# Frank Bridge



## Mirror Image

Frank Bridge studied violin and composition at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 1904. A scholarship enabled him to study with Charles Villiers Stanford for four years (1899-1903). Bridge quickly established a reputation as a gifted violist and conductor. In 1906, he played with the Joachim Quartet, and he was a member of the English String Quartet through 1915. He conducted some operas at the Savoy Theatre and Covent Garden, and when Sir Thomas Beecham organized his New Symphony Orchestra in 1906, he named Bridge as his assistant. Bridge also befriended Sir Henry Wood and occasionally substituted for him as conductor at Queen's Hall; Wood later became an important champion of Bridge's music. During this period, Bridge was writing mostly chamber music and songs. His few orchestral works of the time were much influenced by the French Impressionists; the first of them to become part of the standard repertoire was the suite The Sea (1911).

World War I was a traumatic time for Bridge, an ardent pacifist. One can hear more dissonance and darkness creeping into such works as the Cello Sonata in D minor (1913-1917) and the Quartet No. 2 in G minor (1915). After several years of near-silence, Bridge's next big work signaled a large shift in style. The Piano Sonata (1921-1924) was written in memory of composer Ernest Farrar, who was killed in action in France, in 1917. In it, one hears considerably more dissonance, abrupt changes of mood and tempo, and a more angular and aggressive sound. This stylistic evolution continued in works like the third (1926) and fourth (1937) string quartets, which flirt with Schoenberg-like atonality.

In his last two decades, Bridge composed, occasionally conducted, and did some traveling, including trips to the United States in 1923, 1934, and 1938. He also did some private teaching. Certainly his best-known pupil was Benjamin Britten, who was an 11-year-old prodigy when Bridge met him in 1924. Britten retained a great affection for his teacher, and paid tribute to him in the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (1937), based on the second of the latter's Three Idylls for String Quartet (1906). Britten was also partly responsible for the subsequent interest in Bridge's music.

Among Bridge's later compositions were a lovely opera, The Christmas Rose (begun 1919, set aside for years and completed only in 1930), as well as several important chamber and orchestral works. His last completed composition was the Rebus Overture (1940); he also left a symphony for strings unfinished at his death.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

Here's yet another neglected English composer. He was an important influence to many people most notably Benjamin Britten. Are any of you familiar with Bridge's music? Have you heard of him?


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## Krummhorn

Being an organist, I am familiar with his organ works .. in particular the _Adagio in E Major_, a wonderful poetic piece that makes use of the full tonal resources (from _pp_ to_ fff _and back to _ppp_) of the organ requiring great skill by the performer in executing seamless registration changes.

In all, I believe Bridge wrote 6 pieces for the organ.


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## Taneyev

Have his 4 quartets. Phantasie quartet, Novelletten, 3 Idyls and several short pieces, all for SQ.


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## Mirror Image

Krummhorn said:


> Being an organist, I am familiar with his organ works .. in particular the _Adagio in E Major_, a wonderful poetic piece that makes use of the full tonal resources (from _pp_ to_ fff _and back to _ppp_) of the organ requiring great skill by the performer in executing seamless registration changes.
> 
> In all, I believe Bridge wrote 6 pieces for the organ.


I'm not too familiar with Bridge's work, but one reason why I posted this thread was to at least get his name out there to some people who have never heard of him.


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## Sid James

I've only heard about him in relation to his connection to Britten. The article which describes some of his music as dissonant, aggressive and exploring the paths originated by Schoenberg makes him one of those composers that I would definitely be interested in. So I'll get some of his music, if I see it anywhere...


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## Mirror Image

Andre said:


> I've only heard about him in relation to his connection to Britten. The article which describes some of his music as dissonant, aggressive and exploring the paths originated by Schoenberg makes him one of those composers that I would definitely be interested in. So I'll get some of his music, if I see it anywhere...


You will probably like him, Andre. I've known about him for a while, but still haven't explored any of his music. If you find anything, let me know your impressions of it.


