British Music for Clarinet and Piano 1880 to 1945: Repertory and Performance Practice
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BRITISH MUSIC FOR CLARINET AND PIANO 1880 TO 1945: REPERTORY AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICE By Spencer Simpson Pitfield Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Ph. D. in Performance Practice The University of Sheffield Music Department December 2000 Summar This thesis is a study of British music for clarinet and piano composed between the years 1880 and 1945. The research has established a considerable repertoire of pieces, many of which are completely unknown to clarinettists today. There are two types, sonatas and character pieces. The discussion focuses on a number of substantial works. The sonatas by William Henry Hadow, William Henry Bell, George Frederick Linstead and Roger Fiske have been published (2000) in connection with this study, and critical analyses of the sonatas by Hadow and Fiske are included in the thesis, as are analyses of 'character' pieces by Richard Henry Walthew and Joseph Charles Holbrooke. It is the author's opinion that many of the works discovered demand close attention from contemporary performers. The thesis includes chapters on the British social background and its effect on musical activity; on Brahms's influence; on instruments and on the British playing tradition. The Brahms/Mohifeld relationship was probably the single most important element in establishing a strong clarinet culture in Britain at the turn of the 2 Oth century. Native compositions were extremely popular throughout the period and indigenous performers achieved high levels of technical and artistic ability. The research noted a gradual swing away from the 'simple-system' towards the 'Boehm-system'. However, neither system dominated the other and throughout the period many disparate instrumental systems were in use in the British Isles. A chapter on performance practice draws upon evidence from early recordings. Playing before 1900 was regimented and exact in execution. After the turn of the 20th century there was a move towards freer, less restricted playing. This culminated in the outstanding playing of Reginald Kell. His refinement and artistry were unsurpassed by any other native performer of the period. Contents Introduction 1-5 Chapter 1: British Social History and Performance Culture 6-22 Chapter 2: Brahms's Influence 23-43 Chapter 3: Instruments 44-59 Chapter 4: The British Playing Tradition 60-81 Chapter 5: Sonatas 82-113 Chapter 6: Character Pieces 114-146 Chapter 7: Performance Practice 147-174 Conclusion 175-180 Appendix 1: Catalogue of Works 181-188 Appendix 2: Associated Board Syllabuses Pre-1964 189-192 Appendix 3: Musical Examples (separate to main document) Appendix 4: Rosewood Editions (separate to main document) Bibliography 193-204 Acknowledqements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Alan Brown, my supervisor at Sheffield University, for his patient guidance and continued encouragement. I am also indebted to Professor Colin Lawson, Goldsmiths College University of London, for his considerable support and specialist advice throughout the research period. Many individuals have contributed valuable knowledge and support to this study. I would especially like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the following people: Michael Bryant, Oliver Davies, Colin Bradbury, Pamela Weston, Jack Brymer, Alan Hacker, Nicholas Shackleton, John Playfair, Ewart Willey, Richard Platt, John Walthew, Stephen Linstead, Nicola Hazelwood, Paul Harvey, Andrew Smith, Peter Bell, Gwydion Brooke, Dr. Jane Ellsworth, Dr. Norman Heim, Dr. David Fennell, Dr. James Sclater, Dr. Glenda Goss, Dr. Heinrich van der Mescht, Debra Jones, Russell Tandy, Larry Ashmore, Peter Taylor, Josephine Leighton, Ingrid Pearson, James Davies, LucyAnn Palmer, Johanna Martin and Paul Vaughan. Introduction The subject of this study is British. music for clarinet and piano written between the years 1880 and 1945. No detailed examination of this topic has previously been attempted, although some articles in related areas have appeared in journals, together with a small number of dissertations. ' The thesis includes a work list, as complete as possible, of British works for clarinet and piano within the chosen research period. A few of these works have stood the test of time, and are familiar to players and listeners today; but the majority has been almost forgotten. In the writer's opinion the neglect of these little-known works is unjustified: many of them are of considerable artistic value, and deserve greater public recognition. The reasons for the neglect are numerous. In the period under research, the negative British reaction to native works was compounded by the limited success of British compositions abroad. The feeling in