JACK BRYMER

'John (Jack) Alexander Brymer' OBE (27 January, 1915 – 15 September, 2003), born in South Shields, was a British clarinetist. In 1947 he followed Reginald Kell as principal clarinetist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He was invited to this post, which he held until 1963, by Sir Thomas Beecham, with some encouragement from one of his friends, the horn player Dennis Brain. Brymer, Gwydion Brooke (bassoon), Gerald Jackson (flute) and Terence MacDonagh (oboe) became known as ‘The Royal Family’ of wind players, and were widely regarded as the one section of the RPO that outshone the competition from Walter Legge’s Philharmonia.
When he left the RPO, he spent periods as principal in the BBC Symphony Orchestra (1963-1972) and the London Symphony Orchestra (1972-1986).
Brymer made a number of commercial recordings, including three of Mozart's clarinet concerto. He founded and led the London Wind Soloists with whom he recorded the complete set of Mozart's music for wind bands. He also made some recordings on other instruments, such as the saxophone.
He played many concertos and solo pieces with orchestra, including the concertos by Weber and Gerald Finzi (which he never recorded commercially), and also chamber music including the quintets by Mozart and Brahms, though he did not make recordings of all his repertoire. Some recordings may exist of broadcast performances which were not issued on commercial labels. He also played in many different ensembles, and recorded music by Graham Fitkin with the John Harle Band, as well as on the Beatles track ''A Day in the Life''.
A significant feature of his style of playing was his use of vibrato, and he is considered to be one of the first woodwind players to use this systematically.
Brymer taught music worldwide and was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Military School of Music. He received an OBE in 1960.
Alan Paul and Guy Woolfenden both wrote concertos for him, and Armstrong Gibbs wrote a clarinet quintet.
He wrote several books, including ''From where I sit'' (1979), and ''In the orchestra'', (1987). He was also well known for a long while as a presenter of radio programmes.
He was president of the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain.

Contents

Discography

External links

Discography

★ Brahms, ''Clarinet Quintet''

★ Coates, ''Saxo Rhapsody''

★ Debussy, ''Première Rhapsody'', L. 116

★ Mozart, ''Clarinet Concerto'' (with Beecham, Colin Davis, Neville Marriner)

★ Mozart, ''Clarinet Quintet'' (with the Allegri Quartet)

★ Mozart, ''Kegelstatt Trio''

★ Mozart, Complete Wind Music (music for wind bands), with the London Wind Soloists

