Biography
Simpson was born in Leamington, Warwickshire. His father, Robert Warren Simpson, was a descendant of SirMusic
Dedicated as he was to renewing the classical tradition of a dynamic musical architecture built on the gravitational power ofSymphonies
"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 theConcertos
; Violin Concerto (1959): A work of some forty minutes, dedicated to the violinist Ernest Element, withdrawn by the composer late in his life.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. ;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 toOther 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 '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 onContributions
* '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,Work as record producer
Robert Simpson was also the producer for the first commercially available recordings ofWritings
*References
Further reading
*External links