Kathleen Bruckshaw 1877-1921

[giles.enders]

Kathleen Bruckshaw Born 5th January 1877 Notting Hill,  London  -  Died 10th October 1921 Westminster, London.

Daughter of Charles Bruckshaw ^1. Born Catherine Mary Bruckshaw, the third of seven daughters and a son.^2. she married Seymour Nance Darlington in 1904. He was a director of Vickers-Armstrong. At an early age she performed under the name Catherine, later changing this to Kate, and as her career progressed changed again to Kathleen. It would appear from contemporary reviews she was quite a phenomenal pianist.
She studied under Stavenhagen at Weimar and later having established her career as a pianist and composer, with Busoni in Munich.  As a pianist she played with the Berlin Philharmonic and in Munich with the Kain Orchestra.  She also appeared at the London Promenade Concerts at Queen's Hall in 1914.

Orchestral

Piano Concerto in C major in three movements  1913 (performed at the 1914 London Promenade Concerts) ³

Chamber

Piano Quintet
Piano Quartet
Caprice for violin, flute and piano.
Sonata for violin and piano  in C major
Second violin sonata

Piano

Romance No.1
Romance in E flat major No.2  pub. by Reid
Fugue and variations in F minor
'Moods' - set of twelve short pieces
'Wind Over a Moorland Track'
'In Remembrance' (for Edward MacDowell)  1908  pub. by Elkin
Concert study in E minor
Concert study in F sharp minor
Impressions - five nature poems
Polonaise in E minor
'Twilight' reverie
Nocturne in A flat
Nocturne in B minor
Nocturne in F minor
Nocturne in E flat
Two preludes
'A Soliloquy upon Life', eleven characterstic pieces
!. Life's beginning
2. The first trouble
3. Why ?
4. The answer
5. Satisfaction
6. A landscape by moonlight
7. The birth of love
8. It's requital
9. Sorrow
10. Hope
11 Peace

Song

Song cycle Lyrics of the Months  1906
Munition Workers song   for voice and orchestra words by K Bruckshaw 1916  pub. by Reid Bros. Ltd.

³ Abreviated review of the performance of her piano concerto at the London Promenade Concerts  on 10.9.1914
Well known as a pianist of exceptional distinction, she showed that she is capable of serious and creative work as a composer.

¹
Charles Bruckshaw who was a surveyor, composed a few songs plus a quartet for flute, violin, cello and piano.  He also played the flute.
2
Harriet B. 1872
Eleanor Ada 1873-1903
Catherine Mary  1877-1921
Margaret Bertha 1879- ? 
Evelyn Lockley 1880-   became a music teacher
Ethel Ann 1881-
Elsa Wilda 1882-
Charles Richard 1883-1948  solicitor's clerk

[eschiss1]

Also referred to (may have published as?) Mrs. Seymour Darlington.

There's at least one other work: Lyrics of the Months, a song cycle (Words and Airs) to words by G.W.B. "arranged by" Bruckshaw (which in those days could mean arranged or could mean composed and set to music, so far as I know...) published by Weekes possibly around 1906. I may be misunderstanding however and this may be "merely" an arrangement (into which, however, there sometimes can be great work and even art put. Again, don't know...)

I see that her concerto was premiered at the 10 September 1914 Prom concert under Wood's conducting (and mentioned in a 1920 article). I wonder if the orchestra kept the parts.
(She's mentioned in the Life of Nietzsche (by the philosopher's daughter, I think- no, no, his sister...), volume 2, apparently, "I often got first-rate piano-players, such as Dr. Carl Fuchs and Miss Kate Bruckshaw, to play to him")