graham whettam complete cello works paladino music martin rummel sinfonia da camera woolaston festival orchestra ian hobson graham whettam Graham Whettam (1927–2007) Complete Cello Works Concerto Drammatico for cello Romanza No. 2 for cello solo Ballade Hébraïque for cello and orchestra WW 73 (1999) WW 75/1 (2000) and orchestra WW 47/3 (1999) 01 Scena 11:25 05 Andante cantabile – Leggiero con 09 Andante sostenuto: poco rubato – 02 Danza vigorosa 08:38 moto – Andante come prima 05:36 Più Mosso – Allegro – 03 Scena ultima 12:37 Appassionato – Andante sostenuto 12:20 Solo Cello Sonata WW 60 Romanza No. 1 for cello solo (1990/96) WW 63/3 (1993) 06 Ardente 07:55 TT 79:23 04 Andante cantabile – Allegro ma 07 Fuga. Con energico 05:24 non troppo – Andante cantabile 08 Canto elegiaco. Ancora ardente: come prima 06:42 sonoramente 08:42 Martin Rummel, cello Sinfonia da camera Ian Hobson, conductor (01 – 03) Woolaston Festival Orchestra Graham Whettam, conductor (09) 2 3 Graham Whettam was born in Swindon, he moved to Coventry. While there, he married works. His music, labelled as “invariably dra- Wiltshire, on 7 September 1927 and studied at Janet Lawrence in 1959, and later founded and matic” (a characterization reflected in his titles: St Luke’s College, Exeter. Though he never for- directed his own publishing company, “Meriden Sinfonia Drammatica, Concerto Drammatico, mally studied at a music school and was largely Music”. In 1962 he wrote his first work to be Concerto Ardente, Sinfonia Intrepida), features self-taught, several of his compositions had critically considered a “masterpiece”, Sinfonia skilful construction and a deep sense of poi- already been performed by major orchestras and contra timore (Symphony Against Fear), which gnancy and atmosphere. soloists by his twenties. These include the Sinfo- was premiered three years later by the City of nietta for Strings in 1951 at Kensington Palace, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and conductor Graham Whettam died on 17 August 2007 in the Symphony No. 1 in the early 1950s by the Hugo Rignold. Though Sinfonietta Stravagante Woolaston, Gloucestershire, aged 79. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted (1964), performed by the Netherlands Philhar- by Charles Groves, the Concertino for oboe and monic Orchestra and conductor Hubert Soudant, string orchestra at the 1953 Proms performed by and Sinfonia Concertante (1966), performed by oboist Léon Goossens, and the Viola Concerto in the Northern Sinfonia and conductor Bryden 1954 at the Cheltentham Festival by violist Harry Thomson, followed in rapid succession, Whettam Danks and conductor Sir John Barbirolli. Other did not continue to have the success of his youth; of his works had already been performed with several of his works were premiered/published the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and considerable time after their composition, and the London Symphony Orchestra by conductors some of his later works (such as the Promethean Basil Cameron, Meredith Davies, Sir Eugene Symphony and the Symphony No. 5) still wait for Goossens, Willem van Otterloo, and Sir Malcolm world premieres. Sargent, and by oboist Janet Craxton, clarinettist Jack Brymer, and horn player Dennis Brain. In Regarded as “a natural symphonist” by the Sun- 1959, the premiere of his first clarinet concerto day Times, the dozen symphonies he composed was performed by Raymond Carpenter and the between his mid-twenties and death form the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted core of Whettam’s output. However, he also by Sir Charles Groves; this he considered his first contributed some large-scale concertos, several mature work. shorter orchestral (both symphonic and concer- tante) works, numerous chamber and instrumen- He was married to Rosemary Atkinson from tal works (such as four string quartets and three 1948 until their divorce in 1958, at which time solo violin sonatas), as well as vocal and choral 4 Concerto Drammatico for Cello blossomed into the present three-movement previously against quiet arabesques, being even- and Orchestra work, completed in the following November. It is tually joined by the body of orchestral cellos in Programme Notes for the World Premiere played without a break. a seemingly final phrase. After some diminishing Performance by the Composer wind chords the phrase is taken over firstly by “Concerto Drammatico” opens with a min- flute, then by tuba and cellos, and finally by The genesis of this work lies in a two-movement ute-long unaccompanied cello solo expounding horns and violas erupting into the fast second concerto written in the early sixties. Three move- the movement’s main theme which is essentially movement, the tempo change being strongly ments were originally intended, but the second singing in character with a notable element of marked in sixteenth notes by the side drum of these, adagio, was so imbued with finality that syncopation: much of the work derives from it in which now assumes considerable prominence as a further movement