HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Robert Wilfred Levick Simpson (2 March 1921 – 21 November 1997) was an English composer, as well as a long-serving
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
producer and broadcaster. He is best known for his orchestral and chamber music (particularly those in the key classical forms: 11 symphonies and 15 string quartets), and for his writings on the music of
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
,
Bruckner Josef Anton Bruckner (; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-Germa ...
, Nielsen and
Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
. He studied composition under
Herbert Howells Herbert Norman Howells (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music. Life Background and early education Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucest ...
. Remarkably for a living contemporary composer, a Robert Simpson Society was formed in 1980 by individuals concerned that Simpson's music had been unfairly neglected. The society aims to bring Simpson's music to a wider public by sponsoring recordings and live performances of his work, by issuing a journal and other publications, and by maintaining an archive of material relating to the composer. In 2021, he was featured as ''
Composer of the Week ''Composer of the Week'' is a long-running biographical music programme produced by BBC Cymru Wales and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. It is broadcast daily from Monday to Friday at 12 noon for an hour, each week's programmes being a self-containe ...
'' on BBC Radio 3.


Biography

Simpson was born in Leamington, Warwickshire. His father, Robert Warren Simpson, was a descendant of Sir
James Young Simpson Sir James Young Simpson, 1st Baronet, (7 June 1811 – 6 May 1870) was a Scottish obstetrician and a significant figure in the history of medicine. He was the first physician to demonstrate the anesthetic, anaesthetic properties of chloroform ...
, the Scottish pioneer of anaesthetics; his mother, Helena Hendrika Govaars, was the daughter of Gerrit Govaars, founder of the , the Dutch arm of the Salvation Army. Simpson studied at
Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...
. He was intended for a medical career and studied in London for two years before his determination to be a musician gained the upper hand. A conscientious objector in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, he served with an ARP mobile surgical unit during the London
Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, an Imperial German Navy light cruiser b ...
, while taking lessons from
Herbert Howells Herbert Norman Howells (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music. Life Background and early education Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucest ...
. Howells persuaded him to take the Durham University
Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...
degree, and in 1952 he gained the further degree of
Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...
from that university, the submitted work being his First Symphony. After the war Simpson lectured extensively and founded the Exploratory Concerts Society; in 1951 he joined the music staff of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and became one of its best-known and most respected music producers, remaining with the corporation for nearly three decades. Simpson was a great champion of
Havergal Brian Havergal Brian (born William Brian; 29 January 187628 November 1972) was an English composer. He is best known for having composed 32 symphonies (an unusually high total for a 20th-century composer), most of them late in his life. His best-known ...
's music, and under the BBC's auspices he produced many broadcasts featuring Brian's works. These included the mammoth "Gothic" Symphony in 1966 under Sir Adrian Boult, and in 1973 the 28th Symphony under
Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appear ...
who, at the age of 91, was premiering a work written by a 91-year-old composer. In the latter part of his career as a BBC producer Simpson frequently clashed with the management of the organisation. In the 1970s he was one of those –
Hans Keller Hans (Heinrich) Keller (11 March 19196 November 1985) was an Austrian-born British musician and writer, who made significant contributions to musicology and music criticism, as well as being a commentator on such disparate fields as psychoana ...
and
Deryck Cooke Deryck Cooke (14 September 1919 – 26 October 1976) was a British musician, musicologist, broadcaster and Gustav Mahler expert. Life Cooke was born in Leicester to a poor, working-class family; his father died when he was a child, but his mother ...
were others – who started the (unsuccessful) revolt against the report ''Broadcasting in the Seventies'' and its plan for "generic broadcasting" (i.e. separate networks for pop, classical and speech). A decade later Simpson was energetic in his opposition to a cost-cutting reorganisation that ultimately proposed the decommissioning of five of the eleven BBC orchestras. During the ensuing musicians' strike (which caused the cancellation of the first several weeks of the 1980 BBC
Promenade Concerts The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
) Simpson chose to disregard BBC staff regulations and discuss the matter with a national newspaper; he then resigned from the corporation, publicly alleging a "degeneration of traditional BBC values in the scramble for ratings". (
Hans Keller Hans (Heinrich) Keller (11 March 19196 November 1985) was an Austrian-born British musician and writer, who made significant contributions to musicology and music criticism, as well as being a commentator on such disparate fields as psychoana ...
later described these criticisms as "demonstrable fact".) Had Simpson remained silent for a few more months he would have been able to retire with a full pension, but his feeling was that such a course would have compromised his principles. Abominating the ethos of
Thatcherite Thatcherism is a form of British conservative ideology named after Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher that relates to not just her political platform and particular policies but also her personal character and general style of manag ...
Britain, in 1986 he moved to the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
, settling on
Tralee Bay Tralee Bay ( gle, Loch Foirdhreamhain / Cuan Thrá Lí) is located in on the west coast of County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated between Kerry Head on the north side and the Maharees on the west and extends eastwards as far as the bridge at ...
in
Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...
. In 1991, he suffered a severe stroke during an English lecture tour, which caused damage to the
thalamus The thalamus (from Greek θάλαμος, "chamber") is a large mass of gray matter located in the dorsal part of the diencephalon (a division of the forebrain). Nerve fibers project out of the thalamus to the cerebral cortex in all directions, ...
and left him in debilitating pain for the remaining six years of his life. He died in
Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Count ...
in 1997, aged 76. Simpson married Bessie Fraser in 1946; she died in 1981, and the following year he married Angela Musgrave, a fellow BBC employee and relative of composer
Thea Musgrave Thea Musgrave CBE (born 27 May 1928) is a Scottish composer of opera and classical music. She has lived in the United States since 1972. Biography Born in Barnton, Edinburgh, Musgrave was educated at Moreton Hall School, a boarding independ ...
. His other great passions, outside music, were
astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
(he was a member of the
British Astronomical Association The British Astronomical Association (BAA) was formed in 1890 as a national body to support the UK's amateur astronomers. Throughout its history, the BAA has encouraged observers to make scientifically valuable observations, often in collaborati ...
and – unusually for an amateur – was made a Fellow of the
Royal Astronomical Society (Whatever shines should be observed) , predecessor = , successor = , formation = , founder = , extinction = , merger = , merged = , type = NG ...
) and
pacifism Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...
, specifically addressed in the title of his Tenth String Quartet, ''For Peace''. He was awarded many honours, including the
Carl Nielsen Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish composer, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he ...
Gold Medal, 1956 (for his book ''Carl Nielsen, Symphonist'', published in 1952), and the Medal of Honor of the
Bruckner Josef Anton Bruckner (; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-Germa ...
Society of America, 1962. He refused appointment as a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
in 1980. In his letter of rejection, he wrote: "While I am most appreciative of the intended honour, it could not properly be accepted by a determined republican in whom memory of the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
arouses no nostalgia." Politically, he was a lifelong
socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
.


