Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953)

Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO was born in London in 8th November 1883, to prosperous upper-middle-class parents. He was first taught music at home where he excelled at the piano. The operas of Wagner were among his favourite pieces. He went on to study at the Hampstead Conservatory and The Royal Academy of Music.

Bax discovered an affinity with the Irish poet W. B. Yeats. Celtic verse and settings provided a rich source of inspiration for the composer’s works, in his youth he travelled in Russia, but above all developed a deep love for Ireland, which Bax travelled extensively, discovering the landscape, seeking out the hidden places and making friends and its fascinating people. Bax’s Tone Poems in particular reflect the themes and moods of the Irish Literary Revival. But Ireland wasn’t Bax’s only source of inspiration. He was also drawn to Nordic literature, particularly the works of Bjornstjerne Bjornson.

Bax married and settled in Ireland. As well as composing, he wrote and published novels under the pseudonym Dermot O’Byrne. World War I saw Bax return to England where he continued to compose. His best known Tone Poem Tintagel was written in 1919. The culmination of inspiration from Wagner, the Celtic legend Tristram and Iseult, and Bax’s controversial relationship with pianist Harriet Cohen. This period of public and personal conflict was followed by a rise in demand for music and Bax’s works were soon being widely performed. Morar in the Scottish Highlands was now the place where Bax would withdraw during winters to complete his compositions. Here his interest in Nordic themes was rekindled and he drew inspiration from the works of Sibelius.

Bax received a knighthood in 1937 and was appointed Master of the King’s Musick in 1942. Both honours were not without contention due to Bax’s ‘Irishness’. As musical fashions changed in England, Bax’s works still found audiences in Ireland where the Irish Radio Orchestra were performing, conducted by Aloys Fleischmann. Bax worked with the University colleges of Cork and Dublin, and was awarded an honorary degree in 1947. He was also appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.