Granville Bantock (1868-1946)

Started by vandermolen, April 19, 2007, 04:30:33 AM

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kyjo

#240
IMHO Bantock is not one of the more interesting of the lesser-known English composers. More often than not, I have high expectations for his pieces (especially the ones with exotic-sounding titles), which are usually let down by the lack of consistent inspiration in the music. That said, the Celtic and Hebridean Symphonies certainly have their moments, and Thalaba the Destroyer is a wonderfully shameless "aping" of Tchaikovsky in his hyper-dramatic Francesca/Manfred mode. Other than that, I remain to be convinced. I was woefully disappointed by his string orchestra works that were recently recorded by Bostock for CPO which garnered high praise from others - other English composers did the same sort of thing so much better, but that's just my measly two cents. :)
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Roasted Swan

Quote from: kyjo on May 08, 2023, 09:35:28 AMIMHO Bantock is not one of the more interesting of the lesser-known English composers. More often than not, I have high expectations for his pieces (especially the ones with exotic-sounding titles), which are usually let down by the lack of consistent inspiration in the music. That said, the Celtic and Hebridean Symphonies certainly have their moments, and Thalaba the Destroyer is a wonderfully shameless "aping" of Tchaikovsky in his hyper-dramatic Francesca/Manfred mode. Other than that, I remain to be convinced. I was woefully disappointed by his string orchestra works that were recently recorded by Bostock for CPO which garnered high praise from others - other English composers did the same sort of thing so much better, but that's just my measly two cents. :)

My thoughts and feelings exactly Kyjo!  Clearly a very interesting person and hugely able - but (for me) lacking that spark of genius that lifts ability to another level.  I must admit I've avoided the recent string music disc because (as you know) I'm not a huge Bostock fan so the combination of him and Bantock did not set my pulse racing.......  The proof of the pudding (for me) is how rarely I find myself 'craving' Bantock!

kyjo

Quote from: Roasted Swan on May 08, 2023, 09:50:24 AMMy thoughts and feelings exactly Kyjo!  Clearly a very interesting person and hugely able - but (for me) lacking that spark of genius that lifts ability to another level.  I must admit I've avoided the recent string music disc because (as you know) I'm not a huge Bostock fan so the combination of him and Bantock did not set my pulse racing.......  The proof of the pudding (for me) is how rarely I find myself 'craving' Bantock!

Indeed...the biggest thing counting against Bantock in most of his works is his inability to come up with a memorable melody, to my ears.
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Albion

The next confirmed project for Retrospect Opera is "The Seal Woman" (1924) by Granville Bantock. This is a lovely small scale work infused with Hebridean folk melodies. John Andrews will conduct the soloists and the orchestra of Scottish Opera in this centenary release. Great news! After performances in 1975 the full score was lost but it eventually resurfaced in 2016 and a new edition has been prepared. Unfortunately the release of Stanford's "Shamus O'Brien" is delayed as the singer playing Nora had a throat infection and a replacement singer will record that role in August...
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)

vandermolen

Quote from: kyjo on May 08, 2023, 02:35:52 PMIndeed...the biggest thing counting against Bantock in most of his works is his inability to come up with a memorable melody, to my ears.
I tend to agree Kyle, although I really like the Hebridean Symphony, The Cyprian Goddess (Symphony 3), The Celtic Symphony and the Pagan Symphony - I much prefer him to Holbrooke for example.
"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).

kyjo

Quote from: vandermolen on June 26, 2023, 04:25:46 AMI tend to agree Kyle, although I really like the Hebridean Symphony, The Cyprian Goddess (Symphony 3), The Celtic Symphony and the Pagan Symphony - I much prefer him to Holbrooke for example.

I'll give Bantock another chance once Hyperion's catalogue becomes available for streaming! ;) And I'm not too keen on Holbrooke either, though I must admit to enjoying his deliciously OTT Piano Concerto no. 1 The Song of Gwynn Ap Nudd, which features in Hyperion's RPC series.
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Roasted Swan

Quote from: kyjo on July 01, 2023, 10:36:51 AMI'll give Bantock another chance once Hyperion's catalogue becomes available for streaming! ;) And I'm not too keen on Holbrooke either, though I must admit to enjoying his deliciously OTT Piano Concerto no. 1 The Song of Gwynn Ap Nudd, which features in Hyperion's RPC series.

I think I can honestly say I've never heard a single piece by Holbrooke (and I have tried!!) that I find either memorable or musically convincing.  Empty musical rhetoric dressed up in extended harmonic convolutions and excess orchestration.

vandermolen

Quote from: Roasted Swan on July 01, 2023, 11:17:57 AMI think I can honestly say I've never heard a single piece by Holbrooke (and I have tried!!) that I find either memorable or musically convincing.  Empty musical rhetoric dressed up in extended harmonic convolutions and excess orchestration.
I prefer the chamber music to the orchestral.
"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

I was just playing this great LP and I'd forgotten how good Bantock's 'Macbeth' Overture is. Amazingly I don't think that it has ever been recorded again and was missed out in the Hyperion series.
I'd say that it's one of Bantock's most enjoyable works:
"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).

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: vandermolen on November 02, 2023, 07:53:26 AMI was just playing this great LP and I'd forgotten how good Bantock's 'Macbeth' Overture is. Amazingly I don't think that it has ever been recorded again and was missed out in the Hyperion series.
I'd say that it's one of Bantock's most enjoyable works:


This is something I'd like to hear, Jeffrey. Wikipedia lists a quite interesting array of his works and some that remain unrecorded have catchy titles (Four Chinese Landscapes, Aphrodite in Cyprus, Hudibras, Lalla Rookh, etc).
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

vandermolen

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on November 02, 2023, 12:12:31 PMThis is something I'd like to hear, Jeffrey. Wikipedia lists a quite interesting array of his works and some that remain unrecorded have catchy titles (Four Chinese Landscapes, Aphrodite in Cyprus, Hudibras, Lalla Rookh, etc).
Hi Cesar. The Macbeth Overture, especially the second part is catchy, dramatic and memorable. I had forgotten how good it was and initially thought that it was just the 'fill-up' for the Hebridean Symphony (given a fine performance by the Hull City Youth Orchestra) but it is so much more than that.
"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).