The Australian Symphony from Federation to 1960The symphony retained its primacy as the most prestigious large-scale orchestral form throughout the first half of the twentieth century, particularly in Britain, Russia and the United States. Likewise, Australian composers produced a steady stream of symphonies throughout the period from Federation (1901) through to the end of the 1950s. Stylistically, these works ranged from essays in late nineteenth-century romanticism, twentieth-century nationalism, neo-classicism and near-atonality. Australian symphonies were most prolific during the 1950s, with 36 local entries in the 1951 Commonwealth Jubilee Symphony competition. This extensive repertoire was overshadowed by the emergence of a new generation of composers and critics during the 1960s who tended to regard older Australian music as old-fashioned and derivative. The Australian Symphony from Federation to 1960 is the first study of this neglected genre and has four aims: firstly, to show the development of symphonic composition in Australia from Federation to 1960; secondly, to highlight the achievement of the main composers who wrote symphonies; thirdly, to advocate the restoration and revival of this repertory; and, lastly, to take a step towards a recasting of the narrative of Australian concert music from Federation to the present. In particular, symphonies by Marshall-Hall, Hart, Bainton, Hughes, Le Gallienne and Morgan emerge as works of particular note. |
Contents
The Australian Musical Environment for Symphonic Composition | |
Australian Pioneers of the Federation Period | |
Reproduced by kind permission of Stiles Music Publications | |
Symphonies of the 1920s and 1930s | |
Reproduced with kind permission of Peter English | |
Reproduced with kind permission of John C BrewsterJones | |
Nationalist Symphonies of the 1950s | |
Reproduced with kind permission Edgar Bainton UK Society | |
Reproduced with kind permission Lynne Douglas | |
NeoClassic and Progressive Symphonies of the 1950s | |
Reproduced with kind permission Delia Lane and Alison Smith | |
Australian Expatriate Symphonies | |
The 1960s and Conclusions | |
Select Bibliography | |
Australian Symphonies 194060 in Late Romantic and Postimpressionist | |
Fritz Hart Papers Latrobe Australian Manuscripts Collection State | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aboriginal accessed Adelaide Alfred Hill Allegro Andrew McCredie Australian composers Australian Music Centre Australian symphonies Bainton bars bass Bernard Heinze brass Brewster-Jones Brisbane Canberra Charles Moses chorale chords clarinet Clifford climax Clive Douglas coda Competition composer's composition concert Conservatorium cor anglais counterpoint Covell dissonant Dorian Le Gallienne Edgar Bainton Example Felix Werder figures finale flute four movements full orchestra full score Gallienne Glanville-Hicks harmony Hart Hill's horns Ibid idea idiom John Antill Library of Australia Malcolm Williamson Margaret Sutherland Marshall-Hall melody minor minutes motive Namatjira National Library oboe octaves opening ostinato paragraph Peggy Glanville-Hicks Penberthy percussion performance period piano premiere programme note recapitulation recording rhythms Robert Hughes scherzo second movement second subject group Sitsky slow introduction slow movement solo SP497/1 Jubilee Composers String Quartet style Sydney Symphony Orchestra Symphony Australia Symphony No.2 textures timpani triads trombones trumpet University of Melbourne Vaughan Williams violin Werder woodwind