Summer's Last Will and Testament (Lambert)
Encyclopedia
Summer's Last Will and Testament is a choral masque
or cantata
by Constant Lambert
, written between 1932 and 1935, and premiered in 1936. It is scored for chorus
and orchestra
, with a baritone
solo also featured in the last of its seven movements. It is based on the poem of the same name
by Thomas Nashe
, written around 1592. Lambert considered the work his magnum opus
, and it is his largest work in any genre. However, it attracted little attention at its 1936 premiere and had only one or two other performances in Lambert's lifetime (he died in 1951).
It has received only one complete commercial recording to date, released in 1992. This, along with a general resurgence of interest in Constant Lambert's music, has led to the work being reexamined, and performances are starting to take place. The Guardian critic said the 1992 recording had made available to the public "a masterpiece buried for far too long".
In 1949, Lambert said to Sir Frederick Ashton
: "I like Summer's Last Will and Testament the best of all my work". Malcolm Arnold
called it "one of the undiscovered treasures of the English choral repertoire".
's The Seven Deadly Sins (under the title Anna-Anna), and completing his book Music Ho!.
The work was premiered at the Queen's Hall in London
on 29 January 1936. The Philharmonic Choir, the BBC Symphony Orchestra
and the baritone soloist Roy Henderson were conducted by the composer. The concert was sparsely attended. King George V
had died just over a week before, and the sombre mood of the country was undoubtedly inimical to a work replete with references to plague, disease and death, and to the persistent aura of fatalism which affected much of Lambert's music. Although this tepid response could well have been anticipated under the circumstances, Lambert considered he had failed as a composer, and completed only two major works in the remaining sixteen years of his life.
The piece lasts about 55 minutes. It was dedicated to his then wife Florence Chuter (aka Florence Kaye), whom he had married in 1931.
King Pest is also an allusion to Edgar Allan Poe
's story of the same name.
A version also exists with the orchestral parts arranged for piano four-hands.
, with David Lloyd-Jones
conducting the English Northern Philharmonia
, the Leeds Festival Chorus, and baritone soloist William Shimell. The recording took place in the Leeds Town Hall
, and was produced by Christopher Palmer.
Tapes of a 1965 broadcast conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent
also exist.
The penultimate movement, the Rondo burlesca subtitled King Pest, written for orchestra alone, has sometimes been performed separately and has been recorded separately (by Norman Del Mar
and the English Chamber Orchestra
, released in 2007).
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
or cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
by Constant Lambert
Constant Lambert
Leonard Constant Lambert was a British composer and conductor.-Early life:Lambert, the son of Russian-born Australian painter George Lambert, was educated at Christ's Hospital and the Royal College of Music...
, written between 1932 and 1935, and premiered in 1936. It is scored for chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, with a baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
solo also featured in the last of its seven movements. It is based on the poem of the same name
Summer's Last Will and Testament
Summer's Last Will and Testament is an Elizabethan era stage play, a comedy written by Thomas Nashe. Nashe's sole extant drama, it broke new ground in the development of English Renaissance drama: "No earlier English comedy has anything like the intellectual content or the social relevance that it...
by Thomas Nashe
Thomas Nashe
Thomas Nashe was an English Elizabethan pamphleteer, playwright, poet and satirist. He was the son of the minister William Nashe and his wife Margaret .-Early life:...
, written around 1592. Lambert considered the work his magnum opus
Magnum opus
Magnum opus , from the Latin meaning "great work", refers to the largest, and perhaps the best, greatest, most popular, or most renowned achievement of a writer, artist, or composer.-Related terms:Sometimes the term magnum opus is used to refer to simply "a great work" rather than "the...
, and it is his largest work in any genre. However, it attracted little attention at its 1936 premiere and had only one or two other performances in Lambert's lifetime (he died in 1951).
It has received only one complete commercial recording to date, released in 1992. This, along with a general resurgence of interest in Constant Lambert's music, has led to the work being reexamined, and performances are starting to take place. The Guardian critic said the 1992 recording had made available to the public "a masterpiece buried for far too long".
In 1949, Lambert said to Sir Frederick Ashton
Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
: "I like Summer's Last Will and Testament the best of all my work". Malcolm Arnold
Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
called it "one of the undiscovered treasures of the English choral repertoire".
Background and premiere
Summer's Last Will and Testament was written between 1932 and 1935, a period in which Lambert was busy with his conducting and orchestration duties with Sadler's Wells, conducting the London premiere of Kurt WeillKurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
's The Seven Deadly Sins (under the title Anna-Anna), and completing his book Music Ho!.
The work was premiered at the Queen's Hall in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 29 January 1936. The Philharmonic Choir, 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:...
and the baritone soloist Roy Henderson were conducted by the composer. The concert was sparsely attended. King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
had died just over a week before, and the sombre mood of the country was undoubtedly inimical to a work replete with references to plague, disease and death, and to the persistent aura of fatalism which affected much of Lambert's music. Although this tepid response could well have been anticipated under the circumstances, Lambert considered he had failed as a composer, and completed only two major works in the remaining sixteen years of his life.
The piece lasts about 55 minutes. It was dedicated to his then wife Florence Chuter (aka Florence Kaye), whom he had married in 1931.
Movements
The sections of Summer's Last Will and Testament are:- Intrata (orchestra alone)
- Madrigal con ritornelli: Fair Summer droops (orchestra and chorus)
- Corante: Spring, the sweet Spring (orchestra and chorus)
- Brawles: Trip and go, heave and ho! (orchestra and chorus)
- Madrigal con ritornelli: Autumn hath all the Summer's fruitful treasure (orchestra and chorus)
- Rondo burlesca: King Pest (orchestra alone)
- Saraband: Adieu, farewell earth's bliss! (orchestra, baritone solo and chorus)
King Pest is also an allusion to Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's story of the same name.
Orchestration
Summer's Last Will and Testament is scored for the following forces:- baritone solo
- chorus SATB
- 3 flutes
- 3 oboes
- 3 clarinets
- 3 bassoons
- 4 horns
- 3 trumpets
- 3 cornets
- 3 trombones
- tuba
- timpani
- percussion
- harpsichord
- strings
A version also exists with the orchestral parts arranged for piano four-hands.
Recording
Summer's Last Will and Testament has had only one complete commercial recording. This was released in 1992 by Hyperion RecordsHyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
, with David Lloyd-Jones
David Lloyd-Jones
David Matthias Lloyd-Jones is a British conductor who has specialised in British and Russian music. He is also an editor and translator, especially of Russian operas.- Biography :...
conducting the English Northern Philharmonia
Orchestra of Opera North
The Orchestra of Opera North is the orchestra that plays for the English opera company, Opera North....
, the Leeds Festival Chorus, and baritone soloist William Shimell. The recording took place in the Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...
, and was produced by Christopher Palmer.
Tapes of a 1965 broadcast conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent
Malcolm Sargent
Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works...
also exist.
The penultimate movement, the Rondo burlesca subtitled King Pest, written for orchestra alone, has sometimes been performed separately and has been recorded separately (by Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
and the English Chamber Orchestra
English Chamber Orchestra
The English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
, released in 2007).