John Foulds
1880 - 1939
British
Summary
age, playing the latter in the Hallé Orchestra from 1990 with his
father, a bassoonist. He was deeply interested in Eastern philosophy
like his fellow composers Holst and Scriabin, and explored meditation
and the music of India with his second wife, violinist Maud MacCarthy.
They emigrated to India in 1935 when Foulds became the head of European
Music at Indian radio, but his life was cut short by cholera in 1939.
A self-taught composer, Foulds never found acceptance among the
eschelons of the British music establishment: his left-wing views were
viewed with suspicion by many, and his writing of light music to earn a
living was seen as detrimental to any 'serious' work. His work mixes
tonality and atonality at will as well as aspects of Indian music. A World Requiem,
a gargantuan work in terms of size of forces and the scope of its
spiritual enquiry, was performed at anniversary concerts for the
Armistice of the First World War at the Royal Albert Hall between 1923
and 1926, but was largely forgotten until a more recent reappraisal that has placed his work at the forefront of its time.
Performances
There are no upcoming performances