Arthur Butterworth (1923-2014)

[french frank]

Sad to hear the news of the death of Arthur Butterworth, at the age of 91. He was a FoR3 supporter, and I last heard from him about a fortnight ago. For news, here's an (edited) copy of his email of 12 November:

" Oh yes! things have been in poor state for a long time at Radio 3 [...] my music appears to be getting European performances now - for instance the Organ Concerto in Poland couple of weeks ago, and "Mancunians" at Meiningen (near Bamberg), next March. Also early next summer the RSNO is to make another CD of something of mine. I conducted them in 2008 and 2010 - Symphonies No.4 & 5 along with a handful of other orchestral works."

[Pabmusic]

Sad to hear the news of the death of Arthur Butterworth, at the age of 91. He was a FoR3 supporter, and I last heard from him about a fortnight ago. For news, here's an (edited) copy of his email of 12 November:

" Oh yes! things have been in poor state for a long time at Radio 3 [...] my music appears to be getting European performances now - for instance the Organ Concerto in Poland couple of weeks ago, and "Mancunians" at Meiningen (near Bamberg), next March. Also early next summer the RSNO is to make another CD of something of mine. I conducted them in 2008 and 2010 - Symphonies No.4 & 5 along with a handful of other orchestral works."

Very sad. I was once conducted by him (A Dales Suite?). I was only a teenager, but he seemed a very nice man.

[Roehre]

Very sorry to learn of Arthur Butterworth's passing away.
I only know a handful of works of his (which impress me, such as his Symphonies no.1 and 5).
I think the work we hear most is the Romance for horn and strings which is broadcast on TtN quite frequently.
The last of tthe Mohicans of his generation I think?

RIP Arthur Butterworth

[french frank]

The last of tthe Mohicans of his generation I think?

Yes, his work once featured regularly on BBC radio and was played by the BBC orchestras. His 7th Symphony was completed a couple of years ago. It was discussed on the forum at the time.

[BBMmk2]

I was very sad to hear of this., His brass band music was certainly top drawer.

[french frank]

And, by the way, this is Butterworth on Butterworth, from an email of Aug 2013:

"After being discharged from the army after five years war service, I was trained as a composer, conductor and trumpeter. Joined the former Scottish Orchestra (now the RSNO) and became unofficial apprentice conductor to Walter Susskind and then Karl Rankl, as well as a trumpet player. Then went to Barbirolli's Hallé, where he launched me as a 'serious' composer with the First Symphony of 1957 (and Proms 1958).

Written six further symphonies since then; The BBC Philharmonic has played five of them and I have myself conducted quite a few of these with BBC orchestras over the period: 1960-mid 1970s. Two of my symphonies I have more recently conducted with the RSNO for Dutton CDs.

In 2008 I returned to the RSNO to conduct this orchestra for the first time in 54 years ! (having last conducted a public concert with the (then) SNO in April 1954. Two of my symphonies the BBC has not so far played, but one of them (No. 6) had its première in St Petersburg in 2009.

I am still composing - the latest commission - is to have its première on 3rd October - a chamber work. I have long been associated with the brass band movement (oh! what a terrible drawback this has been to being accepted by "the" musical establishment; not regarded as being musically "decent" you know; far too below the salt as it were).

On 7th September (next month) I shall be conducting an orchestra of my own organising: Brahms: "Academic Festival Overture" Sibelius: "Valse Triste" and Elgar: Symphony No.1 here in a large Skipton church a full-sized band of my multifarious orchestral friends (81 of them).

But there are immense - oh! immense drawbacks - to my being accepted by the London musical hierarchy: (1) I am a northerner (2) I was brought up in the brassband tradition (3) I rejected the rise of the avant garde when William Glock became controller of Radio 3 (4) I did not adhere to the so-called "Manchester School" of Max Davies, Birtwistle and Goehr (in fact I preceded them at the old RNCM by about ten years, although I was pupil of Richard Hall who nurtured Max and Birtwistle. Instead I became a pupil of RVW (how "old hat" the London establishment will say). My guiding light as a composer has really ever been Sibelius; and I have no liking for Mahler whatsoever."

[Stanley Stewart]

So sad but somehow life enhancing to hear his work and read about his achievements. Inspirational. RIP.

[Beef Oven!]

Sad news. I enjoy his orchestral work. RIP.

[teamsaint]

Always enjoyed his music, but probably not heard enough.
What great insights in the email posted by FF.


RIP

[EdgeleyRob]

Very sad news indeed.
A great innings and 140 Opus numbers.
I feel I don't know as much of his music as I should.

RIP.

[Tony Halstead]

Very sad news indeed.
A great innings and 140 Opus numbers.
I feel I don't know as much of his music as I should.

RIP.

This is rather 'spooky'... in 1964 when I was a student at the old RMCM ( the predecessor of the Royal Northern College of Music) I had a horn lesson in which my teacher suggested that I should get hold of ( i.e. BUY) Arthur Butterworth's 'Romance' for horn ( singular not plural as another MBoarder has suggested) and strings.

During that very same week I had a phone call from Mr Butterworth himself, inviting me to play 1st horn with the Halifax Symphony Orchestra ( West Yorkshire not Nova Scotia!) in a concert conducted by AB himself, the programme including the 6th Symphony of Sibelius and the Hindemith 'Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Weber'.
This was my very first 'paid' engagement as a 'first horn'!

Arthur was very kind and encouraging to me in the rehearsal / concert and personally gave me the fee in cash after the concert
( the then M.U. 'principal' fee of £5).

Two days before the concert I had passed my driving test, and the very next day I had bought my very first car, an old Morris Oxford ( 'pre-Farrina) for £50, which I proudly drove over the moors from Manchester to Halifax.
After the concert the weather 'turned nasty' and the fog was very thick, down on the moors.
I was terrified and phoned home ( from an old 'red telephone box' of course) to ask my Dad's advice...he was very 'blunt and Northern', saying :" you got yourself there OK, now just get yourself into that car and bl**dy well drive home!"
Of course I did indeed 'get home' that night, and to this day I always think of Arthur Butterworth when I either hear ( or play) Sibelius' 6th Symphony or the Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis.

A few years ago I was sent - for review- his 'Sonata for Saxhorn and Piano' ( Tenor horn with an 'ossia' for French horn) and I was happy to report that it is a little masterpiece of its kind, its harmonic language a lot more advanced than that of his two acknowledged 'heros' , Vaughan Williams and Sibelius.
RIP Arthur Butterworth

[french frank]

Thank you, Tony - a lovely personal memory.

[Barbirollians]

Sad news - glad to hear he was composing to the end.

[salymap]

I;m afraid I thought he died years ago

RIP AB

[John Wright]

That was George Butterworth (d.1916) no relation

A good listing of Arthur's compositions on his wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Butterworth

and with dates http://www.musicweb-international.com/buttera/works.htm

and recordings

http://www.musicweb-international.com/Search_engines.htm?cx=partner-pub-7131039333392991%3Astvzk0-7fwo&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=arthur+butterworth&sa=Search

and Butterworth on Bax http://www.musicweb-international.com/buttera/bax.htm