Kenneth LEIGHTON Complete Chamber Works for Cello Elegy Partita Sonata Alleluia Pascha Nostrum Raphael Wallfisch, Cello • Raphael Terroni, Piano Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) up the post of Professor of Harmony at the Royal Marine inquieto, Ostinato (a kind of Passacaglia), March, Complete Chamber Works for Cello School of Music in Deal, Kent, before accepting a Appassionato, Waltz, and finally Chorale.’ Gregory Fellowship at the University of Leeds from the Kenneth Leighton wrote his first work for solo cello as a performance on 4th March 1950 in the University Music Autumn of 1953. After three years in the fellowship he Sonata for cello solo, Op. 52 twenty year old student at The Queen’s College, Oxford. School of the University of Cambridge. The Sonata (with was appointed as a lecturer at the Faculty of Music at the Completed on New Year’s Eve of 1949, the piece was a Leighton accompanying at the piano) opened a mixed University of Edinburgh, in succession to Hans Gál, The Sonata for cello solo, Op. 52 was written by Leighton sonata in three movements in F minor and, while programme offered by members of the Oxford University where he was to spend most of the rest of his life. during the summer of 1967. It received its first performance unfortunately not remaining intact, was the provenance of Musical Club and Union. The years 1956 to 1968 represented a settled period by the eminent cellist Joan Dickson in December of the the earliest work on this recording, the Elegy for cello and Following a subsequent change of heart about the in Leighton’s life. His notoriety as a composer increased same year, during one of the regular lunch-hour concerts piano, Op. 5. Following this early work for the instrument, sonata as a whole, Leighton withdrew the work, retaining rapidly during this time with most of his works now being that took place at the National Gallery of Scotland in Leighton was to continue to write for the cello on a regular the middle movement as the Elegy, which was published published and widely distributed by the publishing house Edinburgh. The Sonata was written just a year before basis, with a plethora of compositions that include the in 1953, again by Alfred Lengnick. Some years later, of Novello and Co., while the birth of his two children, Leighton was to depart Edinburgh for two years to become instrument in various guises: as a solo instrument, with following Leighton’s death, the Elegy inspired his Angela and Robert, represented a prolonged episode of a Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford, this time in the piano, in a concerto rôle, in various chamber colleague at the University of Edinburgh, the composer success in his life. The Partita for cello and piano came succession to Edmund Rubbra. Leighton’s position in British permutations as well as, inevitably, within an orchestra. Edward Harper to write an orchestral version of the Elegy, toward the end of a particularly productive year, which music as a composer had, by this point, become undeniably This particular collection focuses on the quite substantial which was published by Oxford University Press. began with the completion of the Quintet for Piano and cemented. His output had now grown to include many major contribution of solo works (including those with piano), In the Elegy, Leighton presents a compact, rounded String Quartet, Op. 34 and also saw work on the Nine works and commissions in a diverse number of genres, that Leighton made to the repertoire of the cello. and tender work. As a composer, one of his greatest Variations for piano, Op. 36, the Nocturne for violin and each of which impeccably crafted and constructed. attributes was his intense lyricism and the particular piano and his Second Piano Concerto, as well as this A suggestion of homage to J.S. Bach in this work for Elegy for cello and piano, Op. 5 quality of the cello allows him to use this facet to great substantial work for cello. unaccompanied cello is almost inevitable – Leighton had effect. At the time of this composition, Leighton’s musical With Leighton working on a number of works previously composed the piano work Fantasia When Leighton penned the Sonata in F minor for cello language was grounded in the early-twentieth century simultaneously, the genesis of the Partita was relatively Contrappuntistica, Op. 24 as a homage to Bach, who had and piano during December 1949, he was in the final year pastoral qualities of English music, which was quite long, taking almost a year to come to fruition. It was not influenced much of his work – although this was of a degree in Classics. In the autumn of 1947 he had prevalent in Oxford at the time. The Elegy is steeped in the result of a commission, but rather of inner compulsion, something Leighton