Topic: Sir Arnold Bax

[vandermolen]

I rather like the Douglas Bostock recording of Symphony 6, on Classico, even though it was poorly reviewed at the time of release.

[tjguitar]

Just a heads up: ArkivMusic has all the Chandos Classic CDs on sale for $7.99, with discounts on the mutli disc sets. That includes the 8 Bax "Orchestral Works" volumes among other stuff in that Chandos sub-label.

[tjguitar]

I was stuck on an airplane coming home from St Louis yesterday and managed to go through a chunk of the recently-revised Bax biography.  Interesting stuff indeed.

Def. recommend.




BTW, does anyone know what the delay is for Lyrita releases to get to the US (such as amazon.com) I really want that CD w/ Del Mar's Symphony No. 6 and the unreleased overtures conducted by Handley, that's supposed to be released in June in Europe, but it seems like it takes forever for those discs to get released over here....longer wait than naxos or chandos, I think.

[vandermolen]

The book is great, I just bought it. Can't you order the Lyritas from Amazon UK? Maybe the postage is very high.

[tjguitar]

The book is great, I just bought it. Can't you order the Lyritas from Amazon UK? Maybe the postage is very high.

Sure but its cheaper to wait for Amazon US plus I got extra points w/ my amazon.com visa card (amazon uk or any other international amazon doesnt count)

[vandermolen]

Sure but its cheaper to wait for Amazon US plus I got extra points w/ my amazon.com visa card (amazon uk or any other international amazon doesnt count)

I understand, I hope that they get to the US soon. Is there much interest in British composers in the USA?

[tjguitar]

I understand, I hope that they get to the US soon. Is there much interest in British composers in the USA?

I guess it depends what you mean by "much" ...I mean, Is there much interest in *ANY* classical music in the USA?

[vandermolen]

I guess it depends what you mean by "much" ...I mean, Is there much interest in *ANY* classical music in the USA?

Yes, I understand. Do British composers ever appear in classical concerts in the USA?

[Brewski]

Yes, I understand. Do British composers ever appear in classical concerts in the USA?

Other than Elgar and Vaughan Williams, apparently not that often (at least, based on casual observation of concert programs over the years).  Actually, the British composer whom I've seen listed most often recently has been...Harrison Birtwistle!  But no Delius, little Holst (other than The Planets), no Grainger, Tippett, Bridge, Berkeley...and I don't think I've ever seen a Bax symphony listed anywhere.

--Bruce

[vandermolen]

Other than Elgar and Vaughan Williams, apparently not that often (at least, based on casual observation of concert programs over the years).  Actually, the British composer whom I've seen listed most often recently has been...Harrison Birtwistle!  But no Delius, little Holst (other than The Planets), no Grainger, Tippett, Bridge, Berkeley...and I don't think I've ever seen a Bax symphony listed anywhere.

--Bruce

Bax is rarely performed in Britain. The last Bax symphony to be performed at the London Proms was No 5 in 1984 (I was there). The Albert Hall was half empty

[Brewski]

This really surprises me!  (And I confess I haven't yet heard all of the Bax symphonies.)  Especially given all the publicity and good comments about the Handley set, I assumed that they show up with some regularity. 

--Bruce

[vandermolen]

This really surprises me!  (And I confess I haven't yet heard all of the Bax symphonies.)  Especially given all the publicity and good comments about the Handley set, I assumed that they show up with some regularity. 

--Bruce

No, there seems to be little correlation between what appears on CD and concert performances. The record companies (especially Chandos, Hyperion, Lyrita) are far more adventurous in recording the work of British composers.

[Hector]

This really surprises me!  (And I confess I haven't yet heard all of the Bax symphonies.)  Especially given all the publicity and good comments about the Handley set, I assumed that they show up with some regularity. 

--Bruce

No, and we are forever reliant upon the BBC to get its regional orchestras to perform this stuff in the studio rather than in the concert hall.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Yes, I understand. Do British composers ever appear in classical concerts in the USA?

Do American composers ever appear in classical concerts in Britain? Or in any other country? Composers that appear everywhere tend to be German/Austrian for the most part. Sure there are exceptions like Sibelius, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky to name a few others but I'd say 80-90% of the repertoire is German/Austrian.

[Hector]

Do American composers ever appear in classical concerts in Britain? Or in any other country? Composers that appear everywhere tend to be German/Austrian for the most part. Sure there are exceptions like Sibelius, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky to name a few others but I'd say 80-90% of the repertoire is German/Austrian.

Copland retains his popularity and Ives and Barber get the occasional airing.

[vandermolen]

Do American composers ever appear in classical concerts in Britain? Or in any other country? Composers that appear everywhere tend to be German/Austrian for the most part. Sure there are exceptions like Sibelius, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky to name a few others but I'd say 80-90% of the repertoire is German/Austrian.

I saw Slatkin conduct Copland's Third Symphony at the London Proms a couple of years back. Copland is popular in the UK and infact he made many recordings over here with the Philharmonia and other British orchestras. John Adams is also popular (relatively speaking!) and last year I attended an all Adams concert at the Proms in the presence of the composer. I think it was the UK premiere of "My Father Knew Charles Ives" although I may be wrong.

[tjguitar]

As far as live concerts go, the only Briitsh music Ive heard are some choral works from Walton (Balshazzar's Feast) and RVW (I don't know the piece but it was around Christmastime)----thats about it.

[PerfectWagnerite]

As far as live concerts go, the only Briitsh music Ive heard are some choral works from Walton (Balshazzar's Feast) and RVW (I don't know the piece but it was around Christmastime)----thats about it.

Does VW second symphony get performed often? It seems to be a very fine work?

[tjguitar]

Does VW second symphony get performed often? It seems to be a very fine work?

I haven't a clue what gets performed around here, the only ones near me really are the LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl and the latter is mostly Pops stuff.

I heard some Delius (Cuckoo) on XM Pops the other day and that was pretty neat--I may not listen to that station enough, but they don't typically play 20th century stuff on there.

[Nunc Dimittis]

Other than Elgar and Vaughan Williams, apparently not that often (at least, based on casual observation of concert programs over the years).  Actually, the British composer whom I've seen listed most often recently has been...Harrison Birtwistle!  But no Delius, little Holst (other than The Planets), no Grainger, Tippett, Bridge, Berkeley...and I don't think I've ever seen a Bax symphony listed anywhere.

--Bruce

Are you forgetting Britten.  The San Francisco Sym. performs him frequently.  Here in Sacramento the local opera company will be doing one  of his operas this coming season.  I think the Turn of the Screw.

Bax is rarely performed in Britain. The last Bax symphony to be performed at the London Proms was No 5 in 1984 (I was there). The Albert Hall was half empty

I was in London in October of 2003 and Handley performed Bax's Symphony no. 3 at the Royal Academy of Music.  It was sold out.  The audience included the Dutchess of Gloucester and Lady Ursula Vaughan Williams.  The concert hall at the RAM is not as large and this was just before the releaes of Handley's complete set of Bax symphonies.  That may have accounted for the full attendance.  Oh, the person sitting next to me at that concert was Lewis Foreman.  I did not know that there is a new edition of his Bax biography available.  I also heard from a friend who lives in England and likes Bax's music that the First symphony was performed in Northern Ireland a year or two ago.