In Belgium, Jan Blockx (1851–1912) wrote successful operas and chamber music; Paul Gilson (1865) has written orchestral and chamber music works which have won him a foremost place among modern Flemish composers; both César Franck and Guillaume Lekeu were Flemish (Belgian); Joseph Jongen, while not writing in the very modern style, is well known for his symphonic poems, chamber music, a ballet S’Arka (produced at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels), songs, piano pieces and organ works.
Switzerland
Jaques Dalcroze (1865) is better known as the inventor of Eurythmics, a system of music study from the standpoint of rhythm, than as composer, but he has written many charming songs in folk style. Gustave Doret (1866), has written several operas, cantatas, oratorios which have been performed in his native land and in Paris. Hans Huber (1852) has a long list of compositions in all forms. Ernest Bloch, though born in Switzerland is living in America and is by far the greatest innovator of these Swiss writers. Emile Blanchet, is a writer of piano music, rather more poetic than of the very modern style. Arthur Honegger, the foremost young composer of France, though born in Havre, is often claimed as a Swiss composer, because his parents are Swiss. Rudolph Ganz, pianist, composer and conductor in America was born in Switzerland.
England
When we come to Frederick Delius (1863) we meet first with a new feeling in English music. He has written orchestral pieces (Brigg Fair, concertos, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring), chorals (Appalachia, The Song of the High Hills and others), chamber music and songs. He was the first Englishman to write in the impressionistic way. His opera The Village Romeo and Juliet is very modern in form, and the music interprets the story and is not built like the Italian operas.
Delius is of Dutch-French-German stock, but was born in England, and has lived there and in France. He never tried for music posts or prizes but has remained apart to compose. Though his work often sounds like the 18th century virginal music, he is not conscious of it.
He has, in his chorals, done some of the best work since Beethoven, says one biographer, and in them are strength, power and beauty, quite different indeed from the sensuous and sweet smaller works. He is a careful worker, a great idealist, and a truly great musician.
There are many well-trained musicians like Holbrooke and Hurlstone who have done much for music in England but this chapter belongs to those who are carrying on 20th century ideas.
Among them is Vaughan Williams (1872) to whom folk music is as bread to others. He uses it whenever he can. In his London Symphony, his most famous work, he has caught the spirit of the city and it is a milestone of the early 20th century. Isn’t it curious that the most important work written on the poetry of our American Walt Whitman is by an Englishman! This is the Sea Symphony for orchestra and chorus, an impressive work by Vaughan Williams. He has also written Five Mystical Songs, Willow Wood (cantata), On Wenlock Edge (six songs), Norfolk Rhapsodies, In the Fen Country.
Granville Bantock (1868) is a musical liberator for he was the first to free English composers from the old style of Mendelssohn and the new kind of classicism of Brahms, and release them to write as they felt. He wrote music on the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Persian), Sappho, Pierrot of the Minute, Fifine at the Fair, Hebredean (Scotch) Symphony, which shows his love of Scotch music, and many other works. He succeeded Elgar at Birmingham University and has made valuable studies and collections of Folk Music.