Ralph Vaughan Williams. “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” within the Framework of the English Musical Revival

Why did Carl Nielsen achieve such a favourable reception in England from the 1950s on, compared to the rather reluctant recognition in continental Europe? We would suggest that one reason could be an affi nity of features in his music with the concept of English national music. This attempt to discuss the British reception of Nielsen does, of course, not imply that Nielsen’s music is English. From a constructivist position, national musics are based on cultural common-views in a population of people identifying themselves with a certain concept of a nation which they regard their own. The concept of English national music had Ralph Vaughan Williams as chief engineer and champion. Based on Cecil J. Sharp’s scientific investigation of the English folk song, Vaughan Williams developed a theoretical background on which English composers could (and later would) create their compositions, and his thoughts became prevalent through the English musical establishment. Such ideas of English music did not by accident or as some kind of revelation find their way to the hearts and minds of English listeners and critics. The success was due to a deliberate effort by a national movement, and a most crucial feature was the introduction of folk song singing in elementary schools, instilling these particular views into following generations of listeners. Though mainly concerned with the music of England, Vaughan Williams’ ideas were not limited by nationality as such, but were general guidelines for every composer in every nation of the world. In many ways Nielsen’s music can be seen to fi t Vaughan Williams’ characteristics for good music. When fi rst established, ideas of national music are embedded in a value system that considers such music of high quality and thus music – like Nielsen’s – which has affi nities with the image of English national music, is more likely to be recognized and appreciated as ‘good’.

Download Full-text

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Kammermusikführer ◽

10.1007/978-3-476-03514-1_132 ◽

1998 ◽

pp. 646-648

Author(s):

Sabina Prüser

Keyword(s):

Ralph Vaughan Williams ◽

Vaughan Williams

Download Full-text

Robert Louis Stevenson, Ralph Vaughan Williams and their Songs of Travel 1

Vaughan Williams Essays ◽

10.4324/9781315084336-7 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 129-156

Author(s):

Rufus Hallmark

Keyword(s):

Robert Louis Stevenson ◽

Ralph Vaughan Williams ◽

Vaughan Williams

Download Full-text

The Lady Composer Learns Her Craft

Madeleine Dring ◽

10.3828/liverpool/9781949979312.003.0005 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 85-114

Author(s):

Wanda Brister ◽

Jay Rosenblatt

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Royal College ◽

Full Time ◽

Ralph Vaughan Williams ◽

World War ◽

Musical Style ◽

Full Time Student ◽

Vaughan Williams

The period of Dring’s life as a full-time student at the Royal College of Music overlapped with the concluding years of World War II. The director of the RCM, George Dyson, decided to keep the school open, and Dring’s diaries provide a picture of her life during the first years of the war. Principal teachers included W.H. Reed in violin, Lilian Gaskell in piano, Topliss Green in voice, and Margaret Rubel in “dramatic.” Dring continued to be active as a performer, earning her ARCM certificate in piano, and she performed in many plays and scenes as part of the dramatic class. She also had the opportunity to produce, direct, and write the music for The Emperor and the Nightingale, the annual Christmas play for the Junior Department. Her most important instructor was Herbert Howells in composition, with whom she studied for her entire four years as a full-time student, and she also took occasional lessons with Ralph Vaughan Williams. Her musical style is discussed through an examination of “Under the Greenwood Tree,” the first of her Three Shakespeare Songs, written and first performed during these years.

Download Full-text