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Harold Truscott23rd August 1914 - 7th October 1992 |
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Letters 1 - 10 11 – 20 21 – 30 31 – 40 41 – 50 51 – 52 Index
From Hitler To Horticulture:
the letters of Havergal Brian to Harold Truscott
edited and annotated by Guy Rickards
(with additional comments from Malcolm
MacDonald and Margaret Truscott)
Following the death last October of
Harold Truscott, I have been acting, on the invitation of his widow Margaret,
as a kind of unofficial literary and musical executor. In the course of sifting
through several mountains of papers (where printed scores - some of
considerable antiquity - are jumbled up with Harold's own copies of other's
music as well as his own original manuscripts, articles on music, magazines and
letters to and from all and sundry) some exciting discoveries have been made.
Top of the list must be the completed works that Harold either suppressed or
forgot about (these amount to over two dozen in all, plus over twenty sizeable
- and performable - fragments: an Elegy for strings, a large single-movement
Symphony in E minor that runs for 60 pages before breaking off, fragments of a
projected opera, Falstaff, 3 more piano sonatas plus one for the left
hand, two sonatinas, a suite, a set of five preludes and several small pieces
for the piano, two string quartets and much other chamber
music, over a dozen more songs plus a four-movement Mass for unison voices and organ; when I have catalogued it all and created a revised
worklist I will advertise it in the Newsletter so that those with the 75th
Birthday programme book can obtain a more up-to-date list).
The other major find was a group of
letters that Brian wrote to Harold, and latterly Harold and Margaret, over a
period from January 1946 to April 1958. The vast bulk of the correspondence (at
least that has so far come to light) took place between July 1949 and April
1951; only Brian's letters, all written as ever in his familiar green ink, are
preserved with no trace of Truscott's, yet it is quite straightforward to
follow the drift of their relationship from the one side only.
The range of topics is broad, as the
title of this article shows, though unsurprisingly sticks for the most part to
matters musical or personal small talk. Brian's writing is in places hard to
decipher but the sense generally is plain; his attitude to punctuation is at
best inconsistent with dubious paragraph divisions but I have endeavoured to
reproduce exactly what he wrote at all times. Each letter will be presented in
chronological sequence with details of addresses (presented once and then only
as they change) and dates of composition and postage. My emendations or
insertions are formatted in italics within square brackets, with Brian's text
in Roman: [e.g.: my comment Brian's text]. HB and HT refer to Brian and
Truscott respectively throughout.
[Further to Letter #1 printed in
Newsletter 105, MM comments that the performance of 'Dr
Merryheart' that HB referred to (& which I had suggested might have taken
place in 1933): "There was no Merryheart broadcast in 1933, unless one
counts the mysterious Hamburg performances which Lewis
[Foreman - ed] tentatively assigns to December of that year. We still have no
details of these and don't even know if they were received in this country. The
Godfrey performance HB refers to is the one of 17 Jan. 1934, though it's
entirely possible that Harold had actually heard one of the Clarence Raybould
broadcasts (1936, 1937, 1939)."
Letter #1: addressed
to HT at 49, Betchworth Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex.
sent from HB at 25 South Way, North Harrow,
Middx.
dated
12 Jan 1946, postmarked Pinner, Middx, 3-PM, 13 JAN 1946.
Dear Mr Truscott,
I am glad to hear that you remember 'Dr Merryheart' so well - he's a pretty lively gentleman
& I wonder which performance you heard: from the date you mention I think
it must have been a Bournemouth performance under Sir Dan Godfrey. If so, I remember it very well - for I
listened to it at the B. B. C. Portland Place. Even so, there
were short comings [sic] - for I remember Godfrey writing to say he had
no harp and several other instruments were omitted. These
early works [HB afterwards added at this point: such as
Merryheart] I call my babies. If they give so much trouble - how then can I
expect these adult works (Symphonies) to be performed?
