Peter Dickinson: Organ, Piano and Violin Concertos on Heritage

Merseyside Echoesis one of the best pieces of cross-over music that I have heard. Dickinson has written that this work, which is dedicated to his son Jasper, is a ‘tribute’ to The Beatles. It was commissioned in 1986 by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and was first performed there that year. It takes the form of a ‘rondo’ where the main theme is a ‘fanfare’ derived from an early organ work with the episodes being the ‘songs’. There is no direct quotation of the Fab Four, nevertheless the two songs are a definite pastiche of the Lennon/McCartney genre. These melodies are presented simultaneously in an Ivesian ‘counterpoint’ before the final fanfare sees the work to a conclusion. This piece highlights the composer’s ability to work in dissimilar genres and sound worlds. It is a composition that should appeal to all ‘baby-boomers’ and ought to be heard widely on radio and in the concert hall.  It is a great place to begin an exploration of this CD.

A few notes about the composer will be of interest. Peter Dickinson celebrates his 80^th birthday this year (2014) on November 15. He was born in the Lancashire seaside town of Lytham St Annes. After Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar at Queen’s College, he started to compose. With encouragement from Lennox Berkeley, he studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York in 1958. For the next three years he was a freelance performer and critic in the United States. On returning to the United Kingdom, Dickinson lectured at the College of St. Mark and St. John in Chelsea. In 1966 he moved to Birmingham University as Staff Tutor in Music.  Dickinson was appointed the first professor of music at Keele University in 1974 where he founded the Centre for American Music. Between 1991 and 1997 he was professor at Goldsmith’s College and was latterly Head of Music at the Institute of United States Studies at the University of London. Other appointments include a board member of Trinity College of Music and chairman of the Bernarr Rainbow Trust.

Peter Dickinson has shown a strong interest in performing British and American music. He has often appeared as piano accompanist for his sister, the mezzo-soprano Meriel Dickinson. As a writer, Dickinson has published a number of important books including studies of Lennox Berkeley, Lord Berners, Samuel Barber and Billy Mayerl.

Dickinson’s musical style is well-defined as ‘eclectic.’ Many of his works explore what would be regarded as ‘avant-garde’ techniques; other pieces are written in an immediately approachable manner. One of his more personal musical devices is ‘style modulation’ where ‘serious’ and popular styles are presented together. He has been inspired by ragtime, jazz, and pop music. His tools of composition include electronic playback, serial music and traditional forms. Dickinson’s sound world is very much his own, however he has clear connections with Stravinsky, Satie and Charles Ives.

The Organ Concerto and the Piano Concerto were issued on CD in 1986 on HMV EL270439-1 and later on Albany TROY360 These are the recordings re-released here. Merseyside Echoes and the Violin Concerto have been newly recorded for the present CD.

Peter Dickinson’s Organ Concerto dates from 1971 and is one of the finest examples of that genre I have heard. It was commissioned by the Three Choirs Festival and dedicated to Simon Preston. The Concerto has been performed a number of times over the years with soloists including Christopher Robinson and the present recording with Jennifer Bate.  The prime theme of this work is derived from a ‘blues’ setting that the composer made of Lord Byron’s ‘So we’ll go no more a-roving.’ This song in turn made use of a passage from Maurice Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales.  The formal structure of the concerto is a single movement presented in nine hugely contrasting sections. The liner notes gives a detailed analysis of this work, however four things are worth saying. Firstly, the organ and orchestra are typically complimentary rather than antagonistic. Secondly, the composer has used a number of unexpected effects – for example in the third section an organ 2-foot stop plays a duet with a celeste. This is magical. There is a duet for two timpani over the organ’s rendition of the motto theme, first heard in the works opening bars. Thirdly, the climax of work is when the percussion manages to ‘obliterate’ the power of the organ. I believe this would sound terrifying in the concert hall. Finally, the music makes use of jazz, blues and more ‘traditional’ modernist musical harmonies and gestures. The concerto is at times beautiful, scary and mystical. Jennifer Bate is a tremendous advocate for this music. A masterpiece.

