To all classical music fans: It's time to explore the new and unknown.

I was so impressed with the complete Martinu string quartet cycle that I decided to investigate this underrated Czech a bit more. But what to choose? He wrote a huge number of works. I finally decided to try the piano concertos. Once again, Supraphon provided the recordings. This time around, pianist Emil Leichner did the solo honors and was joined by the Czech Philharmonic with Jiri Belohlavek conducting. There are five piano concertos and one “Concertino.” The first two concertos and the concertino were written before the war, the last three concertos after.

To the point: as a whole these concertos rate a “very good.” No, Martinu does not rate with, say, Bartok, Prokofiev or Ravel, but a few of the works deserve serious attention.

I’ll dispense with the duds first. The Second and Fifth Concertos and the Concertino are good, I suppose, but they are really no more than competent concert works, at least as recorded here. The solo writing has some exciting passages here and there, and the orchestral writing is colorful and displays some inventiveness, but I’d be lying if I wrote that they are exciting and that I didn’t peer at the clock a number of times while listening. Someone else may love them, but I don’t. They’re not terrible, but I don’t anticipate listening to them very often.

The remaining works, however, do have that certain, intangible and not quite describable something that makes them work. I’ll start with the First. This mid-20s piece betrays it time. Sort of. One can very easily hear the influence of Prokofiev in the work, and one needn’t strain to hear a little Bach, some neo-classical Stravinsky, and a little jazz. But look at those influences more closely. Neo-classical Stravinsky. Yes, Pulcinella can be heard, but the work I was most reminded of was Dumbarton Oaks from 13 years later! And a number of the passages sound like Bach’s orchestral writing. I even heard a brief passage that reminded me of Copland the Populist from decades later. There is some unique invention along with the derivative sound. As for the jazz elements, well, they are there, but the attempts sound rather amateurish. (For perfect jazz-classical fusion from the time, one need look no further than Erwin Schulhoff.) The whole work is energetic and mostly fun. The finale is a real treat. This is a winner.

Next the Third, from 1948. This work is much darker and dramatic in tone, which is not too surprising given the time. Again, the influence of Prokofiev can be heard. That’s definitely not a bad thing. But to enhance drama, Martinu adopts some more sophisticated orchestral writing, with brooding strings apparent throughout. I do believe I detected a whiff of Sibelius in the air. Another good thing. The solo part again contains a few brilliant passages, but there is a greater focus on creating an integrated piece. It is effective and well worth a listen.

Next up is the Fourth, entitled Incantations, from 1956. This work is by far the most impressive of the lot, and I am tempted to call it a masterpiece. This is a unique work with few discernible influences. Oh sure, one can no doubt hear a number of influences, but only in the minutest details. (Was that a reworked theme from the final movement of Taras Bulba being played by the winds near the beginning of the second movement I heard?) There is no clear overwhelming influence: this is all Martinu. The work is the most “modern” of the lot, and displays incredible technique in the virtuoso orchestral writing and the dense, complex solo passagework. Strings rise and fall with a background of finely scored winds and undulating brass. Martinu manages to compress a world of music into a mere 20 minutes. This is a truly magnificent piece.

The only downside to the set is the sound. The late 80s digital recordings have all of the standard short-comings from that era. But that quibble is minor. And as good as Leichner and Belohlavek are, I can’t help wondering what could be done by a better equipped team. (The Czech Philharmonic probably cannot be topped.) I’m thinking of perhaps Leif Ove Andsnes as soloist and Charles Mackerras as the conductor. That would be a dream recording for these three works. More realistically, Naxos seems the most likely label to record these next, so perhaps Bernd Glemser hitting the ivory with Antoni Wit conducting? I do know that no less a pianist than Rudolf Firkusny debuted the Third and Fourth concertos. I am only hoping that he recorded them and that someday they will be reissued. Anyway, do consider giving these works a listen, especially the three highlights. The Fourth, in particular, demands attention. You, too, may deem it a masterpiece.

