Sir Arnold Bax

[Roasted Swan]

Yep, Barbirolli gave the Proms premiere of the sixth on 26th August 1953 with the Hallé but I don't know if it was broadcast and if it was I've never been able to source a recording...

 

Once upon a time, Bax did fairly well at the Proms (almost invariably conducted by Basil Cameron) -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/events/composers/9138c4da-1959-445c-8ac8-ba917ec84b3a/works

I'd like to hear Barbirolli's arrangement of the Oboe Quintet (9th August 1968), I bet that was fun.

Quite salutary to realise that 1953 premiere remains the only time the work has been played at the Proms.....

[Albion]

errmm..... here??

Oops! Another one I've completely missed...

    

[vandermolen]

I agree with Albion that this is an underrated performance of the 6th Symphony and Tintagel. Nice cover art as well.

[Albion]

I agree with Albion that this is an underrated performance of the 6th Symphony and Tintagel. Nice cover art as well.

I think that the whole of Douglas Bostock's ClassicO series was underrated and generally it kept below the radar. It was very wide-ranging with York Bowen, Cipriani Potter, Sterndale Bennett, Coleridge-Taylor, Cowen, Arthur Butterworth, Ruth Gipps, George Dyson, Havergal Brian, Alan Bush, Edward Gregson, Alun Hoddinott, John McCabe, etc. These were great strengths and Bostock handles them all very well. All the discs devoted to more "recognised" names (Elgar, Delius, Bax, Vaughan Williams, Holst and Arnold) have the benefit of enterprising programme choices. It's a pity that when Membran issued a bargain box derived from the ClassicO recordings they only included ten of the discs. Since then he's gone on to record for CPO and given us (so far) three excellent and equally imaginative volumes of British music for string orchestra. As with the equally talented and versatile Howard Griffiths, because his career has been mostly abroad Bostock has been largely overlooked in the UK.

https://www.douglasbostock.net/single-post/british-music-discography

 

[Albion]

Reaching the tail-end of my collection, I'm now addressing



This is a typically enterprising disc which I really enjoy. Once again the original issue is out of print but still available from Chandos as a download or a CDR. Although it got a really sniffy review on Amazon, it was generally well-received by the music magazines. Brabbins is very successful in Bax, just a pity that there's virtually nothing left to record now...

 

[kyjo]

Now onto



In his early period (this is 1916) did Bax scribble anything more gorgeous than In Memoriam (possibly Spring Fire)? I love Havergal Brian's overture (1910) of the same name: such a contrast of idioms but each equally compelling. I may be biased (Saints forfend) but the breadth and sheer quality of so much early twentieth century British music never ceases to amaze me AND IT'S NEVER BLOODY PROGRAMMED...

 

Curiously, my CD cover titles it The Bard of Dimbovitza, what the hell it's another lovely work.

Absolutely - In memoriam is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I know by anyone. It's an example of Bax at his most melodically inspired - no wonder he reused the gloriously noble main theme in the end title sequence to his film score to Oliver Twist several decades later. In some of Bax's lesser works, I feel he relies too much on at atmosphere (which he was superb at creating) and not enough on memorable thematic material, but certainly not so here!

And, of course, I fully agree with you about the unfortunate side-lining of British music in today's concert halls. There seems to be a prejudice that most British music is stuffy, pompous, or emotionally reserved - which usually couldn't be further from the truth!!

[Albion]

Absolutely - In memoriam is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I know by anyone. It's an example of Bax at his most melodically inspired - no wonder he reused the gloriously noble main theme in the end title sequence to his film score to Oliver Twist several decades later. In some of Bax's lesser works, I feel he relies too much on at atmosphere (which he was superb at creating) and not enough on memorable thematic material, but certainly not so here!

And, of course, I fully agree with you about the unfortunate side-lining of British music in today's concert halls. There seems to be a prejudice that most British music is stuffy, pompous, or emotionally reserved - which usually couldn't be further from the truth!!

I was frankly amazed when Bantock got such prominence at the Proms in 2013 (I made it to every performance) and equally flabbergasted by the stunning performances of Ethel Smyth in this last year's season. Concert planners generally seem afraid of programming unfamiliar British music, especially symphonies and concertos. What they should do is slot in shorter works which introduce an audience to a composer in a compact representative work, e.g. Brian's For Valour, Holbrooke's Ulalume or Dyson's later overture to The Canterbury Pilgrims. Any of these would go down a storm and cause people to think "why have I never heard of this wonderful stuff before?" The simple answer is ignorance and lack of adventure from concert planners and conductors. It's been recorded, but the repertoire is not the stuff of which reputations are made, unless you're a Thomson a Handley a Hickox a Griffiths or a Brabbins and do it fantastically...

