# William Alwyn



## Mirror Image

Born in 1905, William Alwyn was among the large group of post-Romantic English composers who gained popularity in the wake of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst. A prolific composer, as well as a flautist and teacher, he worked successfully in various forms and idioms.

Alwyn was educated at the Northampton Grammar School, where he proved a promising student in both music and art. He attended the Royal Academy of Music from 1920 to 1923, by which time he had settled on composition as his main interest in life. His studies were interrupted by the death of his father when he was eighteen, and he was forced to go to work. He taught in a preparatory school and made the rounds of theater orchestras as a flautist before returning to the Academy three years later as a composition teacher. Alwyn's own breakthrough as a composer took place in 1927, when Sir Henry Wood conducted the premiere of his Five Preludes for Orchestra at a promenade concert in London. His Piano Concerto was finished in 1930, and his oratorio, a setting of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake, was completed in 1936. Despite many honors and awards, Alwyn abruptly abandoned all of his early works in 1939, regarding his technique as inadequate.

Alwyn turned to neo-classicism in the 1940s, and found inspiration for a resumption of his career. His later work included four symphonies, the first dating from 1949, two concerti grossi, a series of four Scottish Dances, and several programmatic orchestral works including the symphonic prelude The Magic Island, the gorgeous and haunting Lyra Angelica for harp and strings, and Autumn Legend, as well as a pair of string quartets and other chamber pieces, and the operas The Libertine and Miss Julie. His seventy film scores include Penn of Pennsylvania (1941), Green For Danger (1946), Odd Man Out (1946), The Fallen Idol (1948), and The Rocking Horse Winner (1950), as well as many documentaries. He was made a Fellow of the British Film Academy. In 1955, Alwyn gave up his teaching position, and from 1961 onward pursued composition virtually exclusively. In 1978, he was knighted. Alwyn died in 1985.

There was something of an Alwyn renaissance in the 1970s, both in performance and a series of landmark recordings by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer himself, for the Lyrita label. In the 1980s and 1990s, younger conductors on other labels - most notably Chandos - began recording the symphonies and other orchestral works.

Alwyn's music is melodic and eminently accessible, if not always as adventurous as modern listeners might expect. His tunecraft could be both subtle and profound, as in The Magic Island (inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest and the Lyra Angelica, both compelling visions of beauty and mystery that rank among the finest pieces of program music of their era. His symphonies are plainer and dryer, but only slightly less attractive, with beautiful scoring and great technical vitality. All of these pieces were often regarded as out-of-date in the relentlessly avant-garde world of contemporary music at the time they were published, and they were largely ignored outside of England at the time. With the rebirth of interest in twentieth-century English music, however, Alwyn's work has gradually been finding a wider audience since the 1980s.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

I won't comment too much, because the article above says it all, but he seems to be, as so many composers, overlooked somehow.

Anybody a fan of Alwyn's music? Interesting thing about Alwyn is he actually devised, much the same way Edmund Rubbra did, his own take of the 12-tone system, but only he used in a tonal way. Some of this music, like Magic Island, Sinfonietta for Strings, and Symphony No. 3, used this unique 12-tone system. Here's what he said about Symphony No. 3 (taken from Wikipedia):

_"The twelve notes were used in a different way - in a tonal manner. Eight notes of the possible twelve are used in the first movement, with the remaining four (D, E, F, and A-flat) constituting the middle movement, and all twelve being combined for the finale. This all sounds very complicated, but I don't think you will find it a difficult work to listen to."_


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## haydnguy

Thanks for bringing Alwyn to our attention, M.I. He sounds like an interesting composer and I'll definitely check his music out.!


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## Mirror Image

haydnguy said:


> Thanks for bringing Alwyn to our attention, M.I. He sounds like an interesting composer and I'll definitely check his music out.!


Yes, you should check him out.


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## Mirror Image

I've been enjoying Alwyn's music for the past two days. He's yet another very neglected composer. People may remember his music from Michelle Kwan's figure skating performance. She skated to "Lyra Angelica," which was written for harp and string orchestra. Figure skating aside, Alwyn composed some very beautifully melodic music. Of significant importance are is his "Symphony No. 3," which he wrote with a deviation of the 12-tone technique, but he used it in a very tonal manner. Also his "Symphony No. 4," and "Sinfonietta for Strings," also used this technique. Both are very quite good works as well. In addition to his symphonies, he has written concerti, chamber, opera, and film music. Quite a versatile composer.

A great composer everybody who enjoys Britten and Walton should check out.


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## Sid James

I'll have to listen to his music at some stage, as I'm interested in composers who used the 12-tone technique, eg. Schoenberg, Berg, Martin, Henze, etc. I don't mind if it's used more idiosyncratically; Walton's _String Quartet_, the only work in which he experimented with atonality, is one of my favourites...


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## Mirror Image

Andre said:


> I'll have to listen to his music at some stage, as I'm interested in composers who used the 12-tone technique, eg. Schoenberg, Berg, Martin, Henze, etc. I don't mind if it's used more idiosyncratically; Walton's _String Quartet_, the only work in which he experimented with atonality, is one of my favourites...


Alwyn used the 12-tone technique in a tonal manner. I'm sure you'll enjoy Alwyn a lot Andre.

Not all his pieces are in 12-tone, but those four I mentioned "Symphony No. 3," "Symphony No. 4," "Magic Island," and "Sinfonietta for Strings." Are all outstanding examples of setting this technique to tonality.

