Sir Arnold Bax

[vandermolen]

I share your appreciation, not just for Bax 6, but of David Lloyd-Jones' recording. L-J was my intro to Bax, and for many years, my only interpreter. Bax often doesn't quite sound right for me in other versions, as a consequence

Del Mar was my introduction to Bax's 6th Symphony on LP but I prefer every other recording (including Bostock  )

[foxandpeng]

Del Mar was my introduction to Bax's 6th Symphony on LP but I prefer every other recording (including Bostock  )

You have a more discerning ear than mine! I am seeking to train it harder, though

[DavidW]

Del Mar was my introduction to Bax's 6th Symphony on LP but I prefer every other recording (including Bostock  )

Thomson was my introduction, but I like all the recordings I've heard.

[vandermolen]

Thomson was my introduction, but I like all the recordings I've heard.

Thomson and Lloyd-Jones are my favourite recordings of the 6th Symphony. Somewhere in the BBC archives there is apparently a recording conducted by Boult which I'd love to hear.

[Daverz]

You have a more discerning ear than mine! I am seeking to train it harder, though

Indeed, I also thought the Munich orchestra sounded pretty good here.

[Maestro267]

For some reason I've never been able to get into the Fifth Symphony as much as the others. Can't quite figure out why. Trying it again now. In fact, the odd-numbered symphonies have taken me a lot longer to get into than the even-numbered symphonies.

[DavidW]

For some reason I've never been able to get into the Fifth Symphony as much as the others. Can't quite figure out why. Trying it again now. In fact, the odd-numbered symphonies have taken me a lot longer to get into than the even-numbered symphonies.

Same for me except the 7th.  My favs are 4, 6 and 7.

[Roasted Swan]

For some reason I've never been able to get into the Fifth Symphony as much as the others. Can't quite figure out why. Trying it again now. In fact, the odd-numbered symphonies have taken me a lot longer to get into than the even-numbered symphonies.

This is why taste in music is as fascinating as it is mysterious - No.5 was the symphony that completely sold me on Bax and to this day is an absolute favourite!

[Maestro267]

For me it was No. 2. And No. 6 put him in god-tier.

[Roasted Swan]

For me it was No. 2. And No. 6 put him in god-tier.

Love No.2 - No.6 is probably my least favourite.  And that's even though the general opinion is its the finest of the lot.  Never worked out quite why it does not appeal to me as much as the others......

[vandermolen]

Indeed, I also thought the Munich orchestra sounded pretty good here.

Yes, I like that recording too. Tempted to listen to it later.

[Symphonic Addict]

The 5th used to be my favorite, but lately it's been the 6th which I find more engrossing overall, followed by the 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th and a toss-up between the 4th and 7th in the last positions. The greatest opening goes for the 6th and the 3rd has the best ending IMO.

[relm1]

The 5th used to be my favorite, but lately it's been the 6th which I find more engrossing overall, followed by the 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th and a toss-up between the 4th and 7th in the last positions. The greatest opening goes for the 6th and the 3rd has the best ending IMO.

I feel his endings are always strong but probably prefer the ending of No. 2 over No. 3 (fine as it is) because it follows a cataclysmic eruption of sound into a desolate wasteland.  Just very effective ending.

[mahler10th]

Love No.2 - No.6 is probably my least favourite.  And that's even though the general opinion is its the finest of the lot.  Never worked out quite why it does not appeal to me as much as the others......

I have put on his 6 now.  It has the sonorities of a musical fairytale, probably his most imaginative Symphony.  But his Second is the one - it is maybe his boldest with a real 'rudeness' about it.  His second has a mind to throw me around in a jar of beans and then quietly examine me to see what happened.  It's really impudent, but mighty in its intended impression.  I play his second more than the others.
The thing is, when I put Arnold Bax on, I receive punishment beyond words.  He absoloutely bestows upon me a slaying of profundity, just by shaping his music the way he does.  I am maddened and transformed because sometimes it sounds so wrong but behold!  It isn't.   For me, Arnold Bax had his own completely unique sound.  I choose to undergo the Bax punishment a couple of times a month, because he's WELL within my narrowing spectrum of 'favourite composers'.  He's just brilliant.

[Maestro267]

I know he's often compared with some of the great orchestrators of the 20th century but even among those absolutely no-one orchestrates like Bax does.

[Roasted Swan]

Today I happened to listen to Bax's "In Memoriam" which appears as the last track on this disc;



a really impressive disc - mainly devoted to Elgar - but with this substantial/rare Bax work as the "filler"  Regarding the Elgar works; I do enjoy "The Spirit of England" - with wonderful choral writing and utter sincerity in its ardent-eyed patriotism.  The Voice in the Wilderness is still a rarity - a work for narrator, soprano solo and orchestra but it receives a very convincing performance here and a rather touching one too.  One thing struck me listening to the Funeral March from Grania & Diarmid (which is glorious) - I think Anthony Payne must have borrowed an idea or two (and the orchestration) from the last great climax for his Symphony 3 realisation.

Which brings me to the Bax.  Written around the time of "Garden of Fand" this is Bax at his creative early peak.  A tremendously powerful work - but of course one that would sit uneasily with the powers that be given its support of Paedrig Pearce and the Irish Rebellion.  This is a substantial work 17:03 with Elder and 14:52 with Handley in its only other recording.  Both are very fine but I rather like the extra little bit of grandeur and grief Elder finds.  But a tremendous work and one that deserves to be much better known.  Bax's original orchestration was lost for decades so it was never played in his lifetime.  But Bax did mine the score later in life to use a theme in his film music for Oliver Twist which is why it might sound familair.

One VERY curious error in the Halle release booklet.  The great Micheal Kennedy states that the work is an orchestration of the cor anglais, harp, string quartet work from 1916 also "In Memoriam Paedrig Pearce".  Its not - its a completely unrelated work albeit on the same subject [there's a recording of the chamber work on Chandos].  VERY surprised Kennedy could make this mistake and that it was not caught pre-publication.  The existence of the 2 different works is clearly documented by Graham Parlett for one.

[Spotted Horses]

Reminds me, I am up to the third symphony in my back-burner Bax survey.

[foxandpeng]

Reminds me, I am up to the third symphony in my back-burner Bax survey.

More Bax. Definitely more Bax.

[Spotted Horses]

More Bax. Definitely more Bax.

I never quite came to terms with the second, despite (maybe because of) listening to the three well known recordings.

[Florestan]

I never quite came to terms with the second, despite (maybe because of) listening to the three well known recordings.

Blimey, you were dead serious about that war....