Symphony in G minor (Moeran)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony in G minor was the only completed symphony
written by Ernest John Moeran
. He wrote it in 1934-37. It is in four movements.
In 1926, the conductor of the Hallé Orchestra
, Sir Hamilton Harty
, commissioned a symphony from Moeran. He had already been working on a symphony since 1924, and the premiere performance of the new work was announced for 4 March 1926. However, when it was almost finished, he decided he was not satisfied with its structure and withdrew it. Over the next eight years he worked on his revision of the piece, but in 1934 he abandoned his sketches and started again. He reused some earlier material, but the work was substantially new. The symphony was finished on 24 January 1937. and dedicated to Harty, Harty initially refused the dedication after he was overlooked as the conductor for the first performance (by now he was ill and had left the Hallé Orchestra).
The work takes about 45 minutes to play, and is in 4 movements:
The symphony's first movement is a robust sonata form, with a questioning harmonic structure.
Much of the work was written in County Kerry
, Ireland
, where Moeran spent most of this time, but the slow second movement was inspired by the sand dunes and marshes of East Norfolk
, England
, and has its roots in Moeran's 1924 arrangement of a folk-song called The Shooting of His Dear (the 5th of his Six Songs from Norfolk).
The first performance was on 13 January 1938 in the Queen's Hall
, played by the Royal Philharmonic Society
, conducted by Leslie Heward
, whom Moeran considered to be the work's finest interpreter. It was played at a Prom Concert
in August 1938, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
under Sir Henry Wood
. (It did not receive its second performance at the Proms until 23 July 2009, under Vassily Sinaisky
.)
The work and its orchestration show the influence of other composers, including Bax
, Delius
, Warlock
, van Dieren
, and most particularly Sibelius
. The Scherzo begins and ends with a solo oboe, as does the Scherzo of Sibelius's 4th Symphony
; there are echoes of Tapiola
. The influence of folk elements is also apparent: Eric Blom
said it contains "a touch of dialect". There are also jazz
-influenced rhythms.
The work was originally subject to considerable criticism, on the grounds that it was too derivative (Wilfrid Mellers
said it could not have been written before Vaughan Williams
had shown how to write a symphony), undisciplined and showed the composer's inexperience of symphonic form. By 1942, however, it had become accepted. In that year, the British Council
undertook a promotion of British culture overseas. The music section of the project was a recording of significant recent compositions by British composers, and Moeran's Symphony in G minor was the first work to be recorded. It was recorded in November/December 1942, in Manchester
, with the Hallé Orchestra under Leslie Heward. The composer was present for some of the sessions (he proved to be a distraction, and it was suggested he let the musicians get on with their job without his "assistance"). Heward was already seriously ill with tuberculosis
, and died only five months later.
Other conductors to record Moeran's Symphony in G minor include Neville Dilkes (English Sinfonia, 1972), Sir Adrian Boult
(London Philharmonic Orchestra
, 1975), Vernon Handley
(Ulster Orchestra
, 1987) and David Lloyd-Jones
(Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
, 2001).
Moeran completed no more full symphonies. His three-movement Sinfonietta appeared in 1944, and an orchestral Serenade in 1948. He was working on a second symphony (in E-flat) at the time of his death in 1950. The manuscript of that work and various others were donated by his widow Peers Coetmore
to the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne
.
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
written by Ernest John Moeran
Ernest John Moeran
Ernest John Moeran was an English composer who had strong associations with Ireland .-Early life:...
. He wrote it in 1934-37. It is in four movements.
In 1926, the conductor of 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...
, Sir Hamilton Harty
Hamilton Harty
Sir Hamilton Harty was an Irish and British composer, conductor, pianist and organist. In his capacity as a conductor, he was particularly noted as an interpreter of the music of Berlioz and he was much respected as a piano accompanist of exceptional prowess...
, commissioned a symphony from Moeran. He had already been working on a symphony since 1924, and the premiere performance of the new work was announced for 4 March 1926. However, when it was almost finished, he decided he was not satisfied with its structure and withdrew it. Over the next eight years he worked on his revision of the piece, but in 1934 he abandoned his sketches and started again. He reused some earlier material, but the work was substantially new. The symphony was finished on 24 January 1937. and dedicated to Harty, Harty initially refused the dedication after he was overlooked as the conductor for the first performance (by now he was ill and had left the Hallé Orchestra).
The work takes about 45 minutes to play, and is in 4 movements:
- Allegro
- Lento
- Scherzo (Vivace)
- Finale (Lento – Allegro molto).
The symphony's first movement is a robust sonata form, with a questioning harmonic structure.
