Frank Bridge

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Biography

Born: February 26, 1879; Brighton, England   Died: January 10, 1941; Eastbourne, London, England  
Frank Bridge studied violin and composition at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 1904. A scholarship enabled him to study with Charles Villiers Stanford for four years (1899-1903). Bridge quickly established a reputation as a gifted violist and conductor. In 1906, he played with the Joachim Quartet, and he was a member of the English String Quartet through 1915. He conducted some operas at the Savoy Theatre and Covent Garden, and when Sir Read more Thomas Beecham organized his New Symphony Orchestra in 1906, he named Bridge as his assistant. Bridge also befriended Sir Henry Wood and occasionally substituted for him as conductor at Queen's Hall; Wood later became an important champion of Bridge's music. During this period, Bridge was writing mostly chamber music and songs. His few orchestral works of the time were much influenced by the French Impressionists; the first of them to become part of the standard repertoire was the suite The Sea (1911).

World War I was a traumatic time for Bridge, an ardent pacifist. One can hear more dissonance and darkness creeping into such works as the Cello Sonata in D minor (1913-1917) and the Quartet No. 2 in G minor (1915). After several years of near-silence, Bridge's next big work signaled a large shift in style. The Piano Sonata (1921-1924) was written in memory of composer Ernest Farrar, who was killed in action in France, in 1917. In it, one hears considerably more dissonance, abrupt changes of mood and tempo, and a more angular and aggressive sound. This stylistic evolution continued in works like the third (1926) and fourth (1937) string quartets, which flirt with Schoenberg-like atonality.

In his last two decades, Bridge composed, occasionally conducted, and did some traveling, including trips to the United States in 1923, 1934, and 1938. He also did some private teaching. Certainly his best-known pupil was Benjamin Britten, who was an 11-year-old prodigy when Bridge met him in 1924. Britten retained a great affection for his teacher, and paid tribute to him in the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (1937), based on the second of the latter's Three Idylls for String Quartet (1906). Britten was also partly responsible for the subsequent interest in Bridge's music.

Among Bridge's later compositions were a lovely opera, The Christmas Rose (begun 1919, set aside for years and completed only in 1930), as well as several important chamber and orchestral works. His last completed composition was the Rebus Overture (1940); he also left a symphony for strings unfinished at his death. Read less

Featured Frank Bridge CDs & DVDs:

