Impromptu in E-flat

Arthur Murray Goodhart (christened 25 July 1866 – 1941) was a British composer and organist. He was born in Wimbledon, Surrey, England in 1866, and was educated at Eton College and then King's College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Pitt Club. He was a pupil of Sir Joseph Barnby, Dr. George M. Garrett, Dr Charles W. Pearce, C. Forsyth, and Frank Bridge. He Taught classics at Eton School, and was a housemaster there.

As a composer, he wrote orchestral, organ, and piano pieces, songs, carols, military band music.

As a performer he was said to have "flair and a light hand."

"Impromptu in E-flat" was published by George Withers & Sons and is dated 1908. It is the fifth work in "Ten Original Compositions."

Marked "Andante poco scherzando," this is a very cleverly written piece. Goodhart is very specific in the direction as to the PITCH of the indicated stops. When you use them as indicated, it often sounds like your hands are playing "on top of each other," mean in the same part of the keyboard, when in reality, the hands are actually two octaves apart.

The work reminded me of the famous "Fantasie in E-flat" by Saint-Saëns, or to the well-known (at one time) "Caprice in B-flat" by Guilmant, although those works are undoubtedly larger and more substantial than this one.

I found Goodhart's work to be very pleasing when listening to the outcome, but the execution of the work is difficult and odd. To get it "right," it feels "wrong," at least it did to me. Too much playing of stuff like this can drive you crazy! :-)

Still, the conception is very "clever Cambridge" and an enjoyable listen. :-)

The score is attached below, as well a photo of Arthur M. Goodhart, and several of the chapels of King's College and of Eton.