Parlett's Catalogue of music by Bax (1905-1909)

1905

A Connemara Revel: 68. Also called An Irish Overture. Now lost.
Cathaleen-ni-Hoolihan: 72. Tone poem, originally the slow movement of the Quartet in E (GP57). It contains a quasi-Irish tune that appears, slightly transformed, in both Into the Twilight and the Third Symphony
Viking Battle Song: 77. Words by "Fiona Macleod", recently (2007) orchestrated by Graham Parlett.
A Song of Life and Love: 78. Lost.
A Song of War and Victory: 79. Not lost.

1906

A Hushing Song: 81. Text: "Fiona MacLeod" (William Sharp).
I fear thy Kisses, Gentle Maiden: 82. Text: Shelley.
The Blessed Damozel: 84. For speaker and piano - "A Musical illustration for performance during the recital of D G Rossetti's poem".
The twa Corbies: 85. Text: Traditional; from Walter Scott's Border Minstrelsy.
Magnificat: 86. Text: Luke's Gospel. Score headed "After a picture by D G Rossetti".
Trio in One Movement: 87. For piano, violin and viola (or clarinet). "An early trio of my own which I madly allowed to appear in the catalogue of the [Society of British Composers] has become the very bane of my life; for the firm of J. & W. Chester, which took over all the publications of the Society upon [its] demise, has ever been the principal musical link between ourselves and the Continent, and whenever application is made to them from abroad for an example of my work that early derivative and formless farrago is inevitably sent out, with the natural result that European interest in me is stillborn. I cannot blame Messrs. Chester & Co. (who do not pay rent in Great Marlborough Street for the good of their health), since this trio is the only extended work of mine in their list; but I wish the devil would fly away with the whole remaining stock of the damned thing, and give himself ptomaine poisoning by eating it!" (Farewell My Youth, pp. 88-9.)
Echo ‌ For Love's Sake ‌ Garden Song ‌ Summer Night: 88, 89, 90, 91. Four songs known only from a list in the 1906-7 Yearbook of the Society of British Composers and from one of Bax's notebooks containing mostly cricket scores and batting averages. Text of GP88 ascribed to Christina Rossetti, GP89 to Ben Jonson. Others by A.B.

1907

Fatherland: 92. For tenor, chorus and orchestra. Text: Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Vårt land, from Fänrik Ståls Sägner, translated from the Swedish by Clifford Bax. Arnold later described it as "the most moving national poem ever composed". (It was actually written in praise of Finland.) Revised 1934.
The Fiddler of Dooney: 93. Text: W B Yeats, but see next.
The Enchanted Fiddle: 94. As above, except that Bax changed the title and wrote new text for the existing setting while the work was in proof. He later expressed the view that Yeats's poetry was too good to set to music.
Symphony in F: 95. Never orchestrated. "I was engaged upon a colossal symphony which would have occupied quite an hour in performance, were such a cloud-cuckoo dream ever to become a reality".
Longing - The Flute (Ideala) - Du Blomst i Dug - From the Hills of Dream - A Milking Sian - The White Peace - Heart o' Beauty - The Kingdom: Texts: (96) "Fiona Macleod" (not Friedrich Rückert, as formerly assumed.) (97) Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsen, (99) P Jacobsen ("O dewy Flower"), (100-103) "Fiona MacLeod". Sian is Gaelic for a chant or cry, not Siân, the Welsh for Jane. (The missing GP number 98 refers to an incomplete manuscript of apparently incidental music.)

