Wikipedia

Cyril Smith (pianist)

For other persons with the name Cyril Smith, see Cyril Smith (disambiguation).

Cyril James Smith OBE (11 August 1909 – 2 August 1974)[1] was a virtuoso concert pianist of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and a piano teacher.

Cyril Smith
Cyril (and Phyllis)
Cyril (and Phyllis)
Background information
Birth nameCyril James Smith
Born(1909-08-11)11 August 1909
Middlesbrough, England
Died2 August 1974(1974-08-02) (aged 64)
East Sheen, London, England
GenresRomantic, 20th century
Occupation(s)Virtuoso pianist, pedagogue
InstrumentPiano

Personal life

edit
 
Birthplace

Smith was born at Costa Street, Middlesbrough, England, the son of Charles Smith, a foundry bricklayer, and Eva Harrison, and had an older brother and sister.[2] He married Andrée Antoinette Marie Paty in 1931, but the couple divorced.[2]

In 1937 he married Phyllis Sellick. They had a son, Graham, and a daughter, Clare and remained married until his death.[3] Smith died in 1974 at his home in East Sheen, London, as a result of a stroke.[2][4]

Performing

edit

From 1926 to 1930, Cyril Smith studied with Herbert Fryer (a student of Tobias Matthay and Ferruccio Busoni) at the Royal College of Music, winning medals and prizes[2] including the Daily Express piano contest in 1928 and made his concert début in Birmingham in 1929.[4] He performed as an off-screen piano accompanist in several of the 30-line Baird system television broadcasts of 1935[2][5][6] and joined the BBC when they took over. It was at the BBC's early television studios that he met his future second wife, the pianist Phyllis Sellick.[1][7][8][9]

In 1934, Smith left the BBC to take up an appointment as professor of pianoforte at the Royal College of Music. Smith and Sellick married in 1937, pursuing solo careers. During the Second World War Cyril Smith performed concerts for ENSA but in 1941 he and his wife began performing together as a piano duo at the Proms,[10][11] and made many international concert tours for ENSA and the British Council In 1945, they toured the Far East,[2] where the hazards to contend with included small animals lodged in pianos and out-of-tune instruments.

Smith's work was largely from the Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Schubert, Balakirev, and Albéniz repertoire. Malcolm Arnold, Sir Arthur Bliss, Gordon Jacob and Ralph Vaughan Williams also wrote music for the duo.[12][13][14] Among Cyril Smith's many performances[15] were appearances at The Barn Theatre,[4] Oxted, in the 1930s and at the Proms in 1930, 1937, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1953 and 1969.[4][16]

In 1956, while in the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine at the start of a concert tour of the Soviet Union he experienced thrombosis and had a stroke that paralysed his left arm.[2][4][12][14][17][18][19] However, with music arranged by themselves, or written or arranged by composer friends, Smith and Sellick were able to continue to perform concerts of three-handed music as a piano duo.[14]

Notable among the works composed for them was Malcolm Arnold's Concerto for Two Pianos (3 hands), Op. 104, dedicated to the performers,[20] who premiered it at the Proms in 1969 and recorded it in 1970.[21]

Teaching

edit

Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick both taught piano at the Royal College of Music[10] – Smith was appointed professor of pianoforte in 1934.[2] Among those who studied piano with him are: Ray Alston,[22] John Barstow,[23] Clifford Benson,[24][25] Philip R Buttall,[26] Maureen Challinor,[27] June Clark,[28] Margaret Fingerhut,[29] Patrick Flynn,[30] Joan Havill,[31][32] David Helfgott,[33] Peter Hill,[34] Antony Hopkins,[35] Niel Immelman,[36] Rae de Lisle,[37] Barry Morgan,[32] Thalia Myers,[38][39] Siva Oke,[40] Aydin Önaç,[41] Jennifer Pearce,[42] June Pepin,[43] Joan Ryall,[44] Stephen Savage,[45] Kimberly Schmidt,[46] Jo Spanjer,[47] Kathron Sturrock,[48] Sharon Joy Vogan,[49] David Ward,[50] Fanny Waterman,[51] Gillian Weir,[52] Kenneth Weir,[53] Frank Wibaut,[54] Simon Young,[55] and David Waldmann. In 1973 Cyril Smith was once again appointed professor of pianoforte until his death the next year.

Autobiography

edit
 
plaque

Cyril Smith's autobiography written in the form of a memoir, is entitled Duet for Three Hands (Angus & Robertson, 1958).[1][4][56] One of the chapters was written by his wife Phyllis Sellick.

