Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree

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Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree is a set of variations, with fugue, for orchestra composed in 1939 by Jaromir Weinberger. It was premiered under the direction of Sir John Barbirolli in New York City on October 12 of that year. The work is based on an English popular song of the period, which Weinberger is said to have mistaken for a folk song, and opens with the theme presented without preliminaries. Seven variations follow:

• Her Majesty's Virginal
• The Madrigalists
• The Dark Lady
• The Highlanders
• Pastorale
• Mr. Weller, Senior, Discusses Windows With His Son, Samuel Weller, Esquire
• Sarabande

The fugue, which ends the work, has an eight-bar subject which finally joins contrapuntally with the original theme of the piece.

[edit] Reference

• David Ewen, Encyclopedia of Concert Music. New York; Hill and Wang, 1959.