Sir Arthur Bliss

Started by tjguitar, April 16, 2007, 09:20:19 AM

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relm1

#200
Quote from: Maestro267 on January 06, 2019, 11:14:11 AM
Apparently there's only ten numbers in the score. Why not just have all of them and be done with this "suite" nonsense?

Because in a film score you might have impractical choices that limit the performance likelihood.  That is after all why the suite exists.  For example, in West Side Story, the film used three pianos in a single cue.  That was possible because the studio owned the pianos.  That is incredibly impractical so even the live to film version will make it a single piano for the whole score.  Things To Come used a children's chorus in one cue I believe and a full chorus + organ in the finale.  So adaptions/suites are made to increase the appeal of the derived work.  A suite is not designed for the consumer, it's designed for the publisher to appeal to orchestras who have to pay for this.

vandermolen

Quote from: relm1 on January 07, 2019, 03:46:28 PM
Because in a film score you might have impractical choices that limit the performance likelihood.  That is after all why the suite exists.  For example, in West Side Story, the film used three pianos in a single cue.  That was possible because the studio owned the pianos.  That is incredibly impractical so even the live to film version will make it a single piano for the whole score.  Things To Come used a children's chorus in one cue I believe and a full chorus + organ in the finale.  So adaptions/suites are made to increase the appeal of the derived work.  A suite is not designed for the consumer, it's designed for the publisher to appeal to orchestras who have to pay for this.
Thanks - interesting to know.
"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

What a wonderful work Melee Fantasque is. Currently being played live on Radio 3 conducted by Rumon Gamba. I find this comparatively short work to be rather moving. It was a most interesting concert of music by British composers including, Arnell, Eugene Goosens (Christo are you there?), Vaughan Williams ('Harnham Down' an early work I'd never heard before), Eric Fogg (died tragically aged 36 under a train on his way to his second marriage) and Dorothy Howell's rather fine tone poem 'Lamia'.
"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).

Christo

Quote from: vandermolen on January 30, 2019, 06:22:24 AM
What a wonderful work Melee Fantasque is. Currently being played live on Radio 3 conducted by Rumon Gamba. I find this comparatively short work to be rather moving. It was a most interesting concert of music by British composers including, Arnell, Eugene Goosens (Christo are you there?), Vaughan Williams ('Harnham Down' an early work I'd never heard before), Eric Fogg (died tragically aged 36 under a train on his way to his second marriage) and Dorothy Howell's rather fine tone poem 'Lamia'.

Nope, am here. :D Knew about the untimely death of Eric Fogg, but these circumstances are new to me. :(  RVW's Harnham Down (1904-7) is found on this cd - but is rather undistinctive indeed.

... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

Quote from: Christo on January 30, 2019, 06:46:54 AM
Nope, am here. :D Knew about the untimely death of Eric Fogg, but these circumstances are new to me. :(  RVW's Harnham Down (1904-7) is found on this cd - but is rather undistinctive indeed.


Ha! There you are  :)
Yes, I have the CD but don't recall the work. I recently heard the Mayor of Casterbridge music by VW on the radio and really enjoyed 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).

Irons

Listened to a virtuoso performance of the Bliss Violin Concerto by Campoli with the LPO conducted by the composer this evening. Campoli sails through a work I would think most difficult to play. The first movement is straightforward, followed by a strange skittish Scherzo and then an Allegro with a slow introduction. My only criticism is the unaccompnied Cadenza in the finale goes on too long but that is a small point in a recording I enjoyed.

The companion piece on this Decca recording, Theme and Cadenza for Solo Violin and Orchestra which Bliss composed for a radio play aired in 1949 written by Trudy Bliss.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on April 22, 2019, 01:20:07 PM
Listened to a virtuoso performance of the Bliss Violin Concerto by Campoli with the LPO conducted by the composer this evening. Campoli sails through a work I would think most difficult to play. The first movement is straightforward, followed by a strange skittish Scherzo and then an Allegro with a slow introduction. My only criticism is the unaccompnied Cadenza in the finale goes on too long but that is a small point in a recording I enjoyed.

