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The Songs of Lennox Berkeley: A Lecture Recital, Together with Three Recitals of Selected Works of F.P. Schubert, G. Fauré, C. Debussy, F. Poulenc, M. Ravel, H. Wolf, J.S. Bach, G.F. Handel, I. Stravinsky, and Others

The English art song in the 20th-century presents a performance challenge unique in the solo song repertoire. Unlike the corresponding bodies of German Lied and French mélodie, which proceeded from a well-ingrained national tradition of music and poetry, the English art song had no such background. The many British composers who have contributed to the song literature of this century reflect varied backgrounds and influences. Lennox Berkeley combined his English heritage with the French background of his mother's family, largely self-taught musical skills and an innate sensitivity to poetry to become one of the most prominent song composers of this century. He trained with Nadia Boulanger, gaining exposure to the formal and melodic techniques of Faure and the neo-classicism of Stravinsky. Berkeley composed a total of seventy-eight solo songs. His acceptance and furtherance of a fundamentally traditional songmaker's craft place him more directly in the post-war line of succession of English song than Benjamin Britten, whose innovative musical techniques place him in the vanguard of new music.This document explores those aspects of Berkeley's life and work that contribute to his compositional choices. It provides an overview of all of Berkeley's known solo songs as well as a more detailed analysis of Five Songs (Walter de la Mare), Five Poems CW.H. Auden) and Another Spring. The paper illustrates the qualities of Berkeley's songs which justify his inclusion among the most successful art song composers of this century

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc332223
Date08 1900
CreatorsHansen, Robert H. (Robert Howard)
ContributorsJohnstone, Pattye, 1932-1998, Collins, Michael (Michael B.), 1930-2011
PublisherNorth Texas State University
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatxi, 95 leaves: ill., music, Text
RightsPublic, Hansen, Robert H. (Robert Howard), Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
RelationRecital: March 30, 1987, ark:/67531/metadc917318, Recital: December 1, 1986, ark:/67531/metadc917317

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