Fricker, Peter Racine

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British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000471.0x0003d4

Biography / Administrative Information

One of the most important postwar British composers, Peter Racine Fricker was born in London in 1920 and was educated at London's St. Paul's School. In 1937 he entered the Royal College of Music where he studied theory with Reginald Morris and organ with Sir Ernest Bullock. He also studied at Morley College, where he met Michael Tippett. He left to serve in the Royal Air Force during WWII and after the war he returned to Morley College where he studied with Matyas Seiber until Seiber's death in 1960. In 1952 he succeeded Tippett as director of the college and in 1955 began teaching composition at the Royal College. In 1964 he accepted a one-year appointment to teach composition at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He accepted a full time appointment the following year and in 1970 became chairperson of the music department. He held a joint appointment in the Department of Music and the College of Creative Studies and taught composition, theory (particularly 20th century), and musicianship at UCSB until his retirement in 1989. He was also Composer-in-Residence for the Santa Barbara Symphony. His compositions won many awards, including the Koussevitzky Prize for his First Symphony in 1949. He was awarded the annual Faculty Research Lecturer award by the University in 1980 and was the first professor appointed to the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Chair in Music.

Fricker's works owed much to Bartok, Berg, Hindemith and Schoenberg and though his works are rarely serial, they are often freely atonal. His output was large numbering about 200 works, including seven film scores, five symphonies as well as numerous chamber, choral, and organ works.

He died in Santa Barbara in 1990.

