Oct 03 Blog The English Violin Photo: A portrait of English violinist Albert Sammons. Edward Elgar’s Violin Sonata was one of three chamber works Elgar composed more or less concurrently towards the end of the First World War at Brinkwells, the country cottage the Elgars had rented near Fittleworth in Sussex. Although he had begun work on the String Quartet before […] By Alan Brandt Oct 03 Blog The English Violin By Alan Brandt
Sep 10 Blog England, 1934 The year 1934 was especially hard on the English music scene as it saw the deaths of three major composers from the UK; Gustav Holst, Frederick Delius and Edward Elgar. Gustav Holst is best known for the suite for large orchestra called The Planets. He wrote one symphony called the Cotswolds Symphony. First performed in […] By Alan Brandt Sep 10 Blog England, 1934 By Alan Brandt
Jun 27 Blog Delius’ America Two major European composers became smitten with American “Negro folk” melodies. Both spent time in America and both absorbed these folk tunes into their own compositions. One was Antonin Dvorak and the other was Englishman Frederick Delius. Delius’ father was a hard-working German immigrant in Yorkshire, England. He expected his sons to follow in his […] By Alan Brandt Jun 27 Blog Delius’ America By Alan Brandt
Jun 12 Blog English Piano Concertos The Piano Concerto in C by Ralph Vaughan Williams was written in 1926 and 1930-31 (movement 3). It premiered in February, 1933, by Harriet Cohen, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra directed by Sir Adrian Boult. The Finale was edited later and the work was published in 1936. The concerto was not well received at first, […] By Alan Brandt Jun 12 Blog English Piano Concertos By Alan Brandt
May 23 Blog Granville Bantock “Your music has struck a fibre in my being, which is beyond analysis, but which I feel is the truest and noblest chord that has yet been souned in our art.” -Letter from Granville Bantock to Frederick Delius Granville Bantock was an influential musical force in Great Britain, both in and behind the music scene. […] By Alan Brandt May 23 Blog Granville Bantock By Alan Brandt
May 02 Blog Suites for Strings The composers of Great Britain have a long tradition of writing suites for string orchestras. We’ll hear a few of them on this week’s English Pastorale. Hubert Parry’s Lady Radnor Suite was written in 1894 for an all-woman orchestra lead by Lady Radnor of Salisbury. The six movements are marked by charm and invention and, […] By Alan Brandt May 02 Blog Suites for Strings By Alan Brandt
Apr 24 Blog Delius and Friends The music of Frederick Delius is unique. Born in Yorkshire, England, Delius was a citizen of the world. His music showed influences from his travels to America, Norway and France. But his approach to composition was all his own. While there was never a “Delius School” of composers to emerge from his output, he did […] By Alan Brandt Apr 24 Blog Delius and Friends By Alan Brandt