Ernest Walker (composer)

Ernest Walker was born in Bombay, India, in 1870, where his father was a partner in a merchant firm (his father had also had ambitions to be a writer, and even published two novels under the pseudonym "Powys Oswyn", but these plans were abandoned). and played for artists such as Pablo Casals, on one occasion in 1898 performing together for Queen Victoria at Osborne House. As late as 1947, Casals wrote to Walker expressing his admiration for the musicianship he had displayed almost 50 years earlier. He also accompanied Joseph Joachim in concert; Joachim later wrote to Walker to express his gratitude for the quality of his playing. and John Stainer's The Crucifixion, and he dismissed all medieval music as "pre-artistic". Among Walker's students were Herbert Murrill, Reginald Jacques, Victor Hely-Hutchinson, Sir Thomas Armstrong, Graham Peel, Sir William McKie, and Gervase Hughes. He resigned as Director of Music at Balliol College to devote himself to composition. In 1942 the Cobbett Gold Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians was conferred on him. He died in 1949, aged 78. He was mourned by many, and those who paid tribute to him included Albert Schweitzer. ==Music==

Ernest Walker's style as a composer is conventional and conservative. It was described by The Manchester Guardian as not particularly distinguished but sensitive in expression and technically skilful. After 1914 his chromatic harmony became much more pronounced. The majority of his music is written for voices – many choral pieces (partsongs, anthems and motets), songs, and vocal duets and quartets. His works include a Stabat Mater (1898), I will lift up mine eyes, Op. 16, No. 1 (1899), Hymn to Dionysus, Op. 13 (1906), Ode to a Nightingale, Op. 14 (1908; words by John Keats), and One generation passeth away, Op. 56 (1934). There is also vocal incidental music to Rhesus (attrib. Euripides; 1922; sung to a Greek text). He wrote little orchestral music and no concertante works. His major orchestral work was Fantasia-Variations on a Norfolk folksong, Op. 45 (1930; also exists as a piano duet). His chamber music includes: a piano trio, 2 piano quartets, a piano quintet, a horn quintet, a Minuet and Trio for 2 violins and piano, and a Fantasia for string quartet. He also wrote other instrumental music: 2 violin sonatas (1895, 1910); a viola sonata (1897); a cello sonata (1914); Variations on an Original Theme for viola and piano (1907); Variations on a Theme by Joseph Joachim for violin and piano (1918); and other pieces for piano with violin, viola, cello, clarinet or horn. His solo piano music consists mainly of short pieces, miniatures, album leaves, preludes and the like. There is also Variations on a Norwegian Air, Op. 4 (1894), the suite The Days of the Week (1904), a West African Fantasietta, Op. 63 (1935), and a Study for the Left Hand, Op. 47. He arranged the Allegro assai from Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet in F minor, for piano solo. For piano duet, he wrote Six Duettinos, Op. 39 (1926), a West African Fantasia, Op. 53 (1933), and a Rhapsody and Fugue, Op. 57 (1934). There is also a Waltz Suite, Op. 60 (1935) for two pianos. He wrote cadenzas for five Mozart piano concertos, and for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. He wrote two solo pieces for piano left hand, composed long before he met the left-handed pianist Paul Wittgenstein and became friendly with him: Study for the Left Hand, Op. 47 (1901); and Prelude (Larghetto), Op. 61. He later presented these to Wittgenstein. In 1933 he wrote a piano quintet specifically for Wittgenstein and dedicated it to him. This was the Variations on an Original Theme for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano left hand. It was premiered by Wittgenstein on 24 March 1935 in Vienna. Only two works for organ came from his pen: a Prelude and Fugue in D, Op. 23 (1908), and Ten Preludes on the Lady Margaret Hall Hymn-tunes, Op. 50 (1923). This last work has been described as among the few significant contributions to English organ music of the 20th century. The Ten Preludes also exist in a choral version (Op. 51). Some of his music has been recorded: the Cello Sonata; the Adagio for Horn and Organ; and some of his choral pieces. ==List of works==

