The Diamond Mine

[vandermolen]

My choice would be Constant Lambert as he would have the most interesting things to say on other composers (Music Ho). Also he would buy me a beer or two.

An interesting choice - I'm sure that his son Kit (manager of 'The Who') would be interesting to talk to. I could also talk to Constant about cats!

[vandermolen]

Missed this, Jeffrey. How interesting.

Thanks Lol. If I remember correctly the Care Home offered to put me through to him directly but I thought that this might be something of an imposition, so I wrote to him instead.

By the way, Constant and Kit Lambert are buried (or their ashes are) in Brompton Cemetery, down the road from where I grew up.

[Irons]

Thanks Lol. If I remember correctly the Care Home offered to put me through to him directly but I thought that this might be something of an imposition, so I wrote to him instead.

By the way, Constant and Kit Lambert are buried (or their ashes are) in Brompton Cemetery, down the road from where I grew up.

Father and son together is good.

I have a thing about cemeteries Jeffrey, they are so peaceful and with sense of the past and our forbearers. As weird as it sounds due to being cut of from our family because of Covid my wife and I found ourselves on last Christmas morning strolling around Leatherhead Cemetery looking for the grave of Lydia Mordkovitch. Didn't find it, but the surroundings matched my wife's mood!

[vandermolen]

Father and son together is good.

I have a thing about cemeteries Jeffrey, they are so peaceful and with sense of the past and our forbearers. As weird as it sounds due to being cut of from our family because of Covid my wife and I found ourselves on last Christmas morning strolling around Leatherhead Cemetery looking for the grave of Lydia Mordkovitch. Didn't find it, but the surroundings matched my wife's mood!

OT
This might interested you Lol:
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/brompton-cemetery/explore-brompton-cemetery/constant-lambert
I love the painting of Constant Lambert by Christopher Wood.
When I lived in Earl's Court I would often walk through Brompton Cemetery - a number of famous people are buried there.
Another image of CL with his beautiful wife:

[Maestro267]

Has Constant Lambert invaded David Diamond's thread or?

[Irons]

OT
This might interested you Lol:
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/brompton-cemetery/explore-brompton-cemetery/constant-lambert
I love the painting of Constant Lambert by Christopher Wood.
When I lived in Earl's Court I would often walk through Brompton Cemetery - a number of famous people are buried there.
Another image of CL with his beautiful wife:

Blimey, Margot Fonteyn got around, didn't she!

Apologies to Maestro and David Diamond.

[vandermolen]

Has Constant Lambert invaded David Diamond's thread or?

Good point. My apologies.

[Spotted Horses]

Just finished my first listen to David Diamond's third symphony. A convulsively energetic first movement, a ghostly slow movement with considerable dissonance and sensuality, an energetic scherzo, followed by a return to the mood of the second movement, with a slow finale that ends quietly.

A satisfying work; I think the second movement was my favorite part. The ending left me a little puzzled. Schwarz's recording is well done, perhaps the slow movements were a bit more tentative than I would have preferred.

Given the quality an accessibility of this music, I'm surprised Diamond isn't better represented on record.

[vandermolen]

Just finished my first listen to David Diamond's third symphony. A convulsively energetic first movement, a ghostly slow movement with considerable dissonance and sensuality, an energetic scherzo, followed by a return to the mood of the second movement, with a slow finale that ends quietly.

A satisfying work; I think the second movement was my favorite part. The ending left me a little puzzled. Schwarz's recording is well done, perhaps the slow movements were a bit more tentative than I would have preferred.

Given the quality an accessibility of this music, I'm surprised Diamond isn't better represented on record.

Yes, I'm surprised that it's the only recording. I rank it as one of the Great American 3rd Symphonies, alongside those by Roy Harris, Copland, William Schuman, Paul Creston and Howard Hanson. If you don't know them have a listen to symphonies 1,2 and 4 which are all great IMO.

[Spotted Horses]

Yes, I'm surprised that it's the only recording. I rank it as one of the Great American 3rd Symphonies, alongside those by Roy Harris, Copland, William Schuman, Paul Creston and Howard Hanson. If you don't know them have a listen to symphonies 1,2 and 4 which are all great IMO.

