Sir Arnold Bax

Started by tjguitar, April 15, 2007, 06:12:44 PM

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Hector

Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 13, 2007, 08:54:24 AM
Does VW second symphony get performed often? It seems to be a very fine work?

Sir Colin performed it with the National Youth Orchestra at the Proms last year.

No Bax that I can find at the forthcoming Proms but every other British composer of any note, both living and dead, seems to be represented except Delius, including Elgar's Apostles!

I suspect that Bax requires more than the usual amount of rehearsal time which might mitigate against any symphony being included.

Also, so few conductors of any note seem able and willing to take him on.

A seeming convert to the efficacies of British music is Sakari Oramo! Elgar, Foulds...come on Sakari!

Montpellier

Quote from: Captain Haddock on May 06, 2007, 12:11:38 AM
I have just ordered Eugene Goosens conducting Bax Symphony 2 on Dutton (1950s recording) which sounds like a very exciting release (with Tintagel etc)

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDBP9779

I wish that RCA would issued Edward Downes's excellent LSO performance of Symphony 3 on CD (unlikely I think as RCA have cut right back on classical issues).This was my introduction to Bax when Lancaster University had the LP in their library in the 1970s. I spent most of my time in the library listening to it!

Interesting about the Symphony 2.  I just favouritised the Dutton page to order it after this.  I was so impressed with their rework of Barbirolli and the Symphony 3.   I studied this work in some detail against a casette tape recorded from a reissued LP.  I'm also acquainted with the Downes, the more recent Naxos and the Bryden Thompson which I simply couldn't get on with.  Bless his soul, but his tempi are all over the place especially the last movement with exaggerated changes that I found exasperating.  I was happier with his 4th. 

The great news is that the Lyrita 6th is up for reissue this month.  Magical, that one.

vandermolen

Quote from: Anancho on June 23, 2007, 07:52:30 AM
Interesting about the Symphony 2.  I just favouritised the Dutton page to order it after this.  I was so impressed with their rework of Barbirolli and the Symphony 3.   I studied this work in some detail against a casette tape recorded from a reissued LP.  I'm also acquainted with the Downes, the more recent Naxos and the Bryden Thompson which I simply couldn't get on with.  Bless his soul, but his tempi are all over the place especially the last movement with exaggerated changes that I found exasperating.  I was happier with his 4th. 

The great news is that the Lyrita 6th is up for reissue this month.  Magical, that one.

Yes, you are right about Thomson's No 4. The Lyrita release that I'm most looking forward to is Raymond Leppard's unrivalled recording of Symphony 5.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).


vandermolen

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

tjguitar

where did you order it/

TJ

Montpellier

Unless caiman has it, I'll be ordering from musicweb international.   And about time this got reissued.  I think it first came out around 1964 and Mr Itter would not be persuaded to reissue it. 

Next looking out for the 2nd and 5th on Lyrita. 

tjguitar

Quote from: Anancho on June 30, 2007, 02:36:12 AM
Unless caiman has it, I'll be ordering from musicweb international.   And about time this got reissued.  I think it first came out around 1964 and Mr Itter would not be persuaded to reissue it. 

Next looking out for the 2nd and 5th on Lyrita. 

and the Handley recordings on this disc were never even released!

vandermolen

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

tjguitar

Does anyone have any opinions on Bax's choral work?  Any recommmended recordings?

I have the two CDs of ORCHESTRAL CHORAL works on CHANDOS, but I'm talkin about strictly choral such as Mater ora filium

tjguitar

If you haven't picked up Chandos Orchestral Works Series yet, Amazon seems to have lowered the price to $9.98 for all of them (even the double CD w/ winter legends  & symphonic variations)

They seem to have lowered MSRP to $9.98 on all the releases in the Chandos Classics Line.  That includes 3 wonderful Moeran discs conducted by Handley and  Bliss's Colour Symphony by the Ulster Orchestra.


Makes me wish I waited a few more months before purchasing some of those, but oh well!

vandermolen

Just received the new Lyrita Bax Symphony 6 (Del Mar); a great disc with an appropriately atmospheric photograph of the coastline at Morar (Scotland), where Bax composed most of the symphony( see photo above). The remastering is excellent; the epilogue is hauntingly beautiful and the CD comes with some interesting fill-ups, including "Irish Landscape", "Overture to Adventure" etc.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

tjguitar

Quote from: vandermolen on July 12, 2007, 04:45:30 AM
Just received the new Lyrita Bax Symphony 6 (Del Mar); a great disc with an appropriately atmospheric photograph of the coastline at Morar (Scotland), where Bax composed most of the symphony( see photo above). The remastering is excellent; the epilogue is hauntingly beautiful and the CD comes with some interesting fill-ups, including "Irish Landscape", "Overture to Adventure" etc.

thanks for the note.  Can't wait for it. I bit the bullet and ordered from amazon uk instead of waiting for the US release.

vandermolen

Quote from: tjguitar on July 12, 2007, 08:25:31 AM
thanks for the note.  Can't wait for it. I bit the bullet and ordered from amazon uk instead of waiting for the US release.

You wont be disappointed. The sleeve notes, from the old Lyrita LP by Peter J Pirie are also excellent.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

tjguitar

Quote from: vandermolen on July 12, 2007, 01:04:01 PM
You wont be disappointed. The sleeve notes, from the old Lyrita LP by Peter J Pirie are also excellent.


There's a review of the new Lyrita disc by Graham Parlett on the Bax website:

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

vandermolen

Quote from: tjguitar on July 14, 2007, 07:00:06 PM

There's a review of the new Lyrita disc by Graham Parlett on the Bax website:

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

Many thanks, I read it with great interest and largely agree with the conclusions. I am looking forward to Symphony 2 and 5 (my favourite) appearing in due course.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

tjguitar

Quote from: vandermolen on July 15, 2007, 04:10:09 PM
Many thanks, I read it with great interest and largely agree with the conclusions. I am looking forward to Symphony 2 and 5 (my favourite) appearing in due course.

I believe that's coming in January of next year. It was originally slated to be reissued in May, I do not know why they switched the schedule.

vandermolen

Quote from: tjguitar on July 15, 2007, 06:44:42 PM
I believe that's coming in January of next year. It was originally slated to be reissued in May, I do not know why they switched the schedule.

Yes, i'd been told May too. Still, No 6 can keep us going until next year!
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

tjguitar

Just got an e-mail from NAXOS:

====
From:   "Erica Moats" <[emailremoved]@naxosusa.com>

Thank you for your interest in Naxos and our Bax recordings!

BAX:  Piano Music, Vol.4
Is currently scheduled for a September release

BAX   Violin Sonatas Nos. 2 and 4
Is currently scheduled for a November release

Be sure to visit www.naxos.com for information on these upcoming
releases