PDF (Final Accepted Dissertation for MA by Thesis)

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Durham E-Theses
Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn: Selected
Works 1938-45
SWEET, ELIZABETH
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SWEET, ELIZABETH (2016) Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn: Selected Works 1938-45,
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Neoclassicism in the
Music of William Alwyn

Selected Works 1938-45

Elizabeth Sweet
Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn
Elizabeth Sweet

Material Abstract

In 1938 William Alwyn made the radical decision to abandon his previous
composition methods and based future works upon the neoclassical compositional
aesthetic. The second work to emerge was the Divertimento for Solo Flute, a
composition on a single stave with substantial implicit contrapuntal writing.
This thesis will examine both the Continental European and British musical
context in the period leading up to Alwyn’s 1938 compositional crisis in order to
provide a model for neoclassicism. This model will be used to assess Alwyn’s
neoclassical compositions to evaluate Alwyn as a composer in the light of his stated
wish to become a Bach or Beethoven. It will also include a brief musical biography in
order to contextualise Alwyn’s neoclassical compositions within the wider body of
his work.

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Neoclassicism in the Music of William Alwyn

Selected Works 1938-45

Elizabeth Sweet

Submitted for the Degree of Master of Arts by Research
Department of Music
University of Durham
2016

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Contents

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 1
THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT ............................................................................................ 10
Russo-French Neoclassicism ............................................................................ 14
Stravinsky ............................................................................................................................ 18
German music................................................................................................ 33
Schoenberg ........................................................................................................................... 34
Busoni .................................................................................................................................. 39
Hindemith............................................................................................................................ 43
THE ENGLISH CONTEXT ................................................................................................ 54
A ‘Land without Music’ and the ‘English Renaissance’ ........................................ 55
The Effect of World War I and Economic Disorder.............................................. 65
Culture and the Arts ....................................................................................... 67
The Second School of British Composers ........................................................... 70
Michael Tippett .................................................................................................................... 73
William Walton .................................................................................................................... 77
Benjamin Britten .................................................................................................................. 82
Foreign Musical Influences .............................................................................. 85
British Neoclassicism ...................................................................................... 95
A BRIEF MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY OF ALWYN.......................................................... 101
The Life of Alwyn......................................................................................... 105
Musical Influences ........................................................................................ 108
The Compositional Crisis .............................................................................. 111

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ALWYN AND NEOCLASSICISM ................................................................................. 115
Rhapsody for Piano Quartet........................................................................... 117
Pastoral Fantasia for Viola and String Orchestra ............................................... 128
Sonata Impromptu for violin and viola (Sonata quasi fantasia) ........................... 133
Prelude (Moderato con alcuna licenza)................................................................................... 135
Theme & Variations ............................................................................................................. 138
Finale alla Capriccio ............................................................................................................. 141
Divertimento for Solo Flute ............................................................................. 143
Introduction and Fughetta .................................................................................................. 147
Variations on a Ground ..................................................................................................... 152
Gavotte and Musette ............................................................................................................ 156
Finale alla Gigue .................................................................................................................. 159
Concerto Grosso No. 1 .................................................................................. 163
Moderato Molto ................................................................................................................... 165
Adagio con Moto (alla Siciliano)............................................................................................ 169
Vivace.................................................................................................................................. 170
Suite for Oboe and Harp................................................................................ 174
Minuet ................................................................................................................................ 174
Valse Miniature ................................................................................................................... 176
Jig........................................................................................................................................ 177
Concerto for Oboe, String Orchestra and Harp ................................................. 178
Andante e rubato .................................................................................................................. 179
Vivace.................................................................................................................................. 185
After Neoclassicism ...................................................................................... 187
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 190
BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................ 199
Books, Correspondence, Journal Articles and Databases .................................... 199
Scores ......................................................................................................... 214
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Websites...................................................................................................... 216
Discography ................................................................................................ 217