Music

Dedicated as he was to renewing the classical tradition of a dynamic musical architecture built on the gravitational power of
tonality Tonality is the arrangement of pitches and/or chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived relations, stabilities, attractions and directionality. In this hierarchy, the single pitch or triadic chord with the greatest stability is ca ...
, Simpson wrote very few small or occasional works and concentrated on large-scale genres. He wrote 11 symphonies as well as concertos for violin, piano, flute and cello. (The Violin Concerto was subsequently withdrawn.) His extensive output of chamber music comprised 15 string quartets, two string quintets, a clarinet quintet,
piano trio A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of m ...
, clarinet trio, horn trio,
violin sonata A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, often accompanied by a keyboard instrument and in earlier periods with a bass instrument doubling the keyboard bass line. The violin sonata developed from a simple baroque form with no fixed fo ...
and a number of non-standard chamber ensemble works as well as works for piano, a sonata for two pianos, and a major organ work entitled (after the famous remark attributed to Galileo). He tended to avoid vocal music but his output includes two motets.
Variation form In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Variation techniques Mozart's Twelve V ...
was important to him, and in addition to variation-movements on his own themes he composed orchestral variations on themes of Nielsen and
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
, as well as a set of piano variations on a palindromic theme by
Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
to which he returned in his large-scale String Quartet No. 9, which is a series of 32 variations and a fugue on the same Haydn theme. String Quartets Nos. 4–6 can be regarded as variations upon the compositional processes, rather than the themes, of
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
's three Rasumovsky Quartets, Op. 59. Two significant features of Simpson's oeuvre are his ability to write long works entirely based on a single basic pulse, with faster or slower tempi being suggested by smaller or larger note-values, and the establishment of a dynamic tension between competing tonalities or intervals.


