Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax KCVO (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and writer. He created many musical works, including songs, choral music, small ensemble pieces, and solo piano compositions. He is most famous for his orchestral music, which includes a series of symphonic poems and seven symphonies. For a time, he was considered the leading British composer of symphonies.
Bax was born in Streatham, a suburb of London, to a wealthy family. His parents supported his interest in music, and his family’s financial stability allowed him to focus on composing without following trends or traditions. Because of this, he was seen as a talented but isolated figure in the music world. While studying at the Royal Academy of Music, he became interested in Ireland and Celtic culture, which strongly influenced his early work. Before World War I, he lived in Ireland and joined Dublin’s literary groups, writing fiction and poetry under the name Dermot O'Byrne. After the war, he became more influenced by Nordic culture, which replaced his earlier Celtic interests.
Between 1910 and 1920, Bax composed a large amount of music, including his most famous work, the symphonic poem Tintagel. During this time, he formed a lifelong partnership with pianist Harriet Cohen, beginning as a romantic relationship, then becoming a close friendship and professional collaboration. In the 1920s, he began writing his series of seven symphonies, which are the central part of his orchestral works. In 1942, he was named Master of the King’s Music, but he composed little in that role. In his later years, his music was seen as outdated, and after his death, it was largely ignored. Starting in the 1960s, his music was slowly rediscovered through recordings, though it is rarely performed in concerts today.
Life and career
Bax was born on November 8, 1883, in Streatham, a suburb of London in Surrey, to a wealthy Victorian family. He was the eldest son of Alfred Ridley Bax (1844–1918) and his wife, Charlotte Ellen (1860–1940), who was the daughter of Rev. William Knibb Lea of Amoy, China. The couple's youngest son, Clifford Lea Bax, became a playwright and essayist. Alfred Bax was a lawyer at the Middle Temple but did not work as a lawyer because he had a private income. In 1896, the family moved to a large house in Hampstead. Bax later wrote that while he wished he had been raised in the country, the large gardens of the family home were the next best thing. He was a musical child: "I cannot remember the day when I was unable to play the piano – even if my playing was not always accurate."
After attending a preparatory school in Balham, Bax studied at the Hampstead Conservatoire during the 1890s. The school was run with great personal style by Cecil Sharp, who was passionate about English folk songs and dances. However, Bax did not share Sharp's interest in folk music. Many British composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Parry, Stanford, Vaughan Williams, and Holst, were interested in folk music. Sullivan and Elgar did not share this interest, nor did Bax, who later said, "You should try every experience once, except incest and folk-dancing."
In 1900, Bax joined the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied until 1905. He studied composition with Frederick Corder and piano with Tobias Matthay. Corder was a fan of the music of Richard Wagner, whose works greatly influenced Bax in his early years. Bax later said, "For a dozen years of my youth, I focused almost entirely on Wagner’s music until I discovered Richard Strauss." Bax also studied the works of Debussy, whose music was not well-received by the conservative faculty at the academy.
Although Bax won a Macfarren Scholarship for composition and other awards, and was known for his ability to read complex music quickly, he received less recognition than his peers, Benjamin Dale and York Bowen. His piano skills were strong, but he had no desire to become a solo performer. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bax had private income that allowed him to pursue his musical career freely without needing to earn a living. The Times suggested that Bax’s independence and refusal to follow his teachers’ advice may have harmed his art, as he did not develop the discipline to fully express his imagination.
After leaving the Academy, Bax visited Dresden, where he saw the original production of Strauss’s Salome and first heard the music of Mahler, which he described as "eccentric, long-winded, muddle-headed, and yet always interesting." The Irish poet W. B. Yeats influenced Bax. His brother, Clifford, introduced him to Yeats’s poetry and to Ireland. Inspired by Yeats’s The Wanderings of Oisin, Bax visited the west coast of Ireland in 1902 and said, "In a moment, the Celt within me stood revealed." His first performed composition, an Irish dialect song called "The Grand Match," was played at an academy concert in 1902.
I worked very hard to learn the Irish language and studied its history, sagas, folktales, and fairy stories. Under this influence, my musical style became stronger. I began to write music that reflected the unique qualities of Celtic melodies and rhythms.
Musically, Bax moved away from the influence of Wagner and Strauss and instead adopted what he called a Celtic style. In 1908, he began a series of tone poems called Eire, which his biographer Lewis Foreman described as the start of Bax’s truly mature style. The first piece, Into the Twilight, was performed by Thomas Beecham and the New Symphony Orchestra in April 1909. The next piece, In the Faëry Hills, was commissioned by Henry Wood at Elgar’s suggestion in 1910. The work received mixed reviews. The Manchester Guardian said, "Mr. Bax has created the right mysterious atmosphere." The Observer called the piece "very unclear and unsatisfying, but not hard to follow." The Times noted "some second-hand language" influenced by Wagner and Debussy, though "there is still a great deal that is uniquely Bax." The Musical Times praised "a mystical charm that could not fail to be felt by the listener," though the piece’s coherence was not immediately clear. A third piece in the series, Roscatha, was never performed during Bax’s lifetime.
