Clement Hugh Gilbert Harris (8 July 1871 – 23 April 1897) was an English pianist and composer who studied in Germany and died fighting in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897.
Clement Harris was born on 8 July 1871 in Wimbledon, London, into a family of ship-owners. His siblings included Sir Austin Edward Harris, who became a noted banker, Frederick Leverton Harris, a British Member of Parliament, and Walter Burton Harris, a journalist, writer, traveller and socialite who achieved fame for his writings on Morocco. He was educated at Harrow School, and subsequently studied music in Frankfurt, where he was a piano pupil of Clara Schumann.
Friendship with Siegfried Wagneredit
Harris became intimate friends with Siegfried Wagner after meeting him in 1889 at a soirée at the house of Edward Speyer. Becoming restless after spending the summer of 1891 in Bayreuth with Siegfried, Harris proposed taking a free trip to the far East on one of his father's ships. In 1892, Siegfried travelled to London where Harris introduced him to Oscar Wilde. Harris is described as a protegé of Wilde's for whom Harris would perform [Richard] Wagner transcriptions. Wilde liked to talk with Harris about "the most marvellous of all things; painting, music, love".[1] Siegfried and Harris embarked on the merchant ship Wakefield for a trip that would last almost six months. It transpired that they were the only two passengers on the ship. When Siegfried later wrote his memoirs he devoted over half the book to his recollections of this trip.
During the voyage both men spent much of the time working on their respective musical compositions: Siegfried planned the structure of his symphonic poem Sehnsucht ("Yearning"), while Harris sketched themes for his orchestral work Paradise Lost after Milton. Both pieces were premiered in 1895. Siegfried's memoirs recall how the pair ate cat and dog meat in Canton, bathed nude on a Malaysian beach, and were serenaded by a harpist in the Philippines. In Hong Kong, Harris helped Siegfried make the momentous decision to abandon his goal of becoming an architect and instead choose a composing and conducting career. When the Wakefield docked at Port Said, Siegfried decided to quickly return to Bayreuth in time for the festival's rehearsals. In his 1892 Reisetagebuch ("travel journal"), but not in his memoir, Siegfried recalled their parting.
My dear Clement accompanied me on board where we said goodbye, superficially in as English a way as possible because lots of people were milling around us, but in our hearts with that affection and intimacy with which we had learned to love one another.[2]
When, in 1922–23, Siegfried Wagner composed the symphonic poem Glück ("Happiness"), Jonathan Carr considers that "he evidently dedicated it in private to the dead friend whose picture never left his desk". Carr concludes that for all Siegfried's other emotional entanglements, male and female, "much suggests that in Clement Harris Siegfried found and lost the love of his life".[3]
Careeredit
Clement Harris's works included pieces for piano, including Il pensieroso and L'Allegro after Milton, romances for violin and piano and clarinet, cello and piano,[4] and songs.[5] His diaries were published in German by the Stefan George scholar Claus Bock.[6]
Deathedit
An enthusiastic admirer of Greek culture, he was travelling in Greece at the outbreak of the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, and organised his own battalion of mercenaries to fight on the Greek side. He was killed at Pente Pigadia on 23 April 1897 at the age of 25.
Harris's death was commemorated by the poet Stefan George in the poem "Pente Pigadia" in his collection Der siebente Ring.[7]
Discographyedit
Paradise Lost, and Festival March in "Siegfried Wagner, Max von Schillings & Clement Harris: Orchestral Works", performed by Thüringen Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Konrad Bach, (27 June 2004), Marco Polo
The Complete Piano & Chamber Music, performed by various artists, (2004-04-01), VMS /Zappel Music VMS124
Notesedit
^Carr, Jonathan (2007). The Wagner Clan. London: Faber and Faber. p. 118.
