'Always a European': Edward Clark’s Musical Work

Edward Clark (1888–1962), conductor, impresario, BBC programme planner, writer and broadcaster, is one of the most important but least known figures spearheading musical modernism in early-twentieth century Britain. His aim was to ensure musical Britain represented a part of musical Europe, rather than to win British music a space in a prestigious and exclusive canon. This goal he thought only achievable through promoting contemporary European music as a means of combating the strong isolationist trends in musical Britain. This article addresses central aspects of Clark's elusive and sometimes janus-faced character and musical life, such as his training with Arnold Schoenberg in Berlin, his work for the BBC and the later years at the helm of the International Society for Contemporary Music. While Clark stubbornly followed his European agenda, he was not afraid of ruffling feathers or investing his fortune into new music, only to be forgotten by British music history