The companion piece on this Decca recording, Theme and Cadenza for Solo Violin and Orchestra which Bliss composed for a radio play aired in 1949 written by Trudy Bliss.
Happy memories of a Decca Eclipse LP:
"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).

Irons

Quote from: vandermolen on April 22, 2019, 01:36:24 PM
Happy memories of a Decca Eclipse LP:


I tend to avoid Eclipse reissues as many are fake stereo.

I listened to a late Ace of Clubs.

You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on April 22, 2019, 11:40:53 PM
I tend to avoid Eclipse reissues as many are fake stereo.

I listened to a late Ace of Clubs.



I grew up in the 'Decca Eclipse' generation!  8)
"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).

Roasted Swan

Quote from: vandermolen on April 23, 2019, 08:52:14 AM
I grew up in the 'Decca Eclipse' generation!  8)

Me too - but even on the very basic family stereo the re-processed 'stereo' sounded rubbish!  I stuck to newly recorded CFP for my 99p classical bargains!

Biffo

Quote from: vandermolen on April 23, 2019, 08:52:14 AM
I grew up in the 'Decca Eclipse' generation!  8)

No idea what constitutes the 'Decca Eclipse generation'. I started collecting LPs in 1968 and over many years never purchased anything on the Eclipse label though I did buy various Ace of Clubs and Ace of Diamonds discs, some of them secondhand. Music for Pleasure was another great standby and later CfP. I never worried about sound very much and bought stuff new(ish) and secondhand from market stalls and secondhand shops. As I only had a mono record player for several years it didn't matter too much. I also bought new full-price discs when the budget ran to it but it was a while before I had the audio equipment to start to do them justice.

vandermolen

Quote from: Biffo on April 24, 2019, 12:29:54 AM
No idea what constitutes the 'Decca Eclipse generation'. I started collecting LPs in 1968 and over many years never purchased anything on the Eclipse label though I did buy various Ace of Clubs and Ace of Diamonds discs, some of them secondhand. Music for Pleasure was another great standby and later CfP. I never worried about sound very much and bought stuff new(ish) and secondhand from market stalls and secondhand shops. As I only had a mono record player for several years it didn't matter too much. I also bought new full-price discs when the budget ran to it but it was a while before I had the audio equipment to start to do them justice.

I started collecting classical LPs probably about 1971/72 around the time of the VW Centenary when I was in the Sixth Form at school The Symphony 6 on Decca Eclipse (LPO/Boult with speech by the composer) had more impact on me than anything bought subsequently. Occasional I did buy stuff on Ace of Diamonds such as the Bliss 'Things to Come' with Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches and 'Welcome the Queen'. My brother had some Ace of Clubs LPs, including Beethoven's Violin Concerto if I remember correctly.
"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).

Irons



Cannot make my mind up if the reason for my disappointment in this is down to the performance, recording or the works themselves. I think it quite likely a bit of all three. Hyperion have an excellent track record, I have some string quartets on Hyperion LPs that have excellent sound, but a lack of dynamic contrast is apparent in this recording. Bliss produces a moment - two actually - of magic in the Sostenuto slow movement of the second quartet when the movement opens with a strange ghostly sound, after this the movement proceeds normally to speed up at the ending and then stop dead for the ghostly sound to return at the coda with brilliant effect. Apart from this I cannot think of anything memorable in either quartet. Both the Quintets for Oboe and Clarinet are far more interesting in my opinion.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Biffo

Quote from: vandermolen on April 24, 2019, 01:10:59 PM
I started collecting classical LPs probably about 1971/72 around the time of the VW Centenary when I was in the Sixth Form at school The Symphony 6 on Decca Eclipse (LPO/Boult with speech by the composer) had more impact on me than anything bought subsequently. Occasional I did buy stuff on Ace of Diamonds such as the Bliss 'Things to Come' with Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches and 'Welcome the Queen'. My brother had some Ace of Clubs LPs, including Beethoven's Violin Concerto if I remember correctly.