Symphonies

"People who write symphonies do it because they feel able to: a lot of those who don't tell everyone else the symphony is dead ... The trouble is that the symphony as an abstraction does not exist: there may be exhausted symphonies and exhausted composers, but the response to a challenge to one's capacity for large-scale organisation and development – that can be exhausted only in individuals." Robert Simpson is said to have written and destroyed four symphonies (one of which even used serial procedures) before his first published symphony. The official, published symphonies include the following: * Symphony No. 1 (1951), doctorate thesis for the
University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...
* Symphony No. 2 (1955–1956), dedicated to
Anthony Bernard Anthony Bernard (25 January 18916 April 1963) was an English conductor, organist, pianist and composer. Early life Anthony Bernard's birth was registered as Alan Charles Butler in West Ham, then classified as Essex, in early 1891. His mother was ...
* Symphony No. 3 (1962), dedicated to
Havergal Brian Havergal Brian (born William Brian; 29 January 187628 November 1972) was an English composer. He is best known for having composed 32 symphonies (an unusually high total for a 20th-century composer), most of them late in his life. His best-known ...
* Symphony No. 4 (1970–1972), commissioned by the Hallé Orchestra * Symphony No. 5 (1972), dedicated to the
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...
* Symphony No. 6 (1977), dedicated to the renowned gynaecologist Ian Craft * Symphony No. 7 (1977), dedicated to
Hans Keller Hans (Heinrich) Keller (11 March 19196 November 1985) was an Austrian-born British musician and writer, who made significant contributions to musicology and music criticism, as well as being a commentator on such disparate fields as psychoana ...
and his wife, the artist
Milein Cosman Emilie Cosman, known as Milein Cosman, (31 March 1921 – 21 November 2017) was a German-born artist based in England. She is best known for her drawings and prints of leading cultural figures, dancers and musicians in action, such as Francis Baco ...
* Symphony No. 8 (1981), dedicated to the painter Anthony Dorrell * Symphony No. 9 (1985–1987), dedicated to his wife, Angela * Symphony No. 10 (1988), dedicated to
Vernon Handley Vernon George "Tod" Handley (11 November 1930 – 10 September 2008) was a British conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. He was born of a Welsh father and an Irish mother into a musical family in Enfield, Middle ...
* Symphony No. 11 (1990), dedicated to Matthew Taylor From 1987 to 1996 Vernon Handley recorded all but one of the symphonies for
Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label. History Hyperion is an independent British classical label that was established in 1980 with the goal of showcasing recordings of music in all genres and from all time period ...
, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (in 1, 3, 5 and 8), the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...
(2, 4 and 9) and the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmon ...
(6, 7 and 10). The cycle was completed in 2003 when No. 11 was recorded by its dedicatee, Matthew Taylor, conducting the City of London Sinfonia.


Concertos

; Violin Concerto (1959): A work of some forty minutes, dedicated to the violinist Ernest Element, withdrawn by the composer late in his life. Simpson had considered revising the work, and Matthew Taylor has reworked the composition to fulfil Simpson's original intentions. ; Piano Concerto (1967): A one-movement twenty-minute work, falling into several sections and written for the pianist John Ogdon. The concerto is one of his most big-hearted and instantly accessible scores. ;
Flute Concerto A flute concerto is a concerto for solo flute and instrumental ensemble, customarily the orchestra. Such works have been written from the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day. Some major compose ...
(1989): A one movement work of twenty-five minutes duration, commissioned by and dedicated to the flautist Susan Milan. The work embraces a calmness in the manner of Symphony No. 11. ; Cello Concerto (1991): A one-movement variation-form work of twenty-three minutes duration, commissioned by and dedicated to the cellist
Raphael Wallfisch Raphael Wallfisch (born 15 June 1953 in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames i ...
. The work begins vigorously and ends in an atmosphere of contemplative mystery.


