Sir Arnold Bax

[Sergeant Rock]

What's not to like,Sarge?!!

  ...yeah, that's the question I've been asking myself, with no answers forthcoming. Strange...but then Bax has always been a bit of a problem for me. I've warmed to him slowly, piece by piece. And it's not like I haven't given "Piney" a chance. I've owned that CD for at least 25 years!

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

What's another ten years?! You never know?!!   And you definitely prefer Into the Twilight and  Nympholept?!!
I like The Tale the Pine Trees Knew (okay,I'm going to leave out the italics this time!) but I Think the Northern Ballads,TGOF,Tintagel,November Woods and Tintagel have more memorable ideas though. I still like it,though! It's that cold,steely,northern atmosphere I can feel myself shivering just listening to it!

Wait a minute,I haven't turned the storage heaters up!!

[cilgwyn]

This is one I definitely like. I used to play this all the time when I was young;and usually full blast! I don't play it as much as I used to,but I still like it for that epic,legendary quality. This is pretty purple heart on sleeve stuff for a British composer. Those huge,noisy,speaker pulverising climaxes were big favourites back then. It is intensely romantic and tempestuous,to say the least. I remember I had a crush on some girl at the time. This got played allot for some reason?!!

[Sergeant Rock]

What's another ten years?! You never know?!!   And you definitely prefer Into the Twilight and  Nympholept?!!

At this moment, yes...definitely. In the Faery Hills too. But who knows what tomorrow may bring (I plan to give Piney another spin).

Is everyone in agreement that Tintagel and Christmas Eve are his best tone poems?


Sarge

[cilgwyn]

Erm,Tintagel! I would like to have the original  cd with Christmas Eve on it,though. For the wonderful wintry scene on the front,primarily,I'm afraid! (I've only got the symphony on the old Thomson box set). I've got the Lp somewhere,too! I don't have it now......I erm (I really do hate to tell you this!) but I'm afraid the YMCA got given the tone poems cd with Xmas Eve on it . Radio 3 play it every Xmas,and I think vandermolen is a fan?

[cilgwyn]

I'm listening to the Symphonic Variations now (Fingerhut/Thomson).

[André]

For the unquenchable baxian, there is this:




Amazon reviewers' reviews are mixed, but tend to be favourable. In short: a full-fledged Bax score (written down to the last double bar line by the composer) orchestrated by the indefatigable Martin Yates.

[vandermolen]

This might put you in the mood,Sarge?! I Don't think this performance has ever made it to cd,has it? A nice photo. This would have really put me in the right mood.

Yes, I have that CD on the Concert Artist CD label. It was one of the few genuine releases (along with Vernon Handley's Guildford Philharmonic premiere recording of Bax's Fourth Symphony) on the label that perpetrated the notorious Joyce Hatto fraud.

[vandermolen]

Erm,Tintagel! I would like to have the original  cd with Christmas Eve on it,though. For the wonderful wintry scene on the front,primarily,I'm afraid! (I've only got the symphony on the old Thomson box set). I've got the Lp somewhere,too! I don't have it now......I erm (I really do hate to tell you this!) but I'm afraid the YMCA got given the tone poems cd with Xmas Eve on it . Radio 3 play it every Xmas,and I think vandermolen is a fan?

Yes, that Christmas Eve CD (the one with Tintagel, Nympholept and Paen) is my favourite Bax CD. Even the unpromising sounding 'Festival Overture' is fully characteristic. I prefer the Symphonic Variations to Winter Legends.

[Sergeant Rock]

Erm,Tintagel! I would like to have the original  cd with Christmas Eve on it,though. For the wonderful wintry scene on the front,primarily,I'm afraid!

I have that.




Sarge

[cilgwyn]

Yes, that Christmas Eve CD (the one with Tintagel, Nympholept and Paen) is my favourite Bax CD. Even the unpromising founding 'Festival Overture' is fully characteristic. I prefer the Symphonic Variations to Winter Legends.

And I prefer Winter Legends!! Although,as I said,I don't play it as much as I used to. Here's another one with the Lady herself! Wow!! I love this....even if the sound isn't exactly brilliant,even for it's time. I remember Michael G Thomas (who used to advertise regularly in Gramophone)  had a cassette of this advertised,back in the 80's. I mulled over buying it,but never did! They used to advertise all kinds of strange fare in their lists. I got my Aries Lp of Brian's third from them. I didn't know it was pirated at the time! I remember thinking it was a bit strange. (Eat your heart out,Sherlock Holmes! More like Nigel Bruce in the old films,probably! ))  have told you this before,of course!!

The 'fill-up' items are good,too.

[cilgwyn]

I'm listening to Cohen playing Winter Legends now. Lucky you,Sarge,having that cd. (Hello a certain purveyor of s/h cds!!). I'm trying to save until at least Easter,though! I think I will enjoy Xmas Eve more coupled with the First Symphony and that photo!
I'm sure I had that cd,vandermolen. I'm glad I didn't buy any of those Joyce Hatto cds. I didn't realise it had been released on cd. Is it still coupled with the Moeran?
André. I have been mulling over having another go at that Symphony in F,when I can find it? It's in a wallet,in a box,with the booklet and inlays somewhere else?!!

