Herbert Fryer Explained

Herbert Fryer
Birth Name:George Herbert Fryer
Birth Date:21 May 1877
Birth Place:Hampstead, London, England
Death Place:London, England
Occupation:Pianist, teacher, composer

George Herbert Fryer (21 May 1877 – 7 February 1957) was an English pianist, teacher and composer.

Career

Fryer was born in Hampstead, London in 1877, the only son of three children. His father George Henry Fryer was an insurance broker.[1] He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, then went on for two years study (1893–95) under Oscar Beringer[2] at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM). In 1894, Fryer won the Heathcote Long Prize.[3] This was followed by four years of study (1895–1898) at the Royal College of Music (RCM), under Franklin Taylor.[2] [4]

In 1898, Fryer had some lessons with Ferruccio Busoni in Weimar.[2] He also studied with Tobias Matthay.[5] He made his London debut on 17 November 1898,[2] and then commenced a career as a touring recitalist as well as an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.[5] These tours took him all over Britain and Europe, and also to many parts of Canada, the United States,[6] Australia (including the goldfields of Western Australia),[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] South Africa, the Far East, and India.[2] He was also a competition adjudicator.[4] He was said to have travelled more than any other British pianist. He gave 50 recitals in London alone, said to have been a record.[12] The King of Norway attended his recital in Christiania.[7]

He played at the Proms on six occasions between 1901 and 1918, performing such works as Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Concert Fantasia, and Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2.[13] His knowledge of the Brahms concerto was informed by the fact that his teacher Oscar Beringer had given the British premiere of the work in 1882.[14] [15] From 1922 Fryer was also a frequent broadcaster during the earliest days of radio.[16]

In 1905, he took up a teaching position at the RAM, where he continued until 1914. His first tour of North America came in 1914, and he stayed there for three years, teaching at the Institute of Musical Art in New York (later merged with the Juilliard School).[2] [5] On his return to Britain in 1917, he was appointed Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music, remaining in that post for the next 30 years, until 1947.[2] [4] Fryer's list of pupils was impressive. They included Arthur Bliss, Lance Dossor, Colin Horsley, Constant Lambert, Harold Rutland, Cyril Smith and Kendall Taylor.[17] On retirement, he continued teaching privately above Blüthner's showrooms,[2] and died in London in 1957, aged 79.

Fritz Fryer (1944–2007), lead guitarist of the British pop group The Four Pennies, was his grandson.[18]

Students

Herbert Fryer's students are his greatest legacy:[14]

Recordings

Herbert Fryer made some recordings, both Welte-Mignon piano rolls and 78 rpm acoustic recordings for Vocalion.[2] These include:

Compositions

His compositions are now little known. They include:

