Composers began setting the poems to music less than ten years after their first appearance, and many parodists have satirised housmans themes and poetic style. The joy of the recording is hearing butterworths own orchestral a shropshire lad, rhapsody for string orchestra in context with the song cycle. Martin in the fields and sir neville marriner on amazon music. Perhaps butterworths most famous orchestral piece is his 1911 rhapsody a shropshire lad, which shares the inspiration. A shropshire lad, rhapsody for orchestra 1911 by george butterworth. Vinyl 10 butterworth, holst, the london philharmonic orchestra conducted by sir adrian boult the perfect fool ballet suite a shropshire lad rhapsody 1955, vinyl. Feature documentary film on the british composer, folk song collector and morris dancer george butterworth. The book includes some of butterworths own writings on music. The rhapsody, a shropshire lad a sort of postlude to the songs employs a normal.
The rhapsody, an orchestral epilogue to the composers song cycle of the same name, is in the form of an elegy. Like vaughan williams, butterworth was a dedicated and knowledgeable collector of english folk songs. Houseman, which butterworth had previously set to music. Housmans a shropshire lad, first published in 1896. A shropshire lad is a collection of sixtythree poems by the english poet alfred edward housman, published in 1896. George butterworth six songs from a shropshire lad youtube. Housmans poetry and thematically related to his earlier housman song cycle of the same name. Title rhapsody for full orchestra composer butterworth, george.
A shropshire lad was housmans first book of poems to be published. Shop and buy a shropshire lad and other songs sheet music. Housmans a shropshire lad poems in two cycles in 19091911. Posts about a shropshire lad written by tish farrell. Six songs from a shropshire lad is a song cycle for baritone and piano composed in 1911 by george butterworth 18851916. The book will be published this year in germany though its in english. Loveliest of trees e major when i was one and twenty b minor look not in my eyes f major think no more, lad g. This instantly made me think of george butterworth whose promising career as a composer ended with a snipers bullet on the somme in 1916. A shropshire lad and other songs by george butterworth.
George sainton kaye butterworth was born on 12 july 1885. Six songs from a shropshire lad this set first made butterworth s name famous and has since been regarded as a classic amongst 20th century english songcycles. Few volumes of poetry in the english language have enjoyed as much success with both literary connoisseurs and the general reader as a. Butterworth set eleven of housmans poems, originally to be grouped in one narrative cycle, but later regrouped into two sets for publication. Housmans a shropshire lad, and chose those that mourn the lives and deaths of redcoats british soldiers. George sainton kaye butterworth, mc 12 july 1885 5 august 1916 was an english. A shropshire lad rhapsody for orchestra butterworth. Six songs from a shropshire lad this set first made butterworths name famous and has since been regarded as a classic amongst 20th century english songcycles. The owl and the pussycat at leeds lieder festival 2016 duration. Scholars and critics have seen in these timeless poems an elegance of taste and perfection of form and feeling comparable to the greatest of the classic. Hope you can take this opportunity to catch the film on a big screen and in the wonderful setting of the victoria hall. George sainton kaye butterworth, mc 12 july 18855 august 1916 was an english composer who was best known for the orchestral idyll the banks of green willow and his song settings of a. Housmans 1896 collection a shropshire lad butterworth set another five poems from a shropshire lad in bredon hill and other songs 1912. How the first world war robbed us of one of britains greatest young.
Born on 12th july 1885, he studied at trinity college, oxford, with fellow composer ralph vaughan williams, going on to become a music critic for the times while composing and teaching at radley college, a public school in oxfordshire. George sainton kaye butterworth 18851916 one of englands most distinctive composers, george butterworth was born on 12 july 1885 in london, the only child of sir alexander kaye butterworth 18541946, a solicitor and later general manager of. The rhapsody, an orchestral epilogue to the composers song cycle of the same. The programmatic subtext is one of conflict culminating in death. I sometimes dread coming back to normal life with so many gaps, wrote vaughan williams to holst in october 1916, especially, of course, george butterworth. Shop and buy a shropshire lad, rhapsody sheet music. A shropshire lad the banks of green willow discogs. A shropshire lad 1911 the banks of green willow 19 eleven songs from a shropshire lad 19101911 arranged for voice and small orchestra by phillip brookes preface george butterworth was one of britains finest musicians during the years leading up to world war one, a conflict which tragically claimed his life. Nine of the eleven songs were premiered at oxford on 16 may. Butterworth, holst, the london philharmonic orchestra.
