WALTER BECKETT
Dr David C F Wright
Walter Koehler Beckett loved Dublin. His father, James Walter
Beckett, was a cousin of the writer Samuel Beckett and was himself
a TD in the first Fine Gael Government under Liam Cosgrave.
Walter was born in Dublin on 27 July
1914 and studied at the Read School
of Music and at the Royal Irish Academy
of Music. He was a fine pianist and
received his LRAM in 1934 and his B.Mus
in 1936 the year in which he became
an Associate of the Royal College of
Organists. He was the organist at Canice's
Cathedral in Kilkenny and, while he
was living in England, often played
the organ at various venues mainly in
Coventry and district.
In 1945 he composed one of his first works a Suite for orchestra
lasting some 27 minutes and in three movements, Pastoral, Scherzo
and Triple Fanatsy. The first two movements were premiered on
27 February 1954 and the Theatre Royal Dublin by the Radio Eirean
SO under Milan Horvat. The Triple Fantasy was given first at the
Gaiety Theatre, Dublin by the same forces.. In 1947 he received
his MusD from Trinity College, Dublin.
His first major vocal work was Four Higgins Songs of 1946 for
tenor and small orchestra. The songs are Connemara, Spanish Man,
Little Green Shoes and The Cautious Man.
Between 1946 and 1952 he was the music critic for the Irish Times.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s he studied conducting in Italy
on an Italian Government scholarship. He and his wife, Hylda,
loved Italy and while there he taught English at the Scuola Navale
in Venice and wrote orchestral arrangements of Irish Airs which,
since the 1940s, had become popular. He studied Liszt's time and
connection with Italy and therefore encountered the Liszt expert,
Humphrey Searle and they became good friends. Beckett was also
interested in Liszt's visit to Ireland during 1840-1. Searle stayed
with the Becketts in Venice which city partly inspired Searle's
splendid Third Symphony.
In 1957 Beckett composed his Irish Rhapsody for orchestra which
lasts about 12 minutes. It was premiered in a broadcast performance
on 25 June 1956 conducted by Eimear O'Broin. This was followed
by the Falaingin Dances, a work of similar duration and forces,
first performed in the Gaiety Theatre with the RESO conducted
by Lawrence Leonard. His nearest work to a concerto was the Suite
of Planxties of 1960 for harp and orchestra in four movements
also lasting about 12 minutes.
He also wrote a book on Ballet Music in 1958 which was published
by Cassell.
In 1970 he succeeded Dr Archie Potter as professor of harmony
at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
His most active period was at the end of his life. His song cycle
Goldenhair to settings of James Joyce is for medium voice, optional
viola and piano. The five songs only last seven minutes and were
premiered by Alison Edge and Brian Connor in April 1982. He composed
a String Quartet in 1986 which is available on Chandos (CHAN 9295)
and his Dublin Symphony of 1991 which combines his love for Dublin,
Italy, Bach and Delius whose harmonies he found impressive.
His music is diatonic and romantic and shows influences of the
composers he most admired, J S Bach, Chopin, Fauré, Vaughan
Williams, Richard Strauss and, of course, Delius.
He was a champion sailor winning many cups in the Dragon Class
and Cruiser competitions. He was a member of the Irish Cruising
Club and Howth Yacht Club. With his brother he won a trophy for
sailing around Ireland in his cruiser, Dara.
His duties restricted his time for composition. He conducted
the Dublin Operatic Society and the Dublin Music Society and,
while in England, conducted the Leamington Spa Bach Choral Society.
He died on Wednesday 3 April 1996 and
was survived by his wife and their daughter,
Lisa, and four grandchildren. He was
buried in Rathnew, County Wicklow.
David C F Wright
Copyright David C F Wright, 1996. This article or any part of
it must not be copied, used, stored in any retrieval system or
downloaded without the prior written consent of the author