The style of the LP covers looks familiar, possibly I saw Eclipse LPs in shops or record libraries but I never bought any, no idea why.

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on April 27, 2019, 03:02:37 AM


Cannot make my mind up if the reason for my disappointment in this is down to the performance, recording or the works themselves. I think it quite likely a bit of all three. Hyperion have an excellent track record, I have some string quartets on Hyperion LPs that have excellent sound, but a lack of dynamic contrast is apparent in this recording. Bliss produces a moment - two actually - of magic in the Sostenuto slow movement of the second quartet when the movement opens with a strange ghostly sound, after this the movement proceeds normally to speed up at the ending and then stop dead for the ghostly sound to return at the coda with brilliant effect. Apart from this I cannot think of anything memorable in either quartet. Both the Quintets for Oboe and Clarinet are far more interesting in my opinion.
For me the stand-out chamber work by Bliss is the Oboe Quintet, especially as performed by the Melos Ensemble. I don't especially like the string quartets but the Clarinet Quintet is enjoyable.
"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

#215
Quote from: Biffo on April 27, 2019, 03:11:20 AM
The style of the LP covers looks familiar, possibly I saw Eclipse LPs in shops or record libraries but I never bought any, no idea why.

The fake stereo put a lot of people off but I remain very grateful to Decca Eclipse for introducing me, inexpensively, to so much classical music which has remained important to me, not least Boult's cycle of VW symphonies, Sibelius's Four Legends (Danish RSO, Jensen) , Bruckner's 5th Symphony (Knappertsbusch) and an interesting coupling of Barber's Cello Concerto (Nelsova/Barber) with Rawsthorne's Second Piano Concerto (Curzon/Sargent) amongst much else, such as the Bliss Violin Concerto (pictured above). I loved the way that the Lake District in the snow stood in for the Antarctic (below):

"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).

Biffo

Quote from: vandermolen on April 27, 2019, 04:07:54 AM
The fake stereo put a lot of people off but I remain very grateful to Decca Eclipse for introducing me, inexpensively, to so much classical music which has remained important to me, not least Boult's cycle of VW symphonies, Sibelius's Four Legends (Danish RSO, Jensen) , Bruckner's 5th Symphony (Knappertsbusch) and an interesting coupling of Barber's Cello Concerto (Nelsova/Barber) with Rawsthorne's Second Piano Concerto (Curzon/Sargent) amongst much else, such as the Bliss Violin Concerto (pictured above). I loved the way that the Lake District in the snow stood in for the Antarctic (below):



I remember borrowing the Antartica from a record library but with a different cover. I wasn't particularly bothered by fake stereo, like you, I just wanted to hear the music.

Irons

Not all Eclipse are "electronically reprocessed stereo" some are true mono and others stereo. One of my favourite stereo Eclipse is the famous Borodin SQ recording.

You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

#218
Quote from: Irons on April 28, 2019, 02:04:35 AM
Not all Eclipse are "electronically reprocessed stereo" some are true mono and others stereo. One of my favourite stereo Eclipse is the famous Borodin SQ recording.



I think that was from a later Eclipse series - the design of the Eclipse logo is slightly different. Yes, it was a fine recording. I seem to recall that Boult's LPO/Decca recording of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No.8 was in stereo, the only one of the series, which is maybe why Decca released it as part of their 'Legendary Performances' series, although I'm not sure that it is a legendary performance, but certainly a very good one.
"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).

Irons

Quote from: vandermolen on April 28, 2019, 03:04:41 AM
I think that was from a later Eclipse series - the design of the Eclipse logo is slightly different. Yes, it was a fine recording. I seem to recall that Boult's LPO/Decca recording of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No.8 was in stereo, the only one of the series, which is maybe why Decca released it as part of their 'Legendary Performances' series, although I'm not sure that it is a legendary performance, but certainly a very good one.


I have that recording on Ace of Diamonds, and yes in stereo.


You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.