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## Krummhorn

Mirror Image said:


> I'm not too familiar with Bridge's work, but one reason why I posted this thread was to at least get his name out there to some people who have never heard of him.


Here's the Adagio (for organ)


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## taduy

Bridge s " Great " , the only British composer I admire . He composed not much but all of them in my opinion have a good quality . I especially like the works he write for orchestra , ex : symphony poem ( Enter Spring , Summer ) , suite for orcheatra : The Sea - I like it more than Le Mer of Debussy , it s truly a neglect-masterpiece I have listened , so splendid , violent and heroic.....You can hear it at here


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## GoneBaroque

Thanks to Krummhorn for the Adagio. I love it. I have a CD which contains The Sea and Enter Spring conducted by Benjamin Britten. Both are pieces well worth knowing.


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## johnfkavanagh

GoneBaroque said:


> Thanks to Krummhorn for the Adagio. I love it. I have a CD which contains The Sea and Enter Spring conducted by Benjamin Britten. Both are pieces well worth knowing.


I have the same CD. I also have the Naxos recordings of the string quartets.


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## elgar's ghost

I rate his later chamber works such as the last two string quartets and the second piano trio - the quartets especially are more stylistically radical than a lot of UK chamber music of the time but certainly not 'difficult'. Also very good is the pre-WWI cello sonata.


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## TresPicos

His piano music is great! Sometimes romantic, sometimes modern, sometimes both.

Like The Dew Fairy, for example:


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## nightscape

Started listening to more of his music after being an admirer of "The Sea". Fantastic composer that should be much more well known.

I have the Hickox CD set of his orchestral music. Wonderful!


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## Avey

Um, the quartets. Necessary. Thinking Mr. Bridge was a genius.


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## Medtnaculus

Such an amazing output, from the Fairy Tale Suite, to his masterful Sonata.


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## TurnaboutVox

As we compile a TC list of recommended piano trios, I would particularly like to draw people's attention to Bridge's two substantial works in the genre.

The 'Phantasie' (single movement in arch-form) Piano Trio in C minor (1907) for violin, cello and piano, H. 79, which won first prize in the 1908 Cobbett Chamber Music Competition, is a late romantic work of lush, melancholy beauty

The Piano Trio No. 2, H.178 (1928–1929) is astringent, chromatic and dissonant - and as fine a piano trio as has been written in the first half of the 20th century.	It was not well received by critics at its premiere in the UK in 1929 ("It seems evident that he has made common cause with the advocates of modernity and put technical interest before aesthetic pleasure") but it received a more enthusiastic reception in the US. It is now widely regarded as one of Bridge’s "most satisfying and imaginative achievements". 

There exists also an early Piano Trio in D minor, H.1, (1900) and three sets of three miniatures (H. 87, 88 & 89) written as study pieces.


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## Genoveva

TurnaboutVox said:


> As we compile a TC list of recommended piano trios, I would particularly like to draw people's attention to Bridge's two substantial works in the genre.
> 
> The 'Phantasie' (single movement in arch-form) Piano Trio in C minor (1907) for violin, cello and piano, H. 79, which won first prize in the 1908 Cobbett Chamber Music Competition, is a late romantic work of lush, melancholy beauty
> 
> The Piano Trio No. 2, H.178 (1928-1929) is astringent, chromatic and dissonant - and as fine a piano trio as has been written in the first half of the 20th century.	It was not well received by critics at its premiere in the UK in 1929 ("It seems evident that he has made common cause with the advocates of modernity and put technical interest before aesthetic pleasure") but it received a more enthusiastic reception in the US. It is now widely regarded as one of Bridge's "most satisfying and imaginative achievements".
> 
> There exists also an early Piano Trio in D minor, H.1, (1900) and three sets of three miniatures (H. 87, 88 & 89) written as study pieces.