Quartets

Simpson composed 15 numbered string quartets; a quartet preceding this sequence was written as part of his course at Durham University and still exists there. He regarded Quartets Nos. 1–3 as forming a natural sequence, and Nos. 4–6 are a clearly distinct group related to three Beethoven quartets, though they can all be performed as entirely independent compositions. The second movement of No. 8 has the label ''Eretmapodites gilletti'', and the quartet is dedicated to two people including the discoverer of the mosquito with that scientific name; the ninth quartet, from 1982, is a one-movement (but subdivided, with slow and scherzando sections) palindromic 32 Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Haydn; Number 10 is entitled "For Peace". (See the article by Malcolm MacDonald in the External Links.) In programme notes for a recital consisting of quartets nos. 1–3 at the Arts Council of Great Britain building in London SW1 on 11 February 1955, Simpson wrote that "although they were not consciously designed as a group, they nevertheless seem to fall into a natural sequence". In construction and tonality there are elements of an overall symmetry encompassing the three works. ; String Quartet No. 1 (1951–52): is in two movements, quick and slow; the second movement is a set of variations on a palindromic theme stated by the viola. There is a power-struggle by the opposed tonal centres of E flat and A: E flat is the focus of the first movement and beats off the challenge of A, the second movement theme starts and ends in E flat with a central climax in A; the variations work round to A major, in which key the work ends. The quartet is dedicated to
George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei. Biogr ...
. ; String Quartet No. 2 (1953): is the shortest of all Simpson's quartets, playing for about 15 minutes. It is cast in a single movement and a single metronome mark, within which three themes (and three tempi) contest for dominance. ; String Quartet No. 3 (1953–54): is in two movements, slow and quick: an ''Adagio'' in C major and a pulsing ''Allegro deciso'' that works round to an affirmative E major. (Simpson made a transcription of this movement as an independent piece for full string orchestra.) Simpson stated that String Quartets Nos. 4–6, which are on a much larger scale than Nos. 1–3, constituted "a close study of Beethoven's three Rasumovsky quartets, Op. 59; that is to say, the attempt to understand those great works resulted in, not a verbal analysis, but music". The three Simpson quartets offer, in his own idiom, "musical analogies" to the procedures of Beethoven's three quartets, but they can be performed without reference to the Beethoven and indeed without reference to each other. ; String Quartet No. 4 (1973) : is dedicated to Basil Lam. The four movements – an ''Allegro'', a ''Presto''
scherzo A scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often re ...
, an ''Andante sosteunto'' slow movement joining on without a break to an ''Assai vivace'' finale – correspond to the layout of Beethoven's op.59 no.1. ; String Quartet No. 5 (1974) : is dedicated to Angela Musgrave, who became the composer's second wife. The four movements – an ''Allegro molto'' with a written-out literal repeat of the exposition, an ''Adagio, sempre semplice'', an ''Allegretto vivace'' and a whirlwind ''Prestissimo'' finale – correspond to the layout of Beethoven's Op. 59, No. 2. ; String Quartet No. 6 (1975) : is dedicated to the film-maker
Barrie Gavin Barrie Gavin (born 10 June 1935) is a British film director. Early years Barrie Gavin was educated at St Paul's School, and studied history at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge from 1954 to 1957.'Cambridge Tripos Lists', ''Times'', 28 June ...
and his wife Jamila. Of the four movements, the first begins with an ''Adagio'' introduction exploring an enigmatic harmony, prefacing a large-scale ''Vivacissimo''; the second is an intermezzo-like ''Con moto; grazioso ed intensivo'', the third a complex
Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
marked ''Molto tranquillo'' with an ''Allegretto grazioso'' middle section, and the finale is marked ''Molto rapido'' – these correspond to the layout of Beethoven's op.59 no.3, which begins with a slow introduction exploring a particular harmony and includes an archaic form (a
Minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that accomp ...
) as its third movement. Quartets Nos. 7 and 8 both explore the possibilities of the perfect fifth in shaping their themes, harmonies and tonalities. ; String Quartet No. 7 (1977) : is dedicated to the organist