clement, harris, clement, hugh, gilbert, harris, july, 1871, april, 1897, english, pianist, composer, studied, germany, died, fighting, greco, turkish, 1897, bornclement, hugh, gilbert, harris8, july, 1871wimbledon, london, ukdied23, april, 1897briga, ioannina. Clement Hugh Gilbert Harris 8 July 1871 23 April 1897 was an English pianist and composer who studied in Germany and died fighting in the Greco Turkish War of 1897 Clement HarrisBornClement Hugh Gilbert Harris8 July 1871Wimbledon London UKDied23 April 1897Briga Ioannina Vilayet Ottoman Empire now Pente Pigadia Greece Cause of deathKilled in actionEducationHarrow SchoolOccupation s PianistComposerSoldierMilitary careerAllegianceKingdom of GreeceService wbr branch Hellenic ArmyYears of service1897Battles warsGreco Turkish War 1897 Battle of Pente Pigadia Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Friendship with Siegfried Wagner 2 Career 3 Death 4 Discography 5 Notes 6 External linksBiography editClement Harris was born on 8 July 1871 in Wimbledon London into a family of ship owners His siblings included Sir Austin Edward Harris who became a noted banker Frederick Leverton Harris a British Member of Parliament and Walter Burton Harris a journalist writer traveller and socialite who achieved fame for his writings on Morocco He was educated at Harrow School and subsequently studied music in Frankfurt where he was a piano pupil of Clara Schumann Friendship with Siegfried Wagner edit Harris became intimate friends with Siegfried Wagner after meeting him in 1889 at a soiree at the house of Edward Speyer Becoming restless after spending the summer of 1891 in Bayreuth with Siegfried Harris proposed taking a free trip to the far East on one of his father s ships In 1892 Siegfried travelled to London where Harris introduced him to Oscar Wilde Harris is described as a protege of Wilde s for whom Harris would perform Richard Wagner transcriptions Wilde liked to talk with Harris about the most marvellous of all things painting music love 1 Siegfried and Harris embarked on the merchant ship Wakefield for a trip that would last almost six months It transpired that they were the only two passengers on the ship When Siegfried later wrote his memoirs he devoted over half the book to his recollections of this trip During the voyage both men spent much of the time working on their respective musical compositions Siegfried planned the structure of his symphonic poem Sehnsucht Yearning while Harris sketched themes for his orchestral work Paradise Lost after Milton Both pieces were premiered in 1895 Siegfried s memoirs recall how the pair ate cat and dog meat in Canton bathed nude on a Malaysian beach and were serenaded by a harpist in the Philippines In Hong Kong Harris helped Siegfried make the momentous decision to abandon his goal of becoming an architect and instead choose a composing and conducting career When the Wakefield docked at Port Said Siegfried decided to quickly return to Bayreuth in time for the festival s rehearsals In his 1892 Reisetagebuch travel journal but not in his memoir Siegfried recalled their parting My dear Clement accompanied me on board where we said goodbye superficially in as English a way as possible because lots of people were milling around us but in our hearts with that affection and intimacy with which we had learned to love one another 2 When in 1922 23 Siegfried Wagner composed the symphonic poem Gluck Happiness Jonathan Carr considers that he evidently dedicated it in private to the dead friend whose picture never left his desk Carr concludes that for all Siegfried s other emotional entanglements male and female much suggests that in Clement Harris Siegfried found and lost the love of his life 3 Career editClement Harris s works included pieces for piano including Il pensieroso and L Allegro after Milton romances for violin and piano and clarinet cello and piano 4 and songs 5 His diaries were published in German by the Stefan George scholar Claus Bock 6 Death editAn enthusiastic admirer of Greek culture he was travelling in Greece at the outbreak of the Greco Turkish War of 1897 and organised his own battalion of mercenaries to fight on the Greek side He was killed at Pente Pigadia on 23 April 1897 at the age of 25 Harris s death was commemorated by the poet Stefan George in the poem Pente Pigadia in his collection Der siebente Ring 7 Discography editParadise Lost and Festival March in Siegfried Wagner Max von Schillings amp Clement Harris Orchestral Works performed by Thuringen Symphony Orchestra conducted by Konrad Bach 27 June 2004 Marco Polo The Complete Piano amp Chamber Music performed by various artists 2004 04 01 VMS Zappel Music VMS124Notes edit Carr Jonathan 2007 The Wagner Clan London Faber and Faber p 118 Wagner Siegfried 1935 Wagner Winifred ed Reisetagebuch 1892 Bayreuth a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Carr Jonathan 2007 The Wagner Clan London Faber and Faber p 121 The Romances were published by B Schott s Sohne Mainz in 1903 or late 1902 see Hofmeisters Monatsberichte 1903 page 97 Entry in Everyman s Dictionary of Music ed Eric Blom 5th edition rev amp ed by Sir Jack Westrup London JM Dent amp Sons 1974 ISBN 0 460 03022 1 Claus Bock Pente Pigadia und die Tagebucher des Clement Harris Amsterdam 1962 Peter P Pachl liner notes to Classic Produktion Osnabruck 999 366 2 External links editFree scores by Clement Harris at the International Music Score Library Project IMSLP Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Clement Harris amp oldid 1219111441, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