Yesterday Dutch composer Peter Schat died, 67 years old. His 45-minute symphonic variations 'The heavens' (prompted by a stay on the Australia coast, and by the Tianmen Square events), as performed by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, is a piece of music everybody interested in contemporary music should have.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003L3LP/qid=1044334082/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_0_2/202-0544172-2787806

He 'invented' his own harmonic system, as detailed on www.peterschat.com

I met him twice and he was a wonderfully kind, exuberant and complicated man. Too bad he didn't have more time.

Herman

Nick, you scored post # 100 on this thread!

There's rumors Todd will be knocking at your door tonight with the cake and candles. So please hold your breath.

Herman

Herman,

Just in case Todd doesn't turn up, I've sent Nick a complimentary copy of Birtwistle's 'Earth Dances'.

David

And his daughters will tie him to a chair (real tight) for comfortable listening?

Maybe the ideal therapy - he'll be humming along in no time. While we're at it, we can dig out those mono Furtwangler recordings, some Stockhausen, and we can have another go at Interstellar Space. We'll have him begging for Webern.

nICk, where wer you lats night. I dropd by with som Glenlivet to celebrat reeching 100 potss and you were nt ther/ I had to drnk hole bottle by myslf. Im sotally tober now, tho.

quote:

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Originally posted by Todd Arola:
nICk, where wer you lats night. I dropd by with som Glenlivet to celebrat reeching 100 potss and you were nt ther/ I had to drnk hole bottle by myslf. Im sotally tober now, tho.

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ignore the above post by False Polite Nick

Real Desperate Nick: "I was unable to come to the door, having been tied to my chair. I had to listen to *#@% Birtwistle all night, and - in between tracks - the sound of the bottle glogging at your mouth outside. So don't count on me when post # 250 is coming up."

Since I am an acknowledged fan of Czech music, I figured it was about time that I explore some more string quartets by a Czech writer. Since I am already thoroughly versed in the works of Dvorak, Smetana, Janacek, and Martinu, all of whom have written some of the greatest quartets yet penned, I thought I’d investigate that most undervalued of Bohemians: Josef Suk. As one might expect, not too terribly many options are out there. Fortunately, Supraphon (what a surprise) has a recording by the Suk Quartet. I thought I would hear some dedicated playing.

I did. The disc is question has Suk’s two numbered quartets along with three shorter works for the medium. How to summarize? Good, but not great. All of the works are lyrical and quite easy to listen to, but not one of them really caught my attention like the best on offer from the other composers mentioned. I’ll listen to the works again, but I do not believe these are great.



I also rather fancy Scandinavian music. Of course Sibelius looms large in this arena, but there are others. Many of them are little known or unknown. Take Aarre Merikanto (1893-1958), for instance. I’d never even heard of him before I listened to a disc of four of his orchestral works on Finlandia. The primary attraction was to hear the conducting of James Depreist, the outgoing music director of the Oregon Symphony, the local band I’m stuck with. (They’re very good in some repertoire, but they ain’t no Berlin Philharmonic.) Here he conducts the Helsinki Philarmonic in the Second and Fourth Violin Concertos. The other two works are handled by others.

As to the violin concertos, well, the Second (1925) is a real bore whereas the Fourth is quite impressive. The Second lacks originality and just limps along to my ears. The Fourth (1954) displays some impressive interplay between the soloist (one Kaija Saarikettu here) and the orchestra. The solo part is not the most demanding around, but the music is intriguing. The orchestra play very well.

The other two works are similarly split. The early Ten Pieces for Orchestra (1930) is a dud. It is boring and plods along through its 25 or so minutes. The concluding work on the disc, the choral Genesis (1956), featuring a young Karita Mattila, is intriguing. It is somewhat spare in approach, but it is rather satisfying. The bottom line is that his earlier music is weak and his later music is worth further exploration.

My conclusion is the opposite of the booklet, which claims that the earlier works (pre-1926) are his best, while his music until about 1950 is weak due to the composer’s opium addiction, and the late works from the 50s are good but not as powerful. I disagree. As to sound world, well, it is unique, but you might say that he is a mix of Gubaidulina, Sibelius, and Stravinky. An odd mix, to be sure, but a potentially interesting one.

