Raymond (Charles) Hanson AM (23 November 19136 December 1976) was an Australian composer and lecturer in composition at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music now known as the

Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and known by the moniker "The Con") is a heritage-listed music school in Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the old ...

. A highly regarded teacher and mentor to many prominent Australian musicians, such as

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Larry Sitsky Lazar "Larry" Sitsky (born 10 September 1934) is an Australian composer, pianist, and music educator and scholar. His long term legacy is still to be assessed, but through his work to date he has made a significant contribution to the Austra ...

and

Roger Woodward Roger Woodward (born 20 December 1942) is an Australian classical pianist, composer, conductor and teacher. Life and career Early life The youngest of four children, Roger Woodward was born in Sydney where he received first piano lessons ...

, Hanson himself was largely self-taught. As a composer, Hanson was not a follower of prevailing trends, and consequently his music was unfashionable and ignored by many other composers. Late in life however, his distinctive personal style began to receive greater recognition, and since his death his work has been held in high esteem by some critics.

Early years

Hanson was born in the Sydney suburb of Burwood on 23 November 1913, the youngest of five children to Australian-born

railroad engineer A train driver, engine driver, engineman or locomotive driver, commonly known as an engineer or railroad engineer in the United States and Canada, and also as a locomotive handler, locomotive operator, train operator, or motorman, is a pers ...

William Hanson, and his English-born wife Lilian, née Bennett. The marriage broke up when Hanson was quite young. Hanson was sickly as a child, suffering from

bronchial A bronchus is a passage or airway in the lower respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. The first or primary bronchi pronounced (BRAN-KAI) to branch from the trachea at the carina are the right main bronchus and the left main bronchus. ...

complaints and a recurring ear infection that left him almost deaf in his left ear. He began experimenting in musical composition from the age of eight, inspired by his older sister's piano practice. Hanson's mother brought him up as a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

, and though he later left the faith he retained a lifelong interest in spirituality. Hanson attended Burwood Public and Fort Street High Schools, but left before completing his third year. He continued however to pursue piano lessons, aided by teacher Anne Spillane who kindly provided him with free lessons as his family was too poor to pay for them. He was thereby eventually able, in 1930 at the age of seventeen, to gain the Licentiate (piano) of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. From 1930 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939, he made a living by teaching piano and by working in a variety of menial jobs. Hanson was able to give a number of

recital A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety ...

s of his own compositions in the late 1930s, and had the opportunity to gain some formal training in composition after being awarded the Gordon Vickers Scholarship at the

New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. Unfortunately, his Conservatorium studies would last only two months before the war interrupted them. He joined the Army in 1941, eventually rising to the rank of Sergeant in the Army Education Service. During the war he was exposed to, and developed a lasting interest in,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

music, an interest that would come to have some influence on his own work. He left the Army in 1946.Australian Dictionary of Biography Online.

Teaching career

As the recipient of a Fellowship in Composition, Hanson after the war was able to resume his studies at the Conservatorium. Following a year of study which he undertook with Alex Burnard, the Conservatorium offered Hanson a place on the staff, and this he accepted. He became a teacher of Aural Training, in which he was considered something of an innovator, and later a lecturer in Harmony and Composition, Counterpoint and

Aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

of Music. He was also active in curriculum development and assisted in the introduction of the Bachelor of Music Education degree. As a teacher, Hanson was noted for a kind, thoughtful and unpretentious manner, which was appreciated by students, while his abilities and dedication were greatly respected. He became a teacher and mentor to many future Australian composers and musicians, such as

Nigel Butterley Nigel Henry Cockburn Butterley (13 May 1935 – 19 February 2022) was an Australian composer and pianist. Life and career Butterley was born in Sydney and learned to play the piano at the age of five. He attended Sydney Grammar School, but musi ...

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and Barry Conyngham, as well as to noted performers such as jazz clarinettist

and piano virtuoso

. In addition to his work at the Conservatorium, he also gave private lessons, which not infrequently ended in long discussions about philosophy or politics.

