Hugh Ottaway (27 July 1925 – 6 November 1979) was a prominent British writer and lecturer on classical music. Ottaway studied history at

Exeter University , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

(then the University of the South-West) from 1944. His career began as a teacher, freelance writer and from the 1950s as a presenter of musical talks on BBC Radio. His most significant contributions to music criticism were as a commentator on that portion of twentieth-century music which retained an allegiance to tonality; thus Nielsen,

Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...

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and

William Walton Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade'', the cantat ...

featured largely in his output. Ottaway was especially associated with British composers such as

Edmund Rubbra Edmund Rubbra (; 23 May 190114 February 1986) was a British composer. He composed both instrumental and vocal works for soloists, chamber groups and full choruses and orchestras. He was greatly esteemed by fellow musicians and was at the peak o ...

and Robert Simpson, and a staunch supporter of the politically active

Alan Bush Alan Dudley Bush (22 December 1900 – 31 October 1995) was a British composer, pianist, conductor, teacher and political activist. A committed communist, his uncompromising political beliefs were often reflected in his music. He composed pro ...

. But David Scott has pointed out that he "was not limited by a nationalist outlook. His ability to view English composition in a broader context also made his reviews valuable".Scott, David. 'Ottaway, Hugh', in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001) He died in Malvern, aged 54. An archive of his papers is held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

Books

* ''Vaughan Williams'' (Novello Short Biographies; 1966)McVeigh, Diana. ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 107, No. 1476, February, 1966, p. 104 * ‘Carl Nielsen’, ‘Prospect and Perspective’, chapter in Robert Simpson (ed). ''The Symphony, Vol.2'' (1967, rev. 1972), pp. 268–77 * ‘The Enlightenment and the Revolution’, chapter in A. Robertson, D Stevens (ed.) ''The Pelican History of Music'', 1968), pp. 11–96 * ''Sibelius'' (Novello Short Biographies; 1968) *''Vaughan Williams Symphonies'' (BBC Music Guides series; 1972 eprinted 1977, 1980 and 1987 . * ''William Walton'' (Novello Short Biographies; 1972, revised 1977) *''Shostakovich Symphonies'' (BBC Music Guides, No 39; 1978) * ''Mozart'' (1979) *''Edmund Rubbra, an appreciation: Together with a complete catalogue of compositions to May 1981'' (Lengnick; 1981)

Articles

* ‘The Piano Music of John Ireland’, ''Monthly Musical Record'' 84 (1954), pp. 258–66 *'Nielsen's Sixth Symphony'; ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 95, No. 1337 (Jul., 1954), pp. 362–363 * �
Vaughan Williams’s Eighth Symphony
��, ''Music & Letters 38 (1957), pp. 213–25 *'Clues and Keys' - Hugh Ottaway on the music of Robert Simpson'; ''The Listener'', 21 May 1970 * ‘Rubbra’s Symphonies’, ''Musical Times'' 112 (1971), pp. 430–32, 549–52 *Review: 'Simpson's New Symphonies'; ''Tempo'' (New Ser.), No. 105 (Jun., 1973), pp. 53–54

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ottaway, Hugh 1925 births 1979 deaths People educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century English composers