Susi Jeans Susi may refer to: * 933 Susi, a minor planet orbiting the Sun *Susi Air, an Indonesian airline * Sydney University Stellar Interferometer, an optical interferometer in Sydney, Australia People Given name * Susi Erdmann (born 1968), German luger ...
and written in celebration of the birth-centenary of her husband, the astronomer Sir
James Jeans Sir James Hopwood Jeans (11 September 187716 September 1946) was an English physicist, astronomer and mathematician. Early life Born in Ormskirk, Lancashire, the son of William Tulloch Jeans, a parliamentary correspondent and author. Jeans was ...
. The work is in a single movement and makes much use of the open strings of the instruments, whose tuning Simpson likened to the forces of gravitation. This leads the work to revolve around the circle of fifths. The slow opening ''Tranquillo'' and closing ''Tempo primo'' enclose a fast section, ''Vivace'', intended to represent the pulsing energy of the universe. ; String Quartet No. 8 (1979) : is dedicated to the biologist and entomologist J.D. Gillett and his wife. There are four movements, the tonality of each being a fifth higher than that of its predecessor. The first is a large-scale fugue, ''Grave, molto intensivo'', the second is a brief scherzo (''Molto vivace''), 'suggesting the formidable delicacy' of the mosquito ''Eretmapodites Gilletti''. The third is an intermezzo, ''Allegretto grazioso'', played with mutes. The finale is a strenuous ''Risoluto e concentrato'' to balance the first movement. ; String Quartet No. 9 (1982) : is subtitled ''32 Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Haydn'' and was dedicated to the Delmé Quartet, who commissioned it, on their 20th anniversary, which was also the 250th anniversary of the birth of Haydn. At about 57 minutes' duration, it is one of the longest continuous movements for string quartet ever written. The theme is the
palindromic A palindrome is a word, number, phrase, or other sequence of symbols that reads the same backwards as forwards, such as the words ''madam'' or ''racecar'', the date and time ''11/11/11 11:11,'' and the sentence: "A man, a plan, a canal – Pana ...
minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that accomp ...
which Haydn used in his Symphony No. 47 and Piano Sonata No.26. Simpson had already composed a set of piano variations on this minuet in 1948, and three of those variations are transcribed as variations I-III of the quartet. The 32 quartet variations take Simpson's fascination with formal symmetry to a new extreme, though they are grouped to correspond to first movement, scherzo and slow movement. The free-form fugue forms the finale, gaining energy and speed as it proceeds. ; String Quartet No. 10 (1983) : bears the title ''For Peace'' and was composed for the tenth anniversary of the Coull Quartet. Simpson said that the title "refers to its generally pacific character ... The music ... tries to define the condition of peace. This excludes aggression but not strong feeling." The three movements are a serene ''Allegretto'', a very short ''Prestissimo'' scherzo and a concluding ''Molto adagio'', longer than the other two movements combined, which climaxes in a fugue and ends in a peaceful epilogue. ; String Quartet No. 11 (1984) : was also written for the Coull Quartet and shares some material with No. 10, but is much more turbulent and intense in character: Simpson said he was conscious of the influence of Beethoven's F minor Quartet, Op.95 in this work. Quartet No. 11 is in a single large movement and is concerned with salient intervals including the tritone and the major third. An opening ''Allegro molto'' is followed by a polyphonic ''Adagio'', a large-scale Scherzo (''Presto'') and a concluding ''Molto adagio'' played ''pianissimo'' throughout. ; String Quartet No. 12 (1987) : was commissioned for the 1988 Nottingham Festival. This work is in two large movements, a meditative and polyphonic ''Adagio'' and a ''Molto vivace'' combining the characters of scherzo and finale. ; String Quartet No. 13 (1989) : was commissioned for the 1990
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
Festival and was premiered there by the Delmé Quartet. It is dedicated to the BBC producer Graham Melville-Mason and his wife Alex. This is the shortest of Simpson's later quartets (only No. 2 is shorter) and is in four concise movements, played without any break, in a fast-slow-fast-slow pattern. ; String Quartet No. 14 (1990) : is a large-scale work in the traditional four movements. The slow movement has been particularly praised for its meditative beauty. ; String Quartet No. 15 (1991) : is a shorter work in one movement with three contrasting sections, an Adagio introduction and an Allegretto finale framing a large central scherzo, marked ''Severo''. The character of this quartet is turbulent and granitic, rather in the manner of String Quartet No. 11.


