being fast, the second akin to a “slow movement” and the third could be a scherzo. The Finale is a not too strict double fugue with accretions. It is the most technically challenging work on this disc, and one I confess I find difficult to fully warm to, yet it undeniably displays Robert Simpson’s ‘modern’ language while showing considerable respect for classical sensibilities.

The final track presents The Queen's Dolour - A Farewell by the honorary Scottish composer, the Lancashire-born Ronald Stevenson. This gorgeous piece is a transcription from Herny Purcell’s opera, Dido and Aeneas. Everyone knows the story: Dido’s farewell to Aeneas is one of the most tragic moments in Virgil’s Aeneid - she confronts him in fury and grief when he prepares to leave Carthage, accusing him of betrayal, and resolves to end her life. Yet Aeneas has been told by Jupiter that his mission lies in Rome, and not in Dido’s arms. Stevenson transforms Purcell’s original with spread chords, inner voices, and Romantic embellishments, agelessly complementing its unforgettable melody.

Bearing in mind that this was a “live” recording made 46 years ago; the sound holds up remarkably well. The liner notes give a good introduction to this recital, though I would have appreciated a little more historical information and analysis, particularly the dates of the works. There is a brief resume of Peter Jacobs.

This anthology presents a skilful and engaged performance of some fascinating British piano music, successfully capturing an important 1979 recital. Despite a few missing historical details, the disc commendably explores “forgotten” composers like Truscott, Allum, Fenney, and Macdonald, making it a valuable, well-preserved snapshot of neglected repertoire.

Track Listing:
Granville Bantock (1868-1946)
Omar Khayyam: Prelude & March (1906-09)
Harold Truscott (1914-92)
Prelude and Fugue in E flat minor (1957)
Prelude and Fugue in C major (1957)
Walter Allum (1895-1986)
Nocturne in C sharp minor (?)
Prelude No.24 in D minor (?)
William John Fenney (1891-1957)
Au Printemps 'In Early Spring' op.13 (1915)
Malcolm MacDonald (1948-2014)
Waste of Seas (1976)
Robert Simpson (1921-97)
Variations and Finale on a theme of Haydn (1948)
Henry Purcell (1659-95)/Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015)
The Queen's Dolour - A Farewell (Purcell) (1959)
Peter Jacobs (piano)
rec. 1979
Heritage HTGCD127

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

The Silent Pool: British Piano Music by Women Composers

Do not listen to this disc at a single sitting. I suggest exploring a few tracks at a time. Maybe even approaching the repertoire chronologically. Most works will be unknown to listeners and deserve our attention.

The recital opens with a sonata by the redoubtable Ethel Smyth. Written in 1877, when she was only 19 years of age, the Sonata No.3 does nod towards Brahms and Beethoven and is none the worse for that. Jacobs’s description of this work is apposite: “It has great energy and propulsion, allied to an English no-nonsense, dog walking sense of purpose.” There are two movements, an Allegro followed by an Allegro vivace.

Peter Jacobs has recorded the slow movement of the Sonata No.2 (1877) which he has subtitled “Song Without Words.” It is hardly surprising that this charming number has echoes of Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. Both are worthy of any pianist’s repertoire.

Only five samples from Elizabeth Maconchy’s suite, A Country Town are played here. Dating from 1945, these miniatures include a lugubrious The Fair, and a slightly jazzy Quarrel between who knows who. The Lament is particularly reflective. There is a folksy “buzz” in her exposition of The Knife Grinder and a beautiful simulation of sound in Bells.

Grace Williams’s The Silent Pool (1932), is a desolate little tone poem that gives a subtle description of what may be a bleak Welsh topographical feature.

Equally morose is Helen Grime’s The Silver Moon (2015). The title is derived from a poem by D.H. Lawrence called Weeknight Service. I understand the poem was either a well-wrought nocturne, or more complexly, a critique of capitalism and excessive industrialisation of the countryside.

The liner notes explain that Madeleine Dring was an admirer of both Francis Poulenc and Cole Porter. Her Colour Suite is full good things. Each movement of this jazzy suite has a ‘colourful’ title such as Pink Minor, Red Glory, and Brown Study. The most thoughtful movement is the Billy Mayerl-esque Blue Air.