1908

A Lyke-Wake Dirge: 105. Text: Anonymous, 15th century Scottish border ballad. Lyke-wake is the watch kept at night over a dead body (cf lych-gate). Re-done as one of Three Songs (1933).
Deidre: 106. Opera (unfinished) - "A Saga-drama in Five Scenes and a Prologue". The story of Deirdre first appears in the 12th century Book of Leinster. Bax recycled parts of it as Into the Twilight and Rosc-catha. A third sketch, intended as the opening of Scene V, was orchestrated by Graham Parlett under the title On the Sea-shore and has been recorded. "I have no particular gift for opera," wrote Bax in 1949, "and on the whole do not think it is a medium suited to us as a nation". (My sentiments entirely. - DP.)
Quintet in G: 107. For 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos. First performed in 1908, it was described by one critic as "Elaborate, but dull and diffuse". Its second performance, by the 'Divertimenti' at the Lichfield Festival of 2001, revealed this substantial work - in four movements and lasting about 35 minutes - to be full of sparkle, vigour and inventiveness, leaving one to wonder whether the 1908 critic had been awake and sober at the time. Bax reworked a theme from the first movement as the piano piece A Hill Tune (1920) and later revised the slow movement as Lyrical Interlude (1922).
Landskab (Landscape): 108. For contralto or baritone, and piano. Text: J P Jacobsen.
Shieling Song: 109. Shieling is grazing-land for cattle. Text: "Fiona MacLeod". Bax dedicated the song to Mrs William Sharp, the widow of "Fiona MacLeod".
Into the Twilight: 110. First in the "Éire" trilogy of tone poems based on Irish subjects, the others being In the Faery Hills (below) and Rosc-Catha.
Isla: 111. Text: "Fiona MacLeod".
The Woodlake: 112. Text: attributed to Heinrich Leuthold, Der Waldsee. (Score untraced.)

1909

Marguerite: 113. Text: William Morris.
In the Faery Hills: 114. Second of "Éire" trilogy (together with Into the Twilight (above) and Rosc-Catha), revised in 1921. "[It] attempts to suggest the revelries of the 'Hidden People' in the inmost depths of the hollow hills of Ireland" (A.B.). "[A]n episode in The Wanderings of Oisin... tells of Niamh's luring of Oisin into the isles of revelry. There he is greeted by the immortals; but his song proves too sad for them and seizing his harp they cast it into a deep pool, drawing the singer into the unending revels" (Colin Scott-Sutherland). On a similar note, see also Moy Mell.
The Garden by the Sea: 115. Text: William Morris (who actually wrote "A Garden by the Sea".)
A Christmas Carol: 116. Text: Anonymous, 15th century.
Aspiration - Beloved, even in Dreams - The Dance Ring - Enlightenment - Home - Ideala: 117 - 122. Texts: Richard Dehmel, except GP118 attributed to Friedrich Rückert and 119 to Otto Bierbaum (scores untraced).

