Sir Arthur Bliss in a Nutshell

 

 

 

A Brief Biography

 

1891	Born in Hawthornden, Queen’s Ride, Barnes, London on 2nd August
1905	Enters Rugby School
1909	First performance of the Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano
1910	Goes up to Pembroke College, Cambridge
1913	Enters Royal College of Music, London
1914	Enlists in the 13th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers
1919	Demobilised from the army, Bliss resumes study at the Royal College of Music
1920	Joins the teaching staff at the Royal College of Music
1921	Becomes the conductor of the Portsmouth Philharmonic Society
1922	First performance of ‘A Colour Symphony’
1923	Leaves the United Kingdom for California
1926	Composes Introduction and Allegro for Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra
1930	Composes Morning Heroes
1935	Composes the film music for ‘Things to Come’
1937	Composes the ballet ‘Checkmate’
1938	Composes the Piano Concerto in Bb
1942-44	Director of Music at the BBC
1950	Receives Knighthood
1953	Appointed Master of the Queen’s Musick
1975	Died in London on 27th March 1975

 

 

 

Five Key Works

A Colour Symphony (1922)

Morning Heroes (1930)

Checkmate - a Ballet (1937)

Piano Concerto in Bb (1938)

Introduction and Allegro (1926)

 

Key Biography

As I Remember - Arthur Bliss, London, Faber, 1970; Revised, Thames Publishing, 1985

Bliss on Music - Selected Writings of Arthur Bliss 1920 -1975 OUP 1991

 

Two Key CDs

If you can only listen to two CDs of music by Sir Arthur Bliss:-

The British Music Collection - Sir Arthur Bliss Decca 470 186-2

Includes Cello Concerto, Introduction and Allegro, and Meditations on a Theme of John Blow. Fanfares and music from film 'Things to Come.'

 

 

Colour Symphony Chandos CHAN 8503

Ulster Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley

Includes Checkmate Ballet Suite.

 

And last but not least, if you have only time for one work -

A Colour Symphony on the Chandos disc mentioned above. This is a great performance and serves as an excellent introduction to the music of Sir Arthur Bliss.

 

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