The Banks of Green Willow: Difference between revisions
→Composition: More information and citations. I've taken out references to 'tone poem' which (although not actually wrong) is confusing because it has 'Idyll' on the score. |
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==Composition== |
==Composition== |
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This is a short orchestral piece by George Butterworth, probably his most played piece for orchestra. It has certainly been his most recorded orchestral work. |
This is a short orchestral piece by [[George Butterworth]], probably his most played piece for orchestra. It has certainly been his most recorded orchestral work. |
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Described by its composer as an "Idyll", and written in 1913, it is scored for a small orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, one trumpet, harp and strings.<ref>Score published by Stainer & Bell, London, 1918</ref> It is thus a belated companion to the Two English Idylls of 1910-1911. All three pieces are founded on folk melodies Butterworth coillected in Sussex in 1907, each has a similar "arch" shape, and each lasts between 4½ and 6 minutes.<ref>Barlow, Michael, Whom The Gods Love, Toccata Press, London, 1997</ref> Butterworth based The Banks of Green Willow on two folk song melodies that he noted in 1907 - 'The banks of green willow" and "Green bushes". The first was noted from the singing of "Mr & Mrs Cranstone" of Billingshurst.<ref>All songs that Butterworth collected are in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Cecil Sharp House, London. This song is manuscript no.GB/6b/26.</ref> |
Described by its composer as an "Idyll", and written in 1913, it is scored for a small orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, one trumpet, harp and strings.<ref>Score published by Stainer & Bell, London, 1918</ref> It is thus a belated companion to the Two English Idylls of 1910-1911. All three pieces are founded on folk melodies Butterworth coillected in Sussex in 1907, each has a similar "arch" shape, and each lasts between 4½ and 6 minutes.<ref>Barlow, Michael, Whom The Gods Love, Toccata Press, London, 1997</ref> Butterworth based The Banks of Green Willow on two folk song melodies that he noted in 1907 - 'The banks of green willow" and "Green bushes". The first was noted from the singing of "Mr & Mrs Cranstone" of Billingshurst.<ref>All songs that Butterworth collected are in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Cecil Sharp House, London. This song is manuscript no.GB/6b/26.</ref> |
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Revision as of 10:51, 19 June 2011
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The Banks of Green Willow is a short orchestral impressionist piece by George Butterworth. It was composed in 1913, is written in the key of A major, and is around six minutes long.
Composition
This is a short orchestral piece by George Butterworth, probably his most played piece for orchestra. It has certainly been his most recorded orchestral work.
Described by its composer as an "Idyll", and written in 1913, it is scored for a small orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, one trumpet, harp and strings.[1] It is thus a belated companion to the Two English Idylls of 1910-1911. All three pieces are founded on folk melodies Butterworth coillected in Sussex in 1907, each has a similar "arch" shape, and each lasts between 4½ and 6 minutes.[2] Butterworth based The Banks of Green Willow on two folk song melodies that he noted in 1907 - 'The banks of green willow" and "Green bushes". The first was noted from the singing of "Mr & Mrs Cranstone" of Billingshurst.[3]
As the composer said this piece is " musical illustration to the ballad of the same name"[4]it may be useful to realise that the folk ballad tells the tale of a farmer's daughter who falls in love with a young sea-captain, becomes pregnant and runs away with him to sea, having first stolen money from her parents. When her child is born on board ship, the labour is especially difficult and there is no "woman's help" available. Knowing she will die, she asks her lover to "bind a napkin round my head, then throw me overboard, both me and my baby"[5]Her lover does this and watches as she "quivers" - presumably in her death-throes - and he sings a lament to "my true love, whom I once loved so dearly" and who shall be buried on "The Banks of Green Willow" (Butterworth's capitalisation). It is a shocking tale, even more so in other collected versions, where it is the man who decides to throw the girl and baby overboard rather than risk the shame of taking them home (Mr & Mrs Cranston's text is a little more palatable).
A solo clarinet and strings create a pastoral scene with the title theme, followed by a short development and restatement of the tune. The mood becomes more sombre and agitated as a new theme (Butterworth's own, on horns) is introduced. An animated motif leads to the main climate, which is surpisingly passionate for such a short work, before the music subsides to introduce Green Bushes hesitantly on oboe. This is repeated gently on flute, accompanied by harp, and the piece ends tranquilly with snatches of violin solo, horn and oboe.
The premiere of The Banks of Green Willow took place on 27th February 1914, when Adrian Boult conducted a combined orchestra of forty members of the Hallé and Liverpool orchestras in West Kirby. This was, in fact, the 24-year-old conductor’s first concert with a professional orchestra (he also gave the British premiere of Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade at the same concert: a considerable achievement for a debut!). The London premiere took place three weeks later, and seems to have been the last occasion Butterworth heard his own music.
Modern representations
The popular piece is often used in TV adverts with wholesome panoramic views of the British countryside, for products such as dog food and life insurance, as well as being a favourite of Classic FM.
There are many variant folk songs by the same name. A 2003 novel by the Irish writer Kevin Myers also has the title.
Butterworth was killed on 5 August 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. He was aged 31, and was a Lieutenant in the Durham Light Infantry.
See also
External links
Audio clips
- Countryside setting with Butterworth's music
- Performed by the LSO conducted by Richard Hickox in All Saints Church, Tooting December 2000.
- Performed by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta conducted by Norman Del Mar in Southampton Guildhall 1978
- ^ Score published by Stainer & Bell, London, 1918
- ^ Barlow, Michael, Whom The Gods Love, Toccata Press, London, 1997
- ^ All songs that Butterworth collected are in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Cecil Sharp House, London. This song is manuscript no.GB/6b/26.
- ^ . Musikproduktion Jürgen Höflich, Munich. Preface by Michael Barlow. 2006.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Text as noted by Butterworth from Mr & Mrs Cranston, Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Cecil Sharp House, London. Manuscript no.GB/6b/26.