never acknowledged. The lyrical gone up to The Queen’s College as a Hastings Scholar the qualities of English music and those composers who although it received its first performance quite soon after nature of the cello is exploited to its fullest, with the often following a grammar school education in his home town of Leighton named as early influences on his music all its completion in February 1960; the cellist Florence rhapsodic nature of the work and frequent use of broken Wakefield in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Despite his feature in some way in this music – namely, and among Hooton, who had premièred Leighton’s Cello Concerto in chords and other techniques suggesting more than a initially studying Classics, his musical achievements had others, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gerald Finzi and July 1956 at the Cheltenham Festival under the baton of fleeting influence of Bach, whether subconscious or not. been substantial up to this point: among other Herbert Howells. Sir John Barbirolli, also gave the première of the Partita in Leighton explains the sonata in his own note on the work: attainments, he had been awarded the Licentiate of the the Wigmore Hall accompanied by Wilfrid Parry at the Royal Academy of Music at the age of sixteen, two of his Partita for cello and piano, Op. 35 piano. ‘The first movement [Lament and Pizzicato] is really a earliest works for piano had recently been published by Formed of three movements – Elegy, Scherzo and triptych, opening and closing with sustained melodic line, the London firm of Alfred Lengnick, and he had recently Completed in September of 1959, almost ten years after Theme and Variations – Leighton himself described the punctuated from time to time by two funereal pizzicato being granted permission to study for the Oxford Bachelor Elegy, the Partita, Op. 35 was Leighton’s next work for work as follows: notes, which later return towards the end of the work. of Music degree concurrently with his studies in Classics. solo cello and piano. Much had occurred during the ‘The second movement [Toccata and Cradle Song] Leighton’s tutor for music at Oxford was Bernard preceding ten years in Leighton’s life. Following ‘The opening Elegy is an intense lyrical movement with opens with restless buzzings, the lullaby serving as a Trio Rose, who was instrumental in introducing Leighton to completion of his studies at Oxford, he had studied in two distinct themes and a final mysterious section in the at first tender and later more passionate. In the Finale such luminaries as Gerald Finzi, Ralph Vaughan Williams Rome with the avant garde composer Goffredo Petrassi manner of a slow march. This is followed by a brilliant and [Flourish, Chaconne and Coda] the opening Flourish and and Edmund Rubbra, as well as the cellist who first as a recipient of the Mendelssohn Scholarship, where he energetic Scherzo […] while the final movement, Theme the ensuing variations on a ground are easy to follow, and played the Sonata in F minor, Jeanne Fry. As far as is was to begin to discover his mature musical language that and Variations, is more extended and carries the main they culminate in a return of the grave and elegiac music known the complete sonata – with the Elegy as the Lento was to make his music instantly recognisable, as well as emotional weight of the work. A bell-like theme […] is of the first movement.’ cantabile middle movement – received only one public meeting his first wife, Lydia. On return to England he took followed by variations which bear the titles – Allegro Alleluia Pascha Nostrum, Op. 85 Raphael Wallfisch Leighton returned to Edinburgh in the autumn of 1970 as strong links with the music of the church. Leighton himself Photo: Benjamin Ealovega Raphael Wallfisch was born in London into a family Reid Professor at the Faculty of Music following the explained how ‘Like the Missa de Gloria for organ of distinguished musicians, his mother the cellist retirement of Sidney Newman, who had been in the post (composed in the previous year) it is based on plainsong Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and his father the pianist for almost thirty years. It was to be Leighton’s last melodies from the 12th Century Salisbury Chant for Peter Wallfisch. At the age of twenty-four he won appointment, and he was to die in the post at the Easter Day, and this material (freely varied and extended) the Gaspar Cassadó International Cello premature age of 58. The years that followed were is present almost throughout.’ Competition in Florence. Since then he has enjoyed somewhat turbulent for Leighton and resulted in the It consists of six clear sections that are to be played a world-wide career and is regularly invited to play dissolution of his first marriage.