Alan Bush(1900-95)

Started by Dundonnell, January 07, 2009, 04:18:21 PM

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vandermolen

#20
January 10, 2009, 12:48:28 PM
Quote from: Dundonnell on January 10, 2009, 11:12:35 AM
Now, now........ ;D ;D

You don't need to pay any attention to my ravings on behalf of these obscure composers you know ;D ;D

If Jeffrey chooses to smuggle cds into his house without his wife knowing about this nefarious practice that is entirely up to him :) And as for your "poor little kids", I am 100% confident that they will not suffer in any way because you buy the odd(!) cd to add to a collection which one day-in the far distant future-they will inherit :)

My smuggling tendencies developed early on, as an adolescent, when I would creep round through the communal gardens to my parent's ground floor flat in Earl's Court and throw the LPs that I had bought through my bedroom window, left slightly open for the cats to get in and out. A few moments later I would appear, all innocent, at the front door  8)
"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).

Dundonnell

#21
January 10, 2009, 02:52:58 PM
Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 of misdemeanours committed by teenagers I think that smuggling classical LPs into the house probably rates at the lower end of the scale ;D ;D

vandermolen

#22
January 10, 2009, 03:58:14 PM
Quote from: Dundonnell on January 10, 2009, 02:52:58 PM
Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 of misdemeanours committed by teenagers I think that smuggling classical LPs into the house probably rates at the lower end of the scale ;D ;D

:)
"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

#23
January 11, 2009, 03:54:38 PM
Alan Bush's Second Symphony (together with Leon Orthel's Third Symphony) is one of the discoveries of the year for me. And the year is only 12 days old. This could yet be a bumper smuggling CDs into the house year for me  ;D
"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).

Dundonnell

#24
January 11, 2009, 04:47:56 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on January 11, 2009, 03:54:38 PM
Alan Bush's Second Symphony (together with Leon Orthel's Third Symphony) is one of the discoveries of the year for me. And the year is only 12 days old. This could yet be a bumper smuggling CDs into the house year for me  ;D

They say that confession is good for the soul you know, Jeffrey ;D

vandermolen

#25
January 11, 2009, 11:32:45 PM
Quote from: Dundonnell on January 11, 2009, 04:47:56 PM
They say that confession is good for the soul you know, Jeffrey ;D

:)
"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).

Dundonnell

#26
January 12, 2009, 06:56:12 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on January 09, 2009, 03:19:36 PM
Yes, that's a spot of luck Colin  ;D I ordered the Bush a few days ago. I have listened to both symphonies now and No 2 'Nottingham' is a great discovery for me - an important 20th Century British Symphony, which really comes into its own in the delightful last movement. I ended up playing the last bit over and over again - it is a really inspiriting Arnell-like conclusion, with the bells adding to the triumphant coda - a really lovely moment. The slow movement is very touching and I really like the whole Symphony. Probably Bush did it no favours calling it 'Nottingham' as it might sound a rather parochial title. I wasn't so keen on No 1 on first hearing - the prologue and first movement sounded rather arid, dry and academic, but the slow movement was good and, having enjoyed No 2 so much, I may find that No 1 grows on me with repeated listening.

Anyway, I am delighted to have discovered Alan Bush  :)

Well, oddly enough, having just listened to this cd again, I have to say that I prefer the 1st Symphony ::)

The 'Nottingham' starts well-the first two movements I think contain a lot of very attractive, flowing melody-but the last two I am not impressed by. The scherzo is gratingly repetitive and the last movement's conclusion I find hollow and unconvincing. To what extent that is an impression influenced by the exposure of some slightly suspect brass playing by the students I am not sure.

Overall I think that the 'Nottingham' is too much a product of Bush's rethink of his idiom following the infamous Zhdanov decree of 1948. The attempt to make his style more accessible ends up diluting the substance in my judgment.