Much of the work was written in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where Moeran spent most of this time, but the slow second movement was inspired by the sand dunes and marshes of East Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and has its roots in Moeran's 1924 arrangement of a folk-song called The Shooting of His Dear (the 5th of his Six Songs from Norfolk).
The first performance was on 13 January 1938 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...
, played by the Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...
, conducted by Leslie Heward
Leslie Heward
Leslie Heward was an English composer and conductor.He was particularly associated with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Halle....
, whom Moeran considered to be the work's finest interpreter. It was played at a Prom 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 August 1938, 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:...
under Sir Henry Wood
Henry Wood
Henry Wood was a British conductor.Henry Wood may also refer to:* Henry C. Wood , American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient* Henry Wood , English cricketer...
. (It did not receive its second performance at the Proms until 23 July 2009, under Vassily Sinaisky
Vassily Sinaisky
Vassily Serafimovich Sinaisky is a Russian conductor and pianist. He studied conducting with Ilya Musin at the Leningrad Conservatory and began his career as Assistant to Kirill Kondrashin at the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra...
.)
The work and its orchestration show the influence of other composers, including Bax
Arnold Bax
Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO was an English composer and poet. His musical style blended elements of romanticism and impressionism, often with influences from Irish literature and landscape. His orchestral scores are noted for their complexity and colourful instrumentation...
, Delius
Frederick Delius
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
, Warlock
Peter Warlock
Peter Warlock was a pseudonym of Philip Arnold Heseltine , an Anglo-Welsh composer and music critic. He used the pseudonym when composing, and is now better known by this name....
, van Dieren
Bernard van Dieren
Bernard Hélène Joseph van Dieren was a Dutch composer, critic, author, and writer on music.Van Dieren was the last of five children of a Rotterdam wine merchant, Bernard Joseph van Dieren, and his second wife, Julie Françoise Adelle Labbé...
, and most particularly Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
. The Scherzo begins and ends with a solo oboe, as does the Scherzo of Sibelius's 4th Symphony
Symphony No. 4 (Sibelius)
The Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63, is one of seven completed symphonies composed by Jean Sibelius. Written between 1910 and 1911, it was premiered in Helsinki on 3 April 1911 by the Philharmonia Society, with Sibelius conducting....
; there are echoes of Tapiola
Tapiola
Tapiola or Hagalund is a district of Espoo on the south coast of Finland, and is one of the major urban centres of Espoo...
. The influence of folk elements is also apparent: Eric Blom
Eric Blom
Eric Walter Blom CBE was a Swiss-born British-naturalised music lexicographer, musicologist, music critic, music biographer and translator. He is best known as the editor of the 5th edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians .-Biography:Blom was born in Berne, Switzerland...
said it contains "a touch of dialect". There are also jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-influenced rhythms.
The work was originally subject to considerable criticism, on the grounds that it was too derivative (Wilfrid Mellers
Wilfrid Mellers
Wilfrid Howard Mellers OBE was an English music critic, musicologist and composer.-Early life:Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, Mellers was educated at the local Leamington College and later won a scholarship to Downing College, Cambridge, where he read English. At Cambridge, he formed a...
said it could not have been written before Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
had shown how to write a symphony), undisciplined and showed the composer's inexperience of symphonic form. By 1942, however, it had become accepted. In that year, the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
undertook a promotion of British culture overseas. The music section of the project was a recording of significant recent compositions by British composers, and Moeran's Symphony in G minor was the first work to be recorded. It was recorded in November/December 1942, in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, with the Hallé Orchestra under Leslie Heward. The composer was present for some of the sessions (he proved to be a distraction, and it was suggested he let the musicians get on with their job without his "assistance"). Heward was already seriously ill with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, and died only five months later.
Other conductors to record Moeran's Symphony in G minor include Neville Dilkes (English Sinfonia, 1972), Sir 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...
(London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
, 1975), Vernon Handley
Vernon Handley
Vernon George "Tod" Handley CBE was a British conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. He was born of a Welsh father and an Irish mother into a musical family in Enfield, London. He acquired the nickname "Tod" because his feet were turned in at his birth, which his...
(Ulster Orchestra
Ulster Orchestra
The Ulster Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Belfast, the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall...
, 1987) and 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 :...
(Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
, 2001).
Moeran completed no more full symphonies. His three-movement Sinfonietta appeared in 1944, and an orchestral Serenade in 1948. He was working on a second symphony (in E-flat) at the time of his death in 1950. The manuscript of that work and various others were donated by his widow Peers Coetmore
Peers Coetmore
Peers Coetmore was an English cellist. She spent her early years in Spilsby in Lincolnshire.She was born Kathleen Peers Coetmore Jones. She won the Royal Academy of Music's Piatti Prize for cellists in 1924....
to the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.