Notes for: July 22, 2014
Gordon Jacob was a prolific 20th century English composer whose conservatism and willingness to produce attractive trifles as well as serious works set him at odds with most of the progressives and elitists of his day.
Over his 60 years of composing, he produced more than 400 works –– symphonies, concertos for various instruments, choral works, a ballet, chamber music, band music, patriotic scores during war time, film scores and arrangements of sentimental ballads and folk tunes. He was an authority on orchestral writing, and his book Orchestral Technique is a standard textbook.
In general, Jacob composed music far from the lush Romanticism of his elders or the more fashionable serial and progressive-minded works of his contemporaries. Rather, his music is more simple and sparse, inspired by Baroque and Classical models.
Four Fancies demonstrates his craftsmanship, clarity and economy. “Fancy” was a title used by 17th century English composers for an instrumental piece that was contrapuntal in style, and Jacob uses it here to emphasize his conservatism.