Szymanowskirama!

I am an acknowledged fan of Karol Szymanowski. I enjoy pretty much everything he wrote, or at least what I have heard of it. So I decided to splurge and bought a half-dozen discs of his music on closeout. As one might expect with such a haul, not all of the performances are the best available, but some are definitely worth notice.

First up were a pair of discs devoted to solo piano music. The first one is a mid-70s Delos recording of Carol Rosenberger playing a selection of Mazurkas along with the Opp 4 and 33 Etudes and the Masques. I don’t have much to write about this recording other than Rosenberger is not up to the task, either technically or artistically. It was not even worth the $3 price tag. Dennis Lee’s recital on Helios, however, is worth a few listens. He covers the Op 4 Etudes and Masques, too, as well as the Metopes and the Fantasy. Lee commands both a technique and artistic temperament better suited to the lush sound world of Szymanowski. He dazzles when appropriate, and he holds back when needed. Ultimately he must be considered a second choice behind the two Martins (Jones and Roscoe), but his playing is invigorating. The sound is a little brittle and hard at times. Now if only Krystian Zimerman would do the right thing and record some more of his countryman’s music.

Moving on to some violin centered works, I got the Lydia Mordkovitch / Marina Gusak-Grin traversal of Syzmanowski’s Violin Sonata, Nocturne & Tarantella, and the Three Myths on Chandos. This here’s a peach of a disc. The sonata is rather plain, and while it offers a few compelling moments, it is generally forgettable. Not so the other two works. The Nocturne & Tarantella opens with wonderful double-stop playing and contains just about every advanced violin technique in its short playing time. Likewise, the Three Myths is an outstanding achievement, each mini-tone poem appropriately colored and phrased. I have nothing but the highest praise for both Mordkovich and Gusak-Grin. Outstanding sound rounds out an outstanding disc.

Also on the violin front, I opted to buy the Thomas Zehetmair / Simon Rattle recording of the two Violin Concertos, along with a pair of shorter violin-and-piano works. I have mixed feelings about this disc. While Zehetmair’s playing and Rattle’s conducting are both exact and quite colorful, the overall effect is rather boring. Compared with the Chantal Juillet / Charles Dutoit recording, this one lacks warmth, mystery, and a real sense of purpose. Everything is played quite well, and the sound quality captures the achievement, but it just did not ignite. The chamber works are both immediately dispensable, though the third of the three Paganini Caprices (based on the Italian’s most famous theme) is worth a few more listens. This is only the second disc I have owned by Zehetmair – the other was the Brahms Concerto with Dohnanyi – and I must confess that I don’t find him especially compelling.

I also decided to try Rattle’s Gramophone® award-winning recording of the Stabat Mater, Litany to the Virgin Mary, and the great Third Symphony, Song of the Night. Again, I have mixed feelings. The soloists and choral singers all perform wonderfully, and once again it is clear that Szymanowski is one of the great choral composers of history, but Rattle just doesn’t ignite these pieces as he should. The symphony, in particular, suffers in comparison to Karol Stryja’s recording on Naxos. All told, these are good performances of great works, not great performances like they should be.

The final disc in this little festival is an old EMI Matrix release of the “pantomime-ballet” Harnasie, coupled with the Fourth Symphony and a selection of solo piano pieces played by one Felicja Blumenthal. What a disc! Harnasie is led by Antoni Wit and comes up quite nicely. The music sounds simple and perhaps a bit simplistic at first, but listen a little more closely and one can hear a master craftsman at work. Add the tenor soloist and the chorus and this becomes a fine, what, micro-opera? I don’t know, but I like it a lot. But not as much as the Fourth Symphony. Jerzy Semkow leads a brilliant performance, with Piotr Paleczny adding some dazzling piano playing. This is my third recording of this work – more by accident than design – and it is by some distance the best. The dreary Andsnes / Rattle (there he is again) version coupled with King Roger is no match, and while Karol Stryja’s version on Naxos is commendable, it cannot live up to this performance. If only more recordings like this were out there Szymanowski’s reputation would be greater. This reveals what the piece can be. Blumenthal’s piano pieces are very good, too, rounding out a superb disc.

