When, in 1904, the German critic Oscar Schmitz described Britain as ‘Das Land ohne Musik’ (The land without music), he was possibly trying to stir. However, he did have a bit of a point – for all the efforts of Parry, Sullivan and co, Britain’s output over the past century or two had been fairly paltry compared to that of his own country.
Schmitz’s timing, though, proved deliciously misguided. His fellow German Richard Strauss had already started to sing the praises of Elgar – from whom two symphonies and a Violin Concerto would shortly follow – and within the next decade, Vaughan Williams would write his own first two symphonies plus the groundbreaking Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, while Holst would begin work on The Planets. At the premiere of VW’s Fantasia in 1910 were Howells and Gurney, just two of a flurry of fine composers who would drive British music on into the 20th century, and the work itself draws inspiration from the Renaissance, when Britain comfortably rivalled its European counterparts.
Today, the British composing scene is as strong as ever. But who are the greatest composers the country has ever produced? We asked 167 of today’s leading musicians to have their say, with five votes each, based on the criteria of originality, influence, technique and, of course, sheer enjoyability to listen to and perform. We then totted up the votes to draw up the following Top 25, in reverse order…
22=Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-94)
Born: Hertfordshire, England
When discussions of great 20th-century string quartet cycles come up, those of Bartók and Shostakovich are usually in pole position. The 13 quartets of Elizabeth Maconchy (left), however, deserve to keep similar company. Written across half-a-century, Maconchy’s quartets tend towards economy and drama, packing plenty of impact into short movements. They also mix influences from across Europe: the angular soundworlds of Bartók and Berg, the punch and pizzazz of Britten, and more lyrical sections evoking her own Irish heritage. Now add to that a wealth of orchestral works and songs, plus a handful of operas including the quirky and risqué The Sofa of 1956, and you have quite a portfolio.
In her own words: ‘For me, the best music is an impassioned argument.’
22= Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Born: Gloucestershire, England
Hearing a critic shout ‘Thank God that’s over’ in response to the world premiere of his Second Piano Concerto in 1925 may have put the brakes on Howells’s (below) career as an orchestral composer, but it also effectively set him in a new direction, in which he would prove pre-eminent. Channelling his efforts into choral music, he would produce a string of masterful liturgical settings for the likes of, spurred by the tragic death of his nine-year-old son Michael in 1935. He did not entirely abandon nonchoral music, however… and who could possibly not like a composer who, in 1933, wrote a ballet called ?
