Sir Arnold Bax

[tjguitar]

Another new Bax....




BBC Philharmonic / Vernon Handley



· Volume 1 (CHAN10362) – nominated for 2007 BBC Music Award

· Red Autumn – premiere recording

· Three Northern Ballads – recorded together for the first time



On Volume 1, International Record Review wrote: 'This is the greatest single Bax orchestral record I have heard: the orchestral playing is magnificent throughout, of a quality that this music has been crying out for for decades but which it has never received – until now... over and above the excellence of this fine orchestra is the profound understanding and musicianship of Vernon Handley's conducting.' For Bax there were several periods of intense creativity when he committed to paper a variety of works in the form of piano scores, and orchestrated them when required. Many of the tone poems performed here were conceived in this fashion, including Red Autumn, which here receives its premiere recording. Originally a solo piano piece, it was then arranged for two pianos by Bax himself. In 2006 the Sir Arnold Bax Trust commissioned Graham Parlett to orchestrate the work in Bax's early period style specifically for this recording. Heard in its orchestral dress it immediately reveals its family resemblance to the tone poems Nympholept and November Woods, composed round the same time.



Vernon Handley brings together for the first time three orchestral movements to which the collective title 'Three Northern Ballads' has been given. They date from the late 1920s and early 1930s, breathe much the same atmosphere, and Handley is keen to promote them as forming a unified, almost symphonic, whole. The first, which Bax composed and gave the name 'Northern Ballad' in 1927, was followed by a second Ballad, orchestrated in 1931. The third, formally entitled Prelude for a Solemn Occasion, appears to evoke a Sibelian musical landscape, and occupies the same world as the composer's Sixth Symphony, which followed almost immediately. When Bax orchestrated the third piece he was taking his usual winter sojourn at Morar, Inverness-shire, and in a letter to a friend wrote, 'It suggests an atmosphere of the dark north and perhaps dark happenings among the mists'. The nature painting in the work certainly calls to mind the wilds of Scotland.



Joining this quasi-symphonic work, in addition to Red Autumn, are three further early tone poems. Into the Twilight dates from Bax's first intensive period of composition, the years immediately preceding World War I, and originated as the prelude to a planned Irish opera, Deirdre. It received only one performance during Bax's lifetime, in 1909, conducted by Thomas Beecham. Nympholept which followed was the work in which Bax fully achieved the impressionistic technique of his first maturity. It suggests the pagan natural world in which Bax was so deeply interested. The Happy Forest, follows a pastoral short story by Herbert Farjeon, and is an Arcadian evocation much like Nympholept. It was first performed in 1923 under Eugene Goossens, its dedicatee.



Vernon Handley, who has known Bax's music for almost 50 years and in recent years has given us a five-disc set of Bax's seven symphonies (CHAN10122(5)), conducts the BBC Philharmonic.



Chandos CHAN10446

[vandermolen]

Another new Bax....

Thank you. This is very exciting news. I was always amazed that there was only one available recording of the First Northern Ballad, one of my favourite shorter Bax works (Boult/Lyrita). Good for Vernon Handley. Nympholept is an entirely characteristic and little known score (there is a fine earlier Chandos recording with Bryden Thomson and a Naxos recording).

[Dundonnell]

Having spent a good part of last night going through the splendid David Parlett site which lists all Bax's compositions-we still need versions of his 1904 Variations for Orchestra(Improvisations), the 1920 Phantasy for Viola and Orchestra, the Five Fantasies on Polish Christmas Carols for unison trebles and string orchestra(1940-42), 'To Russia' for baritone, chorus and orchestra(1944) and the Variations on the name Gabriel Faure for harp and strings(1949).

Of these I reckon the Viola Phantasy is probably the most important but "To Russia" intrigues!

[tjguitar]

Having spent a good part of last night going through the splendid David Parlett site which lists all Bax's compositions-we still need versions of his 1904 Variations for Orchestra(Improvisations), the 1920 Phantasy for Viola and Orchestra, the Five Fantasies on Polish Christmas Carols for unison trebles and string orchestra(1940-42), 'To Russia' for baritone, chorus and orchestra(1944) and the Variations on the name Gabriel Faure for harp and strings(1949).

Of these I reckon the Viola Phantasy is probably the most important but "To Russia" intrigues!