I do not ‘get’ Judith Bingham’s The Moon Over Westminster Cathedral (2003). Peter Jacobs describes this four-minute piece as being a “slow burn:” I find it long winded. That said, there are some interesting sonorities here.

The best-known movement from Amy Woodforde-Finden’s Indian Love Lyrics (1903/13) is the Kashmiri Love Song. This was included on Jacobs’s Anthology: Twentieth Century British Piano (Heritage HTGCD 159). Two of the other movements are heard on this disc, Less than the Dust and The Temple Bells. Despite Jacobs’s protestations that these two numbers are “a little faded” there is much charm and delight in these pages.

Cecilia McDowall’s Vespers in Venice (2002) offers a diverse portrait of "La Serenissima.”  All the noises of a city are evoked: water, shouting, bells, ball games...as well as music. Renowned for Vivaldi and Monteverdi, this place has always held a special affection for musicians. Do not expect a conventional Barcarolle, however. Only criticism is that it is all too short.

Christmas Past, Christmas Present (1991) by Judith Bingham is supposed to present “the deep feelings and symbols of childhood Christmases.” Despite some imaginative pianism, I feel that there is little impression of the Season here. On the other hand, they would make a remarkable set of Preludes.

The present pianist commissioned Betty Roe’s A Mystery of Cats back in 1994. Both musicians are fond of their tabbies. Three movements out of five offer impressions of skittishness, mystery, and playfulness of three feline creatures, named Reg, Rosie, and Tom, respectively. They are delightful character sketches. Hopefully, Jacobs will record the complete set soon.

The short Lullaby for Owain (2016) by Sally Beamish is billed as being a miniature set of variations: I did not find it particularly inspiring or soporific.

My “big discovery” on this new disc is Raie Da Costa (1905-34). She was a South African-born pianist celebrated for her blend of classical and jazz styles. After moving to London in 1924, she recorded for Parlophone and HMV. The two pieces heard here are taken from her collection Modernistic Pieces. The first, a Gigue, gently bounces along with “an infectious momentum” whilst Moods is a fusion of a waltz, foxtrot, and the blues, providing the listener with the 1920s “full flapper mode” experience – “hectic and carefree.”

Liza Lehmann’s six movement Cobweb Castle conjures wintry nostalgia and fairy-tale whimsy. The two movements given here highlight her atmospheric touch. Fly Away, Ladybird has a playful charm, echoing the nursery rhyme’s urgency whilst Evensong offers gentle melancholy and lyrical warmth, with hints of Elgar’s spirit throughout.

For details of Peter Jacobs please see my earlier view of his British Piano Collection No.1, on these pages, here.

The liner notes by the pianist provide a clear introduction to this music, nonetheless the dates of the composers should have been included in the track listing or the text.

This disc offers an excellent selection of British piano works by women. The playing displays understanding, lyrical charm and rhythmic verve. Not all these works resonate: some are underwhelming, but overall, the collection demands exploration of this rarely heard repertoire reflecting character, wit, and emotional depth.

Track Listing:
Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)
Piano Sonata No. 3 (1877)
Piano Sonata No. 2 (1877)
Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-94)
A Country Town (excerpts) (1945)
Grace Williams (1906-77)
The Silent Pool (1932)
Helen Grime (b.1981)
The Silver Moon (2015)
Madeleine Dring (1923-77)
Colour Suite (1963)
Judith Bingham (b.1952)
The Moon Over Westminster Cathedral (2003)
Amy Woodforde-Finden (1860-1919)
Indian Love Lyrics (excerpts) (1903)
Cecilia McDowall (b.1951)
Vespers in Venice (2002)
Judith Bingham
Christmas Past, Christmas Present (1991)
Betty Roe (b.1930)
A Mystery of Cats (excerpts) (1994)
Sally Beamish (b.1956)
Lullaby for Owain (2016)
Raie Da Costa (1905-34)
Gigue (1930)
Moods (1930)
Liza Lehmann (1862-1918)
Cobweb Castle (excerpts) (1908)
Peter Jacobs (piano)
rec. 16 September 2024; 26 January 2025, Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth
Heritage HTGCD 126

The Peter Jacobs Anthology: Twentieth Century British Piano

The background to this CD is straightforward. The booklet explains that Heritage records asked Peter Jacobs to “compile a sequence of British piano music hitherto unrecorded.” From a vast personal repertoire, he has selected nineteen works (some with several movements) by a good cross section of composers. The keen reader will note that some of this recital has been recorded before – sometimes more than once. But the uniqueness of this album is having these typically interesting pieces performed together. 

