Bax, Arnold

 (1883-1953)

British composer, born in London. Bax was noted for his impressionistic orchestral works and songs based on the writings of modern Irish poets and dramatists.

His compositions include three symphonic poems (written between 1913 and 1919), The Garden of Fand, Tintagel, and November Woods; Symphonic Variations, for piano and orchestra (1917); and the satiric ballet The Truth About the Russian Dancers (1920), based on a play by the British writer Sir James Barrie and staged by the Russian-born impresario Sergey Diaghilev. In the 1920s and 1930s he turned to more traditional formal structures, producing seven symphonies (1923-1939), four piano sonatas and three string quartets.

Bax's style does not place him within the “pastoral” tradition that became dominant in English music during his lifetime; rather, his impressionistic use of harmony and his lush orchestration give his music an affinity with that of French composers such as Ravel. His sources of inspiration in Celtic mythology also set him apart from the mainstream of English music. He was made Master of the King's Music in 1942.