The Australian Symphony from Federation to 1960

The symphony retained its primacy as the most prestigious large-scale orchestral form throughout the first half of the twentieth century, particularly in Britain, Russia and the United States. Likewise, Australian composers produced a steady stream of symphonies throughout the period from Federation (1901) through to the end of the 1950s. Stylistically, these works ranged from essays in late nineteenth-century romanticism, twentieth-century nationalism, neo-classicism and near-atonality. Australian symphonies were most prolific during the 1950s, with 36 local entries in the 1951 Commonwealth Jubilee Symphony competition. This extensive repertoire was overshadowed by the emergence of a new generation of composers and critics during the 1960s who tended to regard older Australian music as old-fashioned and derivative. The Australian Symphony from Federation to 1960 is the first study of this neglected genre and has four aims: firstly, to show the development of symphonic composition in Australia from Federation to 1960; secondly, to highlight the achievement of the main composers who wrote symphonies; thirdly, to advocate the restoration and revival of this repertory; and, lastly, to take a step towards a recasting of the narrative of Australian concert music from Federation to the present. In particular, symphonies by Marshall-Hall, Hart, Bainton, Hughes, Le Gallienne and Morgan emerge as works of particular note.

Contents: Preface; Introduction; The symphony within international music trends 1900-60; The Australian musical environment for symphonic composition; Australian pioneers of the Federation period; Symphonies of the 1920s and 1930s; Australian symphonies 1940-60 in late Romantic and post-Impressionist styles; Nationalist symphonies of the 1950s; Neo-classic and ’progressive’ symphonies of the 1950s; Australian expatriate symphonies; The aftermath: the 1960s and conclusions; Select bibliography; Index.

Rhoderick McNeill completed his PhD on the life and works of E.J. Moeran at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He taught music theory and history at Nommensen University, Medan, Indonesia and, since 1996, at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. His two-volume history of Western music in Indonesian, Sejarah Musik, has been in print continuously since 1998.