Essential for any collection of twentieth century english music, this disc contains the four extant orchestral works of george butterworth his two english idylls, the banks of green willow, and a shropshire lad rhapsody in performances by adrian boult and the london philharmonic orchestra of such complete conviction and deep affection that they might well be dubbed. Find upcoming concerts, watch performances, and learn more about the music. George butterworth died on the western front on 5 august 1916. As i was man alive ay, the horses trample the harness jingles now no change though you lie under the land you used to plough is football playing along the river shore with lads to chase the leather now i stand up no more ay, the ball is flying the lads play heart and soul the goal stands up the keeper stands up to keep the goal is my girl happy that i thought hard. Complete your george butterworth hamilton harty frank. He is best known for his arrangements of english folk songs, and in 1911 and 1912 he set to music eleven of a e housmans a shropshire lad. Housmans a shropshire lad and this evocative and poignant rhapsody by. Butterworth, g songs from a shropshire lad folk songs. Butterworth, george 18851916 archive the radio 3 forum. Butterworth, george volume 3 vocal works repertoire explorer.
George butterworth was one of britains finest musicians during the years leading. A shropshire lad, rhapsody for orchestra 1911 george. George sainton kaye butterworth 18851916 epitaphs of the. Butterworth must have swiftly changed his mind about the success of the sequence for by the following month it was the six songs from a shropshire lad in their published version that were performed in london on 20 june at the aeolian hall when mcinnes again was the singer and hamilton harty accompanied.
Program notes written by huw edwards, guest conductor and pyp music director from 1995 to 2002 having attended the royal college of music in london as an organ scholarwhere he assisted cecil sharp and ralph vaughan williams. A shropshire lad, rhapsody by george butterworth 1885. Butterworth was twentyfive when the songs from a shropshire lad. George sainton kaye butterworth 18851916 was an english composer, best known for his settings of a. At oxford he ran the university musical club and started to meet men. Butterworth was the first of several english composers to set poems from a. Six songs from a shropshire lad hyperion records cds. Butterworth, g a shropshire lad rhapsody this page lists all recordings of a shropshire lad rhapsody by george butterworth 18851916. Butterworth, g songs from a shropshire lad folk songs from sussex english song, vol.
Soon after his birth, his family moved to york so that his father sir alexander kaye. Selling slowly at first, it then rapidly grew in popularity, particularly among young readers. In the years leading up to the first world war george butterworth composed two song cycles of settings of poems from a. George butterworth18851916, killed in the battle of the somme, had scant opportunity to develop his musical gifts, honed at the feet of parry and vaughan williams. Housmans poems, notably a shropshire lad born in paddington, london, butterworth began composing at an early age and played the organ for services in the chapel of his prep school. George sainton kaye butterworth, mc 12 july 1885 5 august 1916 was an english composer who was best known for the orchestral idyll the banks of. Complete your butterworth, parry, bridge, english string orchestra conducted by william boughton collection.
In 1911 he composed an orchestral rhapsody which he first called the land of lost content and then the cherry tree before settling on a shropshire lad. Its premiere in 19 at the leeds festival under artur nikisch was a gratifying success for the young composer. George sainton kaye butterworth, mc 12 july 1885 5 august 1916 was an english composer best known for the orchestral idyll the banks of green willow and his song settings of a. The story of george butterworth in lewes film club s busy. It is an epilogue to his two sets of songs, the intention being to express the homethoughts of the exiled lad. Housmans evocative portrayal of rural life and the untimely death of young men had resonated with the british public during. Many yorkshire connections with butterworth raised in york, schooled at aysgarth, a collector of folk songs in askham bryan and heslington in 1907 and premiered his shropshire lad rhapsody at leeds in 19. Butterworth died young, being killed in action in the battle of the somme in 1916 when he was thirtyone. Visa, mastercard, american express paypal, diners club and discover. George butterworth was killed by a snipers bullet before dawn on august. This exquisite piece a shropshire lad rhapsody by george butterworth is a miniature symphonic poem based on his setting of a.
Pyp will perform a shropshire lad on sunday, may 6, 2018 in the arlene schnitzer concert hall. George butterworth music, videos, stats, and photos. George butterworths most famous work is his orchestral rhapsody a shropshire lad, inspired by a. Vaughan williams was in no doubt about the loss british music had sustained when his friend was killed at the somme two months previously. Program notes written by huw edwards, guest conductor and pyp music director from 1995 to 2002 having attended the royal college of music in london as an organ scholarwhere he assisted cecil. This is the first fulllength study of the life and music of the composer george butterworth, whose career was cut. The longest piece of his on this disc,the shropshire lad, does not, in fact, contain any folk melodies, but is strongly evocative of the rural setting of the poem sequence of that name by a.
222 1366 894 1273 1367 221 1563 847 532 350 814 87 213 255 420 112 1043 846 1170 600 1408 1371 233 258 68 562 288 702 335 1339 605 1000 188 879 1366 369 268 783