your favourite works for string orchestra

[Bryn]

Xenakis - Ittidra

Xenakis - Aroura

Britten - Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge.

[Ferretfancy]

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Tallis Fantasia, surely the greatest piece of music for strings, at least from England.

BARTOK Divertimento

BRITTEN Frank Bridge Variations

GRIEG Holberg Suite

[Hornspieler]

There's something about the sound of British string music,not sure what that is,need one of our experts to explain.

I wonder if it was because we had many top-class string orchestras?

The Jaques string orchestra (became Philomusica of London under Thurston Dart)
The Goldsborough string orchestra (became the English Chamber Orchestra and very much associated with Benjamin Britten)
The Riddick string orchestra. (founded by Kathleen Riddick - and herein lies a clue)

Kathleen Riddick formed her orchestra because there was a wealth (literally) of fine string players, in London particularly; who, at that time, were unable to get positions in the major symphony orchestras - because they were women!. Composers, the like of Britten, Holst, Bax, RVW and Tippet appreciated the quality of these ensembles and found in them a useful outlet for their writing. Rawsthorne, Finzi, Howells and others soon caught the fever and increased their own output of string music.

Could that the reason? Or is it because the British (and Scandinavian) style of string playing was less "flowery" that their European counterparts. (Griieg, Dag Wiren and other Scandinavian composers also produced string music "in the English style")

Is there a better explanation?

HS

[BBMmk2]

How could I forget VWs Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis!!

[mercia]

I guess were it not for Paul Sacher and the Basel Chamber Orchestra we would be without several string masterworks

[Bryn]

How could I forget VWs Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis!!

Well it is a work for strings orchestra (with one desk from each section ideally seated separately), and string quartet , so I thought that might disqualify it.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I wonder if it was because we had many top-class string orchestras?

The Jaques string orchestra (became Philomusica of London under Thurston Dart)
The Goldsborough string orchestra (became the English Chamber Orchestra and very much associated with Benjamin Britten)
The Riddick string orchestra. (founded by Kathleen Riddick - and herein lies a clue)

Quite so, HS; but you've missed out the Boyd Neel orchestra, who commissioned (inter alia) the Britten Bridge Variations and made the first recording of the Tallis Fantasia.

[amateur51]

Kathleen Riddick formed her orchestra because there was a wealth (literally) of fine string players, in London particularly; who, at that time, were unable to get positions in the major symphony orchestras - because they were women!.
HS

Surely they weren't excluded because they were women but because orchestral managers were a load of male chauvinists

[Hornspieler]

Surely they weren't excluded because they were women but because orchestral managers were a load of male chauvinists

But there was a "males only" policy among some orchestras in the prewar years. Beecham's LPO, LSO for instance, and it was only the shortage of male string players after 1939 that forced the orchestras to abandon their "closed shop" attitudes.

But they were embarassed by having to employ lady harpists - there not being enough men available to go round, for works scored for more than one harp.

(Blame the French, as usual)

HS

[salymap]

Surely Sidonie Goossens had been playing with the BBCSO almost since its inception,? But the RPO were male only until quite late, weren't they ? Now I have occasionally seen a female tuba player.

[Ferretfancy]

Surely Sidonie Goossens had been playing with the BBCSO almost since its inception,?

Then there was the very nice Enid Simon, who usually wore a tweed suit while rehearsing, with her pipe stuck firmly in her mouth!

[Petrushka]

Surely Sidonie Goossens had been playing with the BBCSO almost since its inception,?

Sidonie Goosens was indeed in the origihal 1930 BBC SO. I met her once (in 1991 when I think she was 92) and curse myself for not asking her for as much of her memories as I could at the time. She must have had some wonderful stories to tell.

[salymap]

Then there was the very nice Enid Simon, who usually wore a tweed suit while rehearsing, with her pipe stuck firmly in her mouth!

Ferret, she sounds like Dame Ethel Smyth.

[amateur51]

But there was a "males only" policy among some orchestras in the prewar years. Beecham's LPO, LSO for instance, and it was only the shortage of male string players after 1939 that forced the orchestras to abandon their "closed shop" attitudes.

Wouldn't the same set of circumstances have pertained in the LSO during and after WWI?

[Nick Armstrong]

Mercia, what a great thread you've started!

Loving the sound of a string orchestra in full flow (the Elgar, Britten, Tippett, Strauss and Schönberg pieces cited above would be my favourites), it's brought up some that I've never heard and now want to seek out, in particular:

Bliss: Music for Strings
Howells: Concerto for String Orchestra

(the Howells especially)... plus Waldhorn's intriguing reference to the Florent Schmitt Symphony for string orchestra, 'Janiana' Op.101.

The only piece not so far mentioned for which I'd put in a vote is the Walton 'Sonata for Strings', that very successful arrangement of his Quartet