Frederic Cliffe's musical career was short-lived, with his major works appearing over a period of only 16 or 17 years before he faded into obscurity, unlike his contemporaries Elgar and Delius.
Composer Biography
Frédéric d'Erlanger, born in Paris with German and American heritage, became a naturalized British citizen and was involved in promoting music in London.
Notable Performances
Frederic Cliffe's Violin Concerto, commissioned by the Norwich Festival in 1896, was revived in 2007 by Philippe Graffin and the Lambeth Orchestra after being unheard for nearly a century.
Composition History
Frédéric d'Erlanger's opera, based on Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' with a libretto by Puccini's librettist Luigi Illica, had its 1906 Naples premiere interrupted by a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Critical Reception
Frederic Cliffe's debut symphony was hailed as a 'masterpiece' and its composer a 'bright and shining star' by The Daily Telegraph, despite his colleagues at the Royal College of Music remaining silent.
Composer Biography
Frederic Cliffe, a piano professor at the Royal College of Music, achieved astonishing success with his first major work, a large-scale romantic symphony in C minor, at age 31.
Notable Performances
Frédéric d'Erlanger's Violin Concerto was premiered by Hugo Heermann in Holland and Germany, then given its British premiere by Fritz Kreisler at Queen's Hall in 1903.
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