Adam Carse

Adam Von Ahnen Carse (19 May 1878 – 2 November 1958) was an English composer, academic, music writer and editor, best known for his music for strings and piano, often suitable for student orchestras and beginners, as well as for his studies on the history of instruments and the orchestra. His collection of around 350 antique wind instruments in now in the Horniman Museum.[1]

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Carse was educated in Hanover and was a Macfarren scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, London where he studied composition with Frederick Corder. He received the 1902 medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, handed to the best student of the academy.[2] He later taught music at Winchester College (1909–22), then returning to the Academy as Professor of Harmony and Counterpoint until 1940.[3] In later life Carse concentrated on writing and editing. His books include Musical Wind Instruments (1939), The Orchestra in the 18th Century (1940) and The Orchestra from Beethoven to Berlioz (1948). (An earlier book, The History of Orchestration (1925), was reissued in a Dover Books edition in 1964 and 2012).[4] He also specialised in editing early classical symphonies by composers such as Carl Friedrich Abel, Thomas Arne, J C Bach, Gossec and Stamitz.[5] In February 1945 his son, Edward Adam Carse, was killed in action.[6]

Composition

While Carse is perhaps best known for his study of the history of instruments and the orchestra, much of the material he wrote and arranged for school orchestras, young string players and pianists is still in use today. His many works for strings included the Two Sketches of 1924, which were performed at the Proms on 4 September 1924,[7][8] and the five movement Winton Suite of 1933, showing the influence of eighteenth century dance suites.[9] The seven Variations for Strings were composed in 1953 and broadcast by the BBC on 10 May 1954.[10] Among his educational piano works is the short Miniature Scherzo, which was chosen as one of ten test pieces for the Daily Express national piano playing competition in 1928, and recorded as a demonstration by William Murdoch.[11]

Early orchestral works included a prelude to Byron's Manfred[12] and two symphonic poems: The Death of Tintagiles (1902) and In a Balcony, (after Browning) the latter performed at the Proms on 26 August 1905.[13] He wrote five symphonies,[14] the second, in G minor, premiered by the orchestra of the Royal College of Music in London in November 1908 with the composer conducting,[15] and the third (in F major, composed in 1927) was performed by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra on 20 April 1932 and broadcast from the Bournemouth Pavilion by the BBC.[16] Carse also wrote chamber music, including a Violin Sonata published in 1921[17] and the Miniature String Quartet in A minor, published in 1934.[18] For his compositions Carse occasionally used the name William Kent as an alias, and sometimes Adam Ahn-Carse.[19]

Carse died in 1958 at his home - Winton, Martin's End Lane, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire - aged eighty.[20][21]

Donation to the Horniman

In 1947 he donated his collection of 350 wind instruments to the Horniman Museum in South London in memory of his son Edward Adam (Peter) Carse, and there is a plaque commemorating his gift in the Horniman Music Gallery.[22] He dedicated his Fifth Symphony, written in June 1945, to the memory of his son.[23]

Alongside the donated instruments is the personal library of Adam Carse, containing research papers, manuscript notes, copies of lectures, correspondence, makers catalogues, sales lists and concert programmes.[24]

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References
  1. Grove Music Online
  2. "The Worshipful Academy of Music". The Times (36911). London. 29 October 1902. p. 8.
  3. Lane, Philip. Notes to English String Miniatures Volume 4, Naxos 5070 (2002)
  4. Google Books
  5. Grove Music Online
  6. Sherborne School Book of Remembrance
  7. BBC Proms archive
  8. English String Miniatures Volume 4, Naxos 5070 (2002)
  9. English String Miniatures, Volume 6, Naxos 7753 (2006)
  10. Radio Times Issue 1591, 7 May 1954, p 16
  11. MusicWeb International
  12. bach-cantatas.com
  13. BBC Proms archive
  14. Unsung Composers forum
  15. "The Musical Times". London: Novello. 1 December 1908. Retrieved 28 June 2012. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. Radio Times, Issue 446, 17 April 1932, p 39
  17. Violin Sonata, published Augener 1921, IMSLP
  18. Google Books
  19. Catalog of Copyright Entries, Musical Compositions, Part 3 Library of Congress, 1944
  20. Obituary, Musical Times No 1390, December 1958, p 677
  21. Halfpenny, Eric. "Adam Carse, 1878-1958", in The Galpin Society Journal, Vol. 12 (May, 1959), pp. 6-7
  22. "Forest Hill, Horniman Museum Music Gallery - Lewisham War Memorials". lewishamwarmemorials.wikidot.com. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  23. "Carse, Edward Adam MBE - Lewisham War Memorials". lewishamwarmemorials.wikidot.com. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  24. Gardens, The Horniman Museum and. "Archives - Collections - Horniman Museum and Gardens". www.horniman.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
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