(Oh, it's great to disagree with Jeffrey....for once ;D)

Harry

#27
January 12, 2009, 07:15:35 AM
Quote from: Dundonnell on January 12, 2009, 06:56:12 AM

(Oh, it's great to disagree with Jeffrey....for once ;D)

I disagree too........ ;D

Dundonnell

#28
January 12, 2009, 07:26:22 AM
Quote from: Harry on January 12, 2009, 07:15:35 AM
I disagree too........ ;D

Do you mean that you agree with me, dear Harry? :)

Harry

#29
January 12, 2009, 07:46:54 AM
Quote from: Dundonnell on January 12, 2009, 07:26:22 AM
Do you mean that you agree with me, dear Harry? :)

Nah, I am on Jeffrey's side this time, so sorry old chap! ;)

Dundonnell

#30
January 12, 2009, 07:57:41 AM
Quote from: Harry on January 12, 2009, 07:46:54 AM
Nah, I am on Jeffrey's side this time, so sorry old chap! ;)

Oh bother....oh well, it was worth a try ;D

vandermolen

#31
January 12, 2009, 08:14:39 AM
Right, I shall have to listen to Symphony 1 again tonight...it has to be better than Arthur Butterworth's First Symphony  ;D
"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).

Dundonnell

#32
January 12, 2009, 08:52:45 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on January 12, 2009, 08:14:39 AM
Right, I shall have to listen to Symphony 1 again tonight...it has to be better than Arthur Butterworth's First Symphony  ;D

Ok, ok....that's two things we disagree about now ;D

vandermolen

#33
January 12, 2009, 12:39:45 PM
Quote from: Dundonnell on January 12, 2009, 08:52:45 AM
Ok, ok....that's two things we disagree about now ;D

:)
"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

#34
May 30, 2010, 09:20:35 AM
Thought I'd bump up this thread. Bush's Symphony No 2 'Nottingham' was a great discovery - through Harry on this forum. I still find the inspiriting conclusion, complete with bells, a great life-enhancing moment - triumph over the odds etc.
"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).

kishnevi

#35
March 27, 2012, 08:16:38 PM
Quote from: Dundonnell on January 08, 2009, 05:21:53 PM
A review of the Bush 1st and 2nd Symphonies on Classico-

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2004/July04/Bush_1_2.htm

After listening to this CD (which is now part of the British Symphonic Collection boxset on Membran, sans liner notes), and raving about it last night on the Listening thread,  I feel impelled to bump this thread.  I liked the First Symphony more than the Second.  The Second sounded (no surprise) very British pastoral.  But the First Symphony deserves to be much more widely known, even if it was written by a Commie.

(And I find myself grateful that I can pursue my CD buying obsession without needing to sneak it past the wife nor impoverish the children, for the simple reason that I have no wife or children :)

Lethevich

#36
March 29, 2012, 08:42:51 AM
I found the second symphony to be a little bizarre. It was aiming for what you describe, but Bush's stylistic fingerprint is all over it enough to make somebody who loves the mentioned style find it a very awkward-sounding piece.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Maestro267

#38
February 24, 2023, 01:01:54 AM
Huh...I would've thought Bush would be within this forum's wheelhouse, at least not to the point where his thread isn't opened for 11 years. I should revisit the symphonies at some point. I have them in the British Symphonic Collection box conducted by Bostock.

Albion

#39
February 24, 2023, 05:56:59 AM
Quote from: Maestro267 on February 24, 2023, 01:01:54 AMHuh...I would've thought Bush would be within this forum's wheelhouse, at least not to the point where his thread isn't opened for 11 years. I should revisit the symphonies at some point. I have them in the British Symphonic Collection box conducted by Bostock.

That's a fine disc, as are the Dutton releases. I've got loads of stuff including most of the operas ("Joe Hill", "Men of Blackmoor" and "The Sugar Reapers"). I think you'll enjoy his Piano Concerto, better get the popcorn ready...

https://www.mediafire.com/file/1irvjn4jnnli929/Bush%252C_Alan_-_Piano_Concerto%252C_Op.18_%25281935-7%2529.mp3/file

Piano Concerto, Op.18 (1935-37)
Rolf Hind, piano/ Ashley Holland, bar/ Apollo Voices/ BBC SO/ Leonard Slatkin (br. 19/12/2000)

;D
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)
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