Durham E-Theses Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn: Selected Works 1938-45 SWEET, ELIZABETH How to cite: SWEET, ELIZABETH (2016) Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn: Selected Works 1938-45, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11796/ Use policy This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 (CC0) Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn Selected Works 1938-45 Elizabeth Sweet Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn Elizabeth Sweet Material Abstract In 1938 William Alwyn made the radical decision to abandon his previous composition methods and based future works upon the neoclassical compositional aesthetic. The second work to emerge was the Divertimento for Solo Flute, a composition on a single stave with substantial implicit contrapuntal writing. This thesis will examine both the Continental European and British musical context in the period leading up to Alwyn’s 1938 compositional crisis in order to provide a model for neoclassicism. This model will be used to assess Alwyn’s neoclassical compositions to evaluate Alwyn as a composer in the light of his stated wish to become a Bach or Beethoven. It will also include a brief musical biography in order to contextualise Alwyn’s neoclassical compositions within the wider body of his work. i Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn Selected Works 1938-45 Elizabeth Sweet Submitted for the Degree of Master of Arts by Research Department of Music University of Durham 2016 ii Contents INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 1 THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT ............................................................................................ 10 Russo-French Neoclassicism ............................................................................ 14 Stravinsky ............................................................................................................................ 18 German music................................................................................................ 33 Schoenberg ........................................................................................................................... 34 Busoni .................................................................................................................................. 39 Hindemith............................................................................................................................ 43 THE ENGLISH CONTEXT ................................................................................................ 54 A ‘Land without Music’ and the ‘English Renaissance’ ........................................ 55 The Effect of World War I and Economic Disorder.............................................. 65 Culture and the Arts ....................................................................................... 67 The Second School of British Composers ........................................................... 70 Michael Tippett .................................................................................................................... 73 William Walton .................................................................................................................... 77 Benjamin Britten .................................................................................................................. 82 Foreign Musical Influences .............................................................................. 85 British Neoclassicism ...................................................................................... 95 A BRIEF MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY OF ALWYN.......................................................... 101 The Life of Alwyn......................................................................................... 105 Musical Influences ........................................................................................ 108 The Compositional Crisis .............................................................................. 111 iii ALWYN AND NEOCLASSICISM ................................................................................. 115 Rhapsody for Piano Quartet........................................................................... 117 Pastoral Fantasia for Viola and String Orchestra ............................................... 128 Sonata Impromptu for violin and viola (Sonata quasi fantasia) ........................... 133 Prelude (Moderato con alcuna licenza)................................................................................... 135 Theme & Variations ............................................................................................................. 138 Finale alla Capriccio ............................................................................................................. 141 Divertimento for Solo Flute ............................................................................. 143 Introduction and Fughetta .................................................................................................. 147 Variations on a Ground ..................................................................................................... 152 Gavotte and Musette ............................................................................................................ 156 Finale alla Gigue .................................................................................................................. 159 Concerto Grosso No. 1 .................................................................................. 163 Moderato Molto ................................................................................................................... 165 Adagio con Moto (alla Siciliano)............................................................................................ 169 Vivace.................................................................................................................................. 170 Suite for Oboe and Harp................................................................................ 174 Minuet ................................................................................................................................ 174 Valse Miniature ................................................................................................................... 176 Jig........................................................................................................................................ 177 Concerto for Oboe, String Orchestra and Harp ................................................. 178 Andante e rubato .................................................................................................................. 179 Vivace.................................................................................................................................. 185 After Neoclassicism ...................................................................................... 187 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 190 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................ 199 Books, Correspondence, Journal Articles and Databases .................................... 199 Scores ......................................................................................................... 214 iv Websites...................................................................................................... 216 Discography ................................................................................................ 217 v List of Tables Table 1: A Summary of the influences upon the major ‘Elder’ British Composers.... 71 Table 2: The Younger Generation of Neoclassical Composers ............................... 73 Table 3: A Comparison of the use of Rotation with Sonata Form in the First Movements of Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony and Walton’s First Symphony ................ 92 Table 4: Compositions by William Alwyn from 1938 and during the War Years ... 116 Table 5: Alwyn: Rhapsody for Piano Quartet – basic structure ............................... 121 Table 6: Alwyn’s Use of Collection-based Harmony in his Rhapsody for Piano Quartet .................................................................................................................. 124 Table 7: A Thematic and Harmonic Structure for Alwyn: Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘Prelude’ ...................................................................................... 138 Table 8: A Unordered Pitch Sets and Interval Class Profiles for Alwyn: Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘Theme and Variations’ .................................... 139 Table 9: A Description of the Variations in Alwyn’s Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola ........................................................................................................... 140 Table 10: The Variations from William Alwyn, Variations on a Ground ................. 155 Table 11: The Structure of Alwyn, Concerto Grosso No. 1 in B-flat, ‘Moderato Molto’ . 166 Table 12: The Structure of Alwyn, Concerto Grosso No. 1 in B-flat, Third Movement: ‘Vivace’ .......................................................................................................