Promenade Concert Novelties
1907
A study in survival
How
much music ought to survive from one
generation to another? Does natural
selection operate in the world of
music? Are we wrong in working towards
the resurrection of pieces of music
that ought to be consigned to the
dustbin of history? All very deep
problems that would require a large
tome to do them justice.
I
thought it would be a valuable exercise
to consider the British ‘novelties’
that were performed at the 1907 Promenade
Concerts. It would be enlightening
to see what has survived, what did
not survive and perhaps consider if
any of the lost works ought to be
recovered and presented to a 21st
century audience.
In
his autobiography Henry Wood points
out that the Funeral March
by Chopin was played twice at the
1907 Promenade Concerts. On the first
occasion it was in memory of the great
Joachim who died two days before the
season opened and secondly for the
Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. However
on a more positive note, Wood picks
out certain highlights of the Proms.
He refers to Walford Davies’ ‘charming’
Holiday Tunes which was played
on 29 August. Later highlights for
the conductor were Sibelius’ Danse
Intermezzo No.2 and Maurice Ravel’s
Introduction & Allegro for
Harp and Orchestra. Max Reger
also fared well with a performance
of his massive Serenade. This
works lasts for more than 70 minutes
and Wood was forced to present the
work over two evenings to make it
manageable. Another continental work
that Wood noticed was the Symphonie
Montagnard for piano and orchestra
by Vincent d’Indy.
Apart
from the Walford Davies, Wood refers
in his book to four British works
performed during 1907 – the First
Wand of Youth Suite by Edward
Elgar, the Piano Concerto by
Frederick Delius, the Ode to a
Nightingale by Hamilton Harty
and finally an aria by Granville Bantock,
Christ in the Wilderness - although
only one of them, the Concerto
was actually given at the Proms.
It
is important to remember that Henry
Wood’s memoirs of this period were
written, or at least published some
thirty years after the 1907 season.
So it not unnatural that he will best
recall the works that went on to be
successful. Yet looking at the list
above it is Elgar, Delius and Ravel
that have had a continuous life of
their own since their respective first
performances.
However
it is with the British works that
this article is concerned. The complete
list of ‘novelties’ is as follows:-
Frederic
Austin – Symphonic Rhapsody,
Spring for Orchestra
Granville Bantock - Lalla Rookh
No.6 - of Six Tone Poems.
F.C. Barker – Violin Concerto
Ethel Barns – Concertstück
in D minor for violin & orchestra.
Havergal Brian – Overture,
For Valour and English Suite
No. 1
Frank Bridge – Symphonic Poem,
Isabella
Garnet Wolseley Cox, Suite
No.2 -The Mysterious Rose Garden
Walford Davies – Holiday
Tunes
Fred. Delius – Piano Concerto
Marshall Hall - Symphony in
Eb
Hamilton Harty – A Comedy Overture
Arthur Hinton – Three Orchestral
Scenes from Endymion
Edward Isaacs – Piano Concerto
in C# minor
Roger Quilter - New Serenade
Cyril Scott – Overture, Princess
MaleineFelix White - Overture, Shylock
The
above list reveals that there were
some 17 British Music novelties. Of
these it would be fair to say that
only a handful of them have remained
in the repertoire, whilst a number
have been revived in recent years.
The balance, for better or worse,
appears to have been lost in the mists
of time.
Obviously
the Delius has remained reasonably
popular – at present there are some
five versions of this Piano Concerto
in the CD catalogues – including the
original 1904 version. The Harty Comedy
Overture seems to have stayed
in the repertoire with recordings
available on Chandos and Naxos. Recently,
the Frederic Austin Rhapsody
was released on CD to some considerable
critical acclaim. Chandos has been
excellent in providing a virtually
complete conspectus of the orchestral
music by Frank Bridge. Isabella
may not be the most typical work of
this composer, but it is an attractive
piece that deserves a hearing. It
will never become popular. The rest
of the list above is a virtually unknown
quantity – at least to the vast majority
of listeners – including enthusiasts
of British Music.
I
always remember a distinguished musician
telling me that there is nothing more
fruitless that trying to talk or write
about music that one has not heard.
Yet it is important that we consider
lost works and try to gain some sense
of their potential for revival a century
later. We are lucky in so far as one
of the major offerings has recently
been issued on CD for the first time.
For the other works we have little
alternative but to study the contemporary
reviews where available.
G.W.L.
