Variations on an Elizabethan Theme
Encyclopedia
Variations on an Elizabethan Theme (also seen as Variations on Sellenger's Round) is a set of variations for string orchestra, written collaboratively
in 1952 by six English composers: Lennox Berkeley
, Benjamin Britten
, Arthur Oldham
, Humphrey Searle
, Michael Tippett
and William Walton
. Imogen Holst
also played a role in the work, but she did not write a variation as such.
The variations were written to celebrate the forthcoming coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. (Benjamin Britten also wrote his opera Gloriana
in honour of this occasion.)
in July 1952, Benjamin Britten had attended the premiere of La guirlande de Campra
, a collaborative work by seven French composers, and this gave him the idea of inviting several English composers to join him in each writing a variation on a theme from the time of the first Queen Elizabeth
to honour her modern-day successor.
Lennox Berkeley
, Michael Tippett
and William Walton
all readily accepted Britten's invitation. Alan Rawsthorne
declined outright. Edmund Rubbra
initially agreed, but pulled out of the project at the eleventh hour, at which time Arthur Oldham
and Humphrey Searle
were brought in.
The theme was Sellinger's Round or The Beginning of the World, an Irish dance tune, as harmonised for the keyboard by William Byrd
, the leading composer from the time of Elizabeth I. It was orchestrated for the occasion by Imogen Holst
, but she did not provide a variation of her own.
. However, it was also broadcast live on the BBC Third Programme four days earlier, 16 June. Both performances were conducted by Benjamin Britten. The public performance was recorded and has been released on CD.
William Walton proposed that each variation include a brief quotation
from another work by the same composer. His own quotation was from his Portsmouth Point
Overture. Britten's quotation was his "Green leaves we are" theme from Gloriana.
The audience at the Aldeburgh Festival premiere was not told which composer wrote which variation, but were invited to participate in a guessing competition to raise funds for the festival. Nobody correctly guessed all the names.
Classical music written in collaboration
In classical music, it is relatively rare for a work to be written in collaboration by multiple composers. This contrasts with popular music, where it is common for more than one person to contribute to the music for a song...
in 1952 by six English composers: Lennox Berkeley
Lennox Berkeley
Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
, Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
, Arthur Oldham
Arthur Oldham
Arthur William Oldham was an English composer and choirmaster. He founded the Edinburgh Festival Chorus in 1965, the Chorus of the Orchestre de Paris in 1975, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra Chorus in Amsterdam in 1979. He also worked with the Scottish Opera Chorus 1966-74 and directed the...
, Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle was a British composer.-Biography:He was born in Oxford where he was a classics scholar before studying — somewhat hesitantly — with John Ireland at the Royal College of Music in London, after which he went to Vienna on a six month scholarship to become a private pupil of Anton...
, Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
and William Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
. Imogen Holst
Imogen Holst
Imogen Clare Holst, CBE was a British composer and conductor, and sole child of composer Gustav Holst.Imogen Holst was brought up in west London and educated at St Paul's Girls' School, where her father was director of music...
also played a role in the work, but she did not write a variation as such.
The variations were written to celebrate the forthcoming coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. (Benjamin Britten also wrote his opera Gloriana
Gloriana
Gloriana is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten to an English libretto by William Plomer, based on Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey...
in honour of this occasion.)
Background
At the Aix-en-Provence FestivalAix-en-Provence Festival
The festival international d'art lyrique is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in the month of July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental music.-Establishment:The...
in July 1952, Benjamin Britten had attended the premiere of La guirlande de Campra
La guirlande de Campra
La guirlande de Campra is collaborative orchestral work written by seven French composers in 1952. It is in the form of variations or meditations on a theme from André Campra's 1717 opera Camille. It was later choreographed as a ballet....
, a collaborative work by seven French composers, and this gave him the idea of inviting several English composers to join him in each writing a variation on a theme from the time of the first Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
to honour her modern-day successor.