★ Weber, ''E flat concertino'', Op. 26

★ Weber, ''Concerto in E minor'', Op. 86 [?]
'Pamela Harrison Clarinet Sonata', Winifred Brockbank (pf)
Private EMI recording date not known?
''An Introduction to the Clarinet'' with narration partly by
Jack Brymer and including excepts from the Quintets by
'Mozart (Larghetto and Trio II)' and 'Weber
(Scherzo and Finale),' Prometheus Quartet, and a jazz
Improvisations with piano, bass and drums.
Boosey and Hawkes LYN 1337 7" 45 rpm (date not known).
1951 'Sir Granville Bantock Fifine at the Fair' (clarinet cadenza played
by Jack Brymer) The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Beecham
SPs: HMV DB 21145/8 (1/51) and LPs: BLP 1016 (10") (6/1953), SXLP
30440/4TC-SXLP 30440 (10/80)
1952 'Wolfgang Mozart Serenades 11 and 12, K 375 and 388,'
The London Baroque, Ensemble
★ /Haas, with Basil Tchaikov.
[ No 11 only on SPs: PR 20610/2 (4/52)
and LPs: PMB 1002 10" (10/52)]. No 12 only on LP XLP 30016.
Nos 11 & 12 on Pye CCL 30119 (2/1959), GSGC 7056, 4ZCGC 7056, (1/1967)
(
★ Some recordings by the London Baroque Ensemble such as the
'Dvorak Serenade Op 44' on SPs:Odeon OD 1009, PR 20604/6 (2/52)
AmD DL 7533 and LPs PMB 1001 (10/52)
'Wolfgang Mozart Serenade No 12 K 388', London Baroque Ensemble/Haas.
Parlophone-Odeon PMA 1013 (6/54)
1956 'Igor Stravinsky The Soldier's Tale' ALP 1377 (9/56), HQM 1008 (1965)
1957 'Belá Bartók Contrasts', Frederick Grinke (vn), Wilfred Parry (pf)
Argo RG 89 (1/1957)
'Franz Schubert Der Hirt auf dem Felsen' D965 Helga Mott/Erik Werba
Delyse EC 3138 (1/1957)
1957 'Ludwig Beethoven Eleven Waltzes Nos 1-2-3' for 2vn db 2fl 2cl hn
with Stephen Waters Pye CEC 32027
1958 'Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for two clarinets and two oboes P 74',
JB and Stephen Waters, The London Baroque Ensemble/Karl Haas
Pye CCL 30131 (2/1958) CSCL 70003 (7/58, 1/60)
1959 'Alan Rawsthorne Poco Lento from the Quartet,'
Emanuel Hurwitz (vn) Watson Forbes (va) Vivian Joseph (vc)
EMI HLP 27 (4/1959)
'Ludwig van Beethoven Octet Op 103, Rondino WoO 25, Sextet Op71, Three
Marches', The London Baroque Ensemble/Haas
Pye CCL 30133 (9/1959), GSGC 14038
1960 'Wolfgang Mozart Clarinet Concerto K 622', The Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra/Sir Thomas Beecham,(first recording)
EMI ALP 1769, ASD 344 (7/1960), SXLP 30246, 4TC-SXLP 30246 (9/77)
1960 The Instruments of the Orchestra/Sargant Decca Eclipse ECS 2102
Extracts from 'Weber Concerto No 1',
Bass: 'Scene from Götterdemerung', Eb: 'Til Eulenspiegel'
1961 The Instruments of the Orchestra/Menuhin OUP ISBN 0 1932 132524
(4 x 7" at 33 1/3rpm) compass and orchestral excepts
1963-4 ' Wolfgang Mozart Complete Wind Music', London Wind Soloists,
Decca SDDL 405-9 (10/1963) and separately:
Serenade K 361 LXT and SXL 6049 (11/63),
Serenade K 375, Divertimento K 166 LXT and SXL 6050 (9/63)
Serenade K 388, Divertimento K 186 LXT and SXL 6051 (10/63)
Divertimento K 196e, Adagio K 410 LXT and SXL 6052 (1/64)
Divertimento K 196f, Adagio K 411 LXT and SXL 6053 (2/64)
1964 ' "Gypsy Campfires"', Primas Stephan and his Royal Tziganes,
(Steven Staryk and members of the PRO).
A variety of gipsy music including 'Kuroz Variations'
for solo clarinet. World Record Club T 339 (c.1964)
1965 'Ludwig van Beethoven Sextet Op 81b, Octet Op 103, Rondino WoO 25,'
Jack Brymer/London Wind Soloists
SXL 6170 (6/65) SDD 383 (4/74), Contour CC 7604
' Wolfgang Mozart Clarinet Concerto K 622,'
London Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis,(second recording)
Philips SAL 3535/835 279 LY (12/1965)
1966 'Wolfgang Mozart Quintet K 452',
'Ludwig van Beethoven Quintet Op 16', Ashkenazy/London Wind Soloists
SXL 6252 (11/66)
1968 'Johannes Brahms Quintet Op 115', Prometheus Quartet
Pye Collector GSGC 15004, GSGC 2015, 4ZCGC 2015 (4/68) TPLS 13004
(8/1975)
'Johann Christian Bach Six Symphonies' for wind instruments,
London Wind Soloists LXT and SXL 6337 (5/68), SDD424 (8/74)
'Frantisek Vincenc Kramár Concerto Op 36
Carl Maria von Weber Concertino Op 26
Heinrich Bärmann Adagio for Quintet Op 23
Claude-Achille Debussy Première Rhapsodie'
Vienna State Opera Orchestra/Felix Prohaska
Vanguard VSL 11006 (7/1968)