Bridge: String Quartets No 1 & 3 / Maggini Quartet
Bridge: String Quartets No 1 & 3 / Maggini Quartet
Release Date: 10/21/2003   Label: Naxos  
Catalog: 8557133   Number of Discs: 1
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Bridge: Piano Music / Ashley Wass
Bridge: Piano Music / Ashley Wass
Release Date: 04/18/2006   Label: Naxos  
Catalog: 8557842   Number of Discs: 1
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Bridge: Piano Sonata, Pensées Fugitives, Etc / Ashley Wass
Bridge: Piano Sonata, Pensées Fugitives, Etc / Ashley Wass
Release Date: 05/29/2007   Label: Naxos  
Catalog: 8557921   Number of Discs: 1
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Brahms, Bridge, Enescu, Et Al / Rysanov, Chang
Brahms, Bridge, Enescu, Et Al / Rysanov, Chang
Release Date: 05/29/2007   Label: Avie  
Catalog: 2111   Number of Discs: 1
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The English Viola - Bliss, Delius, Bridge / Magyar, Imai
The English Viola - Bliss, Delius, Bridge / Magyar, Imai
Release Date: 11/17/2009   Label: Naxos  
Catalog: 8572407   Number of Discs: 1
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Browse 1-25 of 208 Available Recordings
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  • 1.
    The Sea In Music
    The Sea In Music
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8578269 Release Date: 02/25/2014   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Arnold Bax,  Frank Bridge,  Claude Debussy,  Sir Edward Elgar  ... 
    Performer:  Sarah Connolly,  István Kassai,  François-Joël Thiollier
    Conductor:  David Lloyd-Jones,  James Judd,  Jun Märkl,  Simon Wright  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Scottish National Orchestra,  New Zealand Symphony Orchestra,  Lyon National Orchestra  ... 
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  • 2.
    Britten: Reflections / Thwaite, Jones
    Britten: Reflections / Thwaite, Jones
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8573136 Release Date: 11/19/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten,  Frank Bridge
    Performer:  Matthew Jones,  Annabel Thwaite
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  • 3.
    Dreamtime / David Aaron Carpenter
    Dreamtime / David Aaron Carpenter
    Label: Ondine   Catalog: 1246 Release Date: 10/29/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johannes Brahms,  Frank Bridge,  Robert Mann
    Performer:  Rudiger Liebermann,  David Aaron Carpenter,  Bernhard Hartog,  Walter Küssner  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra members
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  • 4.
    English Town Hall Organ Philharmonie Duisburg
    English Town Hall Organ Philharmonie Duisburg
    Label: Acousence Classics   Catalog: 10710 Release Date: 10/29/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst,  George Frideric Handel,  Louis Vierne,  Frank Bridge  ... 
    Performer:  Roland Maria Stangier
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  • 5.
    Britten The Performer - Complete Decca Recordings
    Britten The Performer - Complete Decca Recordings
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001922102 Release Date: 10/22/2013   Number of Discs: 27
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Henry Purcell,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Franz Joseph Haydn  ... 
    Performer:  Adrian Thompson,  John Tobin,  Jenny Hill,  Robert Tear  ... 
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Chamber Orchestra,  Wandsworth School Boys' Choir,  Wandsworth School Choir  ... 
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  • 6.
    Bridge: Phantasy Piano Quartet; Cello Sonata; Violin Sonata / Nash Ensemble
    Bridge: Phantasy Piano Quartet; Cello Sonata; Violin Sonata / Nash Ensemble
    Label: Hyperion   Catalog: 68003 Release Date: 10/08/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Nash Ensemble
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  • 7.
    Frank Bridge: Sonata and Selected Pieces for Piano / Pascal Sigrist
    Frank Bridge: Sonata and Selected Pieces for Piano / Pascal Sigrist
    Label: Talent Records   Catalog: 113 Release Date: 10/08/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge
    Performer:  Pascal Sigrist
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  • 8.
    Twentieth-century Cello Sonatas
    Twentieth-century Cello Sonatas
    Label: Somm   Catalog: 251 Release Date: 10/08/2013   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Frank Bridge,  Frederick Delius,  John Ireland,  Rebecca Clarke  ... 
    Performer:  John Thwaites,  Alexander Baillie
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  • 9.
    Phantasy - Bridge, Martinu, Schumann: Piano Quartets / Maraini Piano Quartet
    Phantasy - Bridge, Martinu, Schumann: Piano Quartets / Maraini Piano Quartet
    Label: Genuin Musikproduction   Catalog: 13259 Release Date: 09/24/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge,  Bohuslav Martinu,  Robert Schumann
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mariani Piano Quartet
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  • 10.
    Piano Quartets: Bridge, Bax, Wilson, Walton
    Piano Quartets: Bridge, Bax, Wilson, Walton
    Label: Nimbus   Catalog: 6230 Release Date: 09/10/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge,  Arnold Bax,  Ian Wilson,  Sir William Walton
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cappa Ensemble
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  • 11.
    Frank Bridge, Cyril Scott: Piano Quintets
    Frank Bridge, Cyril Scott: Piano Quintets
    Label: British Music Society   Catalog: 442 Release Date: 07/09/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge,  Cyril Scott
    Performer:  Raphael Terroni
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  • 12.
    In The Shadow Of War / Steven Isserlis
