Английская Википедия:Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes
Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Italic title Шаблон:Infobox musical composition
The Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes is a composition for symphonic orchestra, based on traditional Welsh nursery tunes and lullabies, composed by Grace Williams in 1940. Although not typical of Williams' work it brought her to prominence and is the composer's most popular work.
The orchestration includes the harp to add a Welsh flavour and percussion to evoke memories of childhood.
Composition history
It is not clear when Williams started to compose the Fantasia but Benjamin Britten records a meeting with Williams to discuss "her new Welsh variations" on 24 March 1938.Шаблон:Sfn Williams claimed that "I tossed it off (i.e. the sketch of it) in an evening" – in a letter to Idris Lewis (musical director of British International Pictures)Шаблон:Sfn in June 1942.Шаблон:Sfn The last page of the score is annotated "Feb 9th 1940".Шаблон:Sfn
The Fantasia may have been modelled on Sir Henry Wood's Fantasia on British Sea Songs, or the fantasias on folk tunes by Vaughan Williams, Williams' teacher, where a number of familiar tunes are joined with original music.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Structure and instrumentation
The work lasts about 11 minutes and is in one movement using eight Welsh tunes.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The beginning and end use the quicker tunes which frame a middle section which uses the slower, wistful tunes.Шаблон:Sfn Each tune is stated and discussed, and followed by a transition into the next tune. The work finishes with a return to the initial theme.Шаблон:Sfn The tunes, in order, are:
- Jim CroШаблон:Efn – also known as Dacw Mam yn Dwâd (Here's mummy coming)Шаблон:Efn
- Deryn y Bwn (The Bittern)Шаблон:Efn
- Migildi, Magildi (nonsense words imitating the sound of a hammer on an anvil)
- Si lwli mabi (Sleep my baby)
- Gee Geffyl Bach (Gee-up, little horse)
- Cysga Di, Fy Mhlentyn Tlws (Sleep, my pretty child)
- Yr eneth ffein ddu (Where are you going, my pretty maid?)
- Cadi Ha (Summer Katie)Шаблон:Efn
The Fantasia starts at a lively pace (allegro vivo) with the tune (Jim Cro) played on the trumpet.Шаблон:EfnШаблон:Sfn The trumpet, now muted, introduces Deryn y Bwn (the rhythm of the original tune is adapted to match that of Jim Cro).Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Migildi, Magildi starts on the glockenspiel (one bar), then the strings (one bar), the glockenspiel again (one bar), and strings again (one bar), before the oboe completes the tune.Шаблон:EfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The slower middle section, marked molto tranquillo (very calmly), begins with Si lwli mabi on flute;Шаблон:Sfn followed by Gee Geffyl Bach on french horn;Шаблон:Sfn and ends with Cysga Di, Fy Mhlentyn Tlws (on oboe and bassoon).Шаблон:Sfn
The last section returns to the lively pace of the opening with a reprise of Jim Cro before Yr eneth ffein ddu is introduced on oboe and violins.Шаблон:Sfn The last new tune (Cadi Ha) is also introduced on trumpet,Шаблон:Sfn before the Fantasia finishes with a return to Jim Cro.
The Fantasia is written for a full orchestra:Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
- Woodwind: 2 flutes (II + piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, and 2 bassoons
- Brass: 2 trumpets, 4 french horns, and 3 trombones (2 tenor and 1 bass)
- Percussion: timpani, 2 players (side drum, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, and glockenspiel)
- Strings: harp, violins, violas, cellos, and double bass
Performance
The Fantasia was given its first performance by the BBC Northern Orchestra conducted by Eric Fogg on 29 October 1941 in a broadcast by the BBC.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Performances throughout Wales followed (with premieres by the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera in 1946) and the good reception led to the first recording a few years later.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Another performance of Fantasia by the National Youth Orchestra of Wales (NYOW) in 1952 was followed by performances of works by Williams in 1953, 1954, and 1955 (Penillion – which was commissioned and premiered by NYOY).Шаблон:Sfn Tension between Williams and the orchestra's management resulted in Williams refusing permission to allow the NYOW to perform her works. A change in management was followed by a performance of Fantasia by the orchestra in 1968.Шаблон:Sfn A commercially successful recording of Fantasia (with works by other Welsh composers) by the NYOW followed in 1969 and sold 20,000 copies in less than a year.Шаблон:Sfn
Reception and reviews
The immediate popularity of the Fantasia, especially in war-time Wales, helped Williams to become more widely known, and it is still her most popular work and an important part of her output.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The Fantasia has been described as "deliciously scored, whimsical, touching and light-hearted by turns".Шаблон:Sfn Guy and Llewelyn-Jones note that the use of percussion emphasises the "colours and imagery of childhood" and the harp "adds some strong Celtic flavour".Шаблон:Sfn Cotterill notes that "The Fantasia's greatest achievement, however, in spite of its necessarily fragmented nature and thematic diversity, is that it retains a sophisticated level of cohesion that Hen Walia [an earlier work] fails to approach by more confidently deploying its traditional material."Шаблон:Sfn Mathias describes it as "a work of bold and colourful tonal contrasts".Шаблон:Sfn
By contrast, Boyd notes that "the harmonizations are often heavy and conventional, and the structure loose".Шаблон:Sfn He also compares the orchestration unfavourably with that of Hoddinott's Welsh Dances (Set 1 – 1956; Set 2 – 1969) and Mathias's Celtic Dances (1972).Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The Fantasia remains popular with performers both young and old.Шаблон:Sfn
Williams' attitudes to the Fantasia
Williams clearly felt affection for Fantasia:
and:
but feared that its success might limit the BBC's enthusiasm for new works (as had happened with Hen Walia earlier in her career).Шаблон:Sfn In 1957 Williams successfully lobbied for Penillion (1955)Шаблон:Sfn rather than the Fantasia ("that old work") to be scheduled for the 1958 Proms season.Шаблон:EfnШаблон:Sfn
In 1968 the National Youth Orchestra of Wales ran a competition to attract young composers but failed to find any suitable compositions, so planned to return to the Fantasia. Williams suggested various composers but none had entered the competition so, to Williams' dismay, the Fantasia was scheduled again including a performance at the Eisteddfod that year.Шаблон:Efn This led to another recording (along with other works by Welsh composers).Шаблон:Sfn
Recordings
The Fantasia was first recorded in 1949 by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mansel Thomas, paid for by the Welsh Recorded Music Society (later to become the Welsh Music Guild), and released on a 78 rpm record.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It was the first recording of a work by a female Welsh composer.Шаблон:Sfn The recording was later included in the Decca catalogue.Шаблон:Sfn
Recordings include:
- London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mansel Thomas (78 rpm, 1949 and on LP, 1950, Decca AK1999-2000 and LX3025)Шаблон:Sfn
- National Youth Orchestra of Wales conducted by Arthur Davison (LP, 1969, Music for Pleasure SMFP2129)Шаблон:Sfn
- London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Groves (Grace Williams (also includes Carillons, Penillion, Trumpet Concerto, and Sea Sketches), LP, 1974, HMV ASD3006 and CD, 1995, Lyrita SRCD323)Шаблон:EfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn)
- Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Andrew Penny (CD, 1999, Naxos 8.225048)Шаблон:Sfn
Notes
References
Sources
External links
- Шаблон:Cite web Includes a viewable score of the Fantasia
- Conductor's score and parts on hire – Oxford University Press
- Short extract of the Fantasia – BBC Music
