Music and The Great War (1914-18)

[A Lark Ascending]

Unsurprisingly there are lots of 'arts' programmes on the BBC mentioned here (some may have already passed):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/ww1/arts

This one links with this thread:

Music In The Great War

BBC Radio 3

In June 2014, BBC Radio 3’s daytime and evening schedule will be dedicated to telling the story of World War One through its music.

For two weeks the station follows the journeys of composers and musicians from Britain and across the world as they became caught up in the conflict. From orchestral and chamber music, to trench songs, music hall, the rise of jazz and the music of non-Europeans swept into the war by Empire, Radio 3 programmes discover music expressing jingoism, pride, escapism, nostalgia, camaraderie, grief and loss – and explore how music uniquely captured the mood of a society in total war.

Each day focuses on how the war affected the music and culture of a participant country, including Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, the USA and the UK.

There will be a showcasing of the work of the ‘combatant composers’ such as George Butterworth, Cecil Coles, German Rudi Stephan and Australian-born Frederick Septimus Kelly – all killed in action.

Live music includes concerts from the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, focusing on musicians in exile.

Plans for how the BBC Proms will reflect World War One in its centenary year will be unveiled in April 2014.

BBC Productions.

MC4

[A Lark Ascending]

Ivor Gurney fits the bill, notably his War Elegy.

I'd never heard of that. Looks like it is just out on the new BBC MM cover disc too. Interesting article here:

http://theunknownregion.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/gurney-war-elegy/

[BillF]

If we can widen the scope of the thread a little ...

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/14/first-world-war-german-art-otto-dix

[king ubu]

love Dix and Grosz!

[David Ayers]

Since this is basically my field I won't get started.

[king ubu]

Just out of curiosity: do you read German?

[David Ayers]

I read German only if I have to!

[soulpope]

Nielsen's 4th and 5th are usually thought of as war symphonies.

The composer asserted that he was not conscious of the influence of World War I when composing the 5th symphony, but added that "not one of us is the same as we were before the war". Nevertheless it`s documented that Nielsn wrote about a "evil motif" intervening in course of the first movement......

Probably a good reason to play again the great interpretation by Michael Schonwandt and Dnso released on Dacapo......

Edited May 14, 2014 by soulpope

[A Lark Ascending]

If we can widen the scope of the thread a little ...

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/14/first-world-war-german-art-otto-dix

Compelling pictures. I use that first one in school filling the whole screen. Always gets a reaction.

Made me think of 'Kanonen Lied' from the Threepenny Opera.

Granados was another musical victim. Died when the ship he was on was torpedoed in 1916.

Edited May 14, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

Fabulous story on the recent Ian Hislop programme (about how how we create the past) concerning one Daisy Daking:

Went over to France in WWI to help the wounded convalesce by teaching them morris dancing!

http://www.ju90.co.uk/ctfolk/ctfolk6.htm

*****************************

An English folk revival classic about the pre-war world and the impact the Great War had disrupting that world. As well as the folkies David Munrow's Early Music Consort of London are involved.

Brief site about British composers who fought in the war:

http://www.warcomposers.co.uk/composers.html

Edited May 15, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[David Ayers]

Ah! Picked up the current BBC MM. FWIW the Gurney is only 11 minutes long. The main item is Bridge's war elegy Oration (a cello concerto) and also Gurney's Gloucestershire Rhapsody. Neither composer interests me much, although the Bridge, which I have heard before, is generally held to be a better piece by him. There are several pages on the theme of this thread and some nice photos. Brit-o-centric but not entirely.

http://www.classical-music.com/magazine/current-issue/bbc-music-magazine

The other two are new recordings but the War Elegy is taken from a 2006 Dutton CD.

PS I see the *next* issue of BBC MM will include a recording of Elgar's Spirit of England. Getting a bit parochial?

Edited May 16, 2014 by David Ayers

[JSngry]

[David Ayers]

The BBC Music Magazine and the Gurney/Bridge cover disc are very worthwhile, for those interested.

[A Lark Ascending]

Just been listening to Bridge's Piano Sonata again - written in the early 20's under the influence of WWI and dedicated to Farrar, one of the composers killed in the conflict.

The liner notes describe it as the first full manifestation of his late style. Like Oration and the last two SQs it's darker and harmonically more ambiguous than the earlier music.

Recommended if you don't already know it and have an ear for the music of that time.

Edited May 24, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[Liberdade]

WW1 hastened the decline of the British Empire, so I'm not surprised to see the choices of music from Britain. However WW1 also triggered the destruction of four empires - Germany, Russia, Austro-Hungarian and Turkey - which haven't been mentioned so much in the thread so far. What music would you select from these countries?

[king ubu]

guess Anna Prohaska's new disc fits the bill here:

http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4792472

[Chris_T]

Talk of Mike Westbrook's Marching Song leads me to mention his "London Bridge is Broken Down". The BBC are playing the whole of the "Picardie" section of the album to mark the centenery of the outbreak of the First World War on "Jazz on 3" at 23.00 on 4th August. There will also be an Interview with Mike & Kate. More information here:
http://www.westbrookjazz.co.uk/

[A Lark Ascending]

Yes that Westbrook sequence is excellent. Will listen out on Aug 4th.

BBC has acres of stuff now on WWI and music. Not just the usual suspects:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02146t5

Also a selection to listen to here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/posts/Music-and-the-Great-War-on-BBC-Playlister