Honours

edit

Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick were both made Officers of the Order of the British Empire in 1971.[8]

Smith was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1960 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre.[57]

Discography

edit
  • Cyril Smith, Phyllis Sellick and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra (conductor Malcolm Sargent), Dutton, (P)1947/48[58]
  • Phyllis Sellick, Cyril Smith, Orchestras of the Bournemouth Symphony, Philharmonia, City of Birmingham and the Royal Philharmonic, Arnold: English Dances, HMV Classics[12]
  • Cyril Smith, Phyllis Sellick and Solna Brass, including Rhapsody for Piano (3 hands) by Gordon Jacob, Granada[59]
  • Cyril Smith & Phyllis Sellick, Piano Duos: Faure Mendessohn Franck Schubert, Nimbus Records, (P)1974 (Cyril's last recording)[60]
  • Cyril Smith, The Complete Solo Recordings (recorded 1929–52), APR 7313 (3 CDs)

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Eide-Altman, Rose. "Biographies and Autobiographies". Women at the Piano. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Baker, Anne Pimlott. "Cyril Smith". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.
  3. ^ Amis, John (30 May 2007). "Phyllis Sellick: Concert pianist famous in her own right and for a unique duo with her husband". The Guardian.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Past Performers". Barn Theatre. Archived from the original on 5 October 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
  5. ^ Richardson, Diana. "Talk: John Logie Baird". University of Strathclyde. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007.
  6. ^ Norman, Bruce. "Here's Looking at You – The Story of British Television 1908–1939" (PDF). Royal Television Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007.
  7. ^ Amis, John (30 May 2007). "Obituaries: Phyllis Sellick". The Guardian.
  8. ^ a b "Obituaries: Phyllis Sellick". The Daily Telegraph. London. 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008.
  9. ^ "Obituaries: Phyllis Sellick". The Independent. 2 July 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007.
  10. ^ a b Eide-Altman, Rose. "Duopianists". Women at the Piano. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  11. ^ Jean-Pierre Thiollet, 88 notes pour piano solo, « Solo de duo », Neva Editions, 2015, p. 98. ISBN 978-2-3505-5192-0
  12. ^ a b c Tan, Adrian. "Malcolm Arnold". The Flying Inkpot. Archived from the original on 29 April 2007.
  13. ^ Schwartz, Steve (1996). "Record Review: Malcolm Arnold". Classical Net. Archived from the original on 18 August 2006. Retrieved 16 February 2007.
  14. ^ a b c Brofeldt, Hans. "Piano Music for the Left Hand Alone". Archived from the original on 3 February 2007.
  15. ^ "Bermuda Festival Programme". Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society. September 1952. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.; "History". Chichester Symphony Orchestra. 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2010.[dead link‍]; "History". Egham & District Music Club. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007.; "About Us". Epsom Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.; "Leeds Classical Music". Discovering Leeds. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  16. ^ Wilton, Rob. "Promenade Concert Prospectuses". Theatricalia. Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  17. ^ "CD Review: Malcolm Arnold". ClassicalNet. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ Cohn, Neville (2004). "Triumph over adversity". OZarts Review. Archived from the original on 11 December 2006.
  19. ^ "A Buyer's Guide to Historic Piano Recordings Reissued on Compact Discs". University of Maryland. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  20. ^ "The Malcolm Arnold Discography". MusicWeb International. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007.
  21. ^ "Sir Malcolm Arnold". Pianos online. Archived from the original on 4 February 2007.
  22. ^ "Piano Masterclass by Ray Alston" (PDF). The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Music, 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  23. ^ "Profile: John Barstow". Royal College of Music. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011.; "Summer School for Pianists". pianosummerschool.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009.; "Lot Music". pianolotmusic.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011.
  24. ^ "Profile: Clifford Benson". Hyperion Records. Archived from the original on 29 April 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  25. ^ "Clifford Benson". The Clifford Benson Website, geocities.com. October 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009.
  26. ^ "Biography: Philip R Buttall". Saxtet Publications. Archived from the original on 7 February 2007.; "The Lone Ar-ranger!". Thornes Music. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007.; Reift, Marc. "Philip R Buttall" (PDF). Editions. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.; "Philip R Buttall". Classical Artists Worldwide. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.; "Philip R Buttall – Biography". philiprbuttal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007.
  27. ^ Thorpe, Alan. "Reminiscences of Barbirolli & Hallé Concerts 1958-1965". [pages from The Journal. Archived from the original on 24 September 2006.
