ABSTRACT
Music is alive only when some performer interprets it and some listener responds to it. If it is too alien in spirit to evoke and survive that test, its chances of preservation are small, and it will never come to life unless a later and different age happens to find it unexpectedly preserved, and discovers in it a congenial message. The story of our time is therefore the story of what appeals to our time. (George Dyson)2
Dyson and his Works: Biography and Reception History
Throughout his life, George Dyson (1883-1964) enjoyed an unusually ardent bond with the Royal College of Music (RCM). Upon Hugh Allen’s retirement (1937), he became the first alumnus of the institution to assume its chief administrative office, a position he held for fifteen years (1938-52). During his tenure, Dyson led the College to a new level of professional and international exposure by changing “the emphasis from all-round musicianship and general culture to a more intense specialization for professional proficiency,” even though, in view of his pedigree, many thought that he would simply continue the traditional policies.3 In any case, the appointment of Dyson had been approved by Vaughan Williams, the former being no more conformist than the latter and, in fact, very much like him and Parry in other aspects: for example, they shared a profound feeling for tradition, for the English language and literature, and a similar approach to spirituality.4 Earlier (from 1921) and for some years, Dyson taught composition and theoretical subjects at the RCM, emulating the examples of Parry, who viewed art in the widest context of humanity,5 and Stanford, who believed that craftsmanship is the command of an appropriate technique.6 Of course, Dyson’s initial point of contact with the College was as a student (1900-1904), his “most powerful and exacting teacher” being Stanford.7
