Sir Arnold Bax

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

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kyjo

Quote from: Brian on October 04, 2013, 09:00:55 AM
There is this

[asin]B000JLSTP8[/asin]

$75 gets you the complete or partial* symphony cycles of Arnold*, Alwyn*, Bantock*, Bax, Elgar, Rawsthorne, Vaughan Williams, Walton, plus fillers like all Bax's tone poems, Walton's viola concerto, and "Elgar's Third Symphony."

Oops! Forgot about that! Great set and an even greater bargain. I was a little disappointed with the RWV cycle, but that's to be expected, considering how many great RVW cycles there are out there. All the other performances are top-notch.

mn dave

Thanks to everyone. I'd better get shopping.  :)

vandermolen

Quote from: Batty on October 04, 2013, 11:27:00 AM
Thanks to everyone. I'd better get shopping.  :)

Yes, get on with it.  :)
"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).

kyjo

Quote from: Batty on October 04, 2013, 11:27:00 AM
Thanks to everyone. I'd better get shopping.  :)

Hope your experience with Bax is a good one. :) He's a great composer no doubt.

mn dave

Might as well take the volumes in order. This one is filling my ears as I type this.
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Sean

The Cello concerto like all Bax is subtle, and one of his best works, the Violin concerto not quite in that category. Fingerhut alongside Parkin is inside the relaxed, fully and dreamy English landscape like no other pianist.

kyjo

Quote from: Batty on October 04, 2013, 05:02:10 PM
Might as well take the volumes in order. This one is filling my ears as I type this.
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Keep in mind, Dave, that the Violin and Cello Concertos are not among Bax's strongest works IMO, beautiful as they are. So, if you don't quite warm to them, don't give up on Bax just yet! :)

mn dave

Quote from: kyjo on October 04, 2013, 05:40:47 PM
Keep in mind, Dave, that the Violin and Cello Concertos are not among Bax's strongest works IMO, beautiful as they are. So, if you don't quite warm to them, don't give up on Bax just yet! :)

Bax and I seem to be getting along rather well. No worries!

By the way, these are two I already own in addition to the one above.
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kyjo

Quote from: Batty on October 04, 2013, 05:46:34 PM
Bax and I seem to be getting along rather well. No worries!

By the way, these are two I already own in addition to the one above.
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[asin]B00000J8D7[/asin]

Great to hear your Bax endeavor is going well so far! Those two discs you pictured are awesome. I'm sure you'll love them, Dave. :)

mn dave

Quote from: kyjo on October 04, 2013, 06:24:21 PM
Great to hear your Bax endeavor is going well so far! Those two discs you pictured are awesome. I'm sure you'll love them, Dave. :)

Indeed I do. And Naxos' symphony four was in the mail before I posted requests.

Sean

kyjo, can't agree with you about the Cello concerto, it includes some top drawer luxuriating Bax melodies and the Thomson-Wallfisch is going to continue to dominate. There are some bitty even stodgy passages and I remember being annoyed by this work years ago before I properly started seeing into Bax's intuitive movement, but even these being to justify themselves...

kyjo

Quote from: Sean on October 04, 2013, 08:30:52 PM
kyjo, can't agree with you about the Cello concerto, it includes some top drawer luxuriating Bax melodies and the Thomson-Wallfisch is going to continue to dominate. There are some bitty even stodgy passages and I remember being annoyed by this work years ago before I properly started seeing into Bax's intuitive movement, but even these being to justify themselves...

Each to his own. :) While it is a beautiful, atmospheric work, it doesn't quite grab me like many other works by Bax.

Klaze

I understand the focus on orchestral stuff, but don't miss out on some fine chamber music, for example on these two discs:

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kyjo

Quote from: Klaze on October 05, 2013, 06:00:37 AM
I understand the focus on orchestral stuff, but don't miss out on some fine chamber music, for example on these two discs:

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Yes, those are fine recordings indeed. The Harp Quintet and In memoriam, especially, are gorgeous works. :)

Mirror Image

Quote from: Klaze on October 05, 2013, 06:00:37 AM
I understand the focus on orchestral stuff, but don't miss out on some fine chamber music, for example on these two discs:

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[asin]B000005Z6K[/asin]

I don't like Bax's orchestral music but I really enjoyed these chamber discs.

vandermolen

The Harp Quintet is lovely. I must have another listen to the Cello Concerto as I didn't make much of it either.
"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).

kyjo

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 05, 2013, 06:39:17 AM
I don't like Bax's orchestral music

That's a shame, John. :( Not even the tone poems? :-\

Sean

A couple of Bax anniversaries here just slipped by-

3rd Oct 60th anniversary of his death

8th Nov 130th anniversary of his birth

Moonfish

Just listened to:
Bax: Symphony No 1
Bax: In the Faery Hills // The Garden of Fand
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/ Lloyd- Jones


Interesting music... a bit of the sweeping pastoral feeling of English compositions. I especially enjoyed The Garden of Fand. However, I was quite taken by S1!!!

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I just started listening to these Naxos recordings. I understand that Chandos also has released many recordings of Bax's works.  Are there any major differences between these two (Naxos vs Chandos) and is either one preferred for an approach to Bax's works? Do you have any specific advice on approaching either series?
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

vandermolen

#559
Discovered a terrific performance of 'Tintagel' performed by Andrew Davis and the BBC SO, recorded live in November 1996 at the Megaron Concert Hall in Athens. I discovered it on a very cheap (under £2.00 on Amazon UK) CD entitled 'The Very Best of the BBC' and it accompanied BBC Music Magazine in November 1997. It is, in my view, the equal of the great old Boult Mono LPO version on Decca and much better recorded. If you are a Bax fan do look out for it.
"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).