Frederick Riddle

Frederick Craig Riddle OBE 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.

Early life and career

Frederick Riddle was born in Liverpool in 1912. He studied at the Royal College of Music 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.
Riddle was distinguished as a chamber music player and a concerto soloist. He made the first recording of William Walton's Viola [Concerto (Walton)|Viola Concerto], on 6 December 1937, with the composer conducting. He was recommended for this recording by Lionel Tertis. He made some revisions to the concerto, with Walton's approval. 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. He also performed the work in concert under Beecham.

Riddle was married twice, and had three daughters. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1980. His first wife was soprano, conductor, and voice teacher Audrey Langford. In 1946, he married soprano singer Helen Clare.
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.

Works that Frederick Riddle premiered included:

Malcolm Arnold's Viola Sonata, in the 1940s.
Arthur Benjamin's Viola Concerto, in 1949, with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli.
Concerto for Viola. Cheltenham, June 1949. Hallé Orchestra, cond. John Barbirolli.
Elizabeth Lutyens's Viola Concerto, Op.15, in 1950 at the Promenade Concerts, with the BBCSO and John Hollingsworth conducting.
Giorgio Federico Ghedini's Viola Concerto, in 1953, with Beecham conducting.
Justin Connolly's Anima for viola and orchestra, in 1975, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Charles Groves
Howard Blake's Prelude for Solo Viola, Op. 402, in 1980

He appeared in such works as: