1901

Summary

Bantock's Helena: Orchestral Variations on the theme H.F.B. was finally published by Breitkopf & Härtel, and plans began to get Holbrooke appointed on the staff of the Birmingham and Midland Institute. Difficulties in the Bantock–Wallace relationship led to the temporary breakdown of their friendship. There was the premiere of Wallace's ‘Symphonic Poem no. 4’ (subsequently titled Greeting to the New Century) on 27 March, and he also published his songs ‘Entreaties’ and ‘Fame’ with Enoch & Sons, and his song cycles Lords of the Sea (Boosey) and the Jacobite Songs (Ricordi) – all of which were settings of his own texts. Newman's articles in the Contemporary Review and The Speaker are referred to by Bantock below.

105 GRANVILLE BANTOCK TO ERNEST NEWMAN

BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

PARADISE STREET,

BIRMINGHAM,

April 2^nd 1901

My dear Newman

Right glad was I to hear from you again, although I own myself this time the culprit. But Influenza has laid us low, and we are only now gradually recovering. The Examinations at the School have kept me occupied whenever I had a minute to turn round, for a complete Syllabus had to be drawn up and issued by your ‘umble. At the present moment I have forty weary candidates facing me, and struggling with a simple Rudiments paper. However, your letter is the subject of my mind just now. You appear in a rumbolofic despondent state, over the state of musical articles & critics V Editors; has Holbrooke been writing to you lately? – Yet I have actually dared to send the Fortnightly an article on “Realism in Music”, wherein I have attacked a foot-note from your “Gluck”. But the subject needed careful investigation, and since Wallace has turned traitor, why, I must be myself. His Symphonic Poem (No 4) performed by the London Philharmonic, was a pure piece of cowardice. Wallace could not write abstract music, & yet he puts forward programme-music, for such it is – vide papers – without even the title. Therein he hangs himself. Well, let him. I intend more than ever to advocate realistic music. It sounds better than programme music. Music must evolve, and we must go back to Liszt's work for our stepping stones.