The Rio Grande (Lambert)

Constant Lambert, 1926 portrait by Christopher Wood

The Rio Grande is a secular cantata by English composer Constant Lambert. Written in 1927, it is a setting of the poem by Sacheverell Sitwell. The piece achieved instant and long-lasting popularity on its appearance on the concert stage in 1929.[1][2] It is an example of symphonic jazz, not unlike the style of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, although it is very much Lambert's individual conception. It combines jazzy syncopation with lithe Latin American dance rhythms that create an air of haunting nostalgia. The Rio Grande takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes to perform. It was dedicated to Angus Morrison, who played at its first (broadcast) performance.[3]

No other work of Lambert's achieved the level of popularity achieved by The Rio Grande. It is still performed regularly today, at the BBC Proms (including the Last Night) and by choral societies in the UK and abroad.[4]

  1. ^ "Composers at Oxford University Press". Ukcatalogue.oup.com. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Constant Lambert (Composer, Arranger) - Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  3. ^ "The Rio Grande (Lambert) - from CDH55388 - Hyperion Records".
  4. ^ Matthew Rye. 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (2007)