Composer. Born in Brighton, England, he studied at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford. Following his graduation in 1904 he played viola in the English String Quartet and acted as assistant to conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir Henry Wood. His early compositions - including the "Three Idylls for String Quartet" (1906), the orchestral suite "The Sea" (1911), and the tone poem "Summer" (1914) - were influenced by Delius and the French Impressionists. A pacifist, Bridge was profoundly depressed by the slaughter of World War I, especially after his close friend, composer Ernest Farrar, was killed in battle in 1917. The Piano Sonata he dedicated to Farrar's memory (1925) introduced his mature phase, which was marked by harmonic advances along the lines of Schoenberg and Berg while remaining thoroughly English in character. His other important works include the Cello Sonata in D Minor (1917), the String Quartets No. 2 (1915), No. 3 (1925), and No. 4 (1937), the opera "The Christmas Rose" (1932), and "Enter Spring" (1927), "Oration" (1930), "Phantasm" (1931), and the "Rebus Overture" (1940) for orchestra. In his later years Bridge conducted abroad and made three tours of the United States, the last in 1938. He also taught privately, with Benjamin Britten emerging as his greatest pupil. Britten paid him tribute with his famous "Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge" (1937), and for many years the older composer was better known through this piece than for his own music. Today his chamber output in particular is highly regarded.
Composer. Born in Brighton, England, he studied at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford. Following his graduation in 1904 he played viola in the English String Quartet and acted as assistant to conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir Henry Wood. His early compositions - including the "Three Idylls for String Quartet" (1906), the orchestral suite "The Sea" (1911), and the tone poem "Summer" (1914) - were influenced by Delius and the French Impressionists. A pacifist, Bridge was profoundly depressed by the slaughter of World War I, especially after his close friend, composer Ernest Farrar, was killed in battle in 1917. The Piano Sonata he dedicated to Farrar's memory (1925) introduced his mature phase, which was marked by harmonic advances along the lines of Schoenberg and Berg while remaining thoroughly English in character. His other important works include the Cello Sonata in D Minor (1917), the String Quartets No. 2 (1915), No. 3 (1925), and No. 4 (1937), the opera "The Christmas Rose" (1932), and "Enter Spring" (1927), "Oration" (1930), "Phantasm" (1931), and the "Rebus Overture" (1940) for orchestra. In his later years Bridge conducted abroad and made three tours of the United States, the last in 1938. He also taught privately, with Benjamin Britten emerging as his greatest pupil. Britten paid him tribute with his famous "Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge" (1937), and for many years the older composer was better known through this piece than for his own music. Today his chamber output in particular is highly regarded.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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