Handley recorded the Viola Phantasy for Conifer a number of years ago but it is well out of print and hard to find.

[tjguitar]

BTW Dundonnel, this might have saved you some time:

http://musicweb.uk.net/bax/unrecorded.htm

[Dundonnell]

BTW Dundonnel, this might have saved you some time:

http://musicweb.uk.net/bax/unrecorded.htm

Thanks for the reference! Oh well, it was good fun anyway!

I missed the Song of War and Victory(1905) which David Parlett simply says is "not lost". I had no idea that it is a 15 minute orchestral work.

[tjguitar]

Thank you. This is very exciting news. I was always amazed that there was only one available recording of the First Northern Ballad, one of my favourite shorter Bax works (Boult/Lyrita). Good for Vernon Handley. Nympholept is an entirely characteristic and little known score (there is a fine earlier Chandos recording with Bryden Thomson and a Naxos recording).

Mine arrived yesterday. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet though.

[vandermolen]

Mine arrived yesterday. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet though.

Me too but I have listened to it. I am very pleased to have another recording of Northern Ballad No 1. I am delighted with the disc and prefer the selection to Volume 1 but I marginally prefer Boult in the First Northern Ballad (Lyrita) and Thomson in Nympholept. This is still a must purchase for all Bax fans....a great CD.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Me too but I have listened to it. I am very pleased to have another recording of Northern Ballad No 1. I am delighted with the disc and prefer the selection to Volume 1 but I marginally prefer Boult in the First Northern Ballad (Lyrita) and Thomson in Nympholept. This is still a must purchase for all Bax fans....a great CD.

Jeffrey, how does Handley do 'The Happy Forest'? I have always preferred Downes (only on LP, alas). His is the most poetic reading, IMO. Thomson and Lloyd-Jones are too prosaic.

[vandermolen]

Jeffrey, how does Handley do 'The Happy Forest'? I have always preferred Downes (only on LP, alas). His is the most poetic reading, IMO. Thomson and Lloyd-Jones are too prosaic.

Johan, your wish is my command..I am playing "The Happy Forest" now. I think that it is a very atmospheric and beautifully recorded version. A bit faster that the Downes version (similar timing to Lloyd Jones...I don't know the Thomson).

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Johan, your wish is my command..I am playing "The Happy Forest" now. I think that it is a very atmospheric and beautifully recorded version. A bit faster that the Downes version (similar timing to Lloyd Jones...I don't know the Thomson).

Thank you, Jeffrey!

I think the glory of 'The Happy Forest' is its central section, the tempo ought to be dreamily slow (but not too much, of course, flow is all). The Downes recording does this very well. Thomson and Lloyd-Jones are both too fast for my liking. And Handley generally likes to keep things moving, so - does he bring out the poetry of that section? When you say his interpretation is 'very atmospheric', I conclude he does. Am I right?

[vandermolen]

Thank you, Jeffrey!

I think the glory of 'The Happy Forest' is its central section, the tempo ought to be dreamily slow (but not too much, of course, flow is all). The Downes recording does this very well. Thomson and Lloyd-Jones are both too fast for my liking. And Handley generally likes to keep things moving, so - does he bring out the poetry of that section? When you say his interpretation is 'very atmospheric', I conclude he does. Am I right?

OK Johan, I have just listened to the Handley and Downes versions again (although I had some trouble finding the Downes version as my wife "tidied it away" in the five minute period since I last listened to it , focusing on that haunting central section of The Happy Forest. Handley takes c 4 minutes for the whole slow central section.  Downes takes a minute longer (5 mins against 4 mins), so the Handley might seem too fast for you. I think that the Downes version sounds more "dreamy" and the Handley version more "legendary" if that makes any sense. The Chandos recording adds greatly to the atmosphere. In conclusion, the Handley works well for me and I shall probably be returning to that version more often. I will be interested to hear your views if you get the CD. I wish that they would issue the Downes Bax Third Symphony on CD...my favourite version.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

OK Johan, I have just listened to the Handley and Downes versions again (although I had some trouble finding the Downes version as my wife "tidied it away" in the five minute period since I last listened to it , focusing on that haunting central section of The Happy Forest. Handley takes c 4 minutes for the whole slow central section.  Downes takes a minute longer (5 mins against 4 mins), so the Handley might seem too fast for you. I think that the Downes version sounds more "dreamy" and the Handley version more "legendary" if that makes any sense. The Chandos recording adds greatly to the atmosphere. In conclusion, the Handley works well for me and I shall probably be returning to that version more often. I will be interested to hear your views if you get the CD. I wish that they would issued the Downes Bax Third Symphony on CD...my favourite version.