My opinion of Szymanowski music has only been heightened by listening to these discs, though my opinion of Sir Simon has waned a bit. (As it did after listening to that new Beethoven Fifth, too.) Surely there are better conductors out there for this music. But then at least there is one high profile conductor carrying the torch.

Alas, new music specialist label CRI died last year, and as a result most of their product has hit the clearance ‘n’ closeout section of the CDs stores, and Berkshire acquired a big lot of the remaining titles. I figured I should sample at least one. Well, one for this week anyway.

I opted for a recording of his three string quartets performed by the young Miami String Quartet. Here are three modern quartets – that is, they are all post-war quartets – that definitely do not conform to modernist ideas. Indeed, the one word I would use to describe them is conservative. They remind one more of the pre-WWI quartets. Think Zemlinsky, perhaps, or any number of other post-Straussian composers and you’ll get the idea. Since I rather like a lot of that type of music, I no doubt loved these works, right? Well, not exactly. All three of them certainly have strong moments, including some beautiful or exhilarating passages, but, in general, they are somewhat boring. There is nothing especially profound or original in any of them, and pure aural luxuriance is fleeting. Even though all are short works – each is less than twenty minutes – they all seem to go on a bit too long. Of the three, the third is probably the best.

No complaints about the Miami String Quartet, though. They play the works very well – probably even perfectly. Indeed they should: the second and third quartets were written for them. I will be on the lookout for other recordings by them. Sound is good if a bit boomy. I give the disc a strong ho-hum rating.

Time for some happy diversions. I generally tend toward more complex and difficult pieces during my listening sessions, but one cannot live by just serious music alone. (Well, OK, it probably is possible.) So why not try a disc of trifles, especially when it’s a $2 Klavier-label special. I did just that.

The disc in question is a compilation of Nonets and Septets performed by the National Chamber Players. (Who the hell are they?) The works on the disc are as follows: Bohuslav Martinu’s Nonet from 1959l; one Jiri Jaroch’s Detska Suita (Children’s Suite) from 1952; Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Choros No 7; Stravinsky’s Septet from 1953; and finally, Vincent D’Indy’s Chanson et Dances from 1898. With so many “modern” works, one might expect some astringent, complex music. Nah. (Well, maybe the Stravinsky has some “complex” writing in it.) All of the works are charming little trifles, with some lovely, almost easy-listening moments. All of the works are very good and deserve a listen. Or multiple listens. The surprising high-point of the disc is Jaroch’s work. I had never heard of him before, but his charming fifteen minutes ditty is so much fun to listen to I had to spin it twice during my first run through. I think I shall look for more work by this composer. Every once in a while I need some fun music. This fits the bill nicely.

As to sound, well, it is top-flight audiophile grade. The disc liner notes that the mastering was done by one Bruce Leek. Who? Well, as luck would have it, I was perusing the booklet for one of my Telarc discs and whose name should I happen to see as an assistant to Jack Renner? You guessed it: Mr. Leek. He knows his stuff. If you can find this disc, I do recommend it. A charmer.

Todd,

I've recently been very impressed by Sofia Gubaidulina's Canticle of the Sun. A search here revealed that you have also posted on it and like it. Anything else by her that you can recommend?

Since you seem to know a lot of 20th C. music I wonder if I could presume to pick your brain a bit and ask you to point my nose in certain directions? I very much like the east european composers I have heard that have emerged, for lack of a better description, in the wake of Shostokovich and Bartok (both of whom I know pretty well and very much like). I'm thinking here primarily of Schnittke, Penderecki, and Ligeti. I haven't been paying much attention to what's been going on recently though, and I'm having mixed success finding things I like now (see my recent purchases below).