[calyptorhynchus]

Yes, I have that CD on the Concert Artist CD label. It was one of the few genuine releases (along with Vernon Handley's Guildford Philharmonic premiere recording of Bax's Fourth Symphony) on the label that perpetrated the notorious Joyce Hatto fraud.

I've been reading about the Joyce Hatto fraud, very amusing. It completely passed me by the time, I guess because all the attributed music was (and is) of no interest to me whatsoever.

But it does tend to make you sceptical of reviewers. I realise that faced with a single CD of piano music it would be difficult to say "This is not Joyce Hatto playing", but various people were building her up as a great virtuoso and you would have thought that they would have realised that they were dealing with various different pianists!

[vandermolen]

I'm listening to Cohen playing Winter Legends now. Lucky you,Sarge,having that cd. (Hello a certain purveyor of s/h cds!!). I'm trying to save until at least Easter,though! I think I will enjoy Xmas Eve more coupled with the First Symphony and that photo!
I'm sure I had that cd,vandermolen. I'm glad I didn't buy any of those Joyce Hatto cds. I didn't realise it had been released on cd. Is it still coupled with the Moeran?
André. I have been mulling over having another go at that Symphony in F,when I can find it? It's in a wallet,in a box,with the booklet and inlays somewhere else?!!

Having checked, it is not. The Pine Trees appears not to have made it to CD. Bax's 4th is coupled with Moeran's Serenade and the Symphonic Variations has a CD to itself. They also sent me a freebie - one of the fraudulent recordings of Rachmaninov piano concertos.
The fraud was a tragi-comedy. Here is a documentary about it.
https://youtu.be/cG5MxQTOThk

[vandermolen]

And I prefer Winter Legends!! Although,as I said,I don't play it as much as I used to. Here's another one with the Lady herself! Wow!! I love this....even if the sound isn't exactly brilliant,even for it's time. I remember Michael G Thomas (who used to advertise regularly in Gramophone)  had a cassette of this advertised,back in the 80's. I mulled over buying it,but never did! They used to advertise all kinds of strange fare in their lists. I got my Aries Lp of Brian's third from them. I didn't know it was pirated at the time! I remember thinking it was a bit strange. (Eat your heart out,Sherlock Holmes! More like Nigel Bruce in the old films,probably! ))  have told you this before,of course!!

The 'fill-up' items are good,too.

That is a nice disc as is Goossens recording of Bax's Second Symphony.

[cilgwyn]

Yes. I think I prefer this to the Chandos cd,in a way. You feel like you're getting close to the creative forge,as it were. I think the sound is pretty good,considering. Isn't it just good that you can hear this document! I would agree that the Symphonic Variations is more subtle. I think this is a tremendous work,though. The purple bits though,are very purple! Fun,I think,when you're in the right mood;but these days I prefer some of his more subtle works!! The Symphonies,the previously mentioned concertos, chamber and instrumental music. The Viola Sonata on this cd for example!

[cilgwyn]

I've got this lined up for playing. Possibly not today,or what's left of it. I just saw the price of this on Amazon now. I'm glad I bought it when I did!!
I wouldn't mind that 2cd Harriet Cohen collection on APR if I had limitless funds. Great photo of her!! Sadly,other cds (and possibly dvd's) have to take priority. By the time I can afford,it'll probably be a mortgage job!She's on this Symposium set,though. Oliver Twist and Morning Song. It's funny how I'm listening to the soundtrack when I watch that film,now. (I'm not a Dickens fan. Although I have got a dvd of David Copperfield with WC Fields in it! Actually,I bought it for him!! ).

[vandermolen]

I've got this lined up for playing. Possibly not today,or what's left of it. I just saw the price of this on Amazon now. I'm glad I bought it when I did!!
I wouldn't mind that 2cd Harriet Cohen collection on APR if I had limitless funds. Great photo of her!! Sadly,other cds (and possibly dvd's) have to take priority. By the time I can afford,it'll probably be a mortgage job!She's on this Symposium set,though. Oliver Twist and Morning Song. It's funny how I'm listening to the soundtrack when I watch that film,now. (I'm not a Dickens fan. Although I have got a dvd of David Copperfield with WC Fields in it! Actually,I bought it for him!! ).

OT
The W.C.Fields portrayal of Micawber is marvellous in that film although the best film adaptation of Dickens is David Lean's 'Great Expectations'.

[André]

I'm listening to Cohen playing Winter Legends now. Lucky you,Sarge,having that cd. (Hello a certain purveyor of s/h cds!!). I'm trying to save until at least Easter,though! I think I will enjoy Xmas Eve more coupled with the First Symphony and that photo!
I'm sure I had that cd,vandermolen. I'm glad I didn't buy any of those Joyce Hatto cds. I didn't realise it had been released on cd. Is it still coupled with the Moeran?
André. I have been mulling over having another go at that Symphony in F,when I can find it? It's in a wallet,in a box,with the booklet and inlays somewhere else?!!

Here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-F-Bax-x/dp/B00HAV1HYU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1485302522&sr=1-1&keywords=Bax+dutton

[Mirror Image]

All of this talk of Bax is making want to dig out my Chandos recordings. I must say that I'm still quite cautious whenever I listen to Bax as his sound-world doesn't draw me in as there doesn't seem to be any kind of access points. I know Bax's music is heavy on atmosphere, but atmosphere alone doesn't really mean that much to me whenever there's no kind of leading melody or standout motif that sets everything in a direction that's easier to follow.