Sir Arnold Bax

[Sean]

Thanks, I didn't know about the second quintet and don't know of recordings of either.

Let's hope Chandos finally complete their Bax survey and issue the complete works...

[Scion7]

According to the Bax 'official' site:

The Foothills Philharmonic

October 31st – Into the Woods

The Foothills Philharmonic
Kory Vrieze, conductor

Bax: November Woods   20'

Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night   15'
Night's Dream Overture

Greer First Baptist Church in Greer, South Carolina



Bizarre timing.  I would go, but have plans for Halloween night.

[Scion7]

[Scion7]

[Scion7]

Rather like this one!

[vandermolen]

Sadly I see no sign of Downes's Third coming out on CD. It is my favourite recording of the symphony. Lyrita were interested in releasing it years ago but nothing ever happened.

[Scion7]

Probably a question for Karl, et al, but is his 1934 Clarinet Sonata (in D major) fun to play?  Is it technically difficult?

[Karl Henning]

Probably a question for Karl, et al, but is his 1934 Clarinet Sonata (in D major) fun to play?  Is it technically difficult?

Sorry to leave this unanswered . . . also, that this is itself a non-answer.  I do not know the piece!

What brings me here today, though . . . I wonder if I should worry?  Jeffrey made a post on the Finzi thread, and now at last I've ordered a Bax disc.  Thomson conducting the Ulster Orchestra in Tintagel, a piece which an old conductor friend of mine has long advocated, and the London Phil in Christmas Eve &c.  I was really touched while listening to the sample from Christmas Eve.

[vandermolen]

Sorry to leave this unanswered . . . also, that this is itself a non-answer.  I do not know the piece!

What brings me here today, though . . . I wonder if I should worry?  Jeffrey made a post on the Finzi thread, and now at last I've ordered a Bax disc.  Thomson conducting the Ulster Orchestra in Tintagel, a piece which an old conductor friend of mine has long advocated, and the London Phil in Christmas Eve &c.  I was really touched while listening to the sample from Christmas Eve.

That's such a great CD Karl and I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Christmas Eve which refers to a moment of peace in war torn Ireland is a beautiful and largely unknown work. The full title is 'Christmas Eve in the Mountains'. The CD you ordered is my favourite Bax CD - even better than the reissue (posted by me in the Finzi thread) which replaced Bryden Thomson's magnificent recording of 'Tintagel' with some less interesting work. Even the 'Festival Overture' despite its unpromising title and conventional introduction suddenly develops in a characteristically heart-felt and moving Baxian theme. The CD includes the best version of 'Nympholept' which I originally heard used in a TV documentary about the life of JRR Tolkein - it was suitably mysterious and magical for its purpose. 'Paen' - a tribute to Henry Wood, the conductor is a hoot it was originally for piano (there is a Naxos recording) and was orchestrated as a tribute to Wood.

[Scion7]

from 1968 - maybe released later on CD (torn up by composer, probably) - neat cover:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k55a0jCTaj0

[vandermolen]

from 1968 - maybe released later on CD (torn up by composer, probably) - neat cover:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k55a0jCTaj0

I used to listen to that LP in the university music library when I was a student!

[Karl Henning]

That's such a great CD Karl and I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Christmas Eve which refers to a moment of peace in war torn Ireland is a beautiful and largely unknown work. The full title is 'Christmas Eve in the Mountains'. The CD you ordered is my favourite Bax CD - even better than the reissue (posted by me in the Finzi thread) which replaced Bryden Thomson's magnificent recording of 'Tintagel' with some less interesting work. Even the 'Festival Overture' despite its unpromising title and conventional introduction suddenly develops in a characteristically heart-felt and moving Baxian theme. The CD includes the best version of 'Nympholept' which I originally heard used in a TV documentary about the life of JRR Tolkein - it was suitably mysterious and magical for its purpose. 'Paen' - a tribute to Henry Wood, the conductor is a hoot it was originally for piano (there is a Naxos recording) and was orchestrated as a tribute to Wood.

Aye, I heard (and enjoyed so much that I placed an order) the samples, and particularly enjoyed the good cheer of Paean.  I read a thoughtful and mixed review on Amazon, the reviewer gave the disc five stars in spite of his own reservations (e.g., The Paean is a big noise but mercifully short as it is not true Bax music.)  I do not anticipate finding the Paean (nor indeed Christmas Eve, which the reviewer considers "disappointing") objectionable as he seems.

Your wish is my command Karl
I've fished out the CD:
Bax derived the name 'Irravel' from the Irish Gaelic, characterising the dancer as a 'fantastic dream impersonation of a reckless impossible mood or whim...at the close the music becomes more and more remote in mood and harmonically bizarre, as though the vision were gradually fading away.
Apparently the work anticipates 'La Valse' by Ravel, written several years later.

Thank you, sir!  And you are right (and the reviewer, above, wrong):  the Bax is from 1913, and the Ravel at the end of that decade.