Marshall-Hall (1862-1915) is a name
that is now little known in the United
Kingdom. Yet his provenance is second
to none. He was born in London and
studied with Parry and Stanford. Soon
beginning to assume a place of importance
in the musical life of London, he
wrote a number of important works
which reached a degree of popularity.
In 1892 he emigrated to Australia
to become Professor of Music at the
University of Melbourne. He was a
‘character’ – Bohemian would have
been the contemporary epithet - and
had a colourful career. He was sacked
from the University for publishing
a ‘sacrilegious’ book. However he
was eventually reinstated in 1915,
a few months before his death. His
catalogue includes operas, chamber
music songs and symphonic works.
The
Symphony
in Eb was written for “his
friends and comrades under the Southern
Cross.” The composer wrote, “…it represents
in purely lyrical form the manifold
impressions of various lives upon
an ardent, active temperament. Scenes,
impressions, passions, activities,
continuously succeed each other, as
in life itself.”
The
work is certainly impressive and deserves
recognition in the concert hall. It
is “exuberant and rich in orchestral
colours with strong thematic ideas.”
This is definitely passionate and
approachable music nodding to both
Brahms and Wagner with a touch of
the forelock to Schumann. The Brisbane
Sunday Mail wrote that this symphony
“breathes the spirit of romanticism…the
slow movement particularly reflecting
the Australian outback.”
Felix
White’s Overture, Shylock showed
‘great promise,’ according to ‘X’
writing in the socialist New Age Journal.
He further pointed out that the composer
was only 23 years old and this perhaps
explained his tendency to “…wallow
in psychological analysis.” I must
confess I cannot imagine this discipline
rigorously applied to the composition
of the Concert Overture! The
orchestration was excellent and resulted
in some delightful scoring. ‘X’ considered
that the construction of the Overture
was ‘puzzling’ and he lamented the
fact that a ‘programme’ was not provided.
He felt that the composer had produced
an ‘involved piece of writing.’ The
conclusion of the work was doubtless
meant to portray the state of Shylock’s
mind as Shakespeare leaves him to
us at the conclusion of the Merchant
of Venice. However it was of concern
that the overture ‘petered out’ and
this is surely not the emotional state
of Shylock at this time. The conclusion
of the review has a sting in its tail.
Apparently “Mr White might as well
have been describing the collapse
of a favourite writing desk for all
the emotion he squeezes out of the
subject.”
Stewart
R. Craggs writing in 1984 notes that
White regarded his work as being ‘a
little Straussy’ here and there. White
himself noted that the work was “voted
extremely difficult at its first performance.”
The Musical Times critic stated that
the overture was “a cleverly-scored
production that so appealed to the
audience that he was recalled to the
platform three times. Although the
design is entirely modern in conception
the development is rational and the
scoring clear and exaggerations are
carefully avoided.”
This
is certainly a work that would bear
re-discovery. Although whether it
ought to come before some of Felix
White’s other orchestral compositions
such as the Impressions of England
or The Deserted Village, after
Goldsmith is a debatable matter.
For the remainder of the English novelties
we have little to go on. Walford Davies’
Holiday Tunes which impressed
Henry Wood was a suite in some seven
movements. It was written to “express
the joyous feelings often associated
with holidays, but not necessarily
restricted to them.” In short this
was a meditation on the ‘holiday spirit.’
It is worth quoting the Musical Times
reviewer in full on this work. “The
opening allegro energico starts with
a violin solo announcing the principal
theme which, since it is headed estatico,
may be intended to express pleasurable
anticipations. This at least accords
with the spirit of the movement, which
is developed at some length. The second
number is delightfully humorous and
dainty, and has for its chief subject
quaint little tune of ingratiating
character. A deeper note is struck
in the third section and andante con
moto of poetic expression, and having
a finale of great beauty.” Here the
reviewer appears to have lost interest.
The remaining four movements are quickly
summed up as being of less importance,
“consist[ing] of a Presto (in G) of
gay character; a short peaceful andante
tranquillo; a rocking tune which might
be described as a lullaby, since it
is based on the composer’s setting
of George Wither’s poem ‘Sweet baby,
sleep,’ and a bustling finale in march
rhythm.”
Holiday
Tunes is a work that appears to
fall into the category of 'light’
music. Perhaps one of the CD companies
that specialise in ‘light music discoveries’
could be tempted to revive this work.
I guess it would sit well with Percy
Whitlock’s Holiday Suite.