  28. ^ "Nick Pepin and June Clark". CDBaby. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.; "Joan Ryall and June Clark in Concert". Charlemagne Music. Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.; "Piano Pieces by June Clark". Charlemagne Music. Archived from the original on 4 April 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  29. ^ "Biography". Margaret Fingerhut. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  30. ^ "Patrick Flynn, Conductor". Symphony Silicon Valley. Archived from the original on 15 May 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  31. ^ "Profile: Joan Havill". Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.; "Profile: Joan Havill". Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  32. ^ a b "Expatriates – Biographies". The Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966. Archived from the original on 19 May 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  33. ^ "David Helfgott's biography". Geocities. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009.
  34. ^ "Profile: Peter Hill". Music Now. Archived from the original on 23 April 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.; Joseph Stephenson. Peter Hill at AllMusic; "Peter Hill – Biography". The University of Sheffield. Archived from the original on 27 November 2006.; "Professor Peter Hill – Biography". The University of Sheffield. 3 July 2007. Archived from the original on 14 March 2007.; "Biography: Peter Hill". electrocd.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.; "Annual Peter Gram Swing Lecture and Concert to Feature 'Music of Olivier Messiaen'". Swarthmore. Archived from the original on 19 April 2007.
  35. ^ Haddon, Elizabeth. Making Music in Britain. Ashgate, 2006. p. 90
  36. ^ "Fourth International Piano Festival – Niel Immelman". Oxford Philomusica. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.; "Profile: Niel Immelman". Oxford Philomusica. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.; "Niel Immelman Recitals". Jacques Samuels Piano. 2006. Archived from the original on 13 April 2007.; "Biography: Niel Immelman – Piano". Meridian Records. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  37. ^ "The Guildhall School Alumni Newsletter" (PDF). The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  38. ^ "Thalia Myers – biography". thaliamyers.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  39. ^ "Thalia Myers biography". ABSRM Publishing. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007.
  40. ^ Newman, Bill (11 March 2006). "Tete-a-Tete". Music and Vision Daily. Archived from the original on 22 June 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  41. ^ "Chandos People: Aydin Önaç". Chandos Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007.
  42. ^ "Guests: Jennifer Pierce Pianist". Unstructured Light. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013.
  43. ^ "Profile: June Pepin". Best Books Online. Archived from the original on 4 February 2007.
  44. ^ Clark, June. "Joan Ryall and June Clark in Concert". Charlemagne music. Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  45. ^ "Profile: Stephen Savage – Artist". Move Records. Archived from the original on 14 September 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  46. ^ "News Release: Acclaimed Pianist Concludes IHM Chapel Concert Season". Immaculate Heart of Mary. 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007.
  47. ^ Amphlett, Paul. "A Poetry Kit Interview". Poetry Kit. Archived from the original on 4 May 2007.
  48. ^ "Profile: Kathron Sturrock". The Royal College of Music. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
  49. ^ Ritchie, Anthony. "Piano Preludes". Atoll. Archived from the original on 21 May 2007.
  50. ^ "David Ward biography". ABRSM Publishing. Archived from the original on 4 August 2007.
  51. ^ "Fanny Waterman biography". Faber Music. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  52. ^ "Biography: Gillian Weir". Linn Records. Archived from the original on 10 May 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.; Walton, Kenneth. "Key player in the uprising". gillianweir.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.; "Biography: Gillian Weir Biography". gillianweir.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2007.; Kirk-Swindell, Kelley. "She really captivates the audience". The Daily Reflector. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008.
  53. ^ "Kenneth Weir biography". kennethweir.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011.
  54. ^ "Profile: Frank Wibaut". Teatro Ghione. Archived from the original on 4 May 2003.
  55. ^ "Simon Young, Professor of Piano, Trinity College of Music". marcusandrews.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008.
  56. ^ Aldous, Richard. "Book Review: Tunes of Glory – The Life of Malcolm Sargent". MusicWeb. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007.
  57. ^ J., W. (15 November 1960). "'Last Night's TV'". Aberdeen Evening Express. p. 2.
  58. ^ Yungkans, Jonathan. "Rachmaninov". The Flying Inkpot. Archived from the original on 8 December 2007.
  59. ^ Mutum, Tim. "Brass on record". 4barsrest.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
  60. ^ "Castle Classics Piano". Castle Classics. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007.

Further reading

edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Cyril_Smith_(pianist)&oldid=1257538713"