I should mention that I have trouble with the more atonal and astringent music of early Schnittke and Penderecki. So for instance, I don't care much for P.'s Passion According to St. Luke, but I do like a lot of his later choral and orchestral works, especially the Polish Requiem, Auschwitz Oratorio, Second Cello Concerto. Likewise, I can't really listen to Schnittke's early Violin and Viola Concerti, but I quite like his later, more polystylistic material, starting with Concerto Grosso I. I like most chamber music by these guys too, (excepting their dense first quartets).

Do you know anything of Edison Denisov? Perhaps I'd like this guy Karol Szymanowski that you mention above? Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks, Eric.

Some of my recent purchases:

-Gyorgi Ligeti: String Quartets 1 and 2, string duets. Arditti String Quartet. These are thoroughly enjoyable, the Quartets in particular. The latter are strongly reminiscent of the Bartok Quartets, especially 2 and 3, which is no bad thing in my book.

- Arvo Part: De Profundis. Theatre of Voices, with Paul Hiller. I bought this after a recent listen to Tabula Rasa, which I enjoy, and decided to try some more. I usually enjoy a cappella choral work like this, but these were a disappointment. Some pieces (the "Summa" and the Antiphons, e.g.) are nice, but much of it is highly predictable, and some (the Sanctus) comes across as postively shouty.

-Magnus Lindberg: Feria, Corrente 2, Arena. Saraste, dir., Finnish RSO. These are rather interesting and quite different works: Arena is somewhat fragmented and rythmically complex, while Corrente 2 is a more harmonic and lyrically driven piece. I haven't really digested either, but I'm looking forward to listening to more of them.

-Sofia Gubaidulina: Canticle of the Sun and Music for Flute, Strings, and Percussion. London SO under Ryusuke Numarjiri and Rostropovich. Both of these are quite enjoyable and have been mentioned on other threads. (The track listing seems to be screwed up, btw, claiming that Canticle ends on track 11, but it clearly ends earlier (8?).)

- Mosaic: various composers under Schiff with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. This is a kind of east european sampler that I bought primarily for the Ustvolskaya and the Gubaidulina. It includes:
-Galina Ustvolskaya's Concerto for Piano, Strings, and Timpani, and interesting if now slightly dated-sounding avante-garde piece.
-Sofia Gubaidulina's "Introitus" for picano and Chamber Orchestra. This is a rich and haunting work; really nice.
-Henryk Gorecki, Conterto for Piano and Str. Orchestra Op. 40. An intense and repetetive piano work with a complete absence of any dynamic constrasts. It nonetheless winds up being effective.
-Georgs Pelecis: Concertino Bianco for Piano and Chamber Orchestra. Yuck! This, to me, represents everything that's wrong with the neo-classicism of the "post avant-garde". I successfully predicted some of the chord progressions on the very first hearing (and I'm no expert, by a long shot).

I'm glad you like Gubaidulina. I think she is a borderline Great Composer. A few more works like the Canticle or St. John Passion and I'll be convinced. As to other works you did not cite, try these:

St. John Passion - Valery Gergiev / Hannsler

Offertorium - Gidon Kremer / Charles Dutoit / DG

Viola Concerto - Bashmet / Gergiev / DG (coupled with a fine work by Giya Kancheli - another composer you may like)


As for Ligeti, there is no question that he is one of the greatest composers working today. In addition to the superb disc you have, consider:

Etudes - Aimard / Sony

Piano, Violin, and Cello Concertos - Boulez, et al / DG

Additional Keyboard works - Aimard, et al / Sony

I have been told that his opera Le Grande Macabre is excellent, though I've yet to buy it. Also consider any of the newer Teldec Ligeti series discs.