The Piano Concerto was completed thirteen years later and was dedicated to the present soloist Howard Shelley. It was commissioned by the Cheltenham Festival.  Like the Organ Concerto, this work is made up of contrasting sections rather than formal movements. There are a number of themes that are used as the building blocks of this concerto –a blues tune, a wayward toccata and a dirge. The ethos of the work is Dickinson’s trademark technique of contrasting ‘serious’ and ‘pop’ music both sequentially and simultaneously. A feature of this concerto is the ragtime ensemble (Track 10: Moderato). This is a deconstructed ‘rag’ which seems to ‘float in and out of earshot.’ I understand that an ordinary upright piano is used in this section which has definite nods towards Malcolm Arnold. Yet this cool music is followed by a powerful outburst from orchestra which is dissonant, confused (deliberately) and violent. Gradually, the music settles down and the concerto concludes with a quiet restrained presentation of the ‘blues’ theme. The genius of this work is the composer’s ability to amalgamate the various elements of the concerto without their being any sense of it being a mere patchwork of sundry ideas. A reviewer of this work (Gramophone August 1996) suggests that the listener ‘sees’ one music through another’ as the concerto progresses. It is a good tool for approaching this excellent work.

The latest work on this CD is the Violin Concerto from 1986. This was commissioned by the BBC and written in memory of the British violinist Ralph Holmes.  It was premièred by Ernst Kovacic with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Bryden Thomson. The inspiration for the concerto goes back to a performance that Holmes and Dickinson gave of Beethoven’s Spring Sonata in 1981. The composer has taken the principal subject of the first movement of this sonata and transformed it into, amongst other things, a 1930s popular song and a waltz. The formal structure is allegro-adagio-scherzo-finale presented a single movement. In spite of the fact that Dickinson has presented what can only be called ‘swung Beethoven’ this not a ‘jazz’ or ‘pop’ concerto as such. It is another example of his ‘layering’ technique which seeks to synthesise a number of different musical styles. The more ‘approachable’ elements of this concerto are often brusquely pushed aside by more complex and ‘serious’ musical devices. The Violin Concerto displays a great understanding of the technical possibilities of the instrument as well as a masterly knowledge of orchestration.

This is a new recording of this work made at the Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff in April of this year (2014). The performance by Chloë Hanslip is stunning. Her repertoire includes Adams, Glass, Nyman, Maxwell Davies and Weill, so she is ideally prepared to perform this present work. She brings understanding and sympathy to this beautiful, sometimes ravishing and often moving concerto.

This is a fantastic CD from Heritage which showcases four superb works by Peter Dickinson. It is well-presented, superbly recorded and brilliantly performed by the soloists and orchestras. The liner notes by the composer are detailed and essential for proactive listening. These works display Dickinson’s ability to write music that is at the same time approachable and challenging. His ability to fuse diverse musical styles is masterly. This is a fitting 80^th birthday tribute to a great composer, performer, teacher and writer.

Peter DICKINSON (b.1934)

Piano Concerto (1979-84)

Violin Concerto (1986)

Organ Concerto (1971)

Merseyside Echoes (1986)

Howard Shelley (piano) Chloë Hanslip (violin) Jennifer Bate (organ) BBC Symphony Orchestra/David Atherton (Piano Concerto & Organ Concerto ) BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Clark Rundell (Violin Concerto & Merseyside Echoes)

HERITAGE HTGCD276 

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Peter Dickinson: Piano Music on Naxos

Wild Rose Rag (1985);Blue Rose (1979);Paraphrase II (1967);Concerto Rag (1980);Quartet Rag (1976); Vitalitas Variations (1957); Three Satie Transformations (1970); Bach in Blue (2004); Hymn-Tune Rag (1985); Patriotic Rag (1986); Four Blues (1973); Five Diversions (1963)

Peter Dickinson (piano)

NAXOS 8.572654

I cannot quite recall the first piece of music by Peter Dickinson that I heard. Something tells me that it was probably the Three Statements for Organ. At least I have a copy of that work in my library which I recall buying at Biggars Music Shop in Glasgow in the early ‘seventies. However, whatever the piece was, it would hardly prepare the listener for the piano music on the present CD.

