43:(22 February 1884 – 23 November 1961) was an English composer and pianist. Bowen's musical career spanned more than fifty years during which time he wrote over 160 works. As well as being a pianist and composer, Bowen was a talented conductor, organist, violist and horn player. Despite achieving considerable success during his lifetime, many of the composer's works remained unpublished and unperformed until after his death in 1961. Bowen's compositional style is widely considered ‘
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466:, to whom Bowen had dedicated his Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102. The increase in publications and performances of Bowen's works during the late twentieth century was also largely due to the work done by the York Bowen Society. The revival of interest in Bowen's music during the 1980s was also influenced by the publication of Monica Watson's book
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and was forced to return to the UK. Bowen returned to composing and performing after the war and continued to work as a teacher, examiner, lecturer and adjudicator. He taught at the Tobias
Matthay Piano School for over forty years and remained a professor at the Royal Academy of Music until his death
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distillers Bowen and McKechnie. The youngest of three sons, Bowen began piano and harmony lessons with his mother at an early age. His talent was recognised almost immediately and he soon began his musical education at the North
Metropolitan College of Music. He subsequently went on to study at the
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Following his death in 1961, many of Bowen's compositions remained unpublished. As a result of this, performances of Bowen's works diminished and much of his music remained unperformed in the decades after his death. During this time one of Bowen's most enthusiastic advocates was the composer and
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Bowen's compositional output is made up almost entirely of instrumental works. Although he wrote for numerous different instrumental combinations, the piano features prominently in many of his works. Despite this, Bowen's varied instrumental proficiencies are evident in his technical and musical
420:, who had written several books about various aspects of fore-arm rotation and piano touch. Each of Bowen's studies deals with a different aspect of piano technique discussed in Matthay's books. Inspired by Matthay's innovative approaches, Bowen later produced two books on piano technique:
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Despite the advancements made by the York Bowen
Society, many of the composer's works remain unpublished. Although many of Bowen's solo instrumental works contribute significantly to modern performance repertoire, his orchestral and chamber works are rarely performed.
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and in 1908 Tertis premiered Bowen's Viola
Concerto in C minor, Op. 25. Bowen also aided Tertis in his campaign to increase the popularity of the viola as a solo instrument. Bowen made numerous other contributions to the viola repertoire, including the
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protested that Bowen had 'never taken the position he deserves'. In 1960 the record label Lyrita asked Bowen to record performances of some of his own works, including 10 of the 24 Preludes and the newly composed
Partita, Op. 156.
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During his lifetime Bowen also published editions of works by other composers. These included a three volume edition of Mozart's piano works published between 1931 and 1932. In addition, Bowen produced editions of many of
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The varying standards of difficulty of his compositions make Bowen's instrumental music accessible to a wide range of musicians. This is particularly true of Bowen's piano works which span from study pieces such as
389:, Bowen's music is very much defined by its distinctive textures and harmonies. Although his active career spanned more than fifty years, Bowen's compositional style altered very little and he continued to employ a
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performed Bowen's Violin
Concerto in E minor, Op. 33, at the Proms in 1920 and the first performances of Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 101, and Concerto for Horn, Strings and Timpani, Op. 150, were given by
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As an instrumentalist, Bowen considered the tone quality of the viola to be superior to the violin, and composed numerous works for viola. Bowen frequently performed as a pianist alongside the viola player
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hailed Bowen as 'the finest of
English composers'. This opinion was shared by many of Bowen's contemporaries and is reflected in the support he received from many eminent musicians and academics.
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Bowen premiered many of his own works including all four of his piano concertos. He produced his first three piano concertos between 1904 and 1908, performing the Piano
Concerto No. 1 in E
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York Bowen
Sonatas – Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 120, Sonata for Oboe and Piano, Op. 85, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 109, Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 101 – Endymion.
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and his Twelve
Studies, Op. 46, are also intended to address different elements of piano technique. Bowen dedicated the studies to his piano teacher at the Royal Academy of Music,
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Aside from his performances with Lionel Tertis, one of Bowen's most successful collaborations was the piano duo that he formed with fellow professor at the Royal Academy of Music,
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During his early career Bowen achieved considerable success as both a composer and concert pianist. After hearing the premiere of Bowen's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E
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performed the Suite in D minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 28, and many other renowned violinists of the time later gave performances of the work, including
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Despite Bowen's success during the years before the First World War, by the time he wrote his Piano Concerto No. 4 in A minor, Op. 88, in 1929, his
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compositional style was considered outdated in relation to the modern techniques of his contemporaries. In his autobiography published in 1938,
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Many of Bowen's piano works are aimed at improving piano technique. One of his most notable works, Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102, is set in
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278:, Bowen was one of the first English composers to add original works to the modern viola repertoire. Bowen also wrote three traditional
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649:, Op. 100 No. 1, Two Preludes, Fantasia, Op. 132, Two Intermezzi, Op. 141, Siciliano and Toccatina, Op. 128, Four Bagatelles, Op. 147,
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Bowen achieved considerable success during his lifetime both as a concert pianist and composer. He performed regularly at both the
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Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, Op.25 – Doris Lederer/Paul Polivnick, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (2005)
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Bowen's compositions each display a unique 'blend of Romanticism and strong individuality'. Although his influences include
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Concerto for Horn, Strings and Timpani, Op. 150 – David Pyatt (Horn), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Nicholas Braithwaite)
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Medal. In 1907 Bowen was awarded a fellowship to the Royal Academy of Music and two years later was appointed professor.