The
Musical Times reviewer was impressed
with the Tone Poem No.6 Lalla Rookh
by Granville Bantock. This work is
based on a poem by Thomas Moore. The
complete cycle of six comprises: 1900:
No 1, Thalaba the Destroyer; 1901:
No 2, Dante and Beatrice; No 3, Fifine
at the Fair; 1902: No 4, Hudibras;
No 5, Witch of Atlas; No 6, Lalla
Rookh. I have looked at the CD catalogues
and although Fifine at the Fair (Hyperion
CDA66630), Dante and Beatrice (Hyperion
CDA66810), Thalaba the Destroyer (Hyperion
CDA67250) and The Witch of Atlas (Hyperion
CDA66450) are currently available
on Hyperion, the other two, including
Lalla Rookh and Hudibras are not.
The writer felt that the work was
successful and deserved to be heard
again. He noted that the piece had
been written before the turn of the
century and had to wait for some seven
years before receiving its first performance.
It appears to be in the composer's
characteristic style..
The
reviewer notes that the tone poem
opens ‘quasi languido’ and soon expands
into an expressive melody of broad
character. This is the leitmotiv of
the beautiful princess. The music
evolves into a ‘march’ theme which
is the ‘bridal procession.’ Soon the
character of the music changes again.
This section of the work is meant
to illustrate how Feramrz, disguised
as a minstrel, relates stories to
the princess to pass time on the long
journey. An oriental dance follows
before the finalé musically presents
Feramorz revealing that he is in fact
the fiancé of Lalla Rookh herself.
The
writer notes that the music “becomes
very insistent and grandiose, but
the close is more tranquil being based
on the ‘Lalla Rookh’ theme.” He concludes
by stating that the “scoring scintillates
with picturesque effects and the instrumentation
is perhaps the most remembered attribute
of this work.”
Manifestly
this work deserves to join the other
four tone poems already available.
There
is little in the extant literature
about Mr F.C. Barker’s Violin Concerto
to allow us to make up our minds if
it is a candidate for revival. Barker
was born in 1871 and latterly studied
at the Royal College of Music – presumably
under the tutelage of Parry and Stanford.
There is no entry in the current Grove
and only sporadic references in the
Times and musical press. The contemporary
reviewer noted that “One expects a
good deal from a man who brings forth
a work of this character.” So it is
no surprise that Barker does not quite
come up to scratch. He continues “
If Mr Barker’s thematic material is
deficient in significance and force
of statement, his melodies are pleasing
and expressive up to a certain point,
and they are treated with a resource,
perception of form, and moderation
of style that attest to refinement
and musical culture.” The reader is
left wondering if this work is really
worthy of rediscovery. Yet recently
listeners have been impressed with
the forgotten concerti by Coleridge-Taylor
and Arthur Somervell that had lain
in the vaults for nearly a century.
So perhaps some interested party will
make a one-off revival of this piece.
Let us hope that it is well recorded
if they do.
Roger
Quilter is appreciated for his fine
songs and perhaps a couple of orchestral
works. The ever popular Children’s
Overture which does and should
appeal to children of all ages is
perhaps the best known. The incidental
music to the charming but politically
incorrect (at least to people that
specialise in this kind of musing)
At the Rainbow’s End used to
have a good following. In fact my
personal view is that both this play
and the music are well worth reviving
along with St George’s Day. (St. George
is the hero of the play)
However
the New Serenade given at the
1907 Proms has disappeared into history.
The Quilter scholar, Dr. Valerie Langfield
has written to me about this piece.
The composer withdrew the work after
a couple of performances for ‘musical
reasons.’ However, Dr Langfield is
minded that this is a very attractive
piece that does not deserve oblivion.
She thinks that perhaps Quilter was
too hasty in his rejection of it.
Fortunately she has recreated the
full score and is awaiting a suitable
performance.
Unfortunately
I can find no references in the literature
to Cyril Scott’s Overture Princess
Maleine, Ethel Barns’ Concertstuck
in D minor for violin & orchestra
and Edward Isaacs’ – Piano
Concerto in C# minor. Any notes
or information will be gratefully
received by the writer.
Arthur
Hinton’s Three Orchestral Scenes
from Endymion were originally
composed in 1896 but had to wait until
a decade later for their first performance.
These three pieces have not survived
the ravages of time in spite of the
fact that they were well received
and were seen as being very pleasing
illustrations of episodes from John
Keats great poem. The three scenes
were entitled ‘Sunrise,’ ‘Shepherds
Dance’ and ‘Dance of the Youths and
Maidens.’ The impression I get is
that this music probably nodded in
the direction of Edward German. These
works do not appear to have been recorded.