Like I said, you'll dig Alwyn.


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## Vesteralen

I'm really enjoying listening to his Symphony No. 3. I would have had no idea it involved a modified 12-tone system. What I particularly like about Alwyn is that, unlike many composers of his generation, his music seems to have interesting melody (at least motives), harmony *and* rhythm, not just one of the three in abundance and the rest in the background. There's a lot to love here.

I could understand why some people might hear some of his music like glorified movie-sountrack music (there's a definite "Star Wars" rhythmic and harmonic element in part of the third symphony). But, at least this music (1956) predates any of that. Can we add Alwyn to the list of composers from whom John Williams has borrowed?


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## Taneyev

You guys, and your symphonics!!. Don't you know any other thing?

I've from Alwyn:

Clarinet sonata - Divertimento for solo flute - Oboe sonata - Flute sonata - Sonata Improntu violin&viola -

Rhapsody for piano quartet - String trio - String quartet Nº3.


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## Vesteralen

Odnoposoff said:


> You guys, and your symphonics!!. Don't you know any other thing?
> 
> I've from Alwyn:
> 
> Clarinet sonata - Divertimento for solo flute - Oboe sonata - Flute sonata - Sonata Improntu violin&viola -
> 
> Rhapsody for piano quartet - String trio - String quartet Nº3.


Thanks for the information. I'd definitely like to explore more from Alwyn.

I probably wouldn't even have stumbled across Alwyn if it wasn't for working my way alphabetically through the Naxos catalog several years ago. I purchased the symphonies and piano conceros back then, but hadn't really taken the time to give them a really good listen till recently.

Yeah, I guess I'm rather conventionally attracted first to symphonic works, but I often follow up, when I'm interested in a composer, with other genres.

(you know, I have to laugh about this...even when you're determined to post only positive things, somebody still finds a way to blast you  You gotta love TC)


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## rgolubev

I've listened to his symphonies 1, 3 and string quartets 1-3 found them lacking clear structural integrity and, consequently, disappointing. Each sounded to me like an assemblage of unrelated movements, quite lacking any particularly interesting musical "ideas". So I relegate him to the 3rd order of interest.


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## TresPicos

Alwyn is one of my favorite composers. Most of all I like his two piano concertos, and the Sonata alla toccata. I'm not very fond of any of the symphonies yet, though.


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## cjvinthechair

Yes, let's keep Alwyn to the forefront...gorgeous music, though I'm afraid I'm too inexpert to really appreciate the chamber/sonata work as recommended by Odnoposoff.


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## presto

cjvinthechair said:


> Yes, let's keep Alwyn to the forefront...gorgeous music,


Totally agree, an extremely fine composer equally good at writing very effective film music as well as serious concert works.
I love his Harp Concerto, a very beautiful work indeed.


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## violadude

TresPicos said:


> Alwyn is one of my favorite composers. Most of all I like his two piano concertos, and the Sonata alla toccata. I'm not very fond of any of the symphonies yet, though.


Which ones have you tried?


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## TresPicos

violadude said:


> Which ones have you tried?


All of them. 

I'm not giving up, though.


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## Selby

Listening to the Harp Concerto now, one of the best in the genre, which is saying a lot because I absolutely adore harp concertos!!

I have the Hickox symphony cycle on Chandos - I think I'll try to dig into again sometime soon.

I was unaware of the piano concertos - more Hickox to be purchased soon!!!


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## Guest

A fellow harp concerto-ite eh? Are Alwyn's and Gliere's your favorites too?


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## Selby

Yes, I'd probably put Alwyn at the top, followed by Gliere, with a lot of love sent to Ginastera.

The Hovhaness I have been listening to every few days, but something is inhibiting my enthusiasm; I like it but it doesn't transcend yet for me. The Rautavaara is another I want to spend more time with.


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## Neo Romanza

Alwyn's _Lyra Angelica_ is a fine work and quite possibly one of the best concertante works written for the harp.


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## Blake

Excellent composer. Scooped up his symphonies, harp concerto, and a few others.


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## arpeggio

*New Alwyn Purchase*

I just purchased a new album that has some great Alwyn. See: http://www.talkclassical.com/1006-latest-purchases-414.html#post559106

Right at this moment I am listening to the _Concerto for Flute and Eight Wind Instruments_.


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## Vesteralen

Really enjoying listening to "Autumn Legend" for Cor anglais and String Orchestra (1954) with Nicholas Daniel/Hickox on Chandos - Atmospheric evocation of Dante Rosetti's "Blessed Damozel". 

I've always wanted to hear an extended piece for Cor Anglais, and this one is beautiful, with the string music sharing equally in the opportunity to present some of the best musical monents.


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## Guest

Vesteralen said:


> I've always wanted to hear an extended piece for Cor Anglais, and this one is beautiful, with the string music sharing equally in the opportunity to present some of the best musical monents.


Also try Vasks' Cor Anglais concerto


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## jim prideaux

busy listening to the 1st symphony (RLPO conducted by Lloyd Jones) for the 3rd or is it 4th time today-this morning I had never heard anything by the man-so glad to have had the opportunity to hear this impressive work!


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## Guest

Recent article for you Alwyn fans:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/to...-alwyn-first-symphony-proms-royal-albert-hall


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## jim prideaux

second movement of the first symphony-what a blast!


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## starthrower

I heard Autumn Legend on the radio yesterday. A beautiful piece featuring English horn.


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