THE CLARINET MUSIC OF CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD by DAVID L. FENNELL, B.M.Ed., M.A. A DISSERTATION IN FINE ARTS Submitteci to the GracJuate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Accepted August, 1988 /vJo^' Copyright 1988 David L. Fennel 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to acknowledge Dr. Frederick Hudson of the University of Newcastle uoon Tyne, England, for his invaluable assistance in the research and procurement of materials for this project. In addition, I am deeply indebted to the following correspondents and libraries for their assistance in obtaining information and manuscripts: Pamela Weston, Georgina Dobree, Colin Bradbury, Michael Bryant, Gerald Norris, John Denman and Paula Fan, Adrian Rushton, The Royal School of Church Music, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne Library, Cambridge University Library, The Royal Academy of Music Library, and The British Library. My sincere appreciation is extended to Dr. Michael C. Stoune and the other members of my committee, Keith McCarty, Richard McGowan, George Sorensen, and Daniel Nathan, for their guidance and help. To my wife and son, I am forever indebted and grateful for the support, encouragement, and sacrifice in the completion of this project. 11 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii FIGURES V CHAPTER I. STANFORD'S INFLUENCE AS A CONDUCTOR, TEACHER AND COMPOSER 1 Introduction 1 Influence as a Conductor 2 Influence as a Teacher 10 Influence as a Composer 26 II. A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE SOURCES OF MANUSCRIPTS AND PRINTED EDITIONS, AND THE PERFORMANCES OF STANFORD'S CLARINET MUSIC 45 Introduction 45 Three Intermezzi, Op. 13 46 Concerto, Op. 80 59 Serenade, Op. 95 71 Sonata, Op. 129 74 Minuet in B-^lat Major, Fantasy in G Minor and Fantasy in F Major 85 III. A STRUCTURAL AND STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED WORKS FOR THE CLARINET 88 Introduction 88 Three Intermezzi, Op. 13 88 Concerto, Op. 80 107 Sonata, Op. 129 12^ i i i IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY 142 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 147 APPENDICES A. EXCERPTS OF CORRESPONDENCE 152 B. PHOTOCOPIES OF THE AUTOGRAPH SCORE, MANUSCRIPT CLARINET PART, AUTOGRAPH CLARINET PART AND AUTOGRAPH VIOLIN PART TO THREE INTERMEZZI, OP. 13 172 C. PHOTOCOPIES OF THE AUTOGRAPH SCORE TO CONCERTO, OP. 80 . 193 D. PHOTOCOPIES OF THE AUTOGRAPH SCORE AND AUTOGRAPH CLARINET PART TO SONATA, OP. 129 270 IV FIGURES Three Intermezzi, Op. 13: A comparison of the autograph score and parts with the Novello (1880) and the Chester (1979) editions Concerto, Op. 80: A comparison of the clarinet lines in the autograph score, the manuscript score, the Cramer score and the Royal Academy of Music clarinet part ( ( ( ( Sonata, Op. 129: A comparison of the autograph score and autograph clarinet part with the Stainer and Bell score and clarinet part > > > > CHAPTER I STANFORD'S INFLUENCE AS A CONDUCTOR, TEACHER AND COMPOSER Introduction Coming from an affluent family in Dublin, Ireland, Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) received a sound educational background in the classics, including literature and poetry and the Latin and Greek languages. He was also afforded the opportunity to study music, which included piano, organ and violin lessons and the study of the literature and compositional styles of the great composers of the past and present. His college studies at Cambridge (1870-1874) were, again, in the classics; however, he used his musical talents to help organize the local musical activities. "Music in Cambridge was then in a dis­ organized state. There was plenty of talent, but no means of concen­ trating it for useful purposes."^ By 1873, while still a student, Stanford had sucessfully reorganized the Cambridge University Musical Society into a vocal group with both male and female voices and supported with a fully instrumented orchestra. In addition to being named its conductor, he also became the organist for Trinity College at Cambridge in the same year. With the Cambridge University Musical Society as his main venicle, Stanford used his conducting, teaching and compositional skills to establish Cambridge as a center of musical activity that had previously ^Charles V. Stanford, Paces From an Unwr-tten Jiary (Loncon Ecward Arnold, 1914), p. il2. 