Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction by Peter Dickinson
- Part I Reports from Paris, 1929–34
- Part II Letters to Nadia Boulanger, 1929–74
- Part III Selections from Berkeley's Later Writings and Talks, 1943–82
- Part IV Interviews with Berkeley, 1973–8
- Part V Extracts from Berkeley's Diaries, 1966–82
- Part VI Interviews with Performers, Composers, Family and Friends, 1990–91
- 1 Performers: Julian Bream, Norman Del Mar, Colin Horsley
- 2 Composers: John Manduell, Nicholas Maw, Malcolm Williamson
- 3 Family: Freda Berkeley, Michael Berkeley
- 4 Friends: Basil Douglas, Desmond Shawe-Taylor
- Part VII Memorial Address by Sir John Manduell
- Catalogue of Works
- Bibliography
- Index of Works by Berkeley
- General Index
1 - Performers: Julian Bream, Norman Del Mar, Colin Horsley
from Part VI - Interviews with Performers, Composers, Family and Friends, 1990–91
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction by Peter Dickinson
- Part I Reports from Paris, 1929–34
- Part II Letters to Nadia Boulanger, 1929–74
- Part III Selections from Berkeley's Later Writings and Talks, 1943–82
- Part IV Interviews with Berkeley, 1973–8
- Part V Extracts from Berkeley's Diaries, 1966–82
- Part VI Interviews with Performers, Composers, Family and Friends, 1990–91
- 1 Performers: Julian Bream, Norman Del Mar, Colin Horsley
- 2 Composers: John Manduell, Nicholas Maw, Malcolm Williamson
- 3 Family: Freda Berkeley, Michael Berkeley
- 4 Friends: Basil Douglas, Desmond Shawe-Taylor
- Part VII Memorial Address by Sir John Manduell
- Catalogue of Works
- Bibliography
- Index of Works by Berkeley
- General Index
Summary
At BBC Broadcasting House, London, 28 January 1991
(edited by Julian Bream, 1 March 2011)Julian Bream has been widely acknowledged as one of the greatest masters of the guitar and the lute. He was born in London in 1933, studied at the Royal College of Music, where the guitar was not then taught, and made his London debut in 1950. His international career developed from 1954. He had a crucial role inspiring and working with some of the leading composers – including Lennox Berkeley. He was made a CBE in 1985.
pd How did you first come across Lennox Berkeley?
jb I knew a little bit about his music when I was a boy. The first time I met him was in 1957 when he was about to write the Guitar Sonatina, which was a BBC commission for me to play. So I went to see him to discuss the instrument, show him how it worked and how best to write for it. I was delighted that he took the commission, because of all the composers, which the exception of Britten, he had the musical style and the clarity of texture in his music that would suit the guitar. He then went on to write the lovely Sonatina which I played for many years – I must have done over 200 performances and I went on to record it for RCA in 1960. It's a beautiful piece, wonderfully written for the instrument and the obvious Latin connotations of the guitar did not in any way obscure his own musical personality.
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- Information
- Lennox Berkeley and FriendsWritings, Letters and Interviews, pp. 225 - 242Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2012