He wrote Hints on Pianoforte Practice (New York: G. Schirmer, 1916).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: British composers who were who in 1913. Unsungcomposers.com. 18 November 2017.
  2. Web site: Herbert Fryer (Composer, Arranger) - Short Biography. Bach-cantatas.com. 18 November 2017.
  3. Web site: Royal Academy of Music Prizes - Interesting Artefacts. Unsungcomposers.com. 18 November 2017.
  4. Web site: Some British Instrumentalist Composers by Philip Scowcroft : MusicWeb(UK). Music on the. Web(UK). Musicweb-international.com. 18 November 2017.
  5. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. (London: Macmillan, 1954), vol. 3, p. 510: "Fryer, (George) Herbert".
  6. http://libserv23.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/cgi-bin/princetonperiodicals?a=d&d=Princetonian19160513-01.2.3&e=-------en-20--1--txt-IN-----
  7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93893487?searchTerm=FRYER&searchLimits=
  8. Web site: Herbert Fryer. 29 September 1920. Nla.gov.au. 3. 18 November 2017. Trove.
  9. Web site: Herbert Fryer.. 23 November 1920. Nla.gov.au. 3. 18 November 2017. Trove.
  10. Web site: Herbert Fryer's Pianoforte Recital.. 1 November 1920. Nla.gov.au. 2. 18 November 2017. Trove.
  11. Web site: Herbert Fryer Recital.. 3 November 1920. Nla.gov.au. 6. 18 November 2017. Trove.
  12. Web site: Mr. Herbert Fryer.. 28 October 1920. Nla.gov.au. 6. 18 November 2017. Trove.
  13. Web site: 404 Not Found. BBC Music Events. 18 November 2017.
  14. Web site: Archived copy . 27 January 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120402085514/http://www.wrightmusic.net/pdfs/lost-generation-of-pianists.pdf . 2 April 2012 . dead . dmy-all .
  15. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. (1954), vol. 1, p. 644: "Beringer, Oscar".
  16. https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9efa13f6c4bcf43a08e49d0a7b10f607 Transmission to the Halifax Wireless Society, 21 October 1922, BBC Programme Index
  17. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arthur-Bliss-Illustrated-Lives-Composers/dp/0711965277 Sir Arthur Bliss by John Sugden, Omnibus Press, 1998
  18. Web site: Fritz Fryer - Biography & History - AllMusic. AllMusic. 18 November 2017.
  19. Book: Brissenden, Alan. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Bishop, Lionel Albert Jack (John) (1903–1964) . National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 18 November 2017. Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  20. Web site: The Papers of Alex Burnard. Libguides.newcastle.edu.au. 18 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20130429063118/http://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/content.php?pid=72924&sid=539929. 29 April 2013. dead. dmy-all.
  21. Book: Cummings, David M.. International Who's who in Music and Musicians' Directory: (in the Classical and Light Classical Fields).. 18 November 2017. Psychology Press. 9780948875533. 18 November 2017. Google Books.
  22. Web site: Philip Gammon: Ballet Association meeting report. Balletassociation.co.uk. 18 November 2017. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025320/http://www.balletassociation.co.uk/reports/2005/Gammon05.html. dead.
  23. Web site: Obituary: Colin Horsley, pianist. Charlotte. Smith. 7 August 2012. Gramophone.co.uk. 18 November 2017.
  24. Web site: Leonard Isaacs. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. August 26, 2019.
  25. Web site: John Kuchmy. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. August 26, 2019.
  26. Web site: Constant Lambert- Bio, Albums, Pictures – Naxos Classical Music . 27 January 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120926085638/http://www.naxos.com/person/Constant_Lambert_39495/39495.htm . 26 September 2012 . dead . dmy-all .
  27. Web site: Artist Biography: George Malcolm, Harpsichordist. Baroquemusic.org. 18 November 2017.
  28. Web site: Anthony Milner - Short Biography - Music Sales Classical. Chesternovello.com. 18 November 2017.
  29. Web site: Parkhouse Award - International competition for chamber ensembles of piano with strings. Parkhouseaward.com. 18 November 2017. 1 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031652/http://www.parkhouseaward.com/friends.htm. dead.
  30. Web site: Phyllis Schuldt. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. August 26, 2019.
  31. Web site: Tribute to Glyn Townley. news.artsmart.co.za. 18 November 2017.
  32. Web site: spencersrolls. Spencerserolls.com. 18 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031918/http://www.spencerserolls.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=400403700. 1 December 2017. dead.
  33. Web site: The Virgin's Cradle-Hymn (Fryer, Herbert) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. imslp.org. 18 November 2017.
  34. Web site: CDA67541/2 - Disc 2 Track 8 - Cello Suite No 6 in D major, BWV1012 - Hyperion Records - CDs, MP3 and Lossless downloads. Hyperion-records.co.uk. 18 November 2017.
  35. Web site: Bach-Fryer: Piano Transcriptions of Bach's Works - Works. Bach-cantatas.com. 18 November 2017.
  36. Web site: Herbert Fryer (1877-1957) on Hyperion Records. Hyperion Records. 18 November 2017.
  37. Web site: Georg Solti Accademia. Georgsoltiaccademia.org. 18 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20130301111631/http://www.georgsoltiaccademia.org/repetiteurs-bonynge.php. 1 March 2013. dead. dmy-all.

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