Bax’s private income allowed him to travel to the Russian Empire in 1910. He was searching for Natalia Skarginska, a young Ukrainian woman he had met in London. Although the trip did not lead to a romantic relationship, it enriched his music. In Saint Petersburg, he discovered a love for ballet and absorbed Russian musical influences that inspired works such as the First Piano Sonata, the piano pieces "May Night in the Ukraine" and "Gopak," and the First Violin Sonata, dedicated to Skarginska. His biographer described him as "a musical magpie, celebrating his latest discoveries in new compositions," adding that Bax’s strong musical personality allowed him to incorporate these influences into his own style. Russian music continued to influence him until the start of World War I. An unfinished ballet, Tamara, a "little Russian fairy tale in action and dance," provided material he later reused in post-war works.
After giving up on Skarginska, Bax returned to England
Music
Bax's music is not simply free-flowing or without structure. However, his style sometimes makes it hard for listeners to stay focused. His love for stories with many characters and events, along with the lack of clear musical shapes, has led some to feel his work lacks the depth and emotional power that make music truly great.
Arthur Benjamin, a fellow composer, said Bax's music was like a never-ending source of beautiful melodies, similar to those of Schubert and Dvořák. Another critic, Evans, noted that Bax's music combines strength with a sense of longing, a view later supported by others like Herbage. Early works by Bax were often very difficult for musicians to play, with complex orchestration and harmony. Starting around 1913, Bax began writing simpler, more direct music. Anthony Payne, a music expert, believed Bax's best works were created between 1910 and 1925, including pieces like The Garden of Fand, Tintagel, November Woods, the Second Piano Sonata, Viola Sonata, and the first two symphonies. By the 1930s, Bax's music was no longer seen as new or challenging, and it received less attention.
Vernon Handley, a conductor who often performed Bax's music, said Bax was influenced by composers like Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, Strauss, and Wagner. He also noted that Bax was familiar with jazz and many European composers, which shaped his musical style.
Neville Cardus, a critic, wrote about Bax's music. York Bowen pointed out that Bax's orchestral works often required very large ensembles, making them harder to perform. Eric Coates, another composer, said Bax's music was highly valued by musicians, as if Bax had played every instrument himself.
In 1907, while in Dresden, Bax began work on a very long symphony that would have taken about an hour to play. He later said he was glad it was never completed, but he left behind a piano version that was later turned into an orchestral piece. It was performed in 2012–13 and lasts 77 minutes. This four-part work, more traditional in structure than his other symphonies, shows a strong Russian influence.
Bax wrote his seven completed symphonies between 1921 and 1939. David Cox, a music scholar, noted that some people dismissed these symphonies as unclear, but they actually have strong musical ideas and consistent themes. Herbage divided the symphonies into two groups—the first three and the last three—with the Fourth Symphony acting as a lively break between them. Handley agreed that the first three symphonies were similar, and Foreman saw a Celtic influence in them, linked to Bax's feelings about the Easter Rising. The Fourth Symphony is generally seen as more hopeful than the others. Handley called it "festive," but said its themes grew darker in the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. Herbage called the Fifth Symphony the most impressive, and the Sixth Symphony is known for its powerful final movement. The Seventh Symphony, described as elegiac and simple, contrasts with Bax's earlier complex music.
Bax's first work for a solo instrument and orchestra was the 50-minute Symphonic Variations in E♭ (1919), written for Harriet Cohen. A newspaper review compared the piece to a bold action that might lead to either praise or punishment, but praised Harriet Cohen's performance.
Bax's Cello Concerto (1932) was his first full-scale concerto. It required a smaller orchestra than usual, with no trombones or tuba. Foreman noted the piece's details but said it was not among Bax's best works. The Violin Concerto (1937–38) was more relaxed in style than much of Bax's earlier music. Cardus called it "unusually fine," though some musicians might have found it less technically demanding. Bax described it as part of the romantic tradition of Joachim Raff.
Other works include Variations on the Name Gabriel Fauré (1949) for harp and strings, written in a more classical style. Bax's last concert piece was a short work for piano and orchestra (1947), created as Master of the King's Music to celebrate Princess Elizabeth's 21st birthday.
Bax's tone poems vary in style and popularity. In the Faëry Hills, an impressionistic piece, is described as short and appealing. Spring Fire (1913) is considered difficult and was not performed during Bax's lifetime. During World War I, Bax wrote three tone poems: The Garden of Fand (1913–16), November Woods (1917), and Tintagel (1917–19). The last was the only work by Bax widely known to the public for a decade after his death. In memoriam (1917), a piece mourning Patrick Pearse, was not performed until 1998. Bax later reused its melody in his music for Oliver Twist (1948).
Oliver Twist was Bax's second film score. His first was for a wartime propaganda film, Malta, G.C.. A four-movement suite from the film includes a march praised for its noble theme. Bax's third film score was for a short film, Journey into History (1952).