You must try the music of Witold Lutoslawski. He is one of my favorite post-war composers. He wrote a wide variety of music, and you can sample most of it on Naxos. Antoni Wit really has a firm grasp of Lutoslawski's music and every disc I own in the series is wonderful. Just grab any disc in the cycle. I can't see how you'd be disappointed. There's also a cheap twofer on EMI of Lutoslawski leading his own works. Be warned, it's a bit too bright. Esa-Pekka Salonen has recorded at least the last three symphonies, and his recording of the Third sets the pace. Lutoslawski is a rare composer: his works are complex and emphasize an aleatory approach, like Cage, but they always sound superbly musical, if you will.


As to Szymanowski, try the opera King Roger with Rattle conducting, and then move on to his piano music played by Martin Roscoe on Naxos. All three discs are superb. The Maggini quartet's recording of his two string quartets make for inspired listening, as do any of his symphonies conducted by Karol Stryja on Naxos. (Also consider the discs I praised in the recent post.)


Einojuhani Rautavaara is a brilliant Finnish composer you might wish to consider. He proves that it is possible to write compelling and musical dodecaphonic music. Try either of the two symphony discs on Naxos. His recently released opera Aleksis Kivi is outstanding and deserves a listen. I've only scratched the surface with Rautavaara, but I am eagerly looking forward to buying more of his stuff.


As for Schnittke, I have not heard too much, but what I've heard I have liked. I like all of his string quartets, and his opera Life With An Idiot is a masterpiece that, alas, is no longer in print. (It was conducted by Rostropovich and released by Sony.) I've heard some of his concerto grossi and like them, but beyond that I don't know enough of his work.


I'm a bit weak on Penderecki, Gorecki, and Part, and I have yet to hear Lindberg (and I've only seen the name Denisov), so I can't really help there. Besides, what I have heard from the first three I have not really cared for. My Among the Living thread may have some other works that might interest you, too. Hope these suggestions help.

Thanks for that Todd. I haven't heard most of what you list here, so you've given me plenty to discover.

Cheers,
Eric

One rather nice disk that might interest you, Eric, is a Chant du Mond / Harmonia Mundi release (LDC 288 078) with various compositions for viola and assorted instruments.

It features Schnittke's 'suite in the old style' reconfigured for viola d'amore, harpsichord and percussion; Gubaidoulina's 'In the Garden of Joys and Sorrows', for flute, viola and harp (no, it doesn't sound like the Debussy piece one bit), lasting 25 minutes, and two compositions by Denissov, first the 'variations on a choral theme by J.S. Bach' (14 minutes) and 'Three pictures by Paul Klee,' (24 minutes). The kitschy vibraphone takes some getting used to, but by the time you're in the third Klee picture the music is quite absorbing. The viola playing is awesome, and this time it's not by Yuri Bashmet, but Igor Bogouslavski. The ensemble is selected from the Bolshoi Orchestra.

Another nice Gubaidoulina release is on the Col Legno label (WWE 1CD 31881) with her second cello Concerto, with David Geringas on cello, and the Finnish Radio Ensemble directed by the excellent Jukka-Pekk Saraste. It's a 26 minute piece from 1993 titled 'And the Feast in Full Progress.' In addition there's the ten preludes for cello solo from 1974.

Herman

Always on the lookout for some good post-war symphonies, I got my hands on a copy of Michael Tippett conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in his own Second and Fourth Symphonies. They are promising works, but in themselves they are not especially profound as recorded. These are definitely “modern” works, though they are more accessible than works by, say, Elliot Carter. (They are nowhere near as good.) The Second suffers from being too long. Were Tippett to have cut maybe 10-12 minutes from its 35 minute length, it would be a tighter, more coherent piece. As it is, it seems to ramble on occasion. The Fourth is better crafted and does not feel overly long, but it is marred by some silly synthesized sound effects near the end (of human breaths). It is somewhat dark and quite well orchestrated for its purpose. Perhaps I rush to judgment in these works; after all, not all composers make great conductors. Perhaps a young(ish) conductor more versed in post-war music could do a better job. I’m thinking Nagano or Salonen, perhaps. That’s why I say the works are promising.

