Last
week we explored the use of folk music in the work of two Norwegian composers, Edvard
Grieg and Johan Svendsen. This week, let’s go to England where, during the late
nineteenth century, it had been several centuries since they produced a
prominent composer. While several significant names emerged during this time
period, this week we will look at two friends, Gustav Holst (1874–1934) and
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958).
Gustav
Holst began his musical studies at an early age studying piano. While his
father hoped he would pursue a career in performance, his struggles with
neuritis in his right arm quickly ended any hope of pursuing that avenue. While
he attended the Royal College of Music to study composition, Holst worked hard
but his teachers didn’t find him to be amazing. Little did they know what he
would become! While at the Royal College of Music, Holst met Vaughan Williams
with whom he would become lifelong friends. Vaughan Williams introduced his new
friend to the idea of using folk tunes as inspiration for his work and it
transformed Holst’s compositional approach.
While
many of you may know Holst from The
Planets, today I want to look more closely at how he used folk in A Somerset Rhapsody. This lovely piece
is based on traditional songs gathered in Somerset by Cecil Sharp, for whom the
work is dedicated. It was first performed in Queen’s Hall in 1910. Holst was
quite pleased with how it turned out. Below you can listen to this work. Can
you think of any of Holst’s other works that use folk elements?
