William Boyce (1711-1779)
His Eight Symphonies

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[ DISCOGRAPHY OF THE EIGHT SYMPHONIES ]

A small tribute to an underestimated composer

Already as a little child I was enchanted by the symphonies of William Boyce, played by the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jörg Faerber (Turnabout vox, TV 34133s).
Constant Lambert, a musician and author has contributed to the popularity of the eight symphonies by publishing an edition (1928). He adapted the scores for a modern orchestra but omitted some historical features, like the timpani in symphonie no.5.   
In publications on music history in general, the English composer William Boyce is sometimes briefly mentioned among great Baroque composers like Händel and Bach. You can argue about the fact that Boyce is a true Baroque composer or not; he was born 25 years after Bach and Händel. However, in the time Boyce composed his most known works, composers were expected to write in the Baroque style.
His Eight Symphonies are constructed in a relatively simple manner, generally having three movements, one of which might be in the relative minor key. Most of the movements have conservative forms, binary, or occasionally extended binary forms.  
The contents of his Eight Symphonies (published in 1760) were mainly drawn from the instrumental pieces of his odes and theatrical works. Nos. 3 and 5 begin with Italianate sinfonias (with fast-slow-fast movements) and nos. 6, 7 and 8 in French overture style (with a solemn beginning and fast ending).
Although the symphonies were published in 1760, only the first two were recent compositions. The last four were composed between 1735 and 1741.
Symphonies nos.3 and 4, overtures to The Chaplet and The Shepherd's Lottery show many galant touches. 
The symphonies were published by John Walsh under the title: 

Eight Symphonys in Eight Parts. Six for Violins, Hoboys, or German Flutes. and Two for Violins, French Horns, and Trumpets. with a Bass for Violoncello and Harpsicord: Compos'd by D ^r. W ^m. Boyce. Opera Seconda.
 
However, bassoons and double bass, playing the bass part were also required. The bassoon doubling first violins an octave lower is a device usually more associated with Mozart.

Whatever the outcomes of discussions may be, baroque, galant style or pre-classical, the symphonies show engaging and fresh melodies and rythms and contain a number of purely English traits. He didn't forget the choral tradition. Even in the fugues we notice a strong choral underpinning and the old English affection for woodwind color and fanfare music is obvious.

A reason why I mention Boyce in my pages, is his "musicological" work, as we would describe it today. In his Cathedral Music (three volumes) he kept church music of composers like Byrd, Gibbons and Purcell alive.

© 1998-2005 Mike Heemskerk
The Netherlands

Bibliography

J.A.Westrup: 'A minor English master', Listener, xxiv (1940), 105
J.F. Russell: 'The Instrumental Works of William Boyce', MO, lxxii (1949), 635
E. Taylor: 'William Boyce and the Theartre', MR, xiv (1953), 275
C.L. Cudworth: 'The symphonys of Dr. William Boyce', Music, ii (1953), 27
G. Finzi: Preface to William Boyce: Overtures, MB, xiii (1957)
C. Cudworth: 'Boyce and Arne: the Generation of 1710', ML, xli (1960), 136
D. Dawe: 'New Light on William Boyce', MT, cix (1968), 802
H.D. Johnstone: 'The Genesis of Boyce's "Cathedral Music" ', ML, 1vi (1975), 26
G. Beechey: ‘William Boyce, 1711–1779: a Bicentenary Tribute’, MO, cii (1978–9), 429–30, 434 only
N. Kenyon: ‘William Boyce (1711–1779)’, Music and Musicians, xxvii/6 (1978–9), 24–7
I. Bartlett: ‘Boyce and Early English Oratorio’, MT, cxx (1979), 293–7, 385–91 
R.D. McIntosh: The Dramatic Music of William Boyce (diss., U. of Washington, 1979) 
J.R. Goodall: English Through-Composed Solo Song and Chamber Cantata, 1660–c1785 (diss., U. of Oxford, 1979); repr. in Outstanding Dissertations in Music from British Universities (New York and London, 1989) I. Bartlett and R.J. Bruce: ‘William Boyce's “Solomon”’, ML, lxi (1980), 28–49
M. Laurie: ‘The Chapel Royal Part-Books’, Music and Bibliography: Essays in Honour of Alec Hyatt King , ed. O. Neighbour (London, 1980), 28–50 
I. Bartlett: ‘Boyce's Homage to St Cecilia’, MT, cxxiii (1982), 758–61
P.E. Daub: Music at the Court of George II (r. 1727–1760) (diss., Cornell U., 1985)
F.H. Ford: The Court Odes of William Boyce (1711–1779) (diss., SUNY, Buffalo, 1990)
M.E. Atkinson: Orchestral Anthems in Eighteenth-Century England, 1700–1775 (DMA, diss., U. of Illinois, 1991)
E.A. Le Grove: The Anthems and Services of William Boyce (diss., U. of Wales, Bangor, 1991)