MS 986

Reference code

MS 986

Title

Felix Aprahamian Peter Warlock collection

Level

Sub-fonds

Administrative / Biographical history

Peter Warlock was the pseudonym used by Philip Arnold Heseltine (1894 -1930), a British music composer, critic, editor and music journalist. He used his real name chiefly for his literary and editorial work, reserving his assumed name for his musical works. Heseltine was educated at Eton College from 1908 to 1911. He was largely self-taught but received encouragement from Colin Taylor (1881-1973), his music master at Eton, who arranged for Heseltine to see Delius in concert, and to whom Heseltine credited a significant influence on his music, the two remaining friends until Heseltine’s early death. His greatest influences were the composers Frederick Delius and Bernard van Dieren.

Known for his songs and for his exemplary editions of Elizabethan music, Heseltine’s songs, which form the largest part of his compositions, are admired for their unity of music and text, melodic qualities, and unique harmonies. They include Lilligay (1923), The Curlew (1924), and Candlelight (1924). Other compositions are the Capriol Suite for strings (1927), Folksong Preludes for piano (1918) and choral works.

In 1920 he founded the musical journal The Sackbut. His books include Frederick Delius (1923) and with C. Gray, Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, Musician and Murderer (1926). He also published monographs on Thomas Whythorne and on the English ayre. He transcribed and edited the compositions of John Dowland, Thomas Ravenscroft, Henry Purcell, and others. Heseltine died in 1930.

The Peter Warlock Society was founded in London in 1963 by Patrick Mills and Gerald Cockshott and is still active today.

Felix Aprahamian was a British music critic, writer, concert organiser and music promoter. He was born in 1914 to Armenian immigrants. At an early age he became interested in music, especially in the organ and largely self-taught, he became a proficient organist. At 17, Aprahamian was appointed assistant secretary of the UK’s Organ Music Society, and its secretary from 1935 to 1970. He was the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s concerts manager from 1940 to 1946. Alongside these roles, for nearly 40 years he worked for United Music Publishers, which was the agent for the most important Parisian music publishing houses. French music was Aprahamian’s greatest passion of all — and it was in his role as a concert organiser and promoter that he would bring many new French works to British audiences starting in the late 1930s, extending through the war years and beyond. He was a lifelong admirer of Frederick Delius and a particular authority on 20th century French music and works for the organ. Aprahamian was an advisor to the Delius Trust from 1961 onwards, and later served as the Delius Society’s vice-president and later president. He was a supporter of young musicians and friend to some of the twentieth century’s most notable musicians. He was also deputy music critic for The Sunday Times from 1948 to 1989; contributed reviews of concerts and recordings to Gramophone magazine, and wrote programme and sleeve notes for performances and recordings.

Aprahamian was also interested in the life and works of Peter Warlock (Philip Arnold Heseltine), and served on the committee of the Peter Warlock Society from the mid-1960s, contributed articles to the Society’s journal, delivered lectures, wrote programme notes and reviews of performances of Warlock music and assisted in the planning of Warlock events. In 1994, on his 80th birthday, Aprahamian was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society. He died in 2005.

Date

1964-2001

Extent & medium

2 boxes

Content description

Papers of Felix Aprahamian, relating to his interest in the life and music of composer and music journalist Peter Warlock (Philip Arnold Heseltine) and as a member of and contributor to the Peter Warlock Society and its publications. There are also a few items representing his interest in Frederick Delius and Elizabeth Poston

Provenance

Books, music and papers relating to Peter Warlock and the Peter Warlock Society, were assembled by Felix Aprahamian at his home in Muswell Hill, North London, during his lifetime. He presented his collection of music and books relating to Peter Warlock to Eton College in 2002. After his death his papers on Peter Warlock and the Peter Warlock Society and some audio-visual material followed, presumably after his death in 2005.

Arrangement

The papers were disordered. The internal order of files created by Felix Aprahamian has mostly been preserved but the files have been arranged in an artificial, roughly chronological order by the archivist.

Associated material

Peter Warlock (Philip Arnold Heseltine) music scores and books on or by Peter Warlock collected by Felix Aprahamian, were also gifted to Eton College Library in 2001 and have been catalogued as separate items at Idd.8. Peter Warlock autograph manuscripts and a letter to Colin Taylor at ECL are at Ie.5.01. Some audio-visual material on Peter Warlock has been added to the collection, possibly via the Peter Warlock Society, after Aprahamian’s death.

Papers relating to a Peter Warlock concert performance at Eton College in 2001 are at ED 467.
Felix Aprahamian donated his vast library of organ music to the Royal College of Organists. On his death, he left his house in Muswell Hill, London to The Arabesque Trust for Blind Pipe Organists. The remainder of his collection of scores and books are stored at the house as a repository of source material for researchers.

Publication note

Nigel Simeone has written a series of books based on materials in Felix Aprahamian’s archives.

Lewis Foreman and Susan Foreman (eds): Felix Aprahamian: Diaries and Selected Writings (2015).