 

[Albion]

Well, I've so enjoyed my Bax-a-thon (about 25 or so discs including the Handley and Thomson symphony cycles) that I've just got to start the whole bloody lot ALL OVER AGAIN! His music is endlessly fascinating and inventive: as I mentioned above I love the choral disc with Martyn Brabbins and I really do think that the performances are very good indeed - this is not easy music for the chorus after all, and we are unlikely to see further recordings. I can't wait for the Naxos re-issue in January so that I can add THAT to the pile. Frankly, unless you're completely averse to gorgeous colour and strong distinctive melody, or are anally-retentive about strict sonata form, how can you not love this stuff?

 

[vandermolen]

This is one of my favourite Bax CDs
It features the fill-ups from Thomson Bax's cycle but make for a fascinating collection.

[Albion]

This is one of my favourite Bax CDs
It features the fill-ups from Thomson Bax's cycle but make for a fascinating collection.

It's a great compilation and shows Thomson at his best. I've just emailed Chandos to point out the eternal and incomparable importance of their Bax catalogue and reminding them of the fact that Naxos are busy making a VERY attractive repackage of the Lloyd-Jones, whilst suggesting diplomatically that they get their house in order and stuff everything they have into a lovely big box. If you don't ask, you don't get...

[vandermolen]

It's a great compilation and shows Thomson at his best. I've just emailed Chandos to point out the eternal and incomparable importance of their Bax catalogue and reminding them of the fact that Naxos are busy making a VERY attractive repackage of the Lloyd-Jones, whilst suggesting diplomatically that they get their house in order and stuff everything they have into a lovely big box. If you don't ask, you don't get...

I remember the excitement of discovering Nympholept (in its best performance on disc IMO), Christmas Eve in the Mountains and even the unpromising sounding 'Festival Overture' for the first time on that fabulous disc.

[Albion]

I remember the excitement of discovering Nympholept (in its best performance on disc IMO), Christmas Eve in the Mountains and even the unpromising sounding 'Festival Overture' for the first time on that fabulous disc.

An awful lot of the Thomson recordings (at least in the tone poems) have never been equalled, not by Handley and not by Lloyd-Jones. I've somewhat revised my opinion of Thomson's Bax symphonies in the light of recent re-listening. Thomson is a wallow, but a damn gorgeous wallow, Handley is more taught and Lloyd-Jones is more tight (there's a difference). I've caught up with some of the Naxos again on YouTube pre-empting the impending arrival of the new box. All in all, three great complete sets plus all the other orchestral what-nots. As Harold Macmillan might have opined, Bax-enthusiasts have "never had it so good"...

  

[Roasted Swan]

I did wonder whether at the point Handley made his cycle that he was so determined to "make the case" for Bax as a disciplined 'symphonic' composer that he refused many/any opportunites for a wallow.  Its such an easy and lazy short-cut for critics/reviewers to use easy handles to label composers from RVW's muddy field to Delius' hazy impressionism and of course Bax's Irish visions.  Such short cuts grow from grains of truth but are a flawed and incomplete picture - but they stick (add Elgar's Edwardian Imperialism to the mix for instance).

Perhaps Handley, after years of crying in the wilderness about Bax, when given this once-in-a-career opportunity to "prove" what he meant was ultimately too objective, too emotionally controlled.  For sure there is greater formal rigour in Bax (or Delius for that matter - Handley was very good in Delius as well after all!) than often credited BUT the great outbursts of emotion or the rapturous staring at Eternity are more key to the creative spirit of the man surely.....  On a purely personal level, I am surprised how rarely I return to the Handley set.  Perhaps I am too imprinted with Myer Fredman or Raymond Leppard(!)

But great to have the choice.  I doubt I will live to hear a professional cycle in the concert hall mind.......

[vandermolen]

I did wonder whether at the point Handley made his cycle that he was so determined to "make the case" for Bax as a disciplined 'symphonic' composer that he refused many/any opportunites for a wallow.  Its such an easy and lazy short-cut for critics/reviewers to use easy handles to label composers from RVW's muddy field to Delius' hazy impressionism and of course Bax's Irish visions.  Such short cuts grow from grains of truth but are a flawed and incomplete picture - but they stick (add Elgar's Edwardian Imperialism to the mix for instance).

Perhaps Handley, after years of crying in the wilderness about Bax, when given this once-in-a-career opportunity to "prove" what he meant was ultimately too objective, too emotionally controlled.  For sure there is greater formal rigour in Bax (or Delius for that matter - Handley was very good in Delius as well after all!) than often credited BUT the great outbursts of emotion or the rapturous staring at Eternity are more key to the creative spirit of the man surely.....  On a purely personal level, I am surprised how rarely I return to the Handley set.  Perhaps I am too imprinted with Myer Fredman or Raymond Leppard(!)

But great to have the choice.  I doubt I will live to hear a professional cycle in the concert hall mind.......

I hardly ever listen to the Handley set.