1 been unknown. As his reputation spread throughout England and on the Continent, Stanford was able to secure performances of his own compositions in the major centers of Europe, as well as securing, sometimes, first performances of the compositions of the major composers in Europe for the Cambridge University Musical Society. The results of his success at Cambridge allowed him, in the following years, to be named professor of composition at the Royal College of Music when it opened in 1883, conductor of the London Bach Choir in 1885, and conductor of the Leeds Festivals in 1901. In order to ascertain a clearer understanding of Stanford's influence on the musical life of England, a detailed description will be given in each of the three primary areas of his career: (1) as a conductor, (2) as a teacher, and (3) as a composer. Influence as a Conductor As a conductor, Stanford helped raise the quality of musical life in England by developing skilled musical organizations and by programming music of composers not yet known to British audiences. In 1871, while a student at the University of Camoridge (1870-7'i), Stanford wanted women to be acceoted into the Cambridge University Musical Society in order to develop the oalancea vocal sounas and quality necessary to perform the major choral works of the day. The acceptance of women into the group was denied at first. This was accomplished only after Stanford and a friend formeo a small choir, the Amateur Vocal Guild, which utilized the women singers of CamDridce in a group outside University authority. The choir gave only two public performances. At the second of these performances was produced Bach's Cantata, "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit," for the first time in England. The effect of this rival society was such, that the Torries of the C.U.M.S. rubbed their eyes, and when they were offered a fusion . the decision of the previous year was exactly reversed.^ Stanford was named the conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society in 1873. He made the following comments in his Pages From an Unwritten Diary in 1914: . with the help of a first-rate orchestra now within its means, it began its mission of making known new works as well as of making the audiences familiar with the best of the old. Schumann's "Paradise and the Peri" was the first important revival, which was followed by the first performance in England of the same composer's "Faust" music (Part 3), and Brahms' "Requiem."^ By 1876, through his friendship with the violinist, Joseph Joachim, who was also a friend of Brahms, Stanford secured an invitation for both Brahms and Joachim to receive honorary doctor of music degrees from the University. In a letter to Brahms, Joachim tried to persuade Brahms to accept the invitation. "The University wants to honour me in the same way, and I have said 'Yes.' It's the first time that the title of Doctor has been offered to a foreigner."'* Because of "the necessity of submitting to the ^Stanford, Diary, p. 115. ^Stanford, Diary, pp. 115-16. ^Gerald Norris, Stanforc. the Cambr'dce Jupilee and ~c."a^!kovs'Kv (Newton Abbot: David and Charies, I93C), p. 77. 4 excitement of London,"^ Brahms declined the invitation; however, in the process, Stanford had secured permission from Brahms to perform his first symphony, still in manuscript, with the Cambridge University Musical Society. The concert took place in Cambridge on March 3, 1877, in conjunction with the ceremony for Joachim's honorary degree. Althougn Joachim conducted the symphony at the performance, Stanford did the first rehearsals and conducted the other works on the program, except Joachim's own Elegiac Overture. The works Stanford conducted included Brahms' Song of Destiny, Sterndale Bennett's The Wood Nymphs, Beethoven's Violin Concerto and violin pieces by Bach, with Joachim as violin soloist. In 1878, Stanford conducted two more of Brahms' works with the Cambridge University Musical Society. The first performances in England of Alto Rhapsody and Neue Liebeslieder waltzes were presented in the summer of that year." When the Royal College of Music opened in 1883, Stanford was appointed Professor of Composition, and he also became co-director of the orchestra, along with Henry Holmes, a violinist. He became the sole director in 1885. The orcnestra members were drilled QVQry day in sightreading skills and read works in progress by his students. Stanford described the founding principles of the group: -Norris, p. 78. ^Norris, p. 36. We went on the principle that a hearing of a composition is the best lesson the writer can get, and that the perspiration and agony from which a composer suffers when he hears the sounds of his own inexperience is the most valuable part of his training. School orchestras abroad were seldom complete, and were restricted in their repertoire to the most classical music, all modern develop­ ments being stringently placed upon the Index Expurgatorius. We adopted the principle that for effective training the players should know everything, old and new . J The production of operas was also part of the training program set up by Stanford. In his book, Stanford, the Cambridge Jubilee and Tchaikovsky, Gerald Norris states that Stanford's commitment to opera " . was in his blood; of all his achievements at the Royal College, he was proudest of having brought the productions of operas to a high standard."° Many of the operas that he conducted are masterpieces, including Qrfeo ed Euridice, Cosf fan tutte.