For entertainment purposes only, here is that review in toto:

This CD is packed (75 minutes) with Bax's music of varying quality. We have two of Bax's very best tone poems, Tintagel and Nympholept. The Dance of Wild Irravel is an early work of 1913 and is very fine indeed, with Bax using the nightmarish quality of the fin de siecle Ravel's 'La Valse' as a conceptual model although not at all in its musicality. The orchestration is a tour de force in Bax's luxuriant style although the piece is only 5 minutes long. The Paean is a big noise but mercifully short as it is not true Bax music. The 'Christmas Eve' tone poem is supposedly a rumination on 800 years of Ireland's sad history on a frosty Christmas evening written in 1912. The piece has some quality to it, with little deft touches with drifting woodwind performing a deux with celesta. However, the work in general in diappointing and seems too long for its material. It is almost as if Bax is working his way up to saying something characteristic, a big tune maybe, but just doesn't get around to it. The 'ecstasy' seems a little stilted and self conscious. Bax was well able to provide his listeners with this sort of musical experience at this time of his life, as for example in 'Spring Fire' so it is a mystery why he seems to fall short here. Nevertheless, the piece is very nice and well worth the room on this CD. The Festival Overture is similarly lacking in the Bax magic, but has a youthful exuberance which carries it through. Now for the meat on this CD. Tintagel was the first Bax I ever heard on vinyl and it never fails to excite with its crashing waves on the strings and its ruined castle in the magnificent brass. The whooping horns here are thrilling indeed, a true Bax finger print as in works like his 3rd Symphony. The quotation from 'Tristan' is nicely done and so seamless is it fitted into the work that it appears more contrived in Wagner's original after hearing Bax's 'Tintagel'. The final coda and climax is some of the most exciting music I have ever heard in my life. It must be played with all the stops out and Thomson does not stint in his crescendi and arching climax at the end under the rolling kettle drum. The horns particularly do him proud and as every Baxian knows this is a must! Nympholept is 'fairy Bax' and to my mind represents Bax at his very very best, coming at the same time as he wrote 'the Garden of Fand' when his need to write music was very strong. I believe that Bax's handling of the orchestra at this point of his career was the best he ever did and never matched again. The sheer glory of the orchestra in this form, the richness of color, the power of his musical imagination are not found in any other composer to my mind. It is as if Bax's technique at this point is so developed flamboyantly that he could write anything he wanted and succeed. The flow of ideas and their development are like the tendrils of plants in a tropical environment, wrapping their way quickly around the musical forms and climbing into a irresistible climax and falling back into 'le petit mort'. This is the apex of the history of romantic music. After this, everything would be going down for you could not keep this up. For 'Nympholept' alone this CD would be worth it so this CD must be a top mark recomendation.

[cilgwyn]

I'm listening to this cd,now. I think this is my favourite recording of Bax's third symphony.

[cilgwyn]

Spring Fire,one of my favourite peces of music by Bax. I like the fill-ups (don't really like that term!) too. The Northern Ballads are big favourites here! This cd is from the Chandos glory years. How the mighty fall!

[cilgwyn]

I'm listening to the Symphonic Scherzo. This is a short piece lasting 7:25 on track 6 of the above cd. It doesn't get mentioned much and I suppose it is relatively slight in comparison to the other music on this cd,but I actually find this quite an exciting,exhilarating piece of music.
I love the brooding,growly introductory bars of the Northern Ballad No 2,that follows. I love the lean,steely,legendary atmosphere and  sound world of these Ballads and the landscapes of the mind they evoke.

[motoboy]

According to the Bax 'official' site:

The Foothills Philharmonic

October 31st – Into the Woods

The Foothills Philharmonic
Kory Vrieze, conductor

Bax: November Woods   20'

Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night   15'
Night's Dream Overture

Greer First Baptist Church in Greer, South Carolina



Bizarre timing.  I would go, but have plans for Halloween night.

Ha! I playedtrumpet in that concert! It was loads of fun. I didn't know much about Bax until then, but now am hooked.

[vandermolen]

I'm listening to this cd,now. I think this is my favourite recording of Bax's third symphony.

This is one of my favourite CDs of all time not only because of the performances but also because of the programme. I love every work and Bax's Third Symphony is one of my favourite British symphonies although I still live in, probably misguided, hope that Edward Downes's RCA recording with the LSO will appear on CD one day. I love the way the EMI disc ends with the rather touching performance of the piano piece 'April' by the composer himself.

I must get to know 'Spring Fire' better.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Thomson conducting the Ulster Orchestra in Tintagel, a piece which an old conductor friend of mine has long advocated, and the London Phil in Christmas Eve &c.  I was really touched while listening to the sample from Christmas Eve.

Didn't you post this video awhile back? A great performance of Tintagel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3lPDkk-8Mk

A pretty much unknown orchestra and a not big name conductor really put a charge in this music. And yes the 2 women flute players are pretty cute too.

I can't get over Tintagel. I don't think Bax ever wrote anything nearly as evocative or as masterfully orchestrated.

[vandermolen]

Didn't you post this video awhile back? A great performance of Tintagel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3lPDkk-8Mk

A pretty much unknown orchestra and a not big name conductor really put a charge in this music. And yes the 2 women flute players are pretty cute too.

I can't get over Tintagel. I don't think Bax ever wrote anything nearly as evocative or as masterfully orchestrated.

What an excellent performance. Thanks for posting it.

[PerfectWagnerite]

What an excellent performance. Thanks for posting it.

Yes there is a flexibility of tempo, great brass playing, excellent wind details, and a warmth you almost never hear with this music.