Prior to writing this article I had
never heard of Garnet Wolseley Cox.
In fact a literature search reveals
virtually nothing about him. He is
certainly not in the pages of Groves.
The reviewer of the 1907 Proms writes
as follows: - “A pathetic atmosphere
may be said to have surrounded ‘The
Mysterious Rose Garden’ heard for
the first time on September 10, for
the composer was the late Garnet Wolseley
Cox, who died while his genius was
just beginning to be recognised. The
Suite, stated to have been
inspired by one of Aubrey Beasley’s
pictures, comprise four movements,
the first of which is a poetically
conceived nocturne entitled ‘Nightfall.’
The second movement is headed ‘Entrance
of elves, fauns and satyrs’ who are
suggested by a vivacious march. This
is succeeded by the ‘Dance of the
rose fairies,’ who apparently trip
a dainty minuet which gives place
to a ‘Dance Bacchantes’ that forms
a spirited finale to a charming work.”
Once
again this would appear to be a work
that we would now regard as being
‘light.’ But not perhaps in the sense
of an Eric Coates or a Trevor Duncan:
more like Montague Philips or perhaps
Edward German.
However
the greatest surprise came when I
considered the two Havergal Brian
works. It appears that it was at the
1907 season of the Proms that Brian
become known to the London musical
public. Of course it is well known
that this Son of Staffordshire was
largely self taught. The reviewer,
rather parochially, notes that the
composer had a number of successes
in his native Hanley. Interestingly,
the English Suite was not a
first performance. It was premiered
at Leeds Town Hall at a municipal
concert in January of the same year.
The
poetical basis of the English Suite
is the idea of an old country fair.
We would consider it a little patronising
nowadays to talk of “rustics assembling
to a spirited march.” However Brian
managed to bring a degree of humour
to this movement primarily by use
of orchestral colour including the
inevitable ‘loud bassoon.’ The reviewer’s
wit shows forth in the description
of the next movement. He writes that
it is “a waltz, not of modern sentimentality
but a rhythmic measure that stirs
the pulse; its influence, however,
upon the dancers appears to be much
the same, since without a break the
music passes into an amorous episode
[third movement] entitled ‘Love under
the beech tree.” He suggests that
presumably “the villagers only had
one trysting-place, a state of affairs
that must have caused occasional inconvenience.”
That the beech tree is not far from
the dancers is evident from the strains
of the waltz that occasionally mingle
with tête-à-tête sentences. The fourth
movement is really a miniature pastoral
scene. It is given as an Interlude
but is designed to take the listener
away from the fair. Brian has written
that it is “an attempt to convey the
emotion which arose whilst gazing
from the Hanchurch Hills in Staffordshire
in the direction of the Wrekin in
Shropshire. The whole country suffused
in sunlight.” The following section
is perhaps evocative of the religious
aspirations of the villagers with
a ‘hymn-like’ melody dominating. However
the fairground apparently returns
in the last movement. This is pure
‘rustic revelry.’ Here we have a series
of side shows – ‘Punch and Judy, a
Sleeping Beauty and a ‘Breathless
Lady.’ The only criticism that the
reviewer makes about this fascinating
piece of pastoralism is that Brian
somehow lacks skill at development.
This is certainly a skill that does
not seem to hamper the composer’s
subsequent career!
There
is no comment about the Overture
- For Valour.
What
surprised me was that a recording
of both works exist on the Campion
label – along with a number of other
‘rare’ Brian works. I have as of yet
been unable to locate a copy of this
work. Before I wrote the above I dutifully
carried out a literature search and
also 'Googled.' Nothing came up. It
was not until idle moment took me
into the Havergal Brian web-page.
Lurking amongst the reviews is an
excellent piece by David J. Brown.
Unfortunately Brown does not really
discuss the two works in any detail.
It is more a debate on the production
of the CD. However I will quote just
two sentences from this review: -
“…Brian’s young self struts and sparkles,
sniggers and guffaws with unfailing
inventiveness….This young man thought
that he could do anything, one feels,
and maybe he could, but maybe he hadn’t
yet quite found what was really worth
doing. In later years he did, of course.”