1969 'Heinrich Bärmann Adagio,'
The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner
Argo ZRG 604 (9/1969)
'Eric Coates Saxo-Rhapsody (1937),'
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Charles Groves.
Studio Two TWO 226 (1969) Classics for Pleasure CFPD 41 4456 3 (2LPs)
The Last Night of the Proms/BBCSO/Colin Davis
' Charles Wood Fantasia on British Sea Songs' Philips SFM 23033
'David Fanshaw Flambards' (music for a television serial
(cl and alto sax) Ph 9109 226
Sir Thomas Beecham Bart CH a tribute of the centenary of his
birth BBC Artium REGL 350
Orchestral excerpts and in conversation with John Amis
1971 'Wolfgang Mozart Quintet K 581 and Trio K498',
Allegri Quartet, Patrick Ireland (va) Stephen Bishop (pf)
Philips 6500 073 (2/1971), 4731 573 (5/1982), 6747 383, 6570 573
'Franz Schubert Der Hirt dem Felsen', Margaret Price/James Lockhart
EMI Music for Pleasure CFP 166 (8/1971)
'Wolfgang Mozart Figaro' arrd by Johann Wendt London Wind Soloists
SDD 280 (11/71)
1972 'Sir William Walton Façade',
Members of The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields
EMI ASD 2786 Angel S 36837 (5/1972)
1973 'Wolfgang Mozart Allegro in B flat K Anhang 91 515c)'.
Quintet fragment completed by Robert D Levin
'Carl Maria von Weber Fantasia and Rondo from the Quintet Op34',
The Fidelio Quartet
'Robert Schumann Fantasiestücke Op73/1'.
'Felix Mendelssohn Konzertstück No2 Op 114', cl, bst hn & pf.
'Camille Saint-Saëns Allegro Animato, Clarinet Sonata Op 167
Josef Holbrooke Canzonet fron the Clarinet Quintet Op27
Bertold Hummel Suite for solo clarinet
Frederic Curzon Clarinetta con moto
Malcolm Arnold Sonatina
Alec Templeton Menuetto from the Pocket-sized Sonata No2
Francis Poulenc Allegretto, Clarinet Sonata,'
David Lloyd (pf) Discourses ABK 16 (1973)
'Elie Siegmeister Clarinet Concerto,'
LSO/Elie Siegmeister Turnabout TV-S 34640 (1973)
Wolfgang Mozart Sinfonia Concertante K297b,
The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Field/Marriner
Philips 6707 020 (9/1973) 6500 380 (12/1974) 6747 377
'Wolfgang Mozart Clarinet Concerto K 622,'
The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/Neville Marriner,
(third recording) Philips 6706 020 (9/1973),
SAL 6500 378 (8/1974), 6747 377, 6570 500, 412 903-4
1974 'Loris Tjeknavorian Armenian Bagatelles,'
William Bennett (fl), Howard Snell (tpt), Denis Wicks (tbn)
Unicorn RHS 333 (1974)
'Albeniz Sevilla, Francaix Petit Quatuor, Haydn Minuet,
Hartley Midnight, Sun, Grovlez Les Petites Litanies de Jésus,
Mendelssohn Scherzo, Clerisse, Introduction and Scherzo,
Tchaikovsky Humoresque, Mozart Minuet,
Debussy Golliwog's Cakewalk, Schumann Whims,
Krein Valse Caprice, Moskowski Scherzino'.
The Krein Saxophone Quartet. Canon Records CNN 4983 (1974)
'Lennox Berkeley Sextet Op 47' for cl, hn and string quartet
Music Group of London
Argo ZRG 749 (1974)
1976 'Franz Schubert Octet D803',
Barry Tuckwell (hn) Martin Gatt (bsn) Thomas Martin (db)
Cleveland Quartet RCA ARL-1-1047 (2/1976)
'Ludwig van Beethoven (arrd for wd ens by Wenzel Sedlak) Fidelio
Wolfgang Mozart (arrd for wd ens by Johann Wendt)
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, London Wind Soloists' SDD 485 (10/76)
1977 'Johannes Brahms Sonata Op120/1 (pf)
Carl Maria von Weber Grand Duo Concertante Op 48,'
David Lloyd (pf) Nimbus 2108 (1977)
1978 "By Train to Hammersmith" 'Holst Suite No 1 and 2,
Hammersmith Prelude and Scherzo, Vaughan Williams
English Folksong Suite, Toccata Marziale,'
London Wind Orchestra/Wicks, Enigma K 53565
"By Plane to Paris" 'Grainger Molly on the Shore,
Irish Tune from County Derry, Shepherd's Hay,
A Lincolnshire Posy, Milhaud Suite Française,
Poulenc Suite Française' Enigma K 53574
"Music for Television" by Carl Davis/RPO/Davis.
Includes Wuthering Heights,
The Sun as Fire, Light and Gold, solo by JB. EMI INS 3021
1980 'Johannes Brahms Quintet Op 115' 'Heinrich Bärmann Adagio',
Allegri Quartet Argo ZK 62 and KZKC 62 (1978) (2/80)
'Giuseppe Tartini/Gordon Jacob Concertino', mvts 3 & 4 only,
City of London Junior Chamber Orchestra/Malcolm Henderson
MS 1000 (2/80)
'William Walton Façade and Façade 2' Steuart Bedford OUP 201

External links

★ Jack Brymer

★ Jack Brymer (Guardian)