From the guide to the Peter Racine Fricker Papers, 1940s-1990, (University of California, Santa Barbara. Library. Dept. of Special Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf ELISABETH LUTYENS CORRESPONDENCE: letters written to the composer Elisabeth Lutyens; 1922-1973. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent. The writers include Ernest Ansermet, Sir Adrian Boult, Edward J. Dent (partly to Edwin Evans), John Ireland (par..., 1922-1973 British Library
referencedIn Nicolas Slonimsky Collection, 1873-1997, (bulk 1920-1990) Library of Congress. Music Division
creatorOf Vol. IV (ff. 215). A-F.includes:ff. 2-15 John Mervin Addison, composer: Correspondence with E. Chapman of John Mervin Addison: 1950-1959: Partly typewritten copies and signed.ff. 16, 17 Richard Anthony Sayer Arnell, composer: Letters to E. Chapma... British Library
creatorOf MS Mus. 75. CHAGRIN COLLECTION. Vol. lxxiv. 1957, 1960-66.ff. 167.includes:ff. 30, 34 Composers' Guild of Great Britain: Stephen Dodgson, composer: Letters to members of the Composers' Guild of Great Britain from Stephen Dodgson: 1961: Typewritten;..., 1957-1966 British Library
referencedIn Correspondence files: concerts and general; 1951 (ff. 197).includes:f. 1 Emmie M. Tillett, née Bass; of Ibbs and Tillett: Redvers Llewellyn, musician: Alan J. Kirby, OBE; conductor; Secretary, Royal Philharmonic Society: Letter to Alan J. Kirby fro..., 1951 British Library
creatorOf JOHN AMIS CORRESPONDENCE: letters, principally from musicians but with some literary and other figures, to John Amis; 1942-1991, n.d. Correspondents include Sir Michael Tippett (25 letters), Luigi Nono (4), Dmitrii Shostakovich (2) and Dame Edith Sit..., 1942-1991 British Library
creatorOf HUMPHREY SEARLE COLLECTION. Vol. cxviii. Letters from notable writers, arranged alphabetically by correspondent; 1936-1982, n.d. Partly typewritten. Searle removed these letters from the main sequence (now Add. 71839-71840).ff. 195.includes:ff. 1-4 ..., 1936-1982 British Library
creatorOf HUMPHREY SEARLE COLLECTION. Vol. cix. Scripts by other writers.ff. 43. Largest size 330 x 205mm.1. ff. 1-5. Peter Racine Fricker: ‘Music Magazine book review’; 1955.2. ff. 6-9. Richard Gorer: ‘Musical Curiosities’; n.d.3. ff. 10-14. Peter Heyworth: s..., 1954-1955 British Library
referencedIn Cleverdon mss. II, 1926-1988 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf Correspondence files: concerts and general; 1954-57 (ff. 167).includes:f. 1 Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky, composer: Royal Philharmonic Society: Chappell and Co; music publishers: Card relative to the press tickets allocation for the Stravinsky conce..., 1954-1957 British Library
creatorOf CONTEMPORARY MUSIC MANUSCRIPTS. Vol. VI (ff. 23). 1. ff. 1-2v. Brian Ferneyhough: two sketch leaves, from a vocal piece and a work for woodwind; 1983. 210 x 297; 202 x 298mm. 2. ff. 3-5. Peter Racine Fricker: Song 'Above the Dock' for baritone and pi..., 1956-1983 British Library
referencedIn A. (ff. i + 98.) Part 1 (ff. 71v-96). Preceded by notes relating to appointments (ff. 1-17) and programme notes for the following works, in ink:—i. ff. 17v-21. Brahms: Violin concerto in D major, op.77.ii. ff. 22-4. Balakirev: Symphony no.1 in C majo... British Library
creatorOf Peter Racine Fricker Papers, 1940s-1990 University of California, Santa Barbara. Davidson Library. Department of Special Collections.
referencedIn The Moldenhauer Archives at Harvard University: Correspondence, literary manuscripts, sound recordings, and other material, 1873-2001. Houghton Library
creatorOf MS Mus. 1645. Vol. xx. Chamberlain-Lobkowicz.ff. 202. 305 x 230mm.includes:f. 1. Arthur Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister: Harriet Cohen, CBE; pianist: Note from Arthur Neville Chamberlain to Harriet Cohen: 1938: Typewritten, signed.ff. 2-3. Ha... British Library
creatorOf Correspondence concerning RPS composition prizes; 1950-59 (ff. 95). With press cuttings (ff. 83-95).includes:f.11 Malcolm MacDonald, composer and writer on music: Julius Allen Greenway Harrison, composer: Stephen Dodgson, composer: Sir Thomas Henry..., 1950-1959 British Library
creatorOf MS Mus. 1640. Vol. xv. Constantinesco-Ramsay MacDonald.ff. 204. 305 x 230mmincludes:ff. 1-8. Harriet Cohen, CBE; pianist: Grégoire Constantinesco, Romanian Envoy: Letters from Grégoire Constantinesco to Harriet Cohen: 1931, n.d.: Fr.f. 7. Harriet... British Library
creatorOf Fricker, Peter Racine, 1920-1990. Spirit Puck : for clarinet [in] B♭ and percussion : op. 71 / Peter Racine Fricker. Cleveland Institute of Music, Robinson Music Library
creatorOf MS Mus. 77. CHAGRIN COLLECTION. Vol. lxxvi. Composers’ Guild correspondence and European Broadcasting Union material; 1947-71.ff. 254.1. ff. 1-236. Correspondence relating to the Composers’ Guild; 1947, 1949-68, 1970-72.2. ff. 237-54. Lists of member..., 1947-1972 British Library
referencedIn Correspondence files: concerts and general; 1952-53 (ff. 233).includes:f. 1 Sir John Battista Barbirolli, conductor: Royal Philharmonic Society: Emmie M. Tillett, née Bass; of Ibbs and Tillett: Edith Warburton, assistant secretary, Hallé Concert So..., 1952-1953 British Library
creatorOf LETTERS TO EDWARD CLARK. Vol. I (ff. 218). A-K, including letters of:-(a) Alban Berg; 1930-1935. Partly signed. Published in B.L.J., xi, 1985, pp. 46-59. Includes (ff. 47-49b) a letter to Sir Adrian Boult relating to a performance by the B.B.C. Symp..., 1930-1935 British Library
creatorOf Correspondence concerning membership, etc.; 1951-59 (ff. 188).includes:f. 1 Sir William Turner Walton, OM; composer: Alan J. Kirby, OBE; conductor; Secretary, Royal Philharmonic Society: Letter to Sir William Turner Walton from Alan J. Kirby: 1951:..., 1951-1959 British Library
creatorOf Correspondence concerning the Ritson-Smith fund; 1957 (ff. 84).includes:f. 1 Myers Foggin, musician and conductor: George Baker, singer; Hon. Secretary of the Philharmonic Society: Miss Margaret Ritson Smith, daughter of David Ritson Smith: David R..., 1957 British Library
referencedIn The Moldenhauer Archives at Harvard University: Correspondence, literary manuscripts, sound recordings, and other material, 1873-2001. Houghton Library
creatorOf Fricker, Peter Racine, 1920-1990. Peter Racine Fricker papers 1940s-1990. University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB Library
creatorOf MS Mus. 68. CHAGRIN COLLECTION. Vol. lxvii. General correspondence; [1927], 1936, 1939, 1950-61.ff. 182.includes:f. 1 Bircher-Benner Private Clinic; Zürich: Prescription for F. Chagrin: [1927].f. 2 Francis Chagrin, composer: Madame Françoise Rosa..., 1927-1961 British Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Cleverdon, Douglas. person
associatedWith Moldenhauer, Hans, collector. person
correspondedWith Slonimsky, Nicolas, 1894-1995 person
associatedWith University of California, Santa Barbara corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Westminster, Middlesex
Subject
Clarinet and percussion music
Composers
Composers
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1920-09-05

Death 1990-02-01

Male

Bretons

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