The proceedings opens with Martin Shaw’s romp, Roundabouts. I will take it as read that all key centres are touched on in its two-minute duration. Shaw is best recalled as a composer of songs, of which there are dozens. This little number is a rare treat. Arthur Bliss’s Polonaise from his Suite for piano (1925, not 1926, I think) is acerbic. The entire work is really a sonata in disguise. In this extract there are traces of Prokofiev and Stravinsky from Bliss’s “bad boy” days. Students of Virgil will recall that an “Eclogue” is a short pastoral poem, sometimes in the form of a dialogue between two people, often shepherds. Walter Leigh’s piece, written in 1940, is a gentle conversation between himself and his teacher Paul Hindemith. It has some beautiful counterpoint and spine-tingling melodic phrases. Calcutta-born John Mayer’s tribute to his birthplace is over in a flash. The first of the Three Pieces from Calcutta-Nagar (1993), In Chandni Chauk Street, is a fleeting portrait of a large street market, Kali Temple evokes a numinous atmosphere with a definite sense of prayer and incense. The final number is a rumbustious image of The River Hooghley, the holy river in Kolkata. Lots of movement here, whether of water or people. The full set are perfect miniatures.

I love Roger Quilter’s evocative Summer Evening (1916). Like John Ireland’s eponymous piece, it does exactly what it says on the tin. It creates an atmosphere of a secret location, (perhaps) in the South Downs, near to the composer’s birthplace. Peter Jacobs is correct in highlighting the disparity between Quilter’s introspective musings and Mátyás Seiber’s Scherzando Capriccioso (1953 or was it 1944?). Does this skittish piece suggest jazz, or is it serialism, or atonality? Who cares? It is a little gem that is a child of its time. Born in Hungary, émigré composer Seiber deserves more attention from performers and concert promoters. In complete contrast, Amy Woodforde-Finden’s Kashmiri Song, extracted from her Four Indian Love Lyrics (1903) is chock full of sentimentality with a delicious melody. It is none the worse for tugging at the heart strings. This is an ideal example of Edwardian salon music.

The booklet should have stated that Herbert Howells’s Procession is the finale of his Three Pieces, op.14 written between 1918-20. It is his longest composition for piano. The other two movements were Rhapsody and Jackanapes. The Procession was the result of a nightmare: Howells was approached by a large crowd, and midst the sound of pealing bells: he was overwhelmed. It is a “million miles away from any pastoral imaginings that the listener may have constructed around the composer’s reputation.” The work reflects his interest at that time in Diaghilev and the Russian and French composers of the period. Stravinsky is evident in this, often-bleak music. The Procession was orchestrated in 1922. More fun is Arthur Benjamin’s Scherzino (1936). Not as popular in effect as the ubiquitous Jamaican Rumba, it is a remarkable exploration of will o’ the wisp rhythms and sassy harmonies. The overall effect reminds the listener of Mendelssohn rather than Modernism. My big discovery on this CD is Humphrey Searle’s powerful Vigil (France 1940-1944). This was completed (presumably) after D-Day. It was written for an album in honour of the French Resistance Forces. I am not sure if the complete album was published, however Searle’s contribution was issued by Lengnick in 1949. The music is serious, sometimes bitter, often despairing, but with just the occasional flash of light and hope. The composer’s deep interest in Liszt is clear in the pianism.

The mood lightens with Hubert Parry’s whimsical Scherzo in F. The structure includes a Schumannesque “trio” bookended by a whimsical “minuet” section. It was composed in the 1870s and was published posthumously.

Cyril Scott’s melancholy Egyptian Boat Song was part of his five movement Egypt Suite, (1913). Despite the esoteric ascription of this piece “To my friend, Mrs. Marie Russak, that enlightened Seer, who brought back for me the memory of my past Egyptian lives, these impressions are affectionately dedicated,” this is haunting music that lives up to its image.

Peter Jacobs notes that William Sterndale Bennett was not a twentieth century composer, but he has included a short work to demonstrate where the ‘land without music’s’ sympathies lay, and how the achievements of Parry, Stanford and others began to give Britain its own identity.” The Presto agitato is the fifth movement of Sterndale Bennett’s Suite de Pieces op.24 (c.1842). Mendelssohn is the exemplar here.

