Robert Simpson (composer)

Robert Wilfred Levick Simpson (born March 2, 1921 in Leamington Spa , † November 21, 1997 in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland ) was a British composer and music writer.

Life

Simpson's father, Robert Warren Simpson, was British; his mother, Helena Hendrika Govaars, came from the Netherlands . He studied at Westminster City School with Herbert Howells . In 1946 he married Bessie Fraser; after her death in 1981 he married Angela Musgrave in 1982, a relative of his fellow composer Thea Musgrave . Apart from music, his great passion was astronomy ; he was a member of the British Astronomical Association and the Royal Astronomical Society . He received numerous honors, such as the Doctor of Music from the University of Durham in 1952, the Carl Nielsen Gold Medal in 1956 (for his book Carl Nielsen, Symphonist , published in 1952), the 1962 Medal of Honor from the Bruckner Society of America and in 1991 the naming of the asteroid ( 4788) Simpson .

Works

Simpson stood out primarily as the composer of 15 string quartets (No. 9 is a series of 32 variations and fugue on a theme by Joseph Haydn ) and 11 symphonies. In his symphonies, influences from Anton Bruckner can be felt (especially in architectural terms), especially in the earlier ones one is sometimes reminded of Carl Nielsen . The tonal language is free-tonal and often dissonant, but is always based on a tonal core. Elements in Simpson's symphonic oeuvre are the large format of his works, which are often based entirely on a single rhythmic pulse and which sound out the tensions between keys or individual intervals to a previously unknown depth.

It is said that Robert Simpson wrote and destroyed 4 symphonies (one of them used serial processes) before he published his first symphony.

The 1st symphony was also his doctoral thesis at the University of Durham . The work, in three connected movements, uses a single basic pulse that is doubled at the faster pace and halved at the slower pace. The work also contrasts the keys A-flat and E-flat. The orchestra is used as standard, but high D trumpets are used instead of trumpets in B flat. The Danish State Radio Orchestra Copenhagen took on the world premiere .

In Symphony No. 2 , Simpson decided to use the same line-up as Ludwig van Beethoven in his first two symphonies, but again with high trumpets in D. The dedicatee, Anthony Bernard, conducted the world premiere with the London Chamber Orchestra . The tonal conflict of this symphony concentrates on B and the keys a major third above or below (G and Eb).

The 3rd symphony is dedicated to Havergal Brian , who advised Simpson on musical issues as well as vice versa. In two movements, this symphony puts C major and B in a conflict that is resolved in a seventh chord at the end. It was premiered by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Simpson writes a scherzo for the first time in his 4th symphony ; this movement quotes Joseph Haydn 's 76th Symphony in E flat major .

A whole tone chord dominates the 5th symphony at least indirectly, even if it does not sound constantly. Composed of three nested decimals (C and E, D and F sharp, A flat and C), this chord should represent "the part of the mind that observes you independently, regardless of what experience you have gained". The London Symphony Orchestra , to which the work is dedicated, performed the work for the first time.

The 6th Simpsons Symphony aims at a general description of the miracle of life. The one-movement work is dedicated to the renowned gynecologist Ian Craft .

The idea for the 7th Symphony was to write a work that would first be recorded on LP before it was performed in public; this failed, however, because it was first played in a concert. The composition should be aimed primarily at a single listener at a time, not a large number. Since the recording should also contain the 2nd symphony , Simpson decided to limit its duration to less than 30 minutes and to use the same line-up as in the 2nd symphony.

The Royal Philharmonic Society , financially supported by the Arts Council of Great Britain, commissioned Simpson's 8th Symphony , which was dedicated to the painter Anthony Dorrell and his wife Daphne (Dorrell had portrayed Simpson). Simpson was still interested in the idea of ​​writing for just one listener. So he had conversations with Dorrell to find out what kind of symphony he would like to hear. Jerzy Semkow conducted the Royal Danish Orchestra in the premiere. The symphony calls for a large orchestra including E-flat clarinet, four horns and double timpani.

Simpson dedicated the 9th Symphony to his wife Angela. The work consists of one sentence and is carried by an unchanged basic pulse. The premiere was played by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra , conducted by Vernon Handley . Interestingly, Anton Bruckner 's Symphony No. 3 in D minor is quoted, a work that Simpson criticized as a noble but flawed performance.

The 10th Symphony is dedicated to Vernon Handley. Each of the four movements begins in the same way, with a C sharp major sixth third chord and an upward leap in the octave. The same gesture completes the work.

The two-movement 11th symphony , like the 2nd and 7th symphonies, was composed for an orchestra in classical instrumentation, and was premiered in England. Its dedicatee is the conductor Matthew Taylor .

Publications

As a music writer, Simpson worked on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach , Anton Bruckner, Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius . He wrote 2 books on Bruckner, Bruckner and the Symphony (1960) and The Essence of Bruckner (1967); a book about Carl Nielsen, Carl Nielsen, Symphonist , books about other composers and essays, in addition, he took over the role of editor in some publications. He wrote introductory texts for various record productions and many concerts, but not all of them have survived.

Web links

• Literature by and about Robert Simpson in the catalog of the German National Library
• Robert Simpson Society website with catalog raisonné
• Comprehensive articles on life and work

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Minor Planet Circ. 18465