Cyril Smith (pianist)
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| Cyril Smith | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Cyril James Smith |
| Born | August 11, 1909 Middlesbrough, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | August 2, 1974 (aged 64) East Sheen, London, United Kingdom |
| Genre(s) | Romantic, 20th century |
| Occupation(s) | Virtuoso pianist, pedagogue |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 1929–1974 |
Cyril James Smith OBE (born Middlesbrough, England, August 11, 1909; died London, August 2, 1974) [1] was a virtuoso concert pianist of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and piano teacher.
Contents |
[edit] Performing
Cyril Smith studied at the Royal College of Music from 1926 to 1930, winning the Daily Express Piano Contest in 1928 and making his concert début in Birmingham in 1929.[2] Cyril Smith performed as off-screen piano accompanist in several of the 30-line Baird system television broadcasts of 1935.[3][4] It was at the BBC's early television studios that he met his wife-to-be pianist Phyllis Sellick[1][5][6][7]. They married in 1937 and began performing together in 1941[8] making many international tours and recordings as a duo, along with solo recordings. Cyril's work was largely from the Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Schubert, Balakirev, and Albéniz repertoire. Malcolm Arnold, Sir Arthur Bliss, Gordon Jacob and Vaughan Williams also wrote music for the duo.[9][10][11] Among Cyril Smith's many performances[12][13][14][15][16] were appearances at The Barn Theatre,[2] Oxted in the 1930s and at the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts in 1929, 1937, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1953 and 1969.[2][17] On an internal flight at the start of a concert tour of Russia (then the Soviet Union) in 1956 he suffered a thrombosis and stroke which paralyzed his left arm,[2][9][10][11][18][19] however with music arranged by themselves, or written or arranged by composer friends Cyril and Phyllis were able to continue to perform three-handed music concerts as a piano duo.[11] Notable among the works composed for them was Malcolm Arnold's Concerto for Two Pianos (3 hands), opus 104 dedicated to Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick[20] who premiered it at the Proms in 1969 and recorded it in 1970.[21]
[edit] Teaching
Cyril and Phyllis both taught piano at the Royal College of Music[8] - Cyril starting in 1934. Among those who studied piano with Cyril Smith are: Ray Alston,[22] John Barstow,[23][24][25] Clifford Benson,[26][27] Philip R Buttall,[28][29][30][31][32] Maureen Challinor, June Clark,[33][34][35] Patrick Flynn,[36] Joan Havill,[37][38][39] David Helfgott,[40] Peter Hill,[41][42][43][44][45][46] Niel Immelman,[47][48][49][50][51] Rae de Lisle,[52] Barry Morgan,[39] Thalia Myers,[53][54] Siva Oke,[55] Aydin Önaç,[56] Jennifer Pearce,[57] June Pepin,[58] Joan Ryall,[59] Stephen Savage,[60] Kimberly Schmidt,[61] Jo Spanjer,[62] Kathron Sturrock,[63] Sharon Joy Vogan,[64] David Ward,[65] Fanny Waterman,[66] Gillian Weir,[67][68][69][70] Kenneth Weir,[71] Frank Wibaut,[72] and Simon Young.[73] Cyril was Professor of Pianoforte from 1973 until his death from a stroke at his home in East Sheen, London in 1974.[2][74]
[edit] Autobiography
Cyril Smith's autobiography is entitled Duet for Three Hands (Angus & Robertson, 1958).[1][2][75] One of the chapters was written by his wife Phyllis Sellick.
