"Down in the Forest" by Landon Ronald

With the beginning of a new semester, a lot of new repertoire is making its way to my music rack these days. Most of it is vocal music, much of which I have either performed or studied. When a student hands me a song I don't know....by a composer with whom I'm unfamiliar.....I become very intrigued and excited to learn more. Such was the case last week when I was first introduced to "Down in the Forest" by Landon Ronald (1873-1938).

Landon Ronald was an English conductor, pianist, and composer. His first professional break came in 1891 when he became accompanist and coach at Covent Garden. Ronald would later make his conducting debut in the same house, conducting the 1896 production of Faust. Shortly thereafter, Ronald would meet the soprano Nellie Melba who was without a pianist and needed to be prepared for the role of Manon. Melba recounts that Ronald spent a sleepless night learning the score (since he was not familiar with the opera) before arriving for rehearsal the next morning. The two worked through the opera as well as many art songs. At the conclusion of their time together, the soprano told Ronald to "Remember that for the future, you are Melba's sole accompanist."  Many years later, in the 1920s, Ronald recommended a career specializing in piano accompanying after hearing a performance by the young pianist, Gerald Moore.

Melba and Moore were not Landon Ronald's only influential friends. He was also a devoted companion of the English composer Edward Elgar and the violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler. Ronald would become a major proponent of Elgar's symphonic music; as a result of his devotion, Elgar dedicated his symphonic poem Falstaff to Ronald. Landon was the requested conductor for many of Kreisler's concerto recordings. 

Conducting opportunities in major houses soon began to dwindle for Ronald (as they did for many of England's conductors in the early 20th century). As a result, Ronald looked to other arenas to make an impact on the English musical tradition. From 1898 to 1902, he conducted musical theater productions in London's West End. Beginning in 1910, Ronald served as principal of the Guildhall School of Music in London; he would remain in this position until his death in 1938.

The compositions of Landon Ronald are diverse, ranging from a symphonic poem and incidental music to a ballet, Britannia's Reign. However, it is his song repertoire that has seen the most success; of these works, "Down in the Forest" is the only piece that remains in the modern repertoire. 

"Down in the Forest" was composed in 1906, the second song of a five poem cycle entitled Cycle of Life. Upon listening to the song, it is clearly reminiscent of the early years of musical theater with its soaring melodic line and undulating accompaniment. Although the harmonic progression is relatively slow, the perpetual movement in the accompaniment helps to propel the song from one verse to the next with the aid of a recurring piano interlude. Ronald's song is a sharp contrast to the other vocal works produced in the early years of the 20th century and a charming example of British song.