British Chamber Music

Musicians from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Martin Sturfält present a programme dedicated entirely to British music from different eras. Henry Purcell (1659–95) of the early Baroque period composed numerous “Fantazias”. The context is unknown, but it is likely that Purcell wrote them for himself and never heard the music performed. The music is beautiful, elegant and intricate, and here, some of the three-part fantazias are performed.

From the oldest example, we move to the very youngest: Cheryl Frances-Hoad (born 1980) composed Memoria as a tribute to the prominent oboist (and cellist) Sidney “Jock” Sutcliffe (1918–2001), who was also Frances-Hoad’s cello mentor. The music is inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No. 2 in D-minor, and the piece consists of two luminous movements: a prelude and a fugue. It is not evident until the very end that Bach is a source of inspiration  

Frank Bridge (1879–1941) is unfortunately probably better known as Benjamin Britten’s instructor than as a brilliant composer in his own right – and as one of the composers who helped strengthen the identity of British music in the twentieth century. The Piano Trio in C-minor was composed for a competition, the theme of which was Baroque and Renaissance “fantasias” – in reference to, for example, Purcell’s work. Bridge won the competition with this piece, written in a stylish, late-Romantic style.

Edward Elgar (1857–1934) composed his Piano Quintet in A-minor in his cottage in Sussex, where he had rediscovered inspiration after an extended period of illness. The year was 1918 – a period of unrest, but World War I was finally almost over. Three trees in the area are said to have inspired the music of the initial movement, an evocative piece which the composer himself referred to as haunting. The second movement is powerfully emotional, while the finale takes the darkness of the introduction for a journey towards a bright conclusion.