Frederic Austin (1872-1952)

vandermolen · July 12, 2014, 05:19:09 AM

Frederic Austin was born in the same year as Vaughan Williams and was a well-known baritone as well as a music teacher and composer. I find something very endearing about this composer. I strongly recommend his 'The Sea Venturers' Overture from 1934, which reminded me of Bax's 'Tintagel' and, oddly enough Bernard Herrmann, as well as of Phillip Sainton a completely forgotten but, IMHO, very fine composer (try his 'Nadir' a moving and ultimately redemptive score written after witnessing the death of a child during a bombing raid in Bristol during the Blitz of World War Two). Anyway, 'The Sea Venturers' can be found on both of the CDs below and the Dutton CD is completely devoted to Austin's music. Thomas Beecham performed it as a tribute to Austin after his death in 1952.

I am setting a couple of hours aside tomorrow to reply to all the responses to this thread.

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cilgwyn · July 12, 2014, 05:27:09 AM

Quote from: vandermolen on July 12, 2014, 05:19:09 AM
Frederic Austin was born in the same year as Vaughan Williams and was a well-known baritone as well as a music teacher and composer. I find something very endearing about this composer. I strongly recommend his 'The Sea Venturers' Overture from 1934, which reminded me of Bax's 'Tintagel' and, oddly enough Bernard Herrmann, as well as of Phillip Sainton a completely forgotten but, IMHO, very fine composer (try his 'Nadir' a moving and ultimately redemptive score written after witnessing the death of a child during a bombing raid in Bristol during the Blitz of World War Two). Anyway, 'The Sea Venturers' can be found on both of the CDs below and the Dutton CD is completely devoted to Austin's music. Thomas Beecham performed it as a tribute to Austin after his death in 1952.

I am setting a couple of hours aside tomorrow to reply to all the responses to this thread.

[asin]B007KGGL8W[/asin]
[asin]B00GK8P0JC[/asin]

I fear you will have a severe case of writers cramp by the time you're through,Vandermolen!

But then again?!!!
I didn't know about this Austin cd! Is there a review up? What's the Symphony like,I wonder?

vandermolen · July 12, 2014, 07:24:55 AM

Thank you! Didn't there would be a single response. There is a review here of 'Spring' actually the same performance as on the Dutton CD. I like the Symphony but will listen again today and try and write a more considered response:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Jun02/Bowen_bainton.htm

vandermolen · July 13, 2014, 08:18:07 AM

Quote from: cilgwyn on July 12, 2014, 05:27:09 AM
I fear you will have a severe case of writers cramp by the time you're through,Vandermolen! But then again?!!!
I didn't know about this Austin cd! Is there a review up? What's the Symphony like,I wonder?

Played the symphony today. Enjoyed it very much. Lasts about half an hour with four joined up movements. Reminded me in places of Bax but less dramatic and like Delius with more sense of structure. Dates from 1913 and probably quite modern at the time. Notes say that it is more like a cross between a tone poem and a symphony and it is certainly both memorable and atmospheric. The notes talk about the influence of Richard Strauss. I find it interesting that I often like the music of composers whose work is compared to Richard Strauss (like Novak) but dislike the music of Richard Strauss himself, which I find overblown and unmemorable.