Other chamber music

; Clarinet Quintet (1968) : This is a large-scale work in five movements forming an arch shape – a central scherzo of some 800 bars is framed by two slow movements, which themselves are framed by two outer fast movements. The arch shape is completed by a slow introduction and a slow coda. The entire basis of the material for the work is outlined in the opening introduction, with the main theme having some sort of parallel with Beethoven's C sharp minor quartet. It is one of Simpson's more subtle and enigmatic scores, with an epilogue of almost naive, diatonic fluidity and rising scales. ; Violin Sonata (1984) : This is a two movement structure, the first movement a vigorous Allegro, and the second combining the characters of a slow movement, scherzo and finale. Throughout there is a conflict between G major and G minor – particularly guided by the intervals of a major third and a minor third, which are often combined and pushed against each other to create strange resonances – for example G to B flat in the low register of the piano, and B natural to D in the upper register. ; String Trio (1987) : A three movement work. An opening Prelude (Presto) and a concluding Fugue (Volante) are separated by a central Adagio. It is dedicated to Jillian White of BBC Bristol. ; String Quintet No. 1 (1987) : A long one-movement work alternating slow and fast sections. It contains some of the most peaceful music the composer ever wrote. ; String Quintet No. 2 (1995) : This was Simpson's final work. Most of it was completed in 1991, before Simpson was paralysed with a stroke that left him in permanent pain, but the final coda was dictated to his wife several years later. It is one of Simpson's most severe and dark scores, its structure is built on a minimal amount of material and there is an alternation between two tempo types – an austere, lyrical moderato and a knotty allegro. The slow, final coda is one of the darkest endings in all string chamber music literature.


Compositions for brass band

* ''Energy'' (1971), Test Piece, Brass Band World Championships * ''Volcano'' (1979), Test Piece, National Brass Band Championships of Britain * ''The Four Temperaments'', Suite for Brass Band (1983). The composer also re-orchestrated this work for orchestral brass. * ''Introduction and Allegro on a Bass of Max Reger'' (1987) * ''Vortex'' (1989)


Compositions for keyboard instruments

* Piano Sonata (1946) * Variations and Finale on a Theme of Haydn for solo piano (1948) * ''Michael Tippett, His Mystery'' for solo piano (1984) * ''Eppur si muove'', Ricercar and Passacaglia for organ (1985) * Variations and Finale on a Theme by Beethoven for solo piano (1990) * Sonata for Two Pianos (1980 rev. 1990)


Books and articles

As a writer on music (he would have disavowed the title '
musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...
'), Simpson was guided by his deep admiration for Tovey's ability to discuss a composer's sophisticated treatment of forms and keys in a manner that was accurate and incisive without ever alienating the non-specialist reader. His earliest published writings were as a reviewer and critic; but before long his focus had shifted towards being an advocate for widely unappreciated or misunderstood composers like Anton Bruckner,
Carl Nielsen Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish composer, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he ...
and
Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
, as well as to the analysis of better-known figures (such as
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
) whenever he felt able to illuminate their work from a composer's perspective. His writings can usefully be divided into five categories: (i) books written by Simpson; (ii) books edited by Simpson; (iii) contributions to other books and collections; (iv) posthumous collections of articles; (v) individual articles, programme- and sleeve-notes, etc.


Authored by Simpson

* ''Carl Nielsen: Symphonist'' (1952, rev. 1979). * ''Bruckner and the Symphony'' (1963). * ''Sibelius and Nielsen: a Centenary Essay'' (1965). * ''The Essence of Bruckner: An Essay Towards the Understanding of his Music'' (1966; revised edition, 1992). * ''Beethoven Symphonies'' (1970). * ''The Proms and Natural Justice: A Plan for Renewal'' (with foreword by Sir Adrian Boult; 1980). * ''Simpson on Beethoven: Essays, Lectures and Talks by R. Simpson, Selected and Edited by Lionel Pike'' (1996)


Edited by Simpson

* ''The Symphony'' (2 Vols; Ed. R. Simpson; 1966). Besides writing the 'Introduction' to the first volume and the preludial essay 'Stravinsky, Hindemith and Others' of the second, Simpson added several pithy editorial footnotes to the chapters of his contributors. In addition, he wrote the essay on Rachmaninoff found in Volume 2. The chapters on
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
,
Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
,
Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...
, and Dvořák were written by composer and conductor
Julius Harrison Julius Allan Greenway Harrison (26 March 1885 – 5 April 1963) was an English composer and conductor who was particularly known for his interpretation of operatic works. Born in Lower Mitton, Stourport in Worcestershire, by the age of 16 ...
, and the two-volume work is dedicated to Harrison's name.Self, Geoffrey
"Harrison, Julius"
''Grove Music Online'' Oxford Music Online.. Retrieved 29 February 2012