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	1905 A Connemara Revel 68. Also called An Irish Overture. Now lost. Cathaleen-ni-Hoolihan 72. Tone poem, originally the slow movement of the Quartet in E (GP57). It contains a quasi-Irish tune that appears, slightly transformed, in both Into the Twilight and the Third Symphony Viking Battle Song 77. Words by "Fiona Macleod", recently (2007) orchestrated by Graham Parlett. A Song of Life and Love 78. Lost. A Song of War and Victory 79. Not lost.
	1906 A Hushing Song 81. Text: "Fiona MacLeod" (William Sharp). I fear thy Kisses, Gentle Maiden 82. Text: Shelley. The Blessed Damozel 84. For speaker and piano - "A Musical illustration for performance during the recital of D G Rossetti's poem". The twa Corbies 85. Text: Traditional; from Walter Scott's Border Minstrelsy. Magnificat 86. Text: Luke's Gospel. Score headed "After a picture by D G Rossetti". Trio in One Movement 87. For piano, violin and viola (or clarinet). "An early trio of my own which I madly allowed to appear in the catalogue of the [Society of British Composers] has become the very bane of my life; for the firm of J. & W. Chester, which took over all the publications of the Society upon [its] demise, has ever been the principal musical link between ourselves and the Continent, and whenever application is made to them from abroad for an example of my work that early derivative and formless farrago is inevitably sent out, with the natural result that European interest in me is stillborn. I cannot blame Messrs. Chester & Co. (who do not pay rent in Great Marlborough Street for the good of their health), since this trio is the only extended work of mine in their list; but I wish the devil would fly away with the whole remaining stock of the damned thing, and give himself ptomaine poisoning by eating it!" (Farewell My Youth, pp. 88-9.) Echo ‌ For Love's Sake ‌ Garden Song ‌ Summer Night 88, 89, 90, 91. Four songs known only from a list in the 1906-7 Yearbook of the Society of British Composers and from one of Bax's notebooks containing mostly cricket scores and batting averages. Text of GP88 ascribed to Christina Rossetti, GP89 to Ben Jonson. Others by A.B.
	1907 Fatherland 92. For tenor, chorus and orchestra. Text: Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Vårt land, from Fänrik Ståls Sägner, translated from the Swedish by Clifford Bax. Arnold later described it as "the most moving national poem ever composed". (It was actually written in praise of Finland.) Revised 1934. The Fiddler of Dooney 93. Text: W B Yeats, but see next. The Enchanted Fiddle 94. As above, except that Bax changed the title and wrote new text for the existing setting while the work was in proof. He later expressed the view that Yeats's poetry was too good to set to music. Symphony in F 95. Never orchestrated. "I was engaged upon a colossal symphony which would have occupied quite an hour in performance, were such a cloud-cuckoo dream ever to become a reality". Longing - The Flute (Ideala) - Du Blomst i Dug - From the Hills of Dream - A Milking Sian - The White Peace - Heart o' Beauty - The Kingdom Texts: (96) "Fiona Macleod" (not Friedrich Rückert, as formerly assumed.) (97) Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsen, (99) P Jacobsen ("O dewy Flower"), (100-103) "Fiona MacLeod". Sian is Gaelic for a chant or cry, not Siân, the Welsh for Jane. (The missing GP number 98 refers to an incomplete manuscript of apparently incidental music.)
	1908 A Lyke-Wake Dirge 105. Text: Anonymous, 15th century Scottish border ballad. Lyke-wake is the watch kept at night over a dead body (cf lych-gate). Re-done as one of Three Songs (1933). Deidre 106. Opera (unfinished) - "A Saga-drama in Five Scenes and a Prologue". The story of Deirdre first appears in the 12th century Book of Leinster. Bax recycled parts of it as Into the Twilight and Rosc-catha. A third sketch, intended as the opening of Scene V, was orchestrated by Graham Parlett under the title On the Sea-shore and has been recorded. "I have no particular gift for opera," wrote Bax in 1949, "and on the whole do not think it is a medium suited to us as a nation". (My sentiments entirely. - DP.) Quintet in G 107. For 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos. First performed in 1908, it was described by one critic as "Elaborate, but dull and diffuse". Its second performance, by the 'Divertimenti' at the Lichfield Festival of 2001, revealed this substantial work - in four movements and lasting about 35 minutes - to be full of sparkle, vigour and inventiveness, leaving one to wonder whether the 1908 critic had been awake and sober at the time. Bax reworked a theme from the first movement as the piano piece A Hill Tune (1920) and later revised the slow movement as Lyrical Interlude (1922). Landskab (Landscape) 108. For contralto or baritone, and piano. Text: J P Jacobsen. Shieling Song 109. Shieling is grazing-land for cattle. Text: "Fiona MacLeod". Bax dedicated the song to Mrs William Sharp, the widow of "Fiona MacLeod". Into the Twilight 110. First in the "Éire" trilogy of tone poems based on Irish subjects, the others being In the Faery Hills (below) and Rosc-Catha. Isla 111. Text: "Fiona MacLeod". The Woodlake 112. Text: attributed to Heinrich Leuthold, Der Waldsee. (Score untraced.)
	1909 Marguerite 113. Text: William Morris. In the Faery Hills 114. Second of "Éire" trilogy (together with Into the Twilight (above) and Rosc-Catha), revised in 1921. "[It] attempts to suggest the revelries of the 'Hidden People' in the inmost depths of the hollow hills of Ireland" (A.B.). "[A]n episode in The Wanderings of Oisin... tells of Niamh's luring of Oisin into the isles of revelry. There he is greeted by the immortals; but his song proves too sad for them and seizing his harp they cast it into a deep pool, drawing the singer into the unending revels" (Colin Scott-Sutherland). On a similar note, see also Moy Mell. The Garden by the Sea 115. Text: William Morris (who actually wrote "A Garden by the Sea".) A Christmas Carol 116. Text: Anonymous, 15th century. Aspiration - Beloved, even in Dreams - The Dance Ring - Enlightenment - Home - Ideala 117 - 122. Texts: Richard Dehmel, except GP118 attributed to Friedrich Rückert and 119 to Otto Bierbaum (scores untraced).
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BAXWORKS : 1905-1909