I am glad that you recognise the inconsiderate attitude towards contemporary
English works. It is due to the a tradition. Such works have only been
allowed in any programmes for over a century on sufferance - so their
apparent inferiority is assured as well as assumed. The only way out is to
establish an English orchestra for the purpose of playing only English works,
and, as the Government, through the British Council,
is spending enormous sums [added here: of money] on music - the initial
maintenance of such an orchestra offers no difficulty. But the whole position is
now is full of muddleheaded thinking & it needs a clear headed driving
force to put it right. After all - composers are dependant [sic] on
conductors & the majority of conductors are only interested in themselves.
It is not likely that any present day conductor will offer himself as a
Crusader for an English orchestra to play English music. I shall be very
pleased to meet you later when the Spring or early Summer arrives. Please write
again later reminding me when we can go in the garden &
have the chat about music which you mention.
Kind
regards,
Yous
sincerly
Havergal
Brian.
[It is not known if Brian and
Truscott did meet that summer as a gap in the correspondence now occurs until
25 July 1949:]
Letter #2: addressed
to HT at 24, St Aubyn's Road, Upper Norwood, SE19.
sent from HB dated 24 July 1949, postmarked
Harrow, Middx, 9 15 AM, 25 JLY 1949.
[enveloped
marked in pencil The Tigers by HT]
Dear Mr Truscott
Thank you for your letter which
pleases me. I also am fond of 'The Tigers'. It was written
in the evenings as an escape from desultory war work and without a piano. When it was the sketches were complete I hired a
piano and I played it for hours & loved every note of it.
It met with many vicissitudes due to
my selling my place as it stood at the close of the first war
under the impression that things would naturally fall into their place again.
But they didn't.
Eventually a vocal &
orchestral scores were completed (about 11 years after the sketches were
finished) and Cranz took it up. He felt he had another 'Die Meistersinger' & was sure it would go the round
of the opera houses in Germany which possessed a stage large enough for it. He
sent a copy to Fairbairn the opera [?] producer
whose report was so enthusiastic that Cranz offered [?] to have it
produced at Drury Lane at a cost of £12,000. He offered
to put down £6,000 if I could find someone who would put down the
other £6,000. I sent both Fairbairn & Cranz letter [sic] to the late
Samuel Courtauld & asked him to think it over. He
did! At the end of a week he returned both letters & said 'No'. In the days
of the Thames Wharf B.B.C. Studio - Bantock broadcast with the BBC orchestra three [sic
- in fact only two were played] of the dances from 'The Tigers' &
Adrian Boult also did the same set a few years later. D. Godfrey at Bournemouth produced
the 'Kelly' Variations from 'The Tigers' & afterwards
wrote to me & said that it had caused more excitement with his audience
than any work he had ever played at his Symphony Concerts. Those are facts
& all that I can tell you about the work. I say it without conceit that to
me 'The Tigers' is the happiest large scale work in British music. Performances of such works need some manouvreing - & I'm
no diplomat. The creative side of music has always dominated me - the
productive side hardly at all. Also - Cranz the publisher did not stick to his
guns. After spending £2,000 on the full score of my Gothic [almost never in quotes in HB's letters]
Symphony & the vocal score of 'The Tigers' - he gave up & broke all his
contracts & I haven't seen him since 1932. If he had put his back into it -
'The Tigers' would have been produced ere this. But - he just funked! He may be
dead for all I know. About your coming to see me. By all means if the journey
is not too much for you. If there is anything I loathe it is going to town from
Harrow. I used to like going to town when I lived at Upper Norwood or West Dulwich.
Anyhow you come along on Aug 23, 24, or 25th & have a cup of tea with me.
Mind you - as you like that work so much - it might result in something
happening if you wrote a letter to Sir John Anderson -
who is the presiding spirit at Covent Garden - & got
others to add their signature to your letter drawing attention to the work
& ask him to recommend its production. It is not for me to do this
& there are only two stages in England capable of putting on 'The Tigers' -
'Covent Garden' & 'Drury Lane' [no full stop] Actually the work was
written for Sir Thomas Beecham - he is was the
inspirer of it - for he was always urging me to do it and when I left him at Birmingham Town Hall in 1916 - I told him I should
do it. But I haven't seen him since 1916.
Yours
sincerely
Havergal
Brian
Letter #3: addressed
to HT c/o Ray Villa, Seamill Hill, Seaton, Devon.
sent from HB dated 2 August 1949, postmarked
Harrow, Middx, 3 45 PM, 2 AUG 1949.