Yes, I have the Schwarz recordings of 2 and 4. Seems like Delos' Diamond cycle ran out of steam. There is a Berstein recording of the 4th symphony, and I am curious to hear that.

[vandermolen]

Yes, I have the Schwarz recordings of 2 and 4. Seems like Delos' Diamond cycle ran out of steam. There is a Berstein recording of the 4th symphony, and I am curious to hear that.

The Bernstein 'American Masters' CD is probably my favourite recording in the entire series as it also features the best version of Roy Harris's Third Symphony (better than the DGG remake) as well as Diamond's 4th Symphony. Diamond's First Symphony is a favourite of mine as well.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Some may yet remember the GMG'er weirdears (Chris Forbes, who was a student of Diamond's.

I've just learnt of Chris's piece Threnody Variations for Orchestra 2, in memoriam David Diamond ... a fabulous piece, I think:

https://www.youtube.com/v/nEiPGM304XE

[vandermolen]

Some may yet remember the GMG'er weirdears (Chris Forbes, who was a student of Diamond's.

I've just learnt of Chris's piece Threnody Variations for Orchestra 2, in memoriam David Diamond ... a fabulous piece, I think:

https://www.youtube.com/v/nEiPGM304XE

I remember weirdears (great name!) and the Threnody 2 sounds very good - interesting that he was taught by DD.

[calyptorhynchus]

As people here will know I'm a great Diamond fan, but for some reason I haven't listened to much Diamond recently. Today I listen to the Schwarz recording of the Symphony No.1 and I thought that it was literally 'lovely'. (This is an adjective much overused in describing music, but justified in this case).

[vandermolen]

As people here will know I'm a great Diamond fan, but for some reason I haven't listened to much Diamond recently. Today I listen to the Schwarz recording of the Symphony No.1 and I thought that it was literally 'lovely'. (This is an adjective much overused in describing music, but justified in this case).

You are right - it is lovely. My favourites are symphonies 1,2,3,4 and The Enormous Room.

[Peter Power Pop]

[snip]

Seems like Delos' Diamond cycle ran out of steam.

[snip]

Unfortunately, the Delos Diamond series lasted a paltry five CDs.

Volume 1:
Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4
Concerto for Small Orchestra

Volume 2:
Music for Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"
Psalm
Kaddish for Violoncello and Orchestra
Symphony No. 3

Volume 3:
Symphony No. 1
Violin Concerto No. 2
The Enormous Room

Volume 4:
First Orchestral Suite from the Ballet TOM
This Sacred Ground
Symphony No. 8

Volume 5:
Rounds for String Orchestra
Adagio (Third Movement from Symphony No. 11)
Concert Piece for Orchestra
Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel
Concert Piece for Flute and Harp

[calyptorhynchus]

Unfortunately, the Delos Diamond series lasted a paltry five CDs.

Volume 1:
Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4
Concerto for Small Orchestra

Volume 2:
Music for Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"
Psalm
Kaddish for Violoncello and Orchestra
Symphony No. 3

Volume 3:
Symphony No. 1
Violin Concerto No. 2
The Enormous Room

Volume 4:
First Orchestral Suite from the Ballet TOM
This Sacred Ground
Symphony No. 8

Volume 5:
Rounds for String Orchestra
Adagio (Third Movement from Symphony No. 11)
Concert Piece for Orchestra
Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel
Concert Piece for Flute and Harp

Extraordinary how badly Diamond has been treated by the US recording industry, especially as his output is better quality than most (or all) of his contemporaries. Most of his major later works have yet to be recorded.

[Maestro267]

Unfortunately, the Delos Diamond series lasted a paltry five CDs.


Volume 5:
Rounds for String Orchestra
Adagio (Third Movement from Symphony No. 11)
Concert Piece for Orchestra
Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel
Concert Piece for Flute and Harp

Ah, I had a feeling that "cycle" had the bizarre choice of recording just one movement from a symphony. I just couldn't remember which one it was.