Search - William Lloyd Webber, Richard Hickox, London Sinfonia :: Lloyd Webber: Invocation

Forgotten works by a frustrated composer.

Augustus Caesar, Ph.D. | Eugene, Oregon United States | 04/30/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When he is remembered at all, William Lloyd Webber (1914-1982) is usually remembered as the father of Andrew. William was a fine organist who studied music from a young age, eventually earning a DMA (doctor of musical arts) in composition. His work, however, gained little attention, with the high point being the premiere of his tone poem "Aurora" on the BBC in 1951. He worked as a teacher, eventually becoming dean of the Royal College of Music in London.Lloyd Webber, whose talents lay in the creation of melodic, richly scored works, felt out of place in the musical world of the 1940s and 1950s, with Stravinsky, Webern, Carter, et al., in ascent while composers with his interests were condemned as "old fashioned." His work could be placed somewhere between Delius and Rachmaninoff, with a little Bach and Debussy thrown in. A strange combination, yes, but it gives you some idea of Lloyd Webber's conservatism. He became so disillusioned that in the late 1950s, he largely stopped composing (though he would begin again in the last few years of his life). This disc contains a collection of works from 1939 to the early 1960s, ranging from the "Aurora" tone poem to miniature works for harp and cello. It also includes some religious works for choir and organ, and a lovely mass. The pieces here provide proof of Lloyd Webber's talents as a melodist and his penchant for lush harmonies and arrangements. They prove that his work deserves a second listen, and for lovers of romantic, tonal classical music, this disc will be a sheer delight and a great find. For those with more adventurous tastes, this is probably not the composer for you."