Contributions

* 'Ianus Germinus: Music in Scandinavia' (1960), in ''Twentieth Century Music – an International Symposium of Essays on Current Trends in Music'', Ed. R. Meyers. (1960; reissued 1968). * Foreword to: ''Beethoven, Sibelius and the 'Profound Logic': Studies in Symphonic Analysis''", by Lionel Pike (1978). * 'Beethoven Concertos', in ''A Guide to the Concerto'', Ed. Robert Layton (1988) * 'Carl Nielsen Now: A Personal View', in ''The Nielsen Companion'', Ed. Mina F. Miller (1995). * Foreword to: ''Experiencing Music (Musicians on Music, No. 5)'', by Vagn Holmboe, Ed. and Trans. Paul Rapoport (1991).


Various pieces

* 'The Seventh Symphony of Bruckner: An Analysis' ''Music Review'' (1947): 178–187. * 'More Reflections (After Composition)', ''Tempo'' No 144 (1983). * Programme note for British premiere of original 1873 edition of Bruckner's Symphony No 3,
Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...
(9 December 1987). * Program Notes for the Vanbrugh Quartet's Beethoven String Quartet cycle (19??). * Sleeve notes for the Delme Quartet's recording of
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
's ' Die Kunst der Fuge' arr. R. Simpson (19??). * 'Fiftieth Birthday Essays': A Tribute to Robert Simpson, with articles by Jascha Horenstein, Robert Layton, Hans Keller, Hugh Ottoway, Peter Dobson and
Ainslee Cox Ainslee Cox (June 22, 1936, Big Spring, Texas – September 5, 1988, New York City) was an American conductor. A graduate of Westminster Choir College and the University of Texas at Austin, he was associate conductor of the American Symphony Orch ...
. Edited by Edward Johnson for Triad Press (1971).


Work as record producer

Robert Simpson was also the producer for the first commercially available recordings of
Havergal Brian Havergal Brian (born William Brian; 29 January 187628 November 1972) was an English composer. He is best known for having composed 32 symphonies (an unusually high total for a 20th-century composer), most of them late in his life. His best-known ...
’s music. Symphonies Nos. 10 and 21, conducted by
James Loughran James Loughran CBE, DMus., FRNCM, FRSAMD (born 30 June 1931, Glasgow, Scotland) is a conductor. Early life Educated at St Aloysius' College in Glasgow, Loughran conducted at school and afterwards, while studying economics and law. When he ...
and Eric Pinkett respectively, were recorded at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester in 1972. The music was performed by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and the LP was released by
Unicorn Records Unicorn-Kanchana is a British independent record label founded by John Goldsmith (died 2020), a former London police officer. Originally known as Unicorn Records, the name Kanchana was added later to distinguish the company from Unicorn Digital o ...
to great critical acclaim in 1973. A special edition of the television programme ''Aquarius'' called ''The Unknown Warrior'' gave considerable coverage to the recording session and a camera crew also joined Robert Simpson and members of the orchestra during a visit they made to the composer's home in Shoreham (see video links below). Following the success of the Unicorn issue, a second Brian album, also produced by Robert Simpson, was recorded by the LSSO in 1974 at
Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th c ...
Town Hall and Leicester De Montfort Hall with the conducting being shared by László Heltay and Eric Pinkett. This CBS release included the 22nd Symphony, Brian's setting of the 23rd Psalm (which clearly belongs to the mainstream British choral tradition of Vaughan Williams and Parry) and the English Suite ''Rustic Scenes'' which contains some highly original music.


Writings

*


References


Further reading

*


External links


Robert Simpson Society
discography, bibliography and biographical information with a members' forum



5 January 1991 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Robert 1921 births 1997 deaths Alumni of Durham University English conscientious objectors English classical composers English musicologists English pacifists People from Leamington Spa People educated at Westminster School, London 20th-century British astronomers 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English composers English male classical composers Brass band composers Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society English people of Dutch descent English people of Scottish descent Civil Defence Service personnel British expatriates in Ireland 20th-century British musicologists 20th-century British male musicians English republicans English socialists Classical musicians associated with the BBC