Piano Concerto (John Ireland)
Encyclopedia
The Piano Concerto in E flat was John Ireland
’s only concerto. It was composed in 1930, and given its first performance on 2 October of that year by its dedicatee, Helen Perkin (1909-1996), at a Promenade concert
in the Queen's Hall
. The work was an immediate success, and it was frequently performed by pianists such as Clifford Curzon
, Moura Lympany
, Eileen Joyce
, Gina Bachauer
and Arthur Rubinstein
. While it is considered one of the best piano concertos ever written by an Englishman, it is not often heard nowadays and is not part of the standard repertoire.
Encouraged by its success, Ireland planned to write a second concerto, but he only completed one movement, which he called Legend. This was also dedicated to Helen Perkin, and she performed it for the first time on 12 January 1934, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Adrian Boult
.
Ireland was romantically interested in Perkin, but these feelings were not reciprocated. Perkin took up with George Mountford Adie, a disciple of G. I. Gurdjieff
, later marrying him and moving with him to Australia
. As a result, Ireland withdrew the dedications of both works.
Helen Perkin had played Prokofiev
’s Piano Concerto No. 3
at the Royal College of Music
, and it is likely Ireland heard this performance and was influenced by the Russian’s work. He had not, however, heard Ravel
’s G major Concerto since it did not appear until after Ireland’s concerto was published. It is interesting, therefore, that many commentators see echoes in Ireland’s concerto not only of Prokofiev’s concerto, but also of Ravel’s concerto. In its jazzy rhythms, there are also hints of George Gershwin
.
The first person to record the Piano Concerto in E flat was Eileen Joyce
, in 1942, with the Hallé Orchestra
under Leslie Heward
. She was also the soloist when the concerto was played at a special Proms concert
in 1949 to celebrate Ireland’s 70th birthday (this performance was also recorded, and released commercially). After the concert, Eileen Joyce and her partner took Ireland to dinner, and Percy Grainger
also attended. The concerto was again played at Ireland’s 80th birthday concert. It has also been also recorded by Eric Parkin (twice), Piers Lane
, Kathryn Stott
, Colin Horsley
and Geoffrey Tozer
.
The Piano Concerto is in two formal movements; the slow movement leads directly into the finale. Towards the end of the slow movement Ireland quotes a melody from Helen Perkin’s String Quartet, with which she had earlier won the Royal College of Music’s Cobbett Prize for Composition.
John Ireland (composer)
John Nicholson Ireland was an English composer.- Life :John Ireland was born in Bowdon, near Altrincham, Manchester, into a family of Scottish descent and some cultural distinction. His father, Alexander Ireland, a publisher and newspaper proprietor, was aged 70 at John's birth...
’s only concerto. It was composed in 1930, and given its first performance on 2 October of that year by its dedicatee, Helen Perkin (1909-1996), at a Promenade concert
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
in the Queen's Hall
Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect T.E. Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it was the home of the promenade concerts founded by Robert...
. The work was an immediate success, and it was frequently performed by pianists such as Clifford Curzon
Clifford Curzon
Sir Clifford Michael Curzon, CBE was an English pianist.-Early life:Clifford Michael Siegenberg was born in London to Michael and Constance Mary Siegenberg...
, Moura Lympany
Moura Lympany
Dame Moura Lympany DBE was an English concert pianist.She was born as Mary Gertrude Johnstone at Saltash, Cornwall. Her father was an army officer who had served in World War I and her mother originally taught her the piano...
, Eileen Joyce
Eileen Joyce
Eileen Alannah Joyce CMG was an Australian pianist whose career spanned more than 30 years. She lived in England in her adult years....
, Gina Bachauer
Gina Bachauer
Gina Bachauer , was a Greek classical pianist who toured extensively in the United States and Europe....
and Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein KBE was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers...
. While it is considered one of the best piano concertos ever written by an Englishman, it is not often heard nowadays and is not part of the standard repertoire.
Encouraged by its success, Ireland planned to write a second concerto, but he only completed one movement, which he called Legend. This was also dedicated to Helen Perkin, and she performed it for the first time on 12 January 1934, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
conducted by Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was...
.
Ireland was romantically interested in Perkin, but these feelings were not reciprocated. Perkin took up with George Mountford Adie, a disciple of G. I. Gurdjieff
G. I. Gurdjieff
George Ivanovich Gurdjieff according to Gurdjieff's principles and instructions, or the "Fourth Way."At one point he described his teaching as "esoteric Christianity."...
, later marrying him and moving with him to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. As a result, Ireland withdrew the dedications of both works.
Helen Perkin had played Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
’s Piano Concerto No. 3
Piano Concerto No. 3 (Prokofiev)
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26 is the best-known concerto by Sergei Prokofiev. It was completed in 1921 using sketches first started in 1913.-Composition and performances:...
at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, and it is likely Ireland heard this performance and was influenced by the Russian’s work. He had not, however, heard Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
’s G major Concerto since it did not appear until after Ireland’s concerto was published. It is interesting, therefore, that many commentators see echoes in Ireland’s concerto not only of Prokofiev’s concerto, but also of Ravel’s concerto. In its jazzy rhythms, there are also hints of George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
.
The first person to record the Piano Concerto in E flat was Eileen Joyce
Eileen Joyce
Eileen Alannah Joyce CMG was an Australian pianist whose career spanned more than 30 years. She lived in England in her adult years....
, in 1942, with the Hallé Orchestra
The Hallé
The Hallé is a symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. It is the UK's oldest extant symphony orchestra , supports a choir, youth choir and a youth orchestra, and releases its recordings on its own record label, though it has occasionally released recordings on Angel Records and EMI...
under Leslie Heward
Leslie Heward
Leslie Heward was an English composer and conductor.He was particularly associated with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Halle....
. She was also the soloist when the concerto was played at a special Proms concert
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
in 1949 to celebrate Ireland’s 70th birthday (this performance was also recorded, and released commercially). After the concert, Eileen Joyce and her partner took Ireland to dinner, and Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
also attended. The concerto was again played at Ireland’s 80th birthday concert. It has also been also recorded by Eric Parkin (twice), Piers Lane
Piers Lane
Piers Lane is an Australian classical pianist. His performance career has taken him to more than 40 countries. His concerto repertoire exceeds 75 works.- Early life :...
, Kathryn Stott
Kathryn Stott
Kathryn Stott is a British classical pianist who performs as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Her specialities include the English and French classical repertoire, contemporary classical music and the tango...
, Colin Horsley
Colin Horsley
Colin Horsley OBE is a New Zealand classical pianist and teacher who has been based in the United Kingdom all his working life. He had a significant artistic association with the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley.-Biography:...
and Geoffrey Tozer
Geoffrey Tozer
Geoffrey Tozer was an Australian classical pianist and composer. As a child prodigy, he composed an opera at the age of eight, and became the youngest recipient of a Churchill Fellowship award at 13...
.
The Piano Concerto is in two formal movements; the slow movement leads directly into the finale. Towards the end of the slow movement Ireland quotes a melody from Helen Perkin’s String Quartet, with which she had earlier won the Royal College of Music’s Cobbett Prize for Composition.