Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)

Donald Macleod explores the world of Ethel Smyth through five love affairs

British composer Dame Ethel Smyth was one of the early 20th century’s most original cultural voices. A prodigious musical talent who was best known for her operas, she was a force of nature, an unapologetic eccentric who didn’t suffer fools gladly, and a rule-breaking, trail-blazing feminist. Alongside music, she was an accomplished sportswoman, and her driven and playful nature - as well as her endurance - would not only shape her career but her personal life too. This week, Donald Macleod explores Smyth’s story through what she termed her “passions” – the key all-consuming relationships that changed the course of her life, and how they were a necessary force for her creativity.

Music Featured:

Fête Galante (Overture/Sarabande) Aus der Jugendzeit! Kom, süsser Tod Lieder, Op 4 No 2, Schlummerlied Violin Sonata (3rd mvt, Romanze) Variations on an Original Theme (of an Exceedingly Dismal Nature) String Quintet, Op 1 (3rd-5th mvts) Piano Suite in E major 2nd mvt, Bourree) Piano Trio (3rd mvt, Scherzo) 4 Songs (No 2, The Dance) Serenade in D major (3rd & 4th mvts) Der Wald (excerpt) The Wreckers Overture Lieder, Op 4 No 4 “Nachtreiter” Klavierstück in E major Cello Sonata in C minor (1st & 2nd mvts) The Wreckers, Act II (Prelude “On the Cliffs of Cornwall” (arr. for winds) ) Mass in D (Gloria) Fête Galante (excerpt) Violin Sonata (2nd mvt) March of the Women The Boatswain’s Mate (excerpts) Possession (Three Songs, No 2) String Quartet in E minor (3rd & 4th mvts) Soul’s Joy, Now I am Gone Two Interlinked French Melodies from Entente Cordiale Odelette (Four Songs, No 1) Mass (Sanctus / Benedictus) The Prison (Nos 14-16) Double Concerto for Horn and Violin (2nd mvt, Elegy)

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales & West

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00219n7

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z