I am very grateful to you for going to all that trouble, Jeffrey! I don't have that LP with the Third and 'The Happy Forest', sorry to say, I just borrowed it several times from the library in the 1970s - it was my first exposure to Bax, and it converted me for life. I understand exactly what you mean by 'dreamy' and 'legendary'. It's a question of taste, I suppose, what approach you prefer - I'm a Delian, so 'dreaminess' is a thing I don't say no to... But with the 'legendary' I can live, too.

As you say, I'll have to hear for myself!

[vandermolen]

I am very grateful to you for going to all that trouble, Jeffrey! I don't have that LP with the Third and 'The Happy Forest', sorry to say, I just borrowed it several times from the library in the 1970s - it was my first exposure to Bax, and it converted me for life. I understand exactly what you mean by 'dreamy' and 'legendary'. It's a question of taste, I suppose, what approach you prefer - I'm a Delian, so 'dreaminess' is a thing I don't say no to... But with the 'legendary' I can live, too.

As you say, I'll have to hear for myself!

As I think I mentioned before that Downes LP was also my introduction to Bax in the 1970s, when I borrowed it almost every day (you had to listen to it on headphones attached to a turntable in the university library...you weren't allowed to take it out of the library). Lyrita told me that they were thinking about trying to issue it on CD but I then got into trouble as I mentioned this on the Musicweb bulletin board and Lyrita were then bombarded with congratluatory emails from people asking for release dates etc. I was told to curb my "natural enthusiasm" So it might never appear on CD sadly.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

As I think I mentioned before that Downes LP was also my introduction to Bax in the 1970s, when I borrowed it almost every day (you had to listen to it on headphones attached to a turntable in the university library...you weren't allowed to take it out of the library). Lyrita told me that they were thinking about trying to issue it on CD but I then got into trouble as I mentioned this on the Musicweb bulletin board and Lyrita were then bombarded with congratluatory emails from people asking for release dates etc. I was told to curb my "natural enthusiasm" So it might never appear on CD sadly.

Yes, I remember - you had a mail from Caractacus (!) Downes (iirc). I did wonder what became of this... It would be a shame if your enthusiasm had torpedoed a re-issue. On the other hand - they don't have to do any market research anymore - the demand is there!

[vandermolen]

Yes, I remember - you had a mail from Caractacus (!) Downes (iirc). I did wonder what became of this... It would be a shame if your enthusiasm had torpedoed a re-issue. On the other hand - they don't have to do any market research anymore - the demand is there!

Yes, it would sell well I'm sure as I have done all their market research free of charge!

[Christo]

Yes, it would sell well I'm sure as I have done all their market research free of charge!

You could even telll them you found a third interested customer  (no doubt, regarding this interesting Sunday morning dialogue here, your market research so far identified two willing buyers for Bax: one in Delft and one in Sussex  )

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

You could even telll them you found a third interested customer  (no doubt, regarding this interesting Sunday morning dialogue here, your market research so far identified two willing buyers for Bax: one in Delft and one in Sussex  )

Well, there were countless millions on the Musicweb bulletin board... 

[vandermolen]

You could even telll them you found a third interested customer  (no doubt, regarding this interesting Sunday morning dialogue here, your market research so far identified two willing buyers for Bax: one in Delft and one in Sussex  )

Yes, Johan I have been enjoying the Anglo/Dutch Sunday morning dialogue. Fortunately my wife is out of the house otherwise I would be faced with onerous domestic tasks instead of being able to indulge in inter-continental exchanges about my favourite composers Bax, Havergal Brian etc 

[Christo]

... Fortunately my wife is out of the house otherwise I would be faced with onerous domestic tasks ... 

Well, as mine was safely away from home too, for me it posed the right opportunity to fulfill my domestic duties ...  In the meantime, I rather enjoyed the Sunday morning dialogue across the North Sea~!