[Irons]

I did wonder whether at the point Handley made his cycle that he was so determined to "make the case" for Bax as a disciplined 'symphonic' composer that he refused many/any opportunites for a wallow.  Its such an easy and lazy short-cut for critics/reviewers to use easy handles to label composers from RVW's muddy field to Delius' hazy impressionism and of course Bax's Irish visions.  Such short cuts grow from grains of truth but are a flawed and incomplete picture - but they stick (add Elgar's Edwardian Imperialism to the mix for instance).

Perhaps Handley, after years of crying in the wilderness about Bax, when given this once-in-a-career opportunity to "prove" what he meant was ultimately too objective, too emotionally controlled.  For sure there is greater formal rigour in Bax (or Delius for that matter - Handley was very good in Delius as well after all!) than often credited BUT the great outbursts of emotion or the rapturous staring at Eternity are more key to the creative spirit of the man surely.....  On a purely personal level, I am surprised how rarely I return to the Handley set.  Perhaps I am too imprinted with Myer Fredman or Raymond Leppard(!)

But great to have the choice.  I doubt I will live to hear a professional cycle in the concert hall mind.......

Fully in agreement with your comments on RVW, Delius and especially Elgar. One of my pet hates is when a label sticks to a composer, performer or whatever it is repeated infinitum by the great and good of the musical world - people who should know better.
As for Bax, I have not heard Handley in the symphonies but perhaps I should. Listening to Thomson I sometimes get the impression the music runs out of steam. I have put this down to the composer in the past but listening to Lloyd-Jones this is not an issue. I have the Lyrita's on LP, but as they are by assorted conductors it is difficult to come up with an overview.

[vandermolen]

Roger Norrington's unsurprisingly unfinished Vaughan Williams cycle is another example of a conductor becoming so engrossed in presenting an 'original' interpretation (in this case trying to present VW as a 'major European composer') that he only succeeds in making the music sound oddly unidiomatic.

[Albion]

Fully in agreement with your comments on RVW, Delius and especially Elgar. One of my pet hates is when a label sticks to a composer, performer or whatever it is repeated infinitum by the great and good of the musical world - people who should know better.
As for Bax, I have not heard Handley in the symphonies but perhaps I should. Listening to Thomson I sometimes get the impression the music runs out of steam. I have put this down to the composer in the past but listening to Lloyd-Jones this is not an issue. I have the Lyrita's on LP, but as they are by assorted conductors it is difficult to come up with an overview.

Indeed! Stanford "the English (or Irish) Brahms", Vaughan Williams "the English cow-pat", Coleridge-Taylor "the English Dvorak", Holbrooke "the Cockney Wagner", Scott "the English Debussy", Edward German "the English German"? Worra load of old cobblers. All of these extremely fine composers were essentially individual and so were their mature musical idioms. Same with Bax. Professional critics are by-and-large a lazy bunch who probably don't listen to something more than once before spouting forth...

 

[Albion]

Roger Norrington's unsurprisingly unfinished Vaughan Williams cycle is another example of a conductor becoming so engrossed in presenting an 'original' interpretation (in this case trying to present VW as a 'major European composer') that he only succeeds in making the music sound oddly unidiomatic.

Oh, the sheer unmitigated horror of Norrington! Although it's not my favourite cycle, Haitink made a better cause for RVW "from a European perspective", just as Previn and Slatkin have done "from an American perspective", just as Rozhdestvensky did "from a Russian perspective". Let's face it this music should be internationally recognised as should that of Bax...

 

[Albion]

As I've rattled through my 25 or so Bax orchestral and choral CDs (I don't do chamber or instrumental scribbles usually, I like my music full-fat as in Richard Strauss, Schreker and Korngold - you can hear the arteries furring up as you listen), I am bereft until the Naxos symphony cycle falls through the letterbox on January 13th. In the meantime I seek refuge in Bowen and Arnold. As mentioned before, what is there left of Bax to be recorded? It is highly unlikely that anybody will take on another symphony cycle, perhaps one or two of the tone-poems might appear in a mixed programme (but only one of the most popular three "Tintagel", "The Garden of Fand" or "November Woods"). Otherwise I think that Bax is one of those wonderful composers who in recording terms has "had his day", as with Bantock and Holst. There are still commercially unrecorded works by the latter two that would be well worthwhile but how to programme them? Either you pair them with other works by the same composer that have been recorded a million times or you pop them into a mixed bag of odds and sods...

 

[Karl Henning]

Roger Norrington's unsurprisingly unfinished Vaughan Williams cycle is another example of a conductor becoming so engrossed in presenting an 'original' interpretation (in this case trying to present VW as a 'major European composer') that he only succeeds in making the music sound oddly unidiomatic.

In one way I admire his move: It takes nerve to step out of your zone. And if you don't make the occasional misstep, you're probably playing it too safe.