I have quite a bit of Frank Bridge's work. I like it a lot. Among his piano trios I have:

H 79 - Phantasie Piano Trio in C minor: Jack Liebeck (violin), Alexander Chaushian (cello), Ashley Wass (piano)

H 178 - Piano Trio No 2: Bernard Watts Piano Trio


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## MusicSybarite

Earlier I was listening to the String Quartet No. 3 (Naxos, Maggini Quartet), a work written in the late period of the composer. It's a grim, astringent piece that possibly doesn't appeal to some, but I found it engaging and with substance. The development is thorny, yet the music has a visceral nature.

Something I have noticed over the years is that the more works I listen to from different composers and styles, the more I become tolerant of that music. This has happened with this quartet. If I had listened to this work when I started listening to classical music, I would have hated it. It's definitely a rewarding experience.


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## Judith

Came across this composer at one of Steven Isserlis recitals. Was impressed.


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## TurnaboutVox

The 3rd string quartet is indeed astringent and austere, and it was the last of Bridge's quartets that I came to appreciate. I've been playing it a few times lately (Maggini Quartet on Naxos), along with three early works of easier charm but also some considerable merit - the early "Phantasie" string quartet in F# of 1905, the Novelletten (1904) and the Three Idylls (1906). These all preceded his 'first' (numbered) string quartet but contain elements of the later works, with an impressionist style and an experimental use of tonality.


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## MusicSybarite

Yesterday I played the Piano Trio No. 2 and the Violin Sonata. These ones are the more demanding works I've heard so far, they belong to another more advanced league with no doubts. I'll have to be more patient if I want to absorb them appropriately.


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## TurnaboutVox

I'm happy to inform you that Bridge wrote two (published) violin sonatas. The first was recorded by Tasmin Little (and Piers Lane, I think) on one of her volumes of British violin sonatas. The second, a latish (1925) and modernist work is much better known, though.


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## MusicSybarite

TurnaboutVox said:


> I'm happy to inform you that Bridge wrote two (published) violin sonatas. The first was recorded by Tasmin Little (and Piers Lane, I think) on one of her volumes of British violin sonatas. The second, a latish (1925) and modernist work is much better known, though.


I only know the last Violin Sonata. Thanks for alerting me of the early sonata.


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## elgar's ghost

TurnaboutVox said:


> I'm happy to inform you that Bridge wrote two (published) violin sonatas. The first was recorded by Tasmin Little (and Piers Lane, I think) on one of her volumes of British violin sonatas. The second, a latish (1925) and modernist work is much better known, though.


Any recording info, TV? Amazon's not offering anything apart from the Tasmin Little recording of the earlier sonata.


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## TurnaboutVox

This is the one I have (may not be another currently available, I'm not sure though. Edit - no, there are a few recordings to choose from). Into the bargain, the CD cover art is from a painting by the splendid Eric Ravilious.










*Bridge: Phantasy Piano Quartet & Sonatas

The Nash Ensemble:* Marianne Thorsen (violin), Laura Samuel (violin), Lawrence Power (viola), Paul Watkins (cello) & Ian Brown (piano)

"What this beautifully played and thoughtfully programmed disc has going for it are, first, that it presents these works in a chronological survey of Bridge's chamber output...Altogether, a valuable... - BBC Music Magazine, December 2013, **** "

Release Date: 30th Sep 2013
Catalogue No: CDA68003
Label: Hyperion


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## starthrower

TurnaboutVox said:


> The 3rd string quartet is indeed astringent and austere, and it was the last of Bridge's quartets that I came to appreciate. I've been playing it a few times lately (Maggini Quartet on Naxos), along with three early works of easier charm but also some considerable merit - the early "Phantasie" string quartet in F# of 1905, the Novelletten (1904) and the Three Idylls (1906). These all preceded his 'first' (numbered) string quartet but contain elements of the later works, with an impressionist style and an experimental use of tonality.


I'm listening to the 3rd quartet now. It sounds great! He composed 12 quartets but only four have been recorded.


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