So
what are we to conclude? First of
all it is good to see that out of
the 17 works listed above that five
of them are easily available on CD
– namely Austin’s Spring, Delius’
Piano Concerto, Harty’s Comedy
Overture Marshall-Hall Symphony
in Eb and Bridge’s Isabella.
All these can be found in HMV, Harold
Moores or the ’Net.
We
have no information, contemporary
or otherwise, on Cyril Scott’s Overture,
Ethel Barns’ Concertstück and
Edward Isaacs’ Piano Concerto.
Perhaps we can guess that the
Scott would be a good piece to revive
and I have heard a rumour that Edward
Isaac’s Concerto would be a
good addition to the Hyperion Romantic
Piano Concerto series.
That
leaves seven pieces. I feel that the
Walford Davies Holiday Tunes
would make and attractive addition
to the burgeoning catalogue of ‘light
music’ To add to this it would do
no harm suggesting the Arthur Hinton
Three Orchestral Pieces are
possible contenders for a one-off
recording.
Obviously
anything by Granville Bantock is likely
to be recorded at some stage. Lalla
Rookh could form part of a projected
series of all six of the Tone Poems.
I am not convinced that the Wolseley
Cox or the F.C. Barker will ever be
considered for revival in the concert
hall or the recording studio. I can
see Felix White’s Shylock Overture
being recorded by a company like Dutton
Epoch – along with a selection of
the composer’s other works. It would
form a valuable record of a largely
forgotten name.
Finally
of all the pieces listed above that
have not been performed or recorded
Roger Quilter’s New Serenade
may well stand the best chance. Dr
Langfield has the score prepared and
is actively hoping for a suitable
venue for performance. Let us wish
her success.
All
the works performed at the 1907 Promenade
Concerts probably do not deserve to
be cast into oblivion. But that is
the nature of the beast. Perhaps we
ought to be glad that a good third
of these novelties are still available
to us today and are treasured by enthusiasts
of British Music.
Appendix
1
Other
First Performances at the 1907 Promenade
Concerts.
Max
Reger – Serenade in G
Jean Sibelius – Valse
Intermezzo
Maurice Ravel – Introduction
and Allegro for Harp and Orchestra!
Franz Liszt – Concerto Pathetique
in E minor for Piano & Orchestra
Johann Pezel – Suite for Three
Trombones and Two Trumpets.
Jean Sibelius – Violin Concerto
T.H.H. Verhey – Concerto in
D minor for flute & orchestra.
H. Arnends – Concerto for Viola
and Orchestra
Alexandre Glazounov - Suite
for Strings
Vincent d’Indy – Symphonie
Montagnard for piano and orchestra
Victor Vreuls – Poème for cello
and orchestra
Jean Sibelius – Overture -
Karelia.
Karl Goldmark - Symphony in Eb
Appendix 2
CDs of British
music first heard at the Promenade
Concerts 1907.
The
British Symphonic Collection No.10
York
BOWEN Second Symphony; Frederic
AUSTIN Symphonic Rhapsody Spring
Edgar BAINTON Genesis (from
Before Sunrise)
Royal Northern College Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Douglas Bostock
CLASSICO CLASSCD 404
The Music of Havergal
Brian
Havergal
Brian
Fantastic
Variations on an Old Rhyme; Festal
Dance; In Memoriam
Two Herrick Songs; Doctor Merryheart
English Suite no.1; Burlesque Variations;
For Valour
City of Hull Youth Orchestra
conducted by Geoffrey Heald Smith.
Campion RRCD 1331/2
Frank BRIDGE
(1879-1941)
Orchestral Works, Volume 1
Enter Spring; Isabella; Two Poems
for Orchestra; Mid of the Night (premiere
recording)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Richard
Hickox
CHANDOS CHAN 9950
Frederic Delius;
Ralph Vaughan
Williams; Gerald Finzi
Delius: Concerto for Piano
and Orchestra in C minor
Vaughan Williams Concerto for Piano
and Orchestra in C;
Finzi Eclogue for Piano and Orchestra
op.10
Piers Lane, piano; Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by
Vernon Handley
EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 5759832
George MARSHALL-HALL
Symphony in E flat/Adagio from Symphony
in C minor
Queensland Theatre Orchestra conducted
by Warren Bebbington
MOVE MD 3081
Hamilton
Harty
A Comedy Overture; Fantasy
Scenes (from an Eastern Romance);
Piano Concerto in B minor
Peter Donohoe, piano; Ulster Orchestra
conducted by Takuo Yuasa
NAXOS 8.557731
John France (© 2007)
