British Composers' Connections 1900-50

[Dundonnell]

vandermolen's remark in the thread on Cyril Rootham that Rootham was taught by Sir Arthur Bliss gave me an idea!

Royal Academy of Music:-

William Alwyn(and teacher>Iain Hamilton)
Sir Granville Bantock
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett
York Bowen(and teacher)
Alan Bush(and teacher)
Iain Hamilton
Daniel Jones
George Lloyd
William Mathias
Nicholas Maw
Sir John Tavener

Sir Arnold Bax(teacher)
Sir Lennox Berkeley(teacher>Sir Richard Rodney Bennett/William Mathias/Nicholas Maw/Sir JohnTavener)
Howard Ferguson(teacher>Sir Richard Rodney Bennett)

Royal College of Music:-

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford(taught>Edgar Bainton/Arthur Benjamin/Sir Arthur Bliss/Rutland BoughtonFrank Bridge/Samuel Coleridge-
         Taylor/Sir George Dyson/Herbert Howells/Gustav Holst/John Ireland/Gordon Jacob/R.O. Morris/Cyril Rootham/Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams(taught>Stanley Bate/Sir Arthur Bliss/Cecil Armstrong Gibbs)
Cyril Rootham(taught>Sir Arthur Bliss/Arnold Cooke/Robin Orr)
John Ireland(taught>Richard Arnell/Benjamin Britten/Ernest J. Moeran/Humphrey Searle)
R.O. Morris(taught>Stanley Bate/Howard Ferguson/Peter Racine Fricker/Constant Lambert/Anthony Milner/Edmund Rubbra/Bernard
                   Stevens)
Herbert Howells(taught>Arthur Benjamin)
Arthur Benjamin(taught>Stanley Bate/Benjamin Britten/Robin Orr/BernardStevens)
Gordon Jacob(taught>Sir Malcolm Arnold/Stanley Bate/Bernard Stevens/Robert Still)

Royal Northern(Manchester) College of Music:-

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
John McCabe
Alan Rawsthorne

Private Study

Frank Bridge>Benjamin Britten
Gustav Holst>Edmund Rubbra(Reading University)
John Ireland>Alan Bush/Geoffrey Bush
Cyril Scott>Edmund Rubbra
Sir Donald Tovey>William Wordsworth
R.O.Morris>Gerald Finzi/Sir Michael Tippett
Herbert Howells>Robert Simpson
Arthur Benjamin>Alan Hoddinott
Mattyas Seiber>Peter Racine Fricker/Anthony Milner

Studied Abroad

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett(Boulez)
Sir Lennox Berkeley(Nadia Boulanger)
Arnold Cooke(Hindemith)
Frederick Delius(Leipzig)
Kenneth Leighton(Petrassi)
Nicholas Maw(Nadia Boulanger)
Robin Orr(Nadia Boulanger and Casella)
Cyril Scott(Frankfurt)
Humphrey Searle(Webern)
Ralph Vaughan Williams(Ravel)

University of Oxford:-

Sir Lennox Berkeley(Merton Coll.-French + Philology)
Geoffrey Bush(Balliol Coll.-Classics)
John Gardner(Exeter Coll.)
Kenneth Leighton(Queen's Coll.-Classics)
R.O. Morris(New Coll.)
Sir Hubert Parry(Exeter Coll.)
Humphrey Searle(New Coll.-Greats)
Robert Still(Trinity Coll.-History + French)
Sir William Walton(Christ Church)

University of Cambridge:-

Sir Arthur Bliss(Pembroke Coll.)
Arnold Cooke(Gonville + Caius Coll.-History)
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs(Trinity Coll.-History)
Robin Orr(Pembroke Coll.)
Cyril Rootham(St.John's Coll.-Classics)
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford(Queen's Coll. + Trinity Coll.)
Bernard Stevens(English)
Ralph Vaughan Williams(Trinity Coll.-History)

Absolutely no claims to being in any way, shape or form complete!! However, there are some interesting connections here which I had never seen set out this way.

Oh, I do have too much time on my hands!!

[vandermolen]

V interesting thread although I think that Bliss was taught by Rootham rather than the other way round 

[The new erato]

Anyone familiar withe Pete Frames Rock Family Trees?

http://www.amazon.com/Pete-Frames-Complete-Family-Trees/dp/0711904650

Brilliant stuff. I've often thought we need something similar for classical composers regarding "who studied with whom?".