could not be added. Leeds some shape or form. This melody is taken up by befits a vigorous dance. Music published a piano reduction and solo part the clarinet leading into an orchestral re-state- but closed its classical department in London ment of growing intensity. The cello comes in Rhythmically deriving from the previous move- before issuing the contractually-stipulated full again to the fore in a seeming extension of the ment, the main theme of Danza Vigorosa is score, so the work could not make any great theme accompanied by shimmering strings with played by the soloist against a lightly-scored headway. It was never heard in the concert hall, arabesques from harp and celesta. orchestral accompaniment. A second theme is though recorded for BBC Radio 3 with Robert given to violins and flutes over similarly light Cohen as soloist. And the Russian virtuoso A short unaccompanied cello passage leads into accompaniment, with alternating cello inter- Victoria Yagling – a sometime protégée of Slava the central con fuoco, the orchestra astringently jections. The main dance-theme is also twice Rostropovich and subsequent Tchaikovsky Prize- asserting a fiery tempo with a new motif, subse- presented by the full orchestra with marked winner – played the work with piano to welcome quently heard from flute, oboe and then clarinet percussive exuberance and the climactic appear- me at the Moscow Composers’ Union during my against the cello at a less pressing tempo. Even- ance of the tam-tam, which dies away until it first visit to Russia in 1989. tually rapid syncopated rhythms lead us forward very softly underlies a meditative central section. until dramatic trombone chords, appassionato Here freely played cello phrases are answered by I had long wished to rewrite that original molto, support the returning main theme divided either clarinet or bass clarinet, the latter being concerto, adding a central fast movement, between upper and lower strings, growing to eventfully joined by harp an octave lower. when Victoria pressed me to send photocopied a furious climax marked by strong syncopated full scores to central Europe, so that she could chords from the brass. This climax gradually Fast repeated triplet notes from the agile soloist arrange performances there. However I had subsides, giving way to a substantial cadenza characterize a reprise of the dance section, with other ideas, and in the Spring of 1998 set about from the soloist. The main theme is again interjected martellato bowing (literally meaning reworking some of the original material which heard unaccompanied, the cello continuing as “hammering”) from the body of orchestral 5 strings. After the final orchestral version of the After such a climax, musical tensions can only Kenta Mazumi (Japan) in the 1994 Viola Festival, dance, a passionate rendering of the central subside, and the strings gradually die away until and the ensuing cello version by Martin Rummel meditative music is given by strings, woodwind a solo horn appears, echoed by the solo cello (Austria). and horns over descending trombone chords, preparing for the final appearance of the chorale followed by unaccompanied cello playing quietly theme played by clarinet over a deep C sharp Although Whettam almost immediately had the and rather freely, leading seamlessly into the pedal note held until the very last page of the opening idea for a successor piece in mind, it slow final movement. score when the solo cello is heard above it in was in not until October 2000 that he actually high harmonics, the last high G sharp dying away composed Romanza No. 2. This was in a cello ver- This singing cello line is extended, becoming an into silence – “and time … must have a stop”. sion for Martin Rummel, who only the previous unaccompanied or lightly accompanied intro- month had given the world première in America ductory part of Scena Ultima, until the soloist Concerto Drammatico bears the dedication “for of the composer’s Concerto Drammatico. As with leads over lower orchestral strings in a chorale Victoria Yagling” and other cellist friends. It is its predecessor, Whettam has made alternative theme – a wide-ranging hymn-like adagio, which a joy to me that among those friends Martin versions for both violin and viola. The dedication grows to a sonorous climax by the full orchestra. Rummel, who gave the world-première of my is to Lady Hilary Groves, a great devotee of the An ensuing second cello melody, itself a variant Solo Cello Sonata and other works of mine, cello and its music. of the closing Elegy from my First Solo Violin should be this evening’s soloist at Urbana. Sonata, is spaciously central to this finale, being These two pieces are intended, if possible to be heard in several variations – evolving singing played consecutively in numerical order. Super- melody being of the music’s essence. Two Romanzas for Uncaccompanied Cello ficially their form appears similar – an andante Graham Whettam cantabile being followed by a faster central Orchestral cellos and basses are eventually given section.