Dear Mr Truscott,
Thanks for your letter. About the Prelude & Fugue [followed by an undecipherable
single character, but the work in C minor is clearly meant] - have you
missed the first one - Prelude in D minor. Fugue
in D major! It was published by Augener last October. A
very striking notice of about it was given in the Sydney 'Tempo'. Yes, I shall be glad to see your notice - though
you must remember these fugues were written many years ago when I was planning
the finale of my Gothic Symphony - in D minor & I'm
afraid my interest may be [HB afterwards added at this point:
somewhat] lukewarm today apart from the circumstances under which they were
written. As regards 'The Tigers' - you take what
initiative you like in the matter: you might give Sir John
Anderson the facts as I gave them to you & also add - that had the Nazis not risen to power.. 'The Tigers' would certainly have
found a German premier [sic] at Dresden Staats Oper
under Fritz Busch. Both Fritz & his brother Adolph,
the violinist, left Germany when the Nazis came to power.
I will of course cooperate if
cooperation is ever needed - if, at the start, Sir John Anderson is prepared to
back it & push it forward - the next step would be to tackle Cranz the publisher of 'The Tigers' & see if whether
they are in a position to cooperate. And my all means bring your wife when you
come - I shall be pleased to meet her.
Every
kind wish to you both
from
Havergal
Brian
Yes - do give my address to Sir John
Anderson and also give him the address of Cranz, who are in a position (or
should be) to qualify what I have stated. The late Sir Granville Bantock spent about a year in making a long analysis of 'The
Tigers'. When he had completed it - it was the size of a small book with the
musical illustrations. He sent it to the editor of Musical
Times because they as music publishers [HB afterwards added at
this point: they] had unlimited access to music type for the examples. They
turned it down "because of the length of it" - so they said.
That analysis would help if the
matter develops & if it does you might get in touch with
Raymond Bantock, Greystones Cottage, Barnt Green,
Worcestershire
[Brian added in the
margin: I believe he has all his fathers papers]
[A markedly more intimate tone
appears in the letters from this point following the visit of HT with his wife
presumably on August 23, 24 or 25th as mentioned in Letter#2.]
Letter #4: addressed
to HT at 24, St Aubyn's Road, Upper Norwood, SE19.
sent from HB dated 26 August 1949, postmarked
Harrow, Middx, 3 45 PM, 26 AUG 1949.
[enveloped
marked in pencil Brian - son & daughter and Gothic analysis
by HT on the front;
on
the back in pencil are 3 bars of as yet unidentified music, treble clef, 3
flats in 2/4 time.]
Dear Harold & Margaret
As you are both so young - I feel
like a father unto his children. All the same it was a delightful experience to
have you both here & I hope you did not return too tired. I have read the
article & think it extremely good - particularly the reference to the Gothic Symphony. Two people, Nettel & Dagg, atempted [sic] an analysis of it & like most
swimmers who attempt the Channel, gave it up. When I asked Bantock
what he intended to do next, after his analysis of 'The Tigers'
he replied - "The 'Gothic Symphony': I have already started on
it". Pity he did not live to complete it - for he was en rapport [this
is as near as I can get to deciphering two words which look like en rappol;
the sense would also stand enraptured but two words seem clear]
with it. About your fruit: if you keep those pears for a
short time, they will be lovely - they are William pears.
They want eating just as they are ripe or they deteriorate. You were
both fortunate in having Mrs B immediately taking a liking to
you. It does not often happen - & I am sure she genuinely likes you both.
She is in town but Im [sic] sure she would wish to send you kind regards
oh & a hope to meet you both again ere long.
All
the best to you both
from
HB
Letter #5: Postcard
addressed to HT sent from HB dated 31 August 1949,
postmarked Harrow, Middx, 11 AM, 31 AUG 1949.
Do not omit to inform me whether you
hear from Augener - with the copy of the Fugue [I
presume the Double Fugue in E Flat is meant] - or
do not hear. I wrote last Sunday & asked for it to be sent to you -
so far I've had no confirmation of it.
