Arthur Butterworth(1923-)

Started by Dundonnell, December 18, 2008, 05:06:42 PM

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snyprrr

#40
December 01, 2014, 07:06:18 AM
How's the Mrs.?

J

#41
December 02, 2014, 05:06:33 PM
Quote from: snyprrr on December 01, 2014, 07:06:18 AM
How's the Mrs.?

Butterworth's wife herself died in 2012.

vandermolen

#42
April 18, 2016, 08:08:50 AM Last Edit: May 25, 2018, 10:31:37 AM by vandermolen
Since the last post here (from me in 2010) Arthur Butterworth (not to be confused with George) has passed away (in 2014) at the fine old age of 91.
I strongly recommend Symphony 4 with its echoes of Sibelius, Moeran, Bax and Vaughan Williams. At one point there is a brief quotation from Sibelius's score for 'The Tempest'. The Butterworth is a powerful and gripping score. Here is a forthcoming release from Lyrita featuring three of Butterworth's symphonies spread over two CDs:
[asin]B01DEANDTM[/asin]
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Scion7

#43
April 19, 2016, 02:04:05 AM
Yet another composer to investigate that I never noticed on Classical radio.
He's got a pretty extensive works list.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

vandermolen

#44
April 19, 2016, 01:21:06 PM Last Edit: May 25, 2018, 10:32:36 AM by vandermolen
Quote from: Scion7 on April 19, 2016, 02:04:05 AM
Yet another composer to investigate that I never noticed on Classical radio.
He's got a pretty extensive works list.
Try the craggy sibelian Symphony 4. There is a fine recording on Dutton conducted by the composer:
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"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#45
May 25, 2018, 10:30:04 AM Last Edit: May 25, 2018, 10:32:08 AM by vandermolen
I've been enjoying the Symphony 2 (on the double Lyrita CD shown above). It's dedicated to Sibelius and Nielsen and shows the influence of the former. It's a shorter work than the epic Symphony 4 and has a very fine slow movement inspired by the death, in an accident, of Butterworth's dog.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Maestro267

#46
April 04, 2019, 04:35:28 AM
Ordered the Dutton twofer shown above with Symphonies 1 & 4 and the Viola Concerto. The recording of No. 1 from the British Symphonic Collection box is probably my favourite discovery from that set, so I'm happy to be exploring more of Butterworth's music.

vandermolen

#47
April 04, 2019, 08:54:53 AM
Quote from: Maestro267 on April 04, 2019, 04:35:28 AM
Ordered the Dutton twofer shown above with Symphonies 1 & 4 and the Viola Concerto. The recording of No. 1 from the British Symphonic Collection box is probably my favourite discovery from that set, so I'm happy to be exploring more of Butterworth's music.
It's a great double CD set. The sibelian Symphony No 4 is my favourite work by Butterworth and I prefer the Dutton performance to the Lyrita, although they are both excellent.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Maestro267

#48
April 08, 2019, 03:33:44 AM Last Edit: April 08, 2019, 03:56:26 AM by Maestro267
The recording mentioned above arrived today, and I'm currently listening to the Viola Concerto for the first time.

Today I learned that Butterworth wound up writing 7 numbered symphonies in all, the last coming as recently as 2011. Hopefully at some point we may wind up with recordings of all of them. So far I've only seen recordings of 1, 2, 4 and 5.

UPDATE: Oh my goodness, the slow movement of this Viola Concerto is so eerie and atmospheric! It's sending chills down my spine.

Scion7

#49
July 26, 2021, 04:00:01 AM
He passed away in 2014 - if anyone cares to update this topic.

I admire several of his pieces,
but none of us have an accurate picture of the man,
because so little of his music is available.
The chamber pieces, over 20 works, are nowhere to be found.

I do find the Violin concerto on YT a more enjoyable work than the commercial recording of the Viola concerto.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

J

#50
July 26, 2021, 05:53:46 AM
Quote from: Scion7 on July 26, 2021, 04:00:01 AM
He passed away in 2014 - if anyone cares to update this topic.

The chamber pieces, over 20 works, are nowhere to be found.

Dutton did issue a disc with two Piano Trios & the Viola Sonata.

relm1

#51
July 26, 2021, 06:20:29 AM
Quote from: Scion7 on July 26, 2021, 04:00:01 AM
He passed away in 2014 - if anyone cares to update this topic.

I admire several of his pieces,
but none of us have an accurate picture of the man,
because so little of his music is available.
The chamber pieces, over 20 works, are nowhere to be found.

I do find the Violin concerto on YT a more enjoyable work than the commercial recording of the Viola concerto.

Lots on youtube such as viola sonata, partita, trio, etc.  He himself didn't consider chamber music his native strength compared to brass and orchestral.  I really like his Passacaglia for Brass Op. 87 on a theme of Brahms based on Brahms finale from the fourth symphony.

Scion7

#52
July 26, 2021, 09:13:33 AM
Quote from: J on July 26, 2021, 05:53:46 AM
Dutton did issue a disc with two Piano Trios & the Viola Sonata.

From what I saw it is OOP, but one can find copies (for now).
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

calyptorhynchus

#53
December 12, 2023, 08:44:34 PM
I just found the premiere of his 7th, and last, Symphony on Youtube.


Great stuff!
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

Maestro267

#54
December 13, 2023, 04:07:25 AM Last Edit: December 13, 2023, 04:16:52 AM by Maestro267
Wow, I'm sure I've talked about Butterworth on here before. Kinda surprised to find this thread has as few replies as it does. His 1st Symphony is spectacular, especially the finale! Also a big fan of the Viola Concerto. There's a fantastic album on Dutton with the Viola Concerto, the 4th Symphony, a historic recording of the 1st Symphony and a 25-minute interview with the composer.

Having done research this is the secondary thread which I wonder why this even exists and what makes it differ from the main thread.

relm1

#55
December 13, 2023, 05:54:23 AM
Quote from: Maestro267 on December 13, 2023, 04:07:25 AMWow, I'm sure I've talked about Butterworth on here before. Kinda surprised to find this thread has as few replies as it does. His 1st Symphony is spectacular, especially the finale! Also a big fan of the Viola Concerto. There's a fantastic album on Dutton with the Viola Concerto, the 4th Symphony, a historic recording of the 1st Symphony and a 25-minute interview with the composer.

Having done research this is the secondary thread which I wonder why this even exists and what makes it differ from the main thread.

Yes, there is this thread: https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,10257.0.html  Maybe both can be merged.

Alex Bozman

#56
December 16, 2023, 01:07:43 PM
Thanks for posting this, calyptorhynchus. I was at the premiere of Butterworth's 7th, hadn't realised how long ago that was! A well-argued piece with some great writing for the brass section.

Symphonic Addict

#57
December 16, 2023, 05:13:35 PM
Listening to all of his 7 symphonies recently, the ones that made a good impression on me were Nos. 4-7, in spite of the seven are heavily influenced by Sibelius and other composers (e.g. Bax).
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

relm1

#58
December 17, 2023, 06:13:57 AM
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on December 16, 2023, 05:13:35 PMListening to all of his 7 symphonies recently, the ones that made a good impression on me were Nos. 4-7, in spite of the seven are heavily influenced by Sibelius and other composers (e.g. Bax).

Butterworth said his earliest works were rip offs of Vaughan Williams but I've never really heard that.  Maybe perhaps he meant in works like The Path across the Moors there was a feel of English pastoralism?  He was definitely largely inspired by Sibelius though, agreed.

Maestro267

#59
December 17, 2023, 09:24:37 AM
I didn't realize it was possible to listen to Nos. 3 & 6.
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