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Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102, Ballade No. 2, Op. 87, Sonata No. 5 in F minor, Op. 72, Berceuse, Op. 83,
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Many of Bowen's instrumental works were dedicated to and premiered by renowned musicians. In 1910
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756:"An analytical study of York Bowen's Twenty-Four Preludes in all Major and Minor Keys, Op. 102"
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Symphonies No. 1 and 2. BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Andrew Davis. Chandos CHAN 10670 (2011)
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Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 31 – Royal Northern College of Music SO (Douglas Bostock)
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83:. While studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Bowen won numerous awards including the
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respectively. Bowen also composed works for many of his other contemporaries including
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Beecham, Gwilym (1984). "Music of York Bowen (1884–1961): A Preliminary Catalogue".
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156:(1919) and Chappell's Orchestral Suite Prize and the Hawkes and Co. Prize for
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470:(Thames, London, 1984) as well as numerous recordings made of Bowen's works.
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In 1898, at the age of fourteen, Bowen gained an Erard scholarship to the
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47:’ and his works are often characterized by their rich harmonic language.
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and the Piano Concerto No. 4 in A minor, Op. 88, under the direction of
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In 1912 Bowen married Sylvia Dalton, a singer and the daughter of a
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York Bowen Works for Piano Vol 2 – Sonata No. 5, Nocturne, Op. 78,
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As well as premiering many of his own works, including his four
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for four violas and two sonatas for viola and piano. Alongside
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Bowen was awarded several prizes for composition including the
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by Jonathan Woolf and John France, musicweb-international.com
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Cello Sonata, Op. 64 – Jo Cole (Cello), John Talbot (piano)
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vicar. Their son Philip was born a year later. During the
75:. He studied there until 1905, learning composition with
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understanding of individual instrumental capabilities.
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Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 25 –
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York Bowen Works for Piano Vol 1 – Sonata No. 6 in B
614:, Op. 39 – Berceuse, Op. 83. Cristina Ortiz (piano)
313:Concerto for Three Pianos and Orchestra in F major
833:Gray-Fisk, Clinton, "Pen Portrait: York Bowen",
213:directed the Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 31.
634:minor, Op. 160, Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102,
59:, London, to a father who was the owner of the
790:Composers at the Piano – Bowen and Reizenstein
694:Watson, Monica (2001). "Bowen, (Edwin) York".
290:for string quartet and bass clarinet in 1932.
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106:but during service in France he contracted
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561:Piano Concertos Nos 3 (Fantasia) and 4 –
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27:English composer and pianist (1884–1961)
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817:York Bowen: Symphonies Nos 1 & 2
284:Carnegie Collection of British Music
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546:, Op. 113 for wind quintet (1944),
330:He was the first pianist to record
484:List of compositions by York Bowen
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496:British Music for Viola and Piano
426:The Simplicity of Piano Technique
111:in 1961. Among his students were
66:Blackheath Conservatoire of Music
994:English male classical composers
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673:Hardy, Lisa. "Bowen, Edwin", in
610:Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102 –
422:Pedalling the Modern Piano Forte
209:in F major, Op. 16, and in 1912
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954:English male classical pianists
844:York Bowen: A Centenary Tribute
468:York Bowen: A Centenary Tribute
397:harmonies throughout his life.
336:Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major
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588:, Op. 39, Toccata, Op. 155 –
586:Suite Mignonne: Moto Perpetuo
327:concert at the Queen's Hall.
323:for Orchestra and Piano at a
554:(1956). Camarilia Ensemble,
534:Fragments from Hans Andersen
224:, Michael Zacharewitsch and
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575:Piano Sonatas (complete) –
228:. The celebrated violinist
185:major, Op. 11, at the
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616:Grand Piano Records GP 637
565:(piano), BBC Scottish SO (
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464:Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
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870:Free scores by York Bowen
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414:all major and minor keys
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853:, accessed 29 June 2014
702:Oxford University Press
638:, Op. 86 – Joop Celis.
442:major, Op. 11 in 1903,
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846:(London, Thames, 1984)
556:Dutton Epoch CDLX 7398
407:Twelve Easy Impromptus
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36:Edwin York Bowen, 1935
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864:"York Bowen home page
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804:"York Bowen Society"
321:Sinfonia Concertante
253:, Pauline Juler and
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792:, Lyrita Ream.2105"
489:Selected recordings
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424:(London, 1936) and
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199:The Lament of Tasso
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655:Chandos CHAN 10410
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251:Beatrice Harrison
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662:References
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381:, Chopin,
272:Arnold Bax
191:Henry Wood
158:Intermezzo
152:Prize for
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548:Burlesque
432:Reception
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347:nocturnes
332:Beethoven
154:March RAF
133:Betty Roe
108:pneumonia
51:Biography
631:♭
603:Classico
594:Hyperion
592:(Piano)
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529:Hyperion
462:pianist
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391:diatonic
363:scherzos
359:ballades
351:preludes
344:Chopin's
310:Mozart's
286:, and a
182:♭
172:and the
160:(1920).
96:Somerset
45:Romantic
882:Portals
876:(IMSLP)
872:at the
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636:Reverie
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187:Proms
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