Regards
to you both
HB
Also, in Letter #2 HB refers to Bantock & Boult performing three of
the dances from 'The Tigers': in fact, both only performed two. Towards the end of Letter #6 reference is
made to the possibility of HT obtaining a copy of a score of the 'Gothic'
Symphony to aid a projected analysis; this is the start of a sustained
correspondence as HB was - understandably - wary of releasing his own (and
only) copy, not the autograph manuscript but a printed score]
Letter #6: addressed
to HT sent from HB dated Sept 4th 1949, Sunday,
postmarked Harrow, Middx, 5 PM, 4 SEP 1949.
[enveloped
marked in pencil Reger by HT]
Dear Harold & Margaret
Thanks for your letter & I am
pleased to hear how much the D Minor & Major Prelude
& Fugue appeal to you. I also was somewhat surprised when I unearthed it
for you for I don't remember attaching much importance to it. Your reference to
Reger is interesting - for up to now I have not seen nor
heard a note of Reger's music [see note below]. I threw up my organ work at 26 [i.e. in 1898] and parted with my
liking at the same time. I shouldn't think anything of Reger's had been
published then. At that time I had not reached the plane necessary to
'understand' J. S. B [no final full stop] - although I did play a number
of the shorter fugues. 'Understanding' of J. S. B. came through my study of the
B Minor Mass and hearing a performance of 'St. Matthew'
Passion under Hans Richter. It is strange - though - that
there [this word is unclear, but the sense demands there] should
appear a Reger mannerism. When the two last Fugues were issued a lady wrote to
me, after seeing them, & said she thought I was much influenced by Berlioz and Keys to whom the first fugue [lower case f
in fugue] is inscribed said he thought [final t missing!] Moussorgsky might have written the third fugue in C minor.
So where are we?
Coming to practical things I shall
be glad if you will have a shot at analysis of the 'Gothic'
Symphony & I will write at once to Cranz & suggest
that they loan you a copy of the score & ask them to write to you direct.
I hope you are both flourishing in
this abnormal heat. I thought we had finished with it & I was going to have
a chance to think - but - like that man - it is here again [a reference, I
presume, to the popular radio show ITMA -
It's That Man Again - current at the time].
Every
kind wish to you both
from
HB.
[HB's knowledge of Reger's music
needs comment. As MM has pointed out in Vol. 3, HB held Reger in high esteem
and in an early 'La Main Gauche' refers to Reger as doubtless
the greatest master of the fugue since Bach as well as commenting on Reger's
visit to London in 1909, a performance of his Psalm 100 and an immensely difficult set of organ
variations. As MM comments: 'HB's claim never to have seen or heard a note of
Reger is disingenuous to say the least. Presumably, from the context, he might
mean the organ music only, but even that doesn't seem to be true'. MM presumes
'HB is being coy about his knowledge of Reger here because Harold had in some
way suggested a likeness to or influence of Reger'. A similar attitude to Skryabin is reported by Nettel, and to
others by Eastaugh. Several of Reger's early works were
published before 1898.]
Letter #7: addressed
to HT sent from HB dated Sept 8th 1949,
postmarked Harrow, Middx, 1 PM, 8 SEP 1949.
[back
of envelope contains 6 bars of as yet unidentified music, treble clef, 2 sharps,
in 2/4 time; bar 1 is marked chords (A major); bar 3 (F# major)]
Dear Harold & Margaret
I have had no reply from Cranz - should you not have heard from them by Saturday
- kindly send me a p. c. [postcard, I presume] & I will see what can
be done. I could, of course, lend you my copy but I wish to avoid that if
possible, because I never know when I want to refer to it.
I dont [sic] know if you have
a readers [sic] ticket for the Reading Room at the British Museum - there is a copy of the Gothic Symphony available there to all 'readers'.
Hope
you both well
All
the best from
HB.
Letter #8: addressed
to HT sent from HB dated Sept 9th 1949,
postmarked Harrow, Middx, 6 30 PM, 9 SEP 1949.
[envelope
marked in pencil Cranz, 8 Denmark St., first mention by HT; back
contains 11
bars of as yet unidentified music,
treble clef, no flats or sharps, in 4/4 time]
Dear Harold & Margaret
Cranz are not
inclined to lend the full score of the 'Gothic'
because they have only one copy.