;Stage • Rhesus, Incidental Music to the play by Euripides for male chorus, Op. 35 (1923) ;Orchestral • Lyrics for string orchestra (1892) • Concert Overture in F minor (1897) • Intermezzo for string orchestra (2 clarinets ad libitum) and piano, Op. 22 (1908) • Ground for string orchestra (1911) • Fantasia-Variations on a Norfolk Folk Song, Op. 45 (1930); original version for piano 4-hands ;Chamber music • Piano Trio in C minor for violin, cello and piano (1896) • Ballade in D minor for violin and piano, Op. 6 (1896) • Sonata No. 1 in A minor for violin and piano, Op. 8 (1895); published 1898 • Romance in B major for viola (or clarinet) and piano, Op. 9 (1898) • Quartet in D major for violin, viola, cello and piano (1899) • Quintet in B minor for horn, 2 violins, viola and cello (1900) • Ballade in F major for cello and piano, Op. 11 No. 1 (1900) • Adagio in E major for cello (or horn) and piano, Op. 11 No. 2 (1900) • Minuet and Trio for 2 violins and piano, Op. 20 (1904) • Romance and Caprice for violin and piano (1904) • Quintet in A major for 2 violins, viola, cello and piano (1905) • Variations on an Original Theme for viola and piano (1907) • Quartet in C minor for violin, viola, cello and piano (1910) • Sonata in C major for viola and piano, Op. 29 (1897); published 1912 • Variations on an Original Theme for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano left-hand (1913); written for Paul Wittgenstein • Fantasia in D major for string quartet, Op. 32 (1923) • Variations on a Theme of Joseph Joachim for violin and piano, Op. 40 (1918); published 1927 • Sonata in F minor for cello and piano, Op. 41 (1914); published 1928 • Sonata No. 2 in E major for violin and piano, Op. 44 (1910); published 1930 • The Londonderry Air, Arrangement for violin and piano, Op. 59 (1935) ;Organ • Prelude and Fugue in D, Op. 23 (1908) • Ten Preludes on the Lady Margaret Hall Hymn-Tunes, Op. 50 (1932); also for chorus, Op. 51 ;Piano • Rhapsody in G minor (1892) • Variations on a Norwegian Air, Op. 4 (1894) • Romance and Capriccio, Op. 5 (1895) • Album Leaf No. 1 (1895) • Mazurka (1897) • Intermezzo in Tenths (1897) • Album Leaf No. 2 (1898) • The Days of the Week, 7 Short Pieces (1904); No. 1 published as Op. 37 • Prelude in E major, Op. 37 (1904); published 1925; used in the variation movement of Violin Sonata, Op. 44 • 6 Duettinos for piano 4-hands, Op. 39 (1926) • 3 Dedications, Op. 42 (1929) • Easter Piece, Op. 43 (1929) • Fantasia-Variations on a Norfolk Folk-Song for piano 4-hands, Op. 45 (1930); also orchestrated • 4 Miniatures, Op. 46 (1931) • Study for the Left Hand for piano left-hand, Op. 47 (1901); published 1931; written for Paul Wittgenstein • 3 Fughettas, Op. 49 (1932) • A West African Fantasia for piano 4-hands, Op. 53 (1933) • Christmas Piece, Op. 54 (1933) • Rhapsody and Fugue for piano 4-hands, Op. 57 (1932); published 1934 • A Waltz Suite for 2 pianos, Op. 60 (1935) • Prelude for the Left Hand, Larghetto for piano left-hand, Op. 61 (1935); written for Paul Wittgenstein • West African Fantasietta, Op. 63 (1935) ;Vocal • Brown Is My Love, Madrigal for 5 voices (1893) • From the Upland and the Sea for baritone, 2 violins, viola, cello and piano (1894); words by William Morris • A Message for voice and piano (1894); words by G. H. F. Cookson • Le Tsigane dans la lune for voice and piano (1894); words by Jean Lahor • Why So Pale and Wan? for voice and piano (1895); words by John Suckling • 6 Songs for medium voice and piano, Op. 1; words by William Shakespeare and Ludwig Uhland • 3 Songs for voice and piano (1898); words by Olga von Gerstfeldt • 6 Two-part Songs for 2 female voices and piano, Op. 2 (published 1898); words by Robert Herrick, William Shakespeare and Percy Bysshe Shelley • 6 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 3 (1893); words by William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Heinrich Heine and Karl Candidus • 6 Two-part Songs for 2 female voices and piano, Op. 7 (1897); words from Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake • The Wind on the Wold for high voice and piano (1902); words by William Ernest Henley • Three War Songs for voice and piano (1902); words from The Princess by Alfred, Lord