Cooke, Arnold (Atkinson)
Cooke, Arnold (Atkinson)
Cooke, Arnold (Atkinson) , English composer and pedagogue; b. Gomersal, Yorkshire, Nov. 4, 1906. He studied with Dent at Caius Coll., Cambridge (B.A., 1928; B.Mus., 1929), returning there to take his D.Mus. in 1948; he also studied with Hindemith at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1929–32). He served as prof. of harmony, counterpoint, and composition at the Royal Manchester Coll. of Music (1933–38), and later at Trinity Coll. of Music in London (1947–77); in 1953 he also was chairman of the Composers Guild of Great Britain. His works are composed in an agreeable tonal idiom.
Works
DRAMATIC Opera : Mary Barton (1949–52); The Invisible Duke (1975). B a l l e t : Jabez and the Devil (1962). ORCH.: Concert Overture No. 1 (1934) and No. 2, The Processional (1946); Piano Concerto (1939–10); 6 syms. (1946–47-, 1963; 1967; 1974; 1978–79, London, July 17, 1981; 1983–84); Concerto for Strings (1948); Concerto for Oboe and Strings (1954); Sinfonietta for Chamber Orch. (1954); Concerto for Clarinet and Strings (1955); Concerto for Recorder or Flute and Strings (1956); Violin Concerto (1958); Concerto for Small Orch. (1966); Variations on a Theme of Dufay (1966); York Suite (1972); Cello Concerto (1972–73); Repton Fantasia (1984); Concerto for Orchestra (1986). CHAMBER : Cello Sonata (1925–26); 2 numbered cello sonatas (1941; 1979–80); String Quartet (1927–28); 5 numbered string quartets (1933,1947,1967,1976,1978); Quintet for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Cello (1932); Quartet for Flute and String Trio (1936); Viola Sonata (1936–37); 2 violin sonatas (1939, 1951); Piano Trio (1944); Quartet for Oboe and String Trio (1948); Piano Quartet (1949); String Trio (1950); Quintet for Horn, Violin, 2 Violas, and Piano (1955); 3 oboe sonatas (1957,1959,1962); Clarinet Sonata (1959); Wind Quintet (1961); Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (1962); Quartet for Flute, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1964); Quartet-Sonata for Recorder, Violin, Cello, and Harpsichord (1964); Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1965); Quintet for Piano and String Quartet (1969); Harmonica Sonata (1970); Septet for 7 Clarinets (1971); Quartet for 4 Clarinets (1977); Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1984); Alto Flute Sonata (1985); Bassoon Sonata (1987); Sonata for Flute and Harp (1988); also piano and organ music. VOCAL: Cantatas: Holderneth (1933–34) and Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day (1964); anthems; choruses; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire