Tippett's Tearoom

[vandermolen]

One of my work colleagues, as a boy, did gardening for Tippet. One day Tippet found him asleep in a wheelbarrow.

My favourite works are the Concerto for Double String Orchestra, Corelli Variations and Symphony 1. Don't know the Rose Lake.

[karlhenning]

One of my work colleagues, as a boy, did gardening for Tippet. One day Tippet found him asleep in a wheelbarrow.

Great story!

My favourite works are the Concerto for Double String Orchestra, Corelli Variations and Symphony 1. Don't know the Rose Lake.

I wonder how Harry is getting on with the symphonies . . . ?

[not edward]

I've been listening to The Vision of Saint Augustine a few times in the last month or so, and I'm becoming very fond of this work. Yes, it's a bit crazy, but I think the craziness in it is very appropriate to the material, and I find it very beguiling.

The Rose Lake is just gorgeous stuff: I heard the premiere on Radio 3 and it was the first Tippett work that spoke to me. It's still a favourite, though I think I like Hickox's recent recording better than Sir Colin Davis' original one.

By the way, was the joke in the topic title intentional or not?

[paulb]

By the way, was the joke in the topic title intentional or not?

not sure, but as slips of the tongue go, the title sure fits the music.

[snyprrr]

It's been years since I had Tippett's SQs 1-4 by the Britten Qrt. on Collins. I seem to remember the first three having an exhuberant, srightly, spiky neo-classicism. However, in my great British SQ Purge of '98, only V-W's No.2 survived.

I have since enjoyed Tippett's No.4 and Britten's No.3 with the Lindsays/ASV, a great testament to these composers' late works.

So I surprised myself by picking up the Lindsay's orginal London cd of SQs 1-3... for only $2.99!!! What a deal!!!

Starting with No.2 first, I was met with some of the freshest inspiration I've heard in a while. The overwhelming sense of madrigals permeates this mvmt., and even the whole SQ exudes this atmosphere of neo-classic madrigalism. I seem to barely recall this from before, but No.2 comes up an unqualified success to my ears, still a bit overdone, perhaps, but in a fun way. The melodic appeal is just too much for me not to celebrate. The first seconds of the first mvmt. are some of the most expectant I've heard, and the rest of the mvmt. beautifully delivers on this promise of fifths and fourths.

No.1 doesn't have the immediate appeal of No.2, but Tippett's super fussy counterpoint is a joy to me. Mvmts. 2-3 are Tippett's first real music, for which he wrote a new first mvmt. much later. The slow mvmt in particular, has a classic British neo-classicism I really like.

No.3 also comes from the 40s, and as it stands, these 3 SQs do form a mini-cycle, perfectly intergrated one with another (No.1/3mvmts, No.2/4mvmts., No.3/5mvmts.). No.3 has an openly stated Bartok influence, though the music is Tippett's own.

It amazes me that so many composers during this time hit on so many of the same ideas, but each one was allowed their own voice (Tippett, Pijper, Maconchy, Blacher, etc.).

This Lindsay recording from 1975 is one of the coziest things I've heard lately. The playing and sound form to give a very unique aural experience. It just sounds special, and the music has this certain madrigal quality that makes it fairly unique in such crowded company ('30s-'40s). And, as far as comparing them to Britten's similar achievement, I am at a loss, but suffice to say that Tippett's 3 SQs are quite distinct, and make quite a nice self contained unit.

A very special cd.

[The new erato]

The first mvt  from the second Qt is a particular favorite of mine as well, and I've sung its praises elsewhere on the board.

[vandermolen]

Listened to The Rose Lake the other evening, and was entranced.

Then The Vision of St Augustine started, and I couldn't listen on.  I suspect it was just a matter of being caught up in the spirit of the first piece.  I'll try Auggie again later

Now giving the Fantasia concertante on a Theme of Corelli a spin at long last.

Corelli Fantasia is lovely. Concerto for Double String Orchestra and Symphony No 1 are my favourite works + the end of A Child of Our Time, which is very moving.  His mother lived locally in East Sussex.  One of my former colleagues, as a youn man, did some gardening for her. One day Tippet found him asleep in a wheelbarrow 

[karlhenning]

Corelli Fantasia is lovely. Concerto for Double String Orchestra and Symphony No 1 are my favourite works + the end of A Child of Our Time, which is very moving.

