BRIDGE completed no music of any substance between the Violin Sonata of 1932 and Fourth String Quartet of 1937; indeed he appears not to have made real progress on any major project throughout this period, by far the longest such gap in his career. He may have worked on several aborted pieces, and a number of sketches in the RCM collection are likely to date from this period, but only an attempted string quartet is mentioned in his correspondence, and none of the other sketches suggest the sort of substantial work that would have occupied Bridge for a significant period during these years. It is possible that he felt the need for a period of rest after the outpouring of the previous five years, and he had been troubled by eye problems in 1932, which would most likely have made a period of rest seem desirable. A certain amount of time was spent attempting to secure performances of recent works, notably the Violin Sonata and Oration, premiered in 1934 and 1936, respectively, both after several disappointing cancellations; Phantasm also had to wait until 1934 for a performance. His conducting engagements continued, meanwhile, with frequent work for the BBC, principally conducting lighter programmes with the Section B, C, D and E orchestras. He also worked on parts of the Divertimenti at various times and made several visits to the Continent and one to America.

Amos has pointed to Coolidge's more limited financial position during the depression, and the corresponding curtailment of her ability to promote his music, as another possible factor in Bridge's relative silence during this period. This was a significant consideration given the ever-declining success of his music in England, and there is a renewed emphasis on conducting, suggesting he was attempting to reinvigorate an alternative strand of his career. Bridge's compositional activity resumed as Coolidge's financial situation began to improve again in the later 1930s, although the fact that he appears to have fallen out of favour with the BBC may also have helped tilt his focus back to composition. While Bridge was highly regarded in terms of his conducting technique and musicality, his strict and at times unfriendly demeanour, and what Bernard Shore described as a ‘big chip on his shoulder’, complicated his relationships with the professional orchestras with which he worked.