I noted in a review of that particular work that ‘they seem to hold a middle ground between improvisation and control. The three pieces use note-clusters, wide melodic leaps and chords built on fourths for their effect. They are interesting, if a little dated in their sound-world.’ Certainly this sound world could not be further removed from the Rags, Blues and Diversions on this CD. Yet in some ways this is typical of the composer.

It is not necessary to give a biography of Peter Dickinson here: I have already given a thumbnail sketch in my review of his complete solo organ works, also released by Naxos. However one point needs to be clearly made. Dickinson is not a composer to be readily classified. Some artists develop linearly: for example Stravinsky with his romantic, neo-classical and serial periods. Other composers write in the same style all their musical careers with only subtle changes of emphasis. Peter Dickinson explores a number of trajectories at one and the same time. Now, I do not claim to know the entire sweep of his compositions, but I do understand that his works cover the gamut from jazz to serialism and from aleatory writing to electronic manipulation and playback. And then there is Ragtime...

The Naxos sleeve notes give a succinct resume of what this CD is all about: - it is simply a collection of his eccentric and often amusing rags, blues and take-offs. Perhaps any danger of taking these works too seriously and trying to ascribe some higher meaning is negated by the word ‘take-off’. Pastiche can be a difficult and sometimes dangerous art. It is often used pejorative by critic in the manner say that Bloggs has written a pastiche of Delius’ in the sense of ‘an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.’ On the other hand these works are not parodies, which can be defined as ‘an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect’. Pastiches these works may be, but parodies certainly not.

However, the blurb on this CD is on one sense misleading. There are some very serious pieces of music presented here that demands the listener’s full attention. For example, the Paraphrase II which began life as a motet is not really about ragtime, blues or any other popular genre. It is deeply thought out work that is serious intent and execution. In the same manner the Vitalitas Variations, which is the earliest piece on the CD is a work that is not immediately approachable. However, this piece is perhaps one of the most important presented here. In fact, it had another life as a ballet score, having been choreographed by the Mexican dancer Gloria Contreras. There is a chamber and orchestral versions of this work in Dickinson’s catalogue. And certainly the Three Satie Transformations, in spite of being billed as a send-up of a composer who sent up Clementi and others, is actually an extremely effective work in its own right that will hardly make ‘Top of the Pops’, but certainly is attractive, rewarding and often moving.

However, I guess that it is the pieces such as Bach in Blue, the Patriotic Rag, the Wild Rose Rag that will get played on Classic FM (assuming that they ‘discover’ this CD). These are all accomplished examples of the art of pastiche. Perfectly done, never over-stated and never ‘knocking’ or destroying the original models. More serious, but equally approachable are the gorgeous Four Blues which are ‘trance-like versions of hymn-tunes. Perhaps the Five Diversions are a little bit more challenging than the ‘rags’ and are certainly often reflective and introverted but even here the fun and the humour are apparent and lead to a ‘lively and brash ‘ conclusion.

The composer plays all these pieces in a convincing, satisfactory and ultimately enjoyable manner. It is perfectly clear that he is at home as a composer and a performer in this plurality of styles.

As these are mostly ‘World Premiere Recordings’ it is not possible to compare versions. Suffice to say, that virtually any one of these works would make an excellent addition to any concert programme as a main item of perhaps as a novel encore.

This is an excellent CD. However as noted above there is a serious side to what is billed as ‘eccentric and often amusing.’ I like virtually every track on this disc. However I could just about manage to get by without the rags and the blues. The Paraphrase and the Vitalitas are much more enduring and demanding works that deserve to be in the repertoire for all time.

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review first appeared

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