[edit] Honours
Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick were both made Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE in 1971.[6]
[edit] Discography
- Cyril Smith, Phyllis Sellick and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra (conductor Malcolm Sargent), Dutton, (P)1947/48[76]
- Phyllis Sellick, Cyril Smith, Orchestras of the Bournemouth Symphony, Philharmonia, City of Birmingham and the Royal Philharmonic, Arnold: English Dances, HMV Classics[77]
- Cyril Smith, Phyllis Sellick and Solna Brass, including Rhapsody for Piano (3 hands) by Gordon Jacob, Granada[78]
- Cyril Smith & Phyllis Sellick, Piano Duos: Faure Mendessohn Franck Schubert, Nimbus Records, (P)1974 (Cyril's last recording) [79]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Biographies and Autobiographies, Women at the Piano
- ^ a b c d e f Past Performers, The Barn Theatre
- ^ Diana Richardson, Talk: John Logie Baird, University of Strathclyde
- ^ Bruce Norman, Here's Looking at You - The Story of British Television 1908–1939, Royal Television Society
- ^ John Amis, Obituaries: Phyllis Sellick, Guardian Unlimited
- ^ a b Obituaries: Phyllis Sellick, The Daily Telegraph
- ^ Obituaries: Phyllis Sellick, The Independent
- ^ a b Duopianists, Women at the Piano
- ^ a b Adrian Tan, Malcolm Arnold, The Flying Inkpot
- ^ a b Steve Schwartz, Record Review: Malcolm Arnold, Classical Net, 1996]
- ^ a b c Hans Brofeldt, Piano Music for the Left Hand Alone
- ^ Bermuda Festival Programme, September 1952, Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society
- ^ Edward Richards,History of the Chichester Symphony Orchestra, Chichester Symphony Orchestra
- ^ History, Egham & District Music Club
- ^ About Us, Epsom Symphony Orchestra
- ^ Leeds Classical Music, Discovering Leeds
- ^ Rob Wilton, Promenade Concert Prospectuses, Theatricalia
- ^ OZarts Review, 2004
- ^ A Buyer's Guide to Historic Piano Recordings Reissued on Compact Discs, University of Maryland
- ^ The Malcolm Arnold Discography, MusicWeb International
- ^ Sir Malcolm Arnold, Pianos online
- ^ Piano Masterclass by Ray Alston, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Music, 2006
- ^ Profile: John Barstow, Royal College of Music
- ^ Summer School for Pianists
- ^ Lot Music
- ^ Profile: Clifford Benson, Hyperion Records
- ^ Clifford Benson, The Clifford Benson Website, geocities.com
- ^ Biography: Philip R Buttall, Saxtet Publications
- ^ The Lone Ar-ranger!, Thorne Music
- ^ Philip R Buttall, Editions Marc Reift
- ^ Philip R Buttall, Classical Artists Worldwide
- ^ Philip R Buttall - Biography, philiprbuttal.co.uk
- ^ Nick Pepin and June Clark, CDBaby
- ^ Joan Ryall and June Clark in Concert, Charlemagne Music
- ^ Piano Pieces by June Clark, Charlemagne Music
- ^ Patrick Flynn, Conductor, Symphony Silicon Valley
- ^ Profile: Joan Havill, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- ^ Profile: Joan Havill, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- ^ a b Expatriots Biographies: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966
- ^ David Helfgott's biography, Geocities
- ^ Profile: Peter Hill, Music Now
- ^ Profile: Peter Hill, allmusic
- ^ Peter Hill - Biography, The University of Sheffield
- ^ Professor Peter Hill - Biography, The University of Sheffield
- ^ Biography: Peter Hill, electrocd.com
- ^ Annual Peter Gram Swing Lecture and Concert to Feature 'Music of Olivier Messiaen' , Swarthmore
- ^ Fourth International Piano Festival - Niel Immelman, Oxford Philomusica
- ^ Profile: Niel Immelman, Oxford Philomusica
- ^ Piano Masterclass and Recital, Peter Hill, The University of Hull, 2005
- ^ Niel Immelman, Recitals, Jacques Samuels Piano, 2006
- ^ Biography: Niel Immelman - Piano, Meridian Records
- ^ Alumni Newsletter, Guildhall School of Music, 2005
- ^ Thalia Myers - biography, thaliamyers.com
- ^ Thalia Myers biography, ABSRM Publishing
- ^ Bill Newman, Tete-a-Tete, Music and Vision Daily, 2006
- ^ Chandos People: Aydin Önaç Chandos Symphony Orchestra
- ^ Guests: Jennifer Pierce Pianist, Unstructured Light
- ^ Profile: June Pepin, Best Books Online
- ^ Charlemagne music/About us/Joan Ryall and June Clark
- ^ Profile: Stephen Savage - Artist, Move Records
- ^ News Release: Acclaimed Pianist Concludes IHM Chapel Concert Season, 2007, Immaculate Heart of Mary
- ^ Paul Amphlett, A Poetry Kit Interview, Poetry Kit
- ^ Profile: Kathron Sturrock, The Royal College of Music
- ^ Anthony Ritchie, Piano Preludes, Atoll
- ^ David Ward biography, ABRSM Publishing]
- ^ Fanny Waterman biography, Faber Music
- ^ Biography: Gillian Weir, Linn Records
- ^ Kenneth Walton, Key player in the uprising, gillianweir.com
- ^ Biography: Gillian Weir Biography, gillianweir.com
- ^ Kelley Kirk-Swindell, She really captivates the audience, The Daily Reflector
- ^ Kenneth Weir biography, kennethweir.com
- ^ Profile: Frank Wibaut, Teatro Ghione
- ^ Simon Young, Professor of Piano, Trinity College of Music, marcusandrews.com
- ^ Barn Theatre, Oxted - TOPs
- ^ Richard Aldous, Book Review: Tunes of Glory - The Life of Malcolm Sargent, MusicWeb
- ^ Rachmaninov, The Flying Inkpot
- ^ Arnold Orchestral Works, The Flying Inkpot
- ^ Brass on record, 4barsrest.com
- ^ Castle Classics Piano, Castle Classics
[edit] Further reading
- Biography: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online login, Alan Myers Project [1]
- Photographs: York Symphony Orchestra website, National Portrait Gallery and of Phyllis Sellick at R Gross Music and at the York Symphony Orchestra website.
