Frederick Riddle

Frederick Craig Riddle OBE (20 April 1912 – 5 February 1995) was a British violist. He was considered to be in the line from Lionel Tertis and William Primrose, through to the violists of today such as Lawrence Power.¹

Frederick Riddle was born in Liverpool in 1912. He studied at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London from 1928 to 1933. He had a solo career while playing with the London Symphony Orchestra from 1933 to 1938. In 1938, was appointed principal viola with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a professor of the RCM from 1948 onwards. In 1953, he succeeded Harry Danks as principal violist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.²

Riddle was distinguished as a chamber music player and a concerto soloist. He made the first recording of William Walton's Viola Concerto, on 6 December 1937,³ with the composer conducting.⁴ He was recommended for this recording by Lionel Tertis. He made some revisions to the concerto, with Walton's approval.⁵ Although Walton conducted the work many times with leading soloists such as Tertis and William Primrose, the interpretation he liked above all others was Riddle's.⁶ He also performed the work in concert under Beecham.²

Riddle was married twice, and had three daughters. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1980.⁴ His first wife was soprano, conductor, and voice teacher Audrey Langford.⁷ In 1946, he married soprano singer Helen Clare.⁸

He died in Newport on the Isle of Wight in 1995, aged 82. He was survived by Clare, his second wife, who died in 2018, at the age of 101.⁸

Works that Frederick Riddle premiered included:

• Malcolm Arnold's Viola Sonata, in the 1940s.⁹
• Arthur Benjamin's Viola Concerto, in 1949, with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli.¹⁰
• Concerto for Viola (arranged from the works of G. F. Handel by John Barbirolli). Cheltenham, June 1949. Hallé Orchestra, cond. John Barbirolli.¹¹
• Elizabeth Lutyens's Viola Concerto, Op.15, in 1950 at the Promenade Concerts, with the BBCSO and John Hollingsworth conducting.¹²
• Giorgio Federico Ghedini's Viola Concerto, in 1953, with Beecham conducting.²
• Martin Dalby's Viola concerto, written for Riddle. First performance at BBC Proms, 1974. BBC Symphony Orchestra, cond. Norman Del Mar.¹³
• Justin Connolly's Anima for viola and orchestra, in 1975, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Charles Groves¹⁴
• Howard Blake's Prelude for Solo Viola, Op. 402, in 1980¹⁵

He appeared in such works as:

• Berlioz: Harold en Italie (recorded with Beecham³ and Hermann Scherchen¹⁶)
• Delius: Serenade from incidental music to James Elroy Flecker's Hassan (recorded with Beecham)
• E.J. Moeran: Trio for Strings in G major, R. 59 (recorded with Jean Pougnet, violin; and Anthony Pini, 2nd viola)
• Mozart: Duo for Violin and Viola No. 1 in G major, K 423 (recorded with Szymon Goldberg)
• Mozart: Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano in E flat, K 498 ("Kegelstatt Trio") (recorded with Reginald Kell and Louis Kentner)³
• Rubbra: Viola Concerto in A, Op. 75 (with Beecham)²
• Richard Strauss: Don Quixote (recorded with John Kennedy, RPO, Beecham conducting)¹⁷
• Vaughan Williams: Flos Campi (with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and Bournemouth Sinfonietta Chorus, under Norman Del Mar)³
• Vaughan Williams: Suite for Viola¹⁸