Also [HB here starts a new line
but not a new paragraph] - they have removed to . [!] 8 Denmark St.
W.C. 2. Sir Granville Bantock had a copy & if you
wrote to Lady Bantock - Sherriff Cottage, Barnt Green,
Worcestershire & told her what you want the score for she might lend it to
you. Trinity College, Manderville Place, W.1. possesses a copy. Why not call on
the Principal (if you fail with Lady Bantock) Dr Greenhouse-Allt
& ask him to help. There is a copy at the British
Museum - but - you would be obliged to study it there.
Failing the above you might try
Cranz - a personal call is always better than writing. Unless they lost their
records during the War they will know to whom they sold copies
& might be inclined to negotiate a borrowed copy for you. I was unaware
until I heard this morning that Cranz have only one copy. What luck! Now dont [sic]
be disappointed until you have tried the sources above for I feel sure you will
eventually get the copy you require. I had spent a time reading your new
quarterly [I take this to refer to Music Survey,
edited by Hans Keller and Donald
Mitchell, for which HT was the most frequent contributor after the editors.
Volumes 2-4 are available in facsimile from Faber] &
think the whole thing is splendid and [a rare occurrence of the word and
written in full by HB] fresh in its outlook & many new ways of
looking round the subjects. The editorial is masterly & penetrating. I hope
you both are well & I am sure you are both happy.
Every
kind wish & greeting to you both
from
HB.
[the base of the letter is
inscribed Havergal Brian in black ink; the hand looks to be that of HT]
Letter #9: addressed
to HT sent from HB dated Sept 12th 1949,
postmarked Harrow, Middx, 3 45 PM, 12 SEP 1949.
[envelope
marked in pencil Who is Hans Keller? by HT]
Dear Harold & Margaret
Thank you for your letter - I am
hoping to contact Cranz before long & I will see what my
personal efforts can do about the Gothic score.
If you will send your "Schubert Forms" I will gladly look over it for you -
but I've no influence with publishers though there seems more enterprise
nowadays in publishing books on music than [at omitted] any time I can
remember & you may find someone ready to accept it. There is no
doubt that all the "Classics" studied each others [sic] works
either by the score or listening or playing in performances of them. Books on 'Form' did not exist. With the creeping examination
menace in this country - 'form' is usually [HB then wrote over the
top: has become to be regarded] regarded as an anatomical analysis
written by Ousley [sic; the name could be read as Onsley but
undoubtedly Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley (1825-1889) is
meant] or Prout. So send your mss along & we'll see
what you have been about. By the way who is Hans Keller of
the new Quarterly? I had a young German acquaintance named Keller - living in Chemnitz. [From here to the end of the letter HB continues
along the left hand vertical margins of both pages (rather than including a new
sheet)]. I forget his original Strasse - but when he wrote after the Nazis came into power his strasse [no capital letter this
time] had been changed to 'Adolf Hitler Strasse' [here
HB turned back to front page] an indication of Hitler's
popularity after he came into power.
All
the best to you both
from
HB.
Letter #10: Postcard
addressed to HT sent from HB dated Sept 17th 1949,
postmarked Harrow, Middx, 11 AM, 17 SEP 1949.
[postcard
marked in pencil Cranz. by HT]
I dont [sic] like the
appearance of the Cranz matter. Apparently their depot has
been handed to agents [the word agents is enclosed in a
box] at 8 Denmark St. When I rang up the other day, the people at Denmark
St said they were all [at omitted] sixes & sevens & Miss Pursey of Cranz was ill & [possibly or] "never
comes to town". When the contracts with Cranz were made originally
I wrote to a then well known [no hyphen] composer & told him of what
appeared to me to be a piece of luck. I remember his reply - "Surely - you
are not trying to make a friend of your [overwritten as our] enemy -
Impossible!"
Let me know if you received a parcel
containing pears on Thursday last. I sent a case of fruit to
my youngest son who lives in your neighbourhood - but I've
heard nothing from either of you. It may be he provided the P. O. with a relish [this last word is hard on the postcard margin and
slightly obscured by a stain]
HB