Other orchestral works include *Overture, Eleg
Neglect and revival
In his later years, Bax's music was no longer widely performed or appreciated. Sir John Barbirolli noted that Bax believed his carefully composed and highly skilled musical works were no longer considered "fashionable" in the modern era. However, Bax remained committed to expressing his musical ideas honestly and sincerely. After Bax's death, his music was even less frequently performed. He had always held a Romantic view of music, avoiding modern musical styles, especially Arnold Schoenberg's serialism. In 1951, Bax wrote about his views on this style.
Bax's ideas and music were not popular in the two decades following his death. Critic Michael Kennedy wrote that the mid-1950s were a time of major changes in influential musical circles. The music that had been favored by cultural leaders before this time was seen as making Britain musically narrow-minded and uninterested in developments from the past fifty years. Kennedy wrote that composers like Rubbra, Bax, and Ireland were left without support during this period.
Foreman stated that after Bax's death, his reputation was kept alive mainly by one work: Tintagel. Kennedy estimated that it took twenty years of effort before the music of British Romantic composers, including Bax, gained recognition over modernist styles. Foreman linked the revival of Bax's music to performances of his Fourth Symphony and other works by Handley with the Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1960s, as well as recordings by Lyrita Recorded Edition of five of his symphonies. Academic studies of Bax's life and music began with works by Colin Scott-Sutherland (1973) and Foreman (1983).
In 1983, the year of Bax's 100th birthday, twenty radio programs on BBC Radio 3 featured a wide range of his compositions. In 1985, the Sir Arnold Bax Trust was created to support the performance, recording, and publication of Bax's music and writings. Since then, many of Bax's works, both important and less significant, have been recorded. However, the increase in recordings has not led to a return of Bax's music to concert halls. Critic Stephen Moss wrote in The Guardian in 2007 that being associated with Bax is seen as a disadvantage for promotion. In 1999, Oxford University Press published a complete list of Bax's works, compiled and explained by Graham Parlett. This list was praised by Music & Letters as a standard for future research on a composer's works.
Recordings
In 1929, two recordings of Bax playing the piano were made. He recorded his own Viola Sonata with Lionel Tertis for Columbia, and with May Harrison, he recorded Delius's Violin Sonata No. 1 for His Master's Voice, a competing label. Among Bax's symphonies, only the Third was recorded during his lifetime. It was performed by the Hallé Orchestra under Barbirolli and released in 1944. The Viola Sonata, Nonet, and Mater ora Filium were recorded in 1937 and 1938 with the support of the English Music Society. The Phantasy Sonata for Viola and Harp, the Sonata for Two Pianos, and some songs were recorded on 78 rpm discs. For tone poems, Eugene Goossens conducted the first recording of Tintagel in 1928. Twenty years later, a recording of The Garden of Fand with Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was released by His Master's Voice. By 1955, only a few of Bax's works were available on record, including Tintagel, the Coronation March, the choral piece What is it Like to be Young and Fair?, and the piano piece Paean.
Parlett included a detailed list of Bax's recorded works in his 1999 book, A Catalogue of the Works of Sir Arnold Bax, which was later expanded on a website. As of 2015, this list included over 250 works by Bax that had been recorded and published. The discography includes three complete cycles of Bax's symphonies on CD: two by Chandos Records, the first conducted by Bryden Thomson (recorded 1983–88) and the second by Handley (2003). Between these, Naxos Records released a cycle conducted by David Lloyd-Jones (recorded 1997–2001). Major tone poems and other orchestral works have been recorded in multiple versions. Bax's chamber music is well represented on recordings, with most works available and many having multiple versions, including the Elegiac Trio, Clarinet Sonata, and Fantasy Sonata. Much of Bax's piano music has been recorded by pianists such as Iris Loveridge, John McCabe, Ashley Wass, and Michael Endres. However, by 2015, no complete collection of his piano works had yet been recorded. Among vocal works, Mater ora Filium is the most frequently recorded, but other choral pieces and a selection of songs are also available on disc.
Honours and legacy
Bax received gold medals from the Royal Philharmonic Society and the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1931. He also received the Cobbett medal for chamber music in the same year. In 1934, he was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Oxford, and in 1935, by the University of Durham. In 1947, he received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland. A room named after Bax, called the Bax Memorial Room, was opened at University College, Cork, by Vaughan Williams in 1955. In 1937, Bax was made a knight. In 1953, he was given the title of KCVO. In 1993, a blue plaque from English Heritage was placed at his birthplace, 13 Pendennis Road in Streatham, to honor him.
In 1992, Ken Russell made a television film that told the story of Bax's later years, called The Secret Life of Arnold Bax. Russell played Bax in the film, and Glenda Jackson, who later left acting for 23 years to focus on politics, played Harriet Cohen.
In 2022, a bronze plaque was placed at the Morar Hotel in Morar to honor Bax. He often stayed there from 1928 to 1940 and composed many important works during this time. The British Music Society led the effort, with help from Historic Environment Scotland.
In 2024, the Sir Arnold Bax Society was created to promote Bax's music and legacy. Bax is known to have influenced the Australian composer Alexander Voltz, who now represents the Society.