Tennyson • 2 Duets for soprano, baritone and piano (1902); words by Robert Herrick and from an Elizabethan songbook • 6 Songs for low voice and piano, Op. 12; words by Christina Rossetti, Olga von Gerstfeldt, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Robert Herrick and Thomas Moore • I Care Not for the Idle State, Anacreontic Ode for baritone and piano, Op. 15; words by Thomas Moore • ''Corinna's Going A-Maying'' for voice and piano, Op. 18 (1902); words by Robert Herrick • Camilla Fair for voice and piano (1903); words from an Elizabethan song-book • 2 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 19 (1903); words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Charles Kingsley • Duets for alto and tenor (1904); words by Heinrich Heine • Bluebells from the Clearings for voice and piano, Op. 21 (1906); words by William Ernest Henley • 3 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 27 (1909); words from an Elizabethan manuscript and by Sydney Thompson Dobell • To Althea for voice and piano (1909); words by Richard Lovelace • Come into the Garden, Maud for voice and piano, Op. 28 (1911); words by Alfred, Lord Tennyson • 5 Songs for voices and piano, Op. 36 (1924); words by Robert Greene, Ben Jonson, Thomas Ravenscroft, Beaumont and Fletcher, Mary Scott • Songs with Small Orchestra for high voice and small orchestra (or piano), Op. 38 (1926); words by Sydney Thompson Dobell • Ring Out, Wild Bells, Canon for two equal voices and piano, Op. 64 (1937); words by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ;Choral • Psalm 130 "De Profundis" for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1892) • Stabat Mater for 4 solo voices, mixed chorus and orchestra (1897) • 5 Songs for 4 voices and piano, Op. 10 (1900); words from Englands Helicon (1600) • A Hymn to Dionysus for mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 13 (1906); words by Euripides • Ode to a Nightingale for baritone solo, clarinet solo, mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 14 (1908); words by John Keats • 2 Anthems for male voices and organ, Op. 16 (1899) :# I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes (also for female voices and organ) :# Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Refuge (also for mixed voices and organ) • 6 Three-part Songs for 3 female voices and piano, Op. 17 (1901–1908) • The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 24 (1906); words by Alfred, Lord Tennyson • ''The World's Wanderers'', Part-Song for 3 female voices and piano, Op. 25 (1906); words by Percy Bysshe Shelley • Liberty, Part-Song for 4 male voices a cappella, Op. 26 (1906); words by Percy Bysshe Shelley • ''Neptune's Empire'', Choral Lyric for chorus and orchestra (1910); words by Thomas Campion • 3 Part-Songs for 3 female voices a cappella, Op. 30 (1912, 1914); words by Robert Herrick • In Pride of May, Part-Song for 3 female voices and piano, Op. 31 (1914); words from an Elizabethan songbook • Orpheus with His Lute, Part-Song for mixed voices a cappella, Op. 33 (1922); words by William Shakespeare • Full Fathom Five, Song for 6 soprano voices a cappella, Op. 34 (1923); words by William Shakespeare • Soft Music, Part-Song for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 48 (1931); words by Robert Herrick • The Lady Margaret Hall Hymn-Tunes for chorus a cappella, Op. 51 (1932); also for organ • ''The Earth Is the Lord's'', Motet for female chorus a cappella, Op. 52 (1932) • Sunset and Evening Star, Choral Song for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 55 (1932); published 1934; words by Alfred, Lord Tennyson • One Generation Passeth Away, Motet for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 56 (1934); Biblical words from Ecclesiastes • Hearken to Me, Ye That Follow after Righteousness, Motet for female chorus a cappella, piano or organ ad libitum, Op. 58 (1934); Biblical words from the Book of Isaiah • Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D major for female voices and organ, Op. 62 (1935) • ''Song from Schiller's "Wilhelm Tell"'' for voice and piano (1937); words by Friedrich Schiller • Dirge in Woods for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 65 (1939); words by George Meredith ==References==