[lukeottevanger]

One important one you've missed (only noticed because I'm reading about it at the moment): R.O. Morris also taught Tippett

[Dundonnell]

vandermolen-yes, Bliss was taught by Rootham. I think that that was what I said: "Cyril Rootham(taught>Sir Arthur Bliss.....)" meant that.  Sorry if the way I did this doesn't make that clear.

erato-yes, I suppose a kind of family tree was part of the objective.

lukeottevanger-this was very much a starter for ten sort of exercise. I knew there would be serious omissions. However, I did have Tippett taught by R.O. Morris-see the list of 'Private Study' pupils.

I found it interesting to see just how many composers were taught by Stanford and by the influential teacher R.O. Morris, to identify the fact that the Royal College of Music has produced a lot more composers than the Royal Academy of Music and to identify those composers who studied abroad and with whom. I think(?) that one can learn a good deal about composers by identifying who taught them-although it is evident that sometimes their influence has to be assessed carefully. Britten, for example,  learned a lot from private study with Frank Bridge but claimed his study at the Royal College with John Ireland was much less useful to him.

It is also interesting to identify those composers who were largely self-taught-Havergal Brian, John Foulds, even(to a degree) Sir William Walton.

[Dundonnell]

V interesting thread although I think that Bliss was taught by Rootham rather than the other way round 

Oh, sorry!! I have just noticed that I got it the wrong way round in my opening sentence of the thread. Mea maxima culpa!

[lukeottevanger]

lukeottevanger-this was very much a starter for ten sort of exercise. I knew there would be serious omissions. However, I did have Tippett taught by R.O. Morris-see the list of 'Private Study' pupils.

Ah, I didn't see that - Tippett describes himself as having been taught by Morris 'at' the RCM. He was also taught (orchestration) by Gordon Jacob, FWIW.

[vandermolen]

Your various refences to Stanley Bate reminds me of how much I'd like to hear his (apparently excellent) Third Symphony. I think that Vaughan Williams studied with Max Bruch in Germany as well as with Ravel in France.  Very interesting and original thread.

[Dundonnell]

Your various refences to Stanley Bate reminds me of how much I'd like to hear his (apparently excellent) Third Symphony. I think that Vaughan Williams studied with Max Bruch in Germany as well as with Ravel in France.  Very interesting and original thread.

Apparently the Stanley Bate 3rd symphony was broadcast recently but I certainly missed it. It is highly regarded by those who know the work.
Perhaps if composers like Thomas Dunhill or William Busch can be recorded someone might remember Bate(Dutton perhaps?)

I wonder what RVW learned from Max Bruch?

[vandermolen]

Apparently the Stanley Bate 3rd symphony was broadcast recently but I certainly missed it. It is highly regarded by those who know the work.
Perhaps if composers like Thomas Dunhill or William Busch can be recorded someone might remember Bate(Dutton perhaps?)

I wonder what RVW learned from Max Bruch?

Yes, I also missed the broadcast  I think it was with the the BBC Scottish SO.

[tjguitar]

Anyone pick up the Dutton re-issue of the Conifer recording of these Piano wroks?

I have the Conifer release and it is one of my favorite discs, don't see why I would need to replace it with the new one though?

[vandermolen]

Only five years since anyone posted here!

Here is a (for me at least) lovely new discovery. I had never heard of Judith Bailey (born 1941) but was delighted to come across 'Havas'. Havas is a Cornish word meaning a period of summer. The opening movement 'Lanyon Quoit' depicts the ancient stones pictured on the front of the CD. I greatly enjoyed this work, it is very approachable but also rather atmospherically moving. One review described it as 'cinematic' but for me this is a positive. I suspect that admirers of Alwyn, Arnold and Vaughan Williams might enjoy this work but it also reminded me of Respighi at times. The Concerto for Orchestra, featuring a prominent cello part is more abstract but also approachable. The George Lloyd works are all premieres and highlights are 'In Memoriam' and 'Le Point Du Gard'. Altogether a very enjoyable off-the-beaten-track type of CD. Nothing wrong with the Bath Philharmonia either.
[asin]B00NF3C9X0[/asin]
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/Sep14/Bailey_Havas_EMRCD026.htm