Political activity

Hanson himself became active in political matters when, in the early 1950s, he joined the Australian Cultural Defence Movement which sought to protect Australian culture from being swamped by foreign influences, particularly the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Americanization Americanization or Americanisation (see spelling differences) is the influence of American culture and business on other countries outside the United States of America, including their media, cuisine, business practices, popular culture, te ...

. In the prevailing mood of the times however, the movement was painted as leftist and pro- communist, and quickly crumbled. Hanson believed that his association with this movement, along with his membership in the Australian-Soviet Friendship Society, was one of the factors that held back his professional career.

Music

While his teaching abilities were widely acknowledged, Hanson struggled to gain recognition for his talents as a composer for much of his career, as his music was often unpopular with the audience at that time and also unfashionable. He was fifty-four years old before receiving his first commission for a piece of music,Australian Music Centre. and many of his works lay unperformed for many decades. Part of the problem lay with his independence of mind. Hanson ignored prevailing trends in the pursuit of his own

muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

. In the 1940s and 1950s, his work was regarded by his Australian contemporaries as too

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

, but by the 1960s it was being dismissed as not avant-garde enough. Hanson's rejection of serialism, responsible for the latter dismissal, was ultimately vindicated by history, but this vindication came late in his career. In 1971 he won the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award.

Style

Hanson's unique qualities as a composer were noticed early by English critic

Neville Cardus Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (2 April 188828 February 1975) was an English writer and critic. From an impoverished home background, and mainly self-educated, he became ''The Manchester Gua ...

, who perceived, after attending a concert featuring Hanson's works in 1941, "an originality that avoided Anglocentrism".New Grove Dictionary. His music has also been described as "of a style not usually associated with Australian composition". Hanson himself eschewed the notion of a uniquely "Australian" style, but some have nevertheless heard an "unmistakeable" influence of the Australian landscape in his works.Sitsky & Martin. Others, by contrast, have detected traces of English pastoralism. Particularly crucial to Hanson were the compositions and the pedagogic theories of

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...

("I still think Hindemith has the answers to so many things ... If you want to be incomprehensible, go and get it. I don't"). Another figure who had a powerful impact on Hanson's philosophy was the Indian poet and musician

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

. Hanson's deep spirituality (he once considered becoming a missionary to India) played a notable part in his creative outlook. His appreciation of

is apparent in the sense of spontaneity and rhythmic fluidity that he strove to bring to his own pieces. He had a gift for improvisation and often composed directly at the

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

. Technically speaking, Hanson rejected serialism with its rigid rules of development, but retained a fascination with the twelve-note scale and its full potentialities. This should not be taken to indicate, however, that he disdained melody. On the contrary, he has been described as "a lyrical composer who thought naturally in evolving lines".

Personal life

On 15 September 1956, Hanson at the age of 43 married a 23-year-old Conservatorium student, Moira Winifred Young, at St. Matthew's Anglican Church, Manly. The marriage was a very happy union despite the unconventionality of the age difference. The couple moved house several times over the next few years as prior to Hanson being placed on salary all teaching staff at the Con were contract players. Hanson's health deteriorated and in 1967 he suffered a heart attack. Young died in 1975, and after being appointed a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...

(AM) in January 1976, Hanson himself died of

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...

later that year, on 6 December. The couple were survived by three daughters. During his life, Hanson sometimes commented on his pride in being born within 24 hours of the birth of his musical hero

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

."Composer gets a fresh hearing"
by Vincent Plush, ''

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...

'', 22 November 2012 His death, also, came only two days after Britten's.

Works

Hanson left behind over 100 major works, including a symphony, four concertos, a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

, an

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...