Haven't heard the First Symphony at all, yet. (Agreed, of course, on the merits of the Concerto for Double String Orchestra.)  I haven't yet girded my loins to try A Child of Our Time.

[not edward]

I've been lucky enough to pick up these two Tippett sets very cheaply recently:



I think the Hickox set becomes my default recommendation for the symphonies. I've not heard the First yet on this set, but the Fourth is far better than Solti's awful studio recording, and--hallelujah--the finale of the Third is almost convincing here (I found it the letdown in the Davis recording, my first experience of the work, where I loved everything about the work right up to the arrival of the Schreckenfanfare). I think I'd still prefer Davis in the Second, but Hickox isn't far behind...of course, the composer's own coupling of the Second and Fourth is also very competitive.

The addition of the somewhat deranged suite from the otherwise unrecorded New Year is a sizeable bonus too.


The Nimbus set contains a more eclectic mix--though how can eclecticism not be appropriate in Tippett's case--including such rarities as the charming Crown of the Year and the sonata The Blue Guitar. I don't think it's quite as essential (excluding the concertos, which most definitely are essential Tippett) but there's lots of really enjoyable bits'n'pieces thrown in.


Overall, though, these two sets have very much confirmed Tippett's greatness for me: perhaps less naturally talented than Britten, but so blessed with musical personality that he couldn't but force his ideas into a mostly successful form. (to me, Beethoven's ghost is a visible presence in almost everything Tippett does, and is doing a lot of the forcing). And when the work is arguably not entirely successful, it often seems to me that is in part the point: am I misremembering or did Tippett say something like "my music doesn't work as it should because it relates to life as it is, not as it's supposed to be"?

I'd really like to get hold of the major works I've not heard, particularly King Priam and The Mask of Time. Time to stalk the second-hand sites!

[karlhenning]

I think I've fetched in basically all the Nimbus set in stages.

I am intrigued by (and grateful for) your endorsement of the Hickox symphonies set . . . .

[Scarpia]

Well, I found an entre to Tippett for about 3 bucks.

[karlhenning]

Those are three great pieces, Scarps.

[not edward]

Those are three great pieces, Scarps.

Excellent performances too--I have a previous incarnation of that disc and now am tempted to put it on.

[Mirror Image]

I have ignored Tippett's music for years and I'm not sure why, but I have many recordings on the way: I have two Decca box sets with Colin Davis' famous readings of the symphonies/orchestral works in one box while his famous reading of A Child of Our Time is in another. I also went ahead and bought the Hickox symphony set and another recording that compliments it. I look forward to digging into his music.

[karlhenning]

Could be a year or so ago I indulged in a Tippett immersion. It will soon be time to repeat (and expand upon) that . . . .

[Scarpia]

Just listened to the triple concerto.  Can't imagine how I got the idea that I loath Tippett.     Wonderful music.  I think it was the 4th symphony that put me over the edge.  (That bit with the breathing.)

[Mirror Image]

Just listened to the triple concerto.  Can't imagine how I got the idea that I loath Tippett.     Wonderful music.  I think it was the 4th symphony that put me over the edge.  (That bit with the breathing.)

I really hate the 4th symphony of Tippett's. It's such a catastrophe. Piano Concerto and Fantasia On A Theme by Corelli are two of my favorite Tippett compositions, though the oratorio A Child of Our Time is a gorgeous work.

[not edward]

To prove variety as the spice of life, I'll merely note that I think the 4th symphony is a tremendous work, and it's my favourite of the symphonies.

[Scarpia]

To prove variety as the spice of life, I'll merely note that I think the 4th symphony is a tremendous work, and it's my favourite of the symphonies.

If I could get a recording without the breathing at the beginning I might be able to listen to it.   

[lescamil]

If I could get a recording without the breathing at the beginning I might be able to listen to it.   

The recording of the breathing can be substituted by a wind machine. I have yet to hear a recording that does so, but I could imagine it working much better than the breathing.