Frank Bridge (26 February 1879 – 10 January 1941) was an English composer.
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Bridge was born in Brighton and studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1899 to 1903 under Charles Villiers Stanford and others. He played the viola in a number of string quartets, most notably the English String Quartet, and conducted, sometimes deputising for Henry Wood, before devoting himself to composition, receiving the patronage of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. He privately tutored a number of pupils, most famously Benjamin Britten, who later championed his teacher's music and paid homage to him in the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (1937), based on a theme from the second of Bridge's Three Idylls for String Quartet (1906). Bridge died in Eastbourne.
Among Bridge's works are the orchestral The Sea (1911),
Oration (1930) for cello and orchestra (recorded in 1976
by Julian Lloyd Webber) and the opera
The Christmas Rose (premiered 1932), but he is perhaps
most highly regarded today for his chamber music. His early works are in a
late-Romantic
idiom, but later pieces such as the third (1926) and fourth (1937)
string quartets are harmonically advanced and very distinctive,
showing the influence of the Second Viennese School. His
works also show harmonic influences by Maurice Ravel and especially Alexander
Scriabin.
One of his most characteristic harmonies is the Bridge chord, for
instance C minor and D major sounding at the same
time, very poignant in There Is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook and
the piano sonata
(1922-5). He wrote this work to the memory of Ernest Farrar.
One of his most famous works is a piece for violin called Moto perpetuo (written 1900, revised 1911). Other frequently performed works are the Adagio in E for organ, Rosemary for piano and the masterful cello sonata in D minor (1913-7). The Scherzetto for cello and piano was rediscovered in the library of London's Royal College of Music by the cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.
Although many refer to Bridge's late style as relating to that of the Second Viennese School, they are misguided. Analysis reveals techniques akin to Stravinsky through the use of the octatonic scale and many palindromic techniques. There are in fact five Bridge Chords that can be found frequenting the late idiom. These are all readily accessible through the British Library via the PhD of Robin Harrison (University of Wales Bangor).
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Frank Bridge (born Brighton, 26 February 1879; died Eastbourne, 10 January 1941) was an English composer, violist and conductor. His music often sounded quite modern to the people of his day. He wrote many excellent works including chamber music as well as orchestral music. One of his composition pupils was Benjamin Britten. Later Britten remembered his teacher by using one of Bridge’s tunes and making them into a piece of music called Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge.
Bridge was born in Brighton and studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1899 to 1903. One of his teachers was Charles Villiers Stanford. He played the viola in several string quartets and conducted many orchestras. He learned difficult music very quickly, and sometimes Henry Wood asked him to take his place when he was not well enough to conduct himself. After a while he spent most of his time composing. He privately taught several pupils, including Benjamin Britten, who later helped to make his teacher's music better known and honoured him in his Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge for string orchestra (1937), based on a theme from the second of Bridge's Three Idylls for String Quartet (1906).
Bridge died in Eastbourne.
Bridge’s early works show the influence of Brahms and Stanford. He wrote some excellent chamber music and songs. The Phantasie Quartet and the String Quartet no 1 show his talent. His later pieces such as the third (1926) and fourth (1937) string quartets have quite complicated harmonies and show his interest in the music of Schoenberg as well as the harmonies of Maurice Ravel and Alexander Scriabin. His most important orchestral works include The Sea and Summer. He wrote some lovely chamber music for the cello as well as many songs. In his later years his harmonies become quite advanced, for example a favourite chord of his can be found by playing a C minor chord and a D major chord together. In his longer pieces the speed of the music often changes and he avoids repeating himself exactly.
For a long time after his death his music was hardly ever played, but more recently musicians have discovered the greatness of his compositions. Pianists like to play the popular piano piece called Rosemary.
   | Frank Bridge pages - Frank Bridge, 1879-1941 |
| | FRANK BRIDGE (1879-1941)COMPOSER, COURAGEOUS REVOLUTIONARY AND PACIFIST - FRANK BRIDGE (1879-1941) COMPOSER, COURAGEOUS REVOLUTIONARY AND PACIFIST: Contents |
| | Title index to songs and shorter instrumental works published by Thames Publishing - Frank Bridge Bequest - Title Index |
| | Julian Lloyd Webber plays Frank Bridge - YouTube - Julian Lloyd Webber plays by Royal Command |
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