Frederic Cliffe
Encyclopedia
Frederic Cliffe was an English composer
.
, under its first Principal Arthur Sullivan
.
From 1884 to 1931 he held the post of Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music. Among his pupils were John Ireland
and Arthur Benjamin
.
Cliffe had a short career as a composer from 1889 to 1905. His principal works were two Symphonies, the first of which was produced at The Crystal Palace
in 1889, and subsequently performed at a Philharmonic concert, being well received on each occasion, with The Daily Telegraph
hailing it as "a masterpiece". Although not overtly programmatic, its first movement was influenced by a visit to Norway
by Cliffe. It was published by Novello. His Second Symphony had its first performance at the Leeds Festival
in 1892. Cliffe gave titles to each of its movements: I. At Sunset. II. Night. III. Fairy Revels. IV. Morning. It has been edited (2010) by Lionel Harrison and published by Patrick Meadows.
His 'scena', The Triumph of Alcestis, for contralto voice and orchestra, was composed for Clara Butt
.
After that seventeen year period of composing substantial works, he had no record of further major composition and his works received few subsequent performances during his lifetime.
The Symphony No. 1 in C minor and his tone poem 'Cloud and Sunshine' have been recorded (Sterling CDS-1055-2 (2003)) by the Malmö Opera Orchestra conducted by Christopher Fifield.
His Violin Concerto in D minor was edited in 2007 by Christopher Fifield and published by Patrick Meadows, and has now been recorded by Philippe Graffin on Hyperion
(CDA67838) with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by David Lloyd-Jones.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Life
As a youth, Cliffe showed a promising musical aptitude and was enrolled as a scholar of the National Training School for Music, the parent of the Royal College of MusicRoyal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, under its first Principal Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
.
From 1884 to 1931 he held the post of Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music. Among his pupils were John Ireland
John Ireland (composer)
John Nicholson Ireland was an English composer.- Life :John Ireland was born in Bowdon, near Altrincham, Manchester, into a family of Scottish descent and some cultural distinction. His father, Alexander Ireland, a publisher and newspaper proprietor, was aged 70 at John's birth...
and Arthur Benjamin
Arthur Benjamin
Arthur Leslie Benjamin was an Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. He is best known as the composer of Jamaican Rhumba, composed in 1938.-Biography:...
.
Cliffe had a short career as a composer from 1889 to 1905. His principal works were two Symphonies, the first of which was produced at The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
in 1889, and subsequently performed at a Philharmonic concert, being well received on each occasion, with The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
hailing it as "a masterpiece". Although not overtly programmatic, its first movement was influenced by a visit to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
by Cliffe. It was published by Novello. His Second Symphony had its first performance at the Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival (classical music)
The Leeds Festival was a classical music festival which took place between 1858 and 1985 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.The first festival celebrated the opening of Leeds Town Hall by Queen Victoria on 7 September 1858...
in 1892. Cliffe gave titles to each of its movements: I. At Sunset. II. Night. III. Fairy Revels. IV. Morning. It has been edited (2010) by Lionel Harrison and published by Patrick Meadows.
His 'scena', The Triumph of Alcestis, for contralto voice and orchestra, was composed for Clara Butt
Clara Butt
Dame Clara Ellen Butt DBE , sometimes called Clara Butt-Rumford after her marriage, was an English contralto with a remarkably imposing voice and a surprisingly agile singing technique. Her main career was as a recitalist and concert singer.-Early life and career:Clara Butt was born in Southwick,...
.
After that seventeen year period of composing substantial works, he had no record of further major composition and his works received few subsequent performances during his lifetime.
The Symphony No. 1 in C minor and his tone poem 'Cloud and Sunshine' have been recorded (Sterling CDS-1055-2 (2003)) by the Malmö Opera Orchestra conducted by Christopher Fifield.
His Violin Concerto in D minor was edited in 2007 by Christopher Fifield and published by Patrick Meadows, and has now been recorded by Philippe Graffin on Hyperion
Hyperion
-Computing:* Hyperion , an early portable computer* Hyperion Entertainment, a computer game producer* Hyperion Solutions, a business software company owned by Oracle* Hyperion, an IRC daemon previously used by the Freenode IRC network-In fiction:...
(CDA67838) with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by David Lloyd-Jones.
Works
- Symphony in C minor , 1889
- Orchestral Picture: Cloud and Sunshine, Philharmonic Society 1890
- Symphony in E minor, 1892 (pub. 2010 Soundpost)
- Violin Concerto in D minor, 1896 (pub. 2007 Soundpost)
- The Triumph of Alcestis, Scena for Contralto and Orchestra, Sheffield Festival 1902
- Ode to the North-East Wind, Choral Ballad, Norwich Festival 1905