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List of Tables
Table 1: A Summary of the influences upon the major ‘Elder’ British Composers.... 71
Table 2: The Younger Generation of Neoclassical Composers ............................... 73
Table 3: A Comparison of the use of Rotation with Sonata Form in the First
Movements of Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony and Walton’s First Symphony ................ 92
Table 4: Compositions by William Alwyn from 1938 and during the War Years ... 116
Table 5: Alwyn: Rhapsody for Piano Quartet – basic structure ............................... 121
Table 6: Alwyn’s Use of Collection-based Harmony in his Rhapsody for Piano Quartet
.................................................................................................................. 124
Table 7: A Thematic and Harmonic Structure for Alwyn: Sonata Impromptu for Violin
and Viola, ‘Prelude’ ...................................................................................... 138
Table 8: A Unordered Pitch Sets and Interval Class Profiles for Alwyn: Sonata
Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘Theme and Variations’ .................................... 139
Table 9: A Description of the Variations in Alwyn’s Sonata Impromptu for Violin and
Viola ........................................................................................................... 140
Table 10: The Variations from William Alwyn, Variations on a Ground ................. 155
Table 11: The Structure of Alwyn, Concerto Grosso No. 1 in B-flat, ‘Moderato Molto’ . 166
Table 12: The Structure of Alwyn, Concerto Grosso No. 1 in B-flat, Third Movement:
‘Vivace’ ........................................................................................................ 171
Table 13: The Structure of Alwyn, Concerto for Oboe & String Orchestra & Harp,
‘Andante e rubato’ .......................................................................................... 181
Table 14: The Structure of Alwyn, Concerto for Oboe & String Orchestra & Harp,
‘Vivace’. ....................................................................................................... 185
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List of Musical Examples
Ex. 1: Stravinsky, Suite de Pulcinella, Sinfonia (Overture), bars 1-2 ......................... 23
Ex. 2: Stravinsky, Suite de Pulcinella, Andantino, rehearsal marks 42-3 ................... 24
Ex. 3: Stravinsky, Octuor pour instruments a vents, Tema con Variazioni, rehearsal
marks 1-2. ...................................................................................................... 29
Ex. 4: Stravinsky, Octuor pour instruments a vents, Tema con Variazioni, rehearsal
mark 24. ........................................................................................................ 30
Ex. 5: Handel, Concerto Grosso in B-flat Op.6 no. 7, Introduction, bars 1-4 ................ 35
Ex. 6: Schoenberg, Concerto for String Quartet, bars 1-4 ...................................... 37
Ex. 7: Hindemith, Sonata für Flöte und Klavier, First Movement, bars 1-10 ............... 50
Ex. 8: Tippett: A Child of Our Time, Part I no. 1 Chorus, rehearsal mark 2-3 ............. 75
Ex. 9: Walton, Symphony No. 1, Movement 1 Allegro assai, bars 4-12 ....................... 79
Ex. 10: Sibelius, Symphony no 5 in E-flat major, First Movement, bb. 11-12 ............... 88
Ex. 11: Sibelius, Symphony in E-flat, First Movement, Tempo molto moderato, bars 1-2 90
Ex. 12: Sibelius, Symphony in E-flat, First Movement, Tempo molto moderato, bars 3-11
.................................................................................................................... 91
Ex. 13: Sibelius, Symphony no 5 in E-flat major, First Movement, rehearsal mark J (first
8 bars) ........................................................................................................... 93
Ex. 14: Lennox Berkeley, Sonatina in A minor, First Movement, bar 1.................... 97
Ex. 15: William Alwyn, Rhapsody for Piano Quartet bb. 1-4 – Theme ‘A’ (piano) .. 122
Ex. 16: William Alwyn, Rhapsody for Piano Quartet b. 5 – Theme ‘A’ (piano) ...... 123

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Ex. 17: William Alwyn, Rhapsody for Piano Quartet bb. 30-4 – Theme ‘B’ (piano) . 125
Ex. 18: William Alwyn, Rhapsody for Piano Quartet bb. 99-104 – Theme ‘C’ (viola)
.................................................................................................................. 126
Ex. 19: William Alwyn, Rhapsody for Piano Quartet bb. 135 - 8 – partial restatement
of theme ‘A’ (piano) ...................................................................................... 126
Ex. 20: Alwyn: Pastoral Fantasia for Viola and String Orchestra, bb. 5-9. .................. 130
Ex. 21: Alwyn: Pastoral Fantasia for Viola and String Orchestra, bb. 11-15. ............... 131
Ex. 22: Alwyn: Pastoral Fantasia for Viola and String Orchestra, bb. 40-43. ............... 132
Ex. 23: Alwyn: ‘Prelude’ from Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, bb. 1-7. ...... 135
Ex. 24: Alwyn: ‘Prelude’ from Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, bb. 13-19. ... 136
Ex. 25: Alwyn: Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘Prelude’, bb. 45 - 52.......... 137
Ex. 26: Alwyn: Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘Theme’, bb. 1 - 18............. 139
Ex. 27: Alwyn: Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘A’ Theme, bb. 1-2. ........... 140
Ex. 28: Alwyn, Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘Finale alla Capriccio’’ – ‘A
and A’ themes, bb. 1-3. .................................................................................. 141
Ex. 29: Alwyn, Sonata Impromptu for Violin and Viola, ‘Finale alla Capriccio’’ – A’’
and B themes, bb. 30-5. .................................................................................. 142
Ex. 30: J.S. Bach, Partita for Solo Flute in A minor BWV1013, ‘Allemande’ bb. 1-8. .... 146
Ex. 31: Voice Separation in J.S. Bach, Partita for Solo Flute in A minor BWV1013,
‘Allemande’ bb. 1-8. ...................................................................................... 146
Ex. 32: Alwyn, Divertimento for Solo Flute, ‘Introduction and Fughetta’ bb. 1-4 ...... 147
Ex. 33: George Philipp Telemann, Twelve Fantasias for Flute without Bass TWV 40:2-13,
‘Fantasia in A’ b. 1 ........................................................................................ 147
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