Lennox Berkeley
Lennox Berkeley
Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
, Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
and William Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
all readily accepted Britten's invitation. Alan Rawsthorne
Alan Rawsthorne
Alan Rawsthorne was a British composer. He was born in Haslingden, Lancashire, and is buried in Thaxted churchyard in Essex.-Career:...
declined outright. Edmund Rubbra
Edmund Rubbra
Edmund Rubbra was a British composer. He composed both instrumental and vocal works for soloists, chamber groups and full choruses and orchestras. He was greatly esteemed by fellow musicians and was at the peak of his fame in the mid-20th century. The most famous of his pieces are his eleven...
initially agreed, but pulled out of the project at the eleventh hour, at which time Arthur Oldham
Arthur Oldham
Arthur William Oldham was an English composer and choirmaster. He founded the Edinburgh Festival Chorus in 1965, the Chorus of the Orchestre de Paris in 1975, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra Chorus in Amsterdam in 1979. He also worked with the Scottish Opera Chorus 1966-74 and directed the...
and Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle was a British composer.-Biography:He was born in Oxford where he was a classics scholar before studying — somewhat hesitantly — with John Ireland at the Royal College of Music in London, after which he went to Vienna on a six month scholarship to become a private pupil of Anton...
were brought in.
The theme was Sellinger's Round or The Beginning of the World, an Irish dance tune, as harmonised for the keyboard by William Byrd
William Byrd
William Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
, the leading composer from the time of Elizabeth I. It was orchestrated for the occasion by Imogen Holst
Imogen Holst
Imogen Clare Holst, CBE was a British composer and conductor, and sole child of composer Gustav Holst.Imogen Holst was brought up in west London and educated at St Paul's Girls' School, where her father was director of music...
, but she did not provide a variation of her own.
Structure of the work
The work was structured as follows:- Theme (anon; harmonised by William Byrd; arranged for string orchestra by Imogen Holst)
- Variation 1: Allegro non troppo (Arthur Oldham)
- Variation 2: A Lament, Andante espressivo (Michael Tippett)
- The variation begins and ends with a transcription of 'Ah Belinda!' from Henry PurcellHenry PurcellHenry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
's Dido and AeneasDido and AeneasDido and Aeneas is an opera in a prologue and three acts by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell to a libretto by Nahum Tate. The first known performance was at Josias Priest's girls' school in London no later than the summer of 1688. The story is based on Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid...
, over which a solo violin plays a decorated version of the theme. Tippett's variation later became well known as part of his separate piece, Divertimento on Sellinger's Round
- The variation begins and ends with a transcription of 'Ah Belinda!' from Henry Purcell
- Variation 3: Andante (Lennox Berkeley)
- Variation 4: Quick and Gay (Benjamin Britten)
- Variation 5: Nocturne, Adagio (Humphrey Searle)
- Britten considered this the most original of all the variations
- Variation 6: Finale, Fuga à la gigue, Presto giocoso (William Walton)
- Walton starts with an inversion of the theme, and concludes with the inversion combined with the original theme.
Premieres
The public premiere was held on 20 June 1953, as part of the Coronation Choral Concert at the 1953 Aldeburgh FestivalAldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
. However, it was also broadcast live on the BBC Third Programme four days earlier, 16 June. Both performances were conducted by Benjamin Britten. The public performance was recorded and has been released on CD.
William Walton proposed that each variation include a brief quotation
Musical quotation
Musical quotation is the practice of directly quoting another work in a new composition. The quotation may be from the same composer's work , or from a different composer's work ....
from another work by the same composer. His own quotation was from his Portsmouth Point
Portsmouth Point (Walton)
Portsmouth Point is an overture for orchestra by the English composer William Walton, composed in 1925. The work was inspired by Rowlandson's print depicting Portsmouth Point. Walton recalled that the main musical had come into his mind whilst riding the #22 bus in London...
Overture. Britten's quotation was his "Green leaves we are" theme from Gloriana.
The audience at the Aldeburgh Festival premiere was not told which composer wrote which variation, but were invited to participate in a guessing competition to raise funds for the festival. Nobody correctly guessed all the names.