The magical Monody (1977) by Raymond Warren is taken from his Second Piano Sonata (with the composer’s sanction). It is simply a single line of melody with decoration. It is a long movement, which I imagine has difficulties for the performer in maintaining the listener’s interest. Jacob succeeds in this.

William Baines’s Seven Preludes offers an overview of his musical achievement. Written in 1919, they explore a wide range of moods and technical requirements. Despite this diversity, there is a keen sense of unity and purpose about these Preludes, when we consider their contrast. Jacob as chosen to play Nos. 1, 3 and 6.  It is Scriabin who is the most obvious influence in these pieces.

I found the Moderato from Benjamin Britten’s Sonatina Romantica (1940) the least interesting (boring?) work on this CD. I do feel that it could have been omitted to present the full set of Baines’s Preludes.

We are on more significant ground with honorary Scotsman Ronald Stevenson’s A Wheen Tunes for Bairns tae Spiel, written in 1964 (not 1967 when they were published). For those readers who do not speak fluent Scots, this means a Set of Tunes for Children to Play! There are not actually many, only four. These were written for the composer’s youngest daughter. The influence of Percy Grainger has been observed here, as well as Bartok. The four pieces are a Croon, Drone, Reel and Spiel. They reflect Stevenson’s ability to write (relatively) easy piano music for a wide range of ability, without ever being patronising.

The final two compositions could not be different from each other. The clue to Bax’s Winter Waters (1915) is the subtitle A Tragic Landscape. It is sea music, rather than a musical depiction of a loch or a river. For me, it is a companion to the orchestral Tintagel: the waves pound against the base of the Cornish cliffs on a cold and stormy winter’s day. This dark and menacing music offers no intimation of personal companionship, apparent in the latter piece. Compare this with Trevor Hold’s “charming” and “gentle” Tango written 60 years after the Bax. It is a lovely way to close this imaginative and absorbing exploration of British piano music. I understand that Peter Jacob issued a double CD on the Heritage Label of Trevor Hold’s Piano Music (HTGCD 294/5). I have not heard this CD, but it has been reviewed here.

Each work is played with skill, diligence, lack of condescension and reveals the underlying talent of these composers.

The recording, which was made earlier this year, is clear and vibrant. The liner notes by the pianist are excellent, and include a short “CV.” That said, I would have welcomed composer and work dates in the track listings: they are provided in the notes for each piece. Also, when a track is an extract, this should always be stated.

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

This is a great conspectus of rarely heard British Piano Music. Fascinating from the first note to the last.

Track Listing:
Martin Shaw (1875-1958)
Roundabouts (1925)
Arthur Bliss (1891-1975)
Polonaise from Suite for Piano (1925)
Walter Leigh (1905-42)
Eclogue (1940)
John Mayer (1930-2004)
Three Pieces from Calcutta-Nagar (1993)
Roger Quilter (1877-1953)
Summer Evening from Three Pieces op.16, (pub.1916)
Mátyás Seiber (1905-60)
Scherzando Capriccioso (1944)
Amy Woodforde-Finden (1860-1919)
Kashmiri Song from Four Indian Love Lyrics (1903)
Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Procession from Three Pieces, op.14 (1918-20)
Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960)
Scherzino (1936)
Humphrey Searle (1915-82)
Vigil (France 1940-1944)
Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918)
Scherzo in F (pub. post. 1922)
Cyril Scott (1879-1970)
Egyptian Boat Song from the Egypt Suite. (1913)
William Sterndale Bennett (1816-75)
Presto Agitato in F-Sharp Minor from Suite de Pieces op.24 (c.1842)
Raymond Warren (b.1928)
Monody (1977)
William Baines (1899-1922)
Seven Preludes (Nos.1, 3 & 6) (1919)
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Moderato from Sonatina Romantica (1940)
Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015)
A Wheen Tunes for Bairns tae Spiel (1964)
Arnold Bax (1883-1953)
Winter Waters (1915)
Trevor Hold (1939-2004)
Tango (1975)
Peter Jacobs (piano)
Rec. 25 May 2021 Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth, Wales
HERITAGE HTGCD 159
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.