York Bowen - Piano Music (Stephen Hough, piano), Hyperion

Bowen, (Edwin) York
(b London, 22 Feb 1884; d London, 23 Nov 1961). English composer and pianist. Already a talented pianist at the the age of eight, he studied at the Blackheath Conservatoire, then won an Erard Scholarship to the RAM, where he studied piano and composition (1898–1905), winning all the piano and composition prizes. He taught at the Tobias Matthay Piano School and was appointed a professor at the RAM in 1909.

Thereafter he embarked on a career both as a pianist and as a composer. He performed regularly at the Queen’s Hall and later at the Royal Albert Hall. His piano playing was recognized for its technical and artistic excellence. He formed duos with the viola player Tertis and the pianist Harry Isaacs. He could also play many orchestral instruments, a fact which contributed to the mastery of his orchestral writing. During World War I he played the horn in the band of the Scots Guards.

Bowen composed over 160 works, which show a blend of Romanticism and strong individuality. Several received their premières before 1914, and his Third Symphony (1951) and Fourth Piano Concerto (1929) were performed throughout his lifetime. He won the Sunday Express Prize for March RAF (1919), Chappell’s Orchestral Suite Prize and the Hawkes and Co. Prize for Intermezzo (1920). Saint-Saëns thought him the finest of English composers, and Sorabji expressed his admiration for the piano writing of the 24 Preludes, op.102 (1938). He is commemorated by a York Bowen Prize at the RAM, and some recordings of his music have appeared on the Hyperion label.

WORKS
for detailed list see Watson
Many orch works, incl. 4 pf concs., Vn Conc., 4 syms., tone poems
Sonatas for cl, fl, hn, ob, rec, va, vc, vn
Many pf works, incl. 24 Preludes, op.102, 1938

WRITINGS
Pedalling the Modern Pianoforte (London, 1936)
The Simplicity of Piano Technique (London, 1961)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J.A. Forsyth ‘York Bowen’, R.A.M. Club Magazine, no.80 (1928), 3–6
G. Beechey ‘The Music of York Bowen (1884–1961): a Preliminary Catalogue’, MO, cvii (1983–4), 313–5
M. Watson York Bowen: a Centenary Tribute (London, 1984) [incl. list of works]