, cantatas,

chamber works Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

and

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

music. He also wrote film, television and radio scores, as well as

music and arrangements. More notable works include his 1948 ''Trumpet Concerto'', released worldwide on the

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

label, the technically demanding ''Piano Sonata'' (composed between 1938 and 1941, and reflecting his feelings about the Fall of France), the piano ''Preludes'', and his ''Violin Concerto''. Hanson also set many of Tagore's poems to music, his most ambitious work in this regard being the 1976 oratorio ''The Immortal Touch''. Many of Hanson's works, such as the ''Violin Concerto'', went unperformed for many years, and his 1941 ''Piano Sonata'' was only finally published in 1976, on the day of his death.

Selected list of major works

Dramatic : ''Dhoogor'' (ballet), 1945 : ''Three in One'' (film score), 1955 : ''The Lost Child'' (radio or TV op), 1958 : ''Surfing'' (film score), 1958 : ''Captain Cook (Cook’s Voyage)'' (film score), 1959 : ''Temptation'' (film score), 1960 : ''Jane Greer'' (opera), 1964 : Also other film scores Orchestral : ''Violin Concerto'', 1946 : ''Novelette'', 1947 : ''Overture for a Royal Occasion'', 1948 : ''Trumpet Concerto'', 1948 : ''Symphony'', 1952 : ''Trombone Concerto'', 1955 : ''Gula'', 1968 : ''Movement "Homage to Alfred Hill"'', 1969 : ''Piano Concerto'', 1972 : ''Fanfare'', 1973 Vocal : ''I dreamt that she sat by my head'' (Tagore), for mezzo/baritone and piano, 1935 : ''Fallen Veils'' (D.G. Rossetti), for soprano and piano, 1938 : ''This is my delight'' (Tagore), soprano and piano, 1941 : ''Spindrift'' (M. Memory), mezzo/baritone and piano, 1946 : ''Do not keep to yourself'' (Tagore), voice and piano, 1952 : ''My love, once upon a time'' (Tagore), 1960 : ''The Web is Wove'' (T. Gray), 1968 : ''Fern Hill'' (D. Thomas), violin and orchestra, 1969 : ''The Immortal Touch'' (Tagore), violin and orchestra, 1976 : Many others Chamber and solo instrumental : ''Piano Sonata'', 1938–40, revised 1963 : ''Procrastination'', piano, 1939 : ''Violin Sonata'', violin and piano, 1939 : ''Quizzic'', piano, 1940 : ''Preludes'', 1941 : ''Flute Sonata'', flute and piano, 1941 : ''Idylle'', 1942 : ''Piano Quintet'', 1944 : ''Fancies'', violin and piano, 1946 : ''Legende'', violin and piano, c1946 : ''Episodes on Tarry Trowsers'', piano, 1948 : ''Five Portraits'', piano, 1948 : ''Piano Sonatina'', 1949 : ''Seascape'', violin and piano, 1953 : ''Sonatina'', 1956 : ''Still Winds'', flute, guitar, double bass and vibraphone, 1956 : ''String Quartet'', 1967 : ''An Etching'', violin and piano, 1969 : ''Divertimento'', wind quintet, 1972 : ''Dedication'', 2 flutes, clarinet, 1973

Recordings

*''The Poet Sings'', (Lisa Harper-Brown – soprano,

David Wickham David Wickham (born 1966) is a British concert pianist, music director and conductor. He was born in Worthing, West Sussex. Performing career As an accompanist, Wickham has worked with Sara Macliver, Aivale Cole, Taryn Fiebig, Michael Golds ...

– piano),

Stone Records Stone Records is a British, independent, classical record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishi ...

2012

References

Notes Sources
Raymond Hanson
Australian Music Centre website

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians Online
, (subscription required) *Sitsky, Larry; Martin, Ruth Lee (2005): ''Australian Piano Music of the Twentieth Century'', Greenwood Publishing Group, pp. 35–42,
Extract
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanson Raymond Charles 1913 births 1976 deaths 20th-century classical composers Australian film score composers Male film score composers Winners of the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award 20th-century Australian male musicians 20th-century Australian musicians Australian classical composers Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian Army soldiers