    In The Shadow Of War / Steven Isserlis
    Label: Bis   Catalog: 1992 Release Date: 02/26/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Ernest Bloch,  Frank Bridge,  Stephen Hough
    Performer:  Steven Isserlis
    Conductor:  Hugh Wolff,  Gábor Takács-Nagy
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin,  Tapiola Sinfonietta
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  • 13.
    The English Cathedral Series, Vol. 17: St. Edmundsbury Cathedral
    The English Cathedral Series, Vol. 17: St. Edmundsbury Cathedral
    Label: Regent   Catalog: 383 Release Date: 01/08/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Charles Villiers Stanford,  Frank Bridge,  Harold Drake,  Herbert Howells  ... 
    Performer:  David Humphreys,  James Thomas
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  • 14.
    Essence Of Christmas / Quintessenz
    Essence Of Christmas / Quintessenz
    Label: Genuin Musikproduction   Catalog: 12253 Release Date: 11/13/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Claude Debussy,  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Quintessenz (Flute Ensemble)
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  • 15.
    The Voice Of Peter Pears
    The Voice Of Peter Pears
    Label: Regis   Catalog: 1393 Release Date: 11/13/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Thomas Ford,  John Dowland,  Thomas Morley,  Philip Rosseter  ... 
    Performer:  Julian Bream,  Peter Pears,  Benjamin Britten
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  • 16.
    Tell Me The Truth About Love
    Tell Me The Truth About Love
    Label: Champs Hill Records   Catalog: 40 Release Date: 10/30/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Benjamin Britten,  Robert Schumann,  Lili Boulanger,  Hugo Wolf  ... 
    Performer:  Amanda Roocroft,  Joseph Middleton
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  • 17.
    Bridge: Orchestral Works - The Collector's Edition
    Bridge: Orchestral Works - The Collector's Edition
    Label: Chandos   Catalog: 10729 Release Date: 07/31/2012   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  Frank Bridge
    Performer:  Howard Shelley,  Alban Gerhardt,  Roderick Williams,  Philip Langridge  ... 
    Conductor:  Richard Hickox
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  • 18.
    English Song
    Label: Heritage   Catalog: 224 Release Date: 07/17/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Thomas Ford,  Philip Rosseter,  John Dowland,  Thomas Morley  ... 
    Performer:  Julian Bream,  Peter Pears,  Benjamin Britten
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  • 19.
    John Mcabe Farewell Recital
    John Mcabe Farewell Recital
    Label: Toccata Classics   Catalog: 139 Release Date: 07/10/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Franz Schubert,  Emily Howard,  John Casken,  Maurice Ravel  ... 
    Performer:  John McCabe
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  • 20.
    Kathleen Ferrier - The Complete Decca Recordings [14 CDs + DVD]
    Kathleen Ferrier - The Complete Decca Recordings [14 CDs + DVD]
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001654200 Release Date: 03/20/2012   Number of Discs: 15
    Composer:  Christoph W. Gluck,  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Franz Schubert,  Franz Xaver Gruber  ... 
    Performer:  Zoe Vlachopoulos,  Ann Ayars,  Kathleen Ferrier,  Thornton Lofthouse  ... 
    Conductor:  Fritz Stiedry,  Reginald Jacques,  Boyd Neel,  Sir John Barbirolli  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Glyndebourne Festival Chorus,  Southern Philharmonic Orchestra,  Bach Choir  ... 
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  • 21.
    Mstislav Rostropovich - The Complete Decca Recordings [5-CDs]
    Mstislav Rostropovich - The Complete Decca Recordings [5-CDs]
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001649502 Release Date: 03/13/2012   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  Franz Schubert,  Frank Bridge,  Claude Debussy,  Robert Schumann  ... 
    Performer:  Mstislav Rostropovich,  Benjamin Britten,  Sviatoslav Richter
    Conductor:  Benjamin Britten
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Chamber Orchestra
    CD: $34.99
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  • 22.
    Bosmans, Bridge: Music For Cello And Piano / Mayke Rademaker, Matthijs Verschoor
    Bosmans, Bridge: Music For Cello And Piano / Mayke Rademaker, Matthijs Verschoor
    Label: Quintone   Catalog: 7002 Release Date: 02/28/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge,  Henriëtte Bosmans
    Performer:  Mayke Rademaker,  Matthijs Verschoor
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  • 23.
    Songs Of War / Simon Keenlyside, Malcolm Martineau
    Songs Of War / Simon Keenlyside, Malcolm Martineau
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 94424 Release Date: 12/06/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  John Ireland,  Arthur Somervell,  Ralph Vaughan Williams,  George Butterworth  ... 
    Performer:  Simon Keenlyside,  Malcolm Martineau
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  • 24.
    Great Cathedral Organs [13-CD Set]
    Great Cathedral Organs [13-CD Set]
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 0852952 Release Date: 11/15/2011   Number of Discs: 13
    Composer:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Louis-Claude Daquin,  Henry Purcell,  Sigfrid Karg-Elert  ... 
    Performer:  Noel Rawsthorne,  Francis Jackson,  Douglas Guest,  Simon Preston  ... 
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  • 25.
    Bridge: Piano Music Vol 3 / Mark Bebbington
    Bridge: Piano Music Vol 3 / Mark Bebbington
    Label: Somm   Catalog: 107 Release Date: 11/08/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frank Bridge
    Performer:  Mark Bebbington
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