Time to resuscitate this old favourite, if only to get Todd posting here again and keep him away from that Hi-Fi corner

I heard Rolf Liebermann's Concerto for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra on the (excellent) Spanish Radio Classica whilst on holiday recently. It's one of that mid-twentieth century specialities: a marriage between Jazz and Orchestral music. Milhaud, Stravinsky and Gershwin were all up to something along the same lines as was Ellington coming from the opposite direction. It's not another Ebony concerto, but it is great fun. It alternates short movements of serialism with blasts of Stan Kenton style big-band. The genres gradually merge and the piece ends with a final 12-tone mambo (!). It would make an excellent Proms item, the BBC SO and London Sinfonietta can do this kind of thing brilliantly, with someone like Joanna Macgregor to take the Piano part. The version I heard was a 50's LP recording with Reiner and the Chicago SO, who ripped it up as you can imagine. It sounded spectacular even over a crackly car radio. This seems to be long deleted, but I'd love to get hold of a copy if anyone out there has it (hint). There's a very good Naxos version currently available though, with suitably upfront sound quality, so it's a cheap punt.

duncan

Email: djcritchley at hotmail.com

Bax’s Symphonies

As Chandos has recently released Vernon Handley’s complete Bax symphony cycle it appears as though the product pipeline needed to be cleared up and so Berkshire got the earlier Bryden Thomson set with the London Philharmonic and Ulster Orchestra and is selling it for $10. At such a price I really had no choice but to buy it.

Now I’m not a complete stranger to Bax. I have had David Lloyd Jones’ recording of the Fifth Symphony for a while, as well as one of Eric Parkin’s discs of Bax’s piano music. So I knew what to expect. Given the endless superlatives heaped upon Handley’s cycle – along with all of the proclamations of the greatness of Bax’s symphonies – I was ready for a very good, if perhaps over-rated set of symphonies. That’s exactly what I got.

I decided to listen chronologically, and so the cycle got off to a decidedly ho-hum start. The First Symphony is loud bombast that just cruises along and leaves little in one’s memory. Nothing struck me as significant or important or even very interesting. But the Second was better. Not much better, but better. There are few exciting ideas that get developed and repeated with interesting changes, Bax seeming to rely more on an unfolding sound world. Then the Third came, and it was better than the Second. Again, it lacks the more traditional elements of symphonic structure as epitomized by the Germans, but now the sound world had become more interesting and sophisticated, with some truly captivating music in the final movement. All three of the works seem to be overly long, though this improves with each work.

With the Fourth things start to pick up quite a bit. Thomson leads an urgent, propulsive performance that is aided by the best sound in the set. The orchestration is remarkable and the colors extracted from the orchestra are enticing. The Fifth is better yet. Thomson supercedes Jones with more forceful playing and a better sense of the symphonic whole. And then comes the best work in the set, the Sixth. Here is a basically slow, uneventful symphony that just floats along, unfolding its ideas in an ethereal sound world. It’s the most beautiful and contemplative of the works, and while Thomson allows for broad tempi (as noted by Gramophone) I could have actually done with an even longer, more sustained recording. Were only Celi to have recorded this! The Seventh combines many elements of the earlier works, building as it does on a more extroverted approach like the first few while allowing for the more sophisticated orchestration and textural elements of the later works. It’s sort of a valedictory symphony and fills the bill well.

For those completely unfamiliar with Bax, I would say his sound world can be considered a sort of mix between Sibelius, (the more vigorous) Vaughn Williams, with perhaps just a hint of Mahler thrown in, especially with the string writing. His music is never very harsh or unpleasantly modern, but it definitely develops on and moves forward from ideas from the past. No, Bax is not a great symphonist on the same level as Sibelius or DSCH, looking to some 20th Century greats, but he is very good. The sound quality of the set ranges from too bright and scratchy in the earliest LPO recordings to downright sumptuous in the Ulster Orchestra Fourth and LPO Fifth. Overall, for the price, this set is a steal. I doubt I’ll be shelling out for Handley’s new set, but I’m quite happy with this one.


"The universe is change, life is opinion." Marcus Aurelius, Meditations