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Frederick Riddle

{{Short description|British violist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Frederick Craig Riddle OBE (20 April 1912{{spaced ndash}}5 February 1995) was a British violist. He was considered to be in the line from Lionel Tertis and William Primrose, through to the violists of today such as Lawrence Power.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/feature/world-music/six-best-viola-players |title=BBC Music Magazine |access-date=2010-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516164238/http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/feature/world-music/six-best-viola-players |archive-date=2010-05-16 |url-status=dead }}

Early life and career

Frederick Riddle was born in Liverpool in 1912. He studied at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London from 1928 to 1933. He had a solo career while playing with the London Symphony Orchestra from 1933 to 1938. In 1938, was appointed principal viola with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a professor of the RCM from 1948 onwards. In 1953, he succeeded Harry Danks as principal violist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/frederick-riddle-1574804.html|work= The Independent|date= 25 February 1995|title=Obituary: Frederick Riddle|author=Alan Denson}}

Riddle was distinguished as a chamber music player and a concerto soloist. He made the first recording of William Walton's Viola Concerto, on 6 December 1937,{{Cite web |url=http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?name_id1=21830&name_role1=2&bcorder=2 |title=ArkivMusik |access-date=21 May 2010 |archive-date=8 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608145900/http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?name_id1=21830&name_role1=2&bcorder=2 |url-status=dead }} with the composer conducting.[http://www.answers.com/topic/frederick-riddle Answers.com] He was recommended for this recording by Lionel Tertis. He made some revisions to the concerto, with Walton's approval.[http://www.williamwalton.net/works/orchestral/viola_concerto.html williamwalton.net] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616090503/http://www.williamwalton.net/works/orchestral/viola_concerto.html |date=2010-06-16 }} Although Walton conducted the work many times with leading soloists such as Tertis and William Primrose, the interpretation he liked above all others was Riddle's.[http://www.jamesdunham.com/Images/DunhamWaltonArticle.pdf The Walton Viola Concerto: A Synthesis] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713074829/http://www.jamesdunham.com/Images/DunhamWaltonArticle.pdf |date=2011-07-13 }} He also performed the work in concert under Beecham.

Personal life and death

Riddle was married twice, and had three daughters. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1980. His first wife was soprano, conductor, and voice teacher Audrey Langford.{{cite news|title=Obituary: Audrey Langford|author=Elizabeth Forbes|date=30 August 1994|work=The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-audrey-langford-1386803.html}} In 1946, he married soprano singer Helen Clare.{{cite web |title=Helen Clare, singer – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2018/09/25/helen-clare-singer-obituary/ |website=The Telegraph |access-date=21 March 2021 |date=25 September 2018}}

He died in Newport on the Isle of Wight in 1995, aged 82. He was survived by Clare, his second wife, who died in 2018, at the age of 101.

Premieres

Works that Frederick Riddle premiered included:

  • Malcolm Arnold's Viola Sonata, in the 1940s.{{Cite web |url=http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.572208&catNum=572208&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English |title=Naxos |access-date=21 May 2010 |archive-date=11 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011091841/http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.572208&catNum=572208&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English |url-status=dead }}
  • Arthur Benjamin's Viola Concerto, in 1949, with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli.{{cite news |date=1 July 1949 |title= British Music – Concerts by the Hallé Orchestra – Cheltenham Festival |work=The Scotsman |page=4 }}
  • Elizabeth Lutyens's Viola Concerto, Op.15, in 1950 at the Promenade Concerts, with the BBCSO and John Hollingsworth conducting.{{cite news |date=14 Sep 1950 |title=The World of Music |work= The Stage |page=12}}
  • Giorgio Federico Ghedini's Viola Concerto, in 1953, with Beecham conducting.
  • Justin Connolly's Anima for viola and orchestra, in 1975, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Charles Groves{{cite news |date=1 March 1975 |title=Royal Philharmonic Orchestra |work= Illustrated London News |page=12}}
  • Howard Blake's Prelude for Solo Viola, Op. 402, in 1980[http://www.howardblake.com/music/Chamber-Music/Various/636/PRELUDE-FOR-SOLO-VIOLA.htm howardblake.com]

Appearances and recordings

He appeared in such works as:

Sources

  • Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed, 1954, Vol. VII, p. 160
  • [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/Jun06/scherchen_TAH413416.htm Music Web International]

References

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Category:1912 births

Category:1995 deaths

Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Music

Category:British classical violists

Category:Musicians from Liverpool

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:London Symphony Orchestra players

Category:Players of the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Category:Players of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Category:20th-century British classical musicians

Category:20th-century British musicians