Britain that 'foreign music is best' was extremely prevalent during the research 2 The teaching by from period . establishment, working a restricted repertoire base, exacerbated this neglect. Other cultural factors led to the demise of these British duo works in the years after 1945. These included changes in the type of performing 1 Relevant American dissertations have been written by Dr. Norman Heim, The Use of the Clarinet in Published Sonatasfor Clarinet and Piano b,v English Composers 1800-1954. D. M. A. Rocliester, 1962, and Dr. Jane Ellsworth. ClarinetXfusic by British Composers, 1800- 1914: A Repertorial Sume v, D. M. A. Ohio State University, 1991. Further information on , American theses can be obtained from the International Clarinet Association Research Center. Hornbake Library. University of Maryland. College Park, Maryland. 20742, USA. Most American magazine articles have been sourced from The Clarinet, USA. British theses of import have been written by Nicola Hazelwood, The Effects of English Clarinet Plqving Created by the Rift in Sývles hetiveen Kell and Thurston, B. A. Welsh College of Music and Drinia, 1992, and Andrew Smith. A Stzicývof Leading British Clarinet Pla.vers of the 20 Centloy and 111orks Writtenfor them by British Composers, RAM GRSM, 1976. British articles have appeared mostly in the Clarinet & Saxophone magazine. 2 For ffirther information regarding this statement see Eric Blom's, 11itsic in England (London. 1942). 2 venues and shifts in the dominant compositional genre. The tradition of drawing-room concerts, chamber music 'impromptus' and the character piece was overtaken after c. 1945 by a swing in public demand for large- scale orchestral works. Of course, the chamber music concert continued (now in a formalised context), but the impetus did move away from the smaller, more intimate recital. From the 1980s in the United Kingdom, there has been renewed interest amongst performers, teachers and musicologists in these little-known compositions. For reasons described in Chapters Five and Six, a small core of these so-called 'standard' works (like Howard Ferguson's Four Short Pieces (1937), Gerald Finzi's Five Bagatelles (1945) and John Ireland's Phantasy Sonata (1945)) have been popular since their composition. This list has been extended in the last few years with works such as Alice Mary Smith's Sonata (1870) published by Hildegarde editions (1999), 3 Charles Harford Lloyd's Bon Voyage Impromptu (1887). and Sir Edward German's Romance (1892) both published by Colin Bradbury's Lazarus editions (1998) 4 This revival is continuing with the . publication of Sonatas by William Henry Hadow (1897), William Henry Bell (1926), George Frederick Linstead (c. 1932) and Roger Fiske (1941). These sonatas have been researched and prepared by this author, in conjunction with Michael Bryant's*Rosewood publications (all published 2000). 5 There are two central reasons behind this post-1980 resurgence. Most prominent is the desire to extend a one-dimensional clarinet repertoire, which is lacking depth especially when compared to that of stringed instruments. Secondly, the revival of these lyrical melodic works may be a reaction to the performance of (post)modern compositions, which has dominated British clarinet culture in the second half of the 20th century. 3 Ifilclegard editions, P.O. Box 332, Bryn Mawr, PennsýylvaniaPA 19010, U. S.A. 4 Lazarus editions, P.O. Box 14324,London, W5 2YS, United Kingdorn. z;Rosewood editions, 61 Oak Hill, Surbilon, Surrey, KT6 6DY, United Kingdom. 3 Chapter One, entitled Social History and Performance Culture, highlights the social and musical situation in Britain during the period of study. The chapter focuses on the British wind band tradition, the arrival of professional performers, mass entertainment, education and music colleges, Associated Board examinations and syllabuses. It closes with a discussion of technical innovations: gramophone, radio and cinema. Chapter Two discusses the relationship between Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) and the clarinettist Richard WhIfeld (1856-1907) and the influence of these two German artists on the establishment of a British clarinet tradition after 1880. Chapter Three deals with significant developments in clarinet manufacture and design between the years 1880 and 1945. The chapter also provides a comprehensive survey of the types of clarinets in use in Britain during the period of study. These include an analysis of foreign instruments and an examination of the burgeoning British manufacturing industry. Finally, the chapter highlights specific instruments used by prominent British clarinettists in the research period. Chapter Four focuses on the development of the British clarinet playing tradition. This chapter looks at the most renowned performers of the time and provides a picture of the