William Alwyn

Started by tjguitar, April 16, 2007, 09:27:43 AM

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vandermolen

Quote from: Feanor on July 01, 2010, 05:25:45 AM
I like Alywn's string quartets in particular.  I own both the Rasumovsky and Maggini versions; both good though of the two I'd recommend the Maggini ...

   

... ArkivMusic listing for the Maggini

Thanks - have just ordered the Maggini on the strength of this.
"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).

Fëanor

Quote from: vandermolen on July 01, 2010, 06:12:42 AM
Thanks - have just ordered the Maggini on the strength of this.
Let us know what you thing of them!  :)

vandermolen

Quote from: Feanor on July 02, 2010, 03:07:09 AM
Let us know what you thing of them!  :)

Of course I will   :)
"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

Quote from: Feanor on July 02, 2010, 03:07:09 AM
Let us know what you thing of them!  :)

This is a fine CD. The SQ No 1 in particular, which I have played several times already - the Adagio is beutiful, as the notes say, unlike anything else in Alwyn. In some ways I think that the SQs are deeper works than the symphonies (apart from symphs 2 and 5), much as I like all the symphonies. The beautiful slow movement of SQ No 1 reminded me of Miaskovsky - this is searching and eloquent music. I look forward to getting to know the second and third string quartets - so thanks for the recommendation.
"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).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on October 27, 2007, 02:52:54 PM
Have just listened to the Naxos Lloyd-Jones recordings of symphonies 1 and 3. I would say that these terrific performances, as good or better than the full price alternatives. A great way to start an Alwyn collection.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alwyn-Symphonies-Nos-1-3/dp/B000C847FO/ref=sr_1_1/202-9347871-3364610?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1193525608&sr=1-1


I love Hickox's Alwyn series on Chandos, which I didn't pay full price for and got quite cheaply early last year (around $3-$8 from an Amazon Marketplace seller). Lloyd-Jones series on Naxos is proving to be really good as well. I don't think I can part ways with either conductor's series and why would I? Alwyn is one of my favorites.


vandermolen

#45
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 14, 2010, 04:44:56 PM

I love Hickox's Alwyn series on Chandos, which I didn't pay full price for and got quite cheaply early last year (around $3-$8 from an Amazon Marketplace seller). Lloyd-Jones series on Naxos is proving to be really good as well. I don't think I can part ways with either conductor's series and why would I? Alwyn is one of my favorites.

Me too. Do you know his movie score for 'Odd Man Out' (Chandos)? One of his greatest works I think and together with Symphony No 2, my favourite Alwyn score. The CD has a different cover image now (smaller picture below), but I prefer the original one below - a photograph from the film. The main title is available also, very cheaply, on the 'Byways of British Music' CD (same performance with Hickox).
"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).

snyprrr

Quote from: Feanor on July 01, 2010, 05:25:45 AM
I like Alywn's string quartets in particular.  I own both the Rasumovsky and Maggini versions; both good though of the two I'd recommend the Maggini ...

   

... ArkivMusic listing for the Maggini

Listening again to SQ No.2, and still not getting it. Was it you who was telling me about this a year or so ago? Will continue, though...

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on December 15, 2010, 07:25:48 AM
Me too. Do you know his movie score for 'Odd Man Out' (Chandos)? One of his greatest works I think and together with Symphony No 2, my favourite Alwyn score. The CD has a different cover image now (smaller picture below), but I prefer the original one below - a photograph from the film. The main title is available also, very cheaply, on the 'Byways of British Music' CD (same performance with Hickox).

Oh yes, vandermolen, as I mentioned earlier, I own ALL of Hickox's Alwyn recordings. The individual releases that is. There's 7 or 8 CDs in total. Wonderful music and actually going back to one of the disc with the seldom heard Violin Concerto I'm actually enjoying this concerto a lot. Have you heard it?

Odd Man Out is one of the greatest film scores ever composed I think. There's something about composers of Alwyn's generation that wrote film music. It seemed like legitimate music and there wasn't this Hollywood sheen over the scores like there has been for the past 30 years or so.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 16, 2010, 06:58:13 AM
Oh yes, vandermolen, as I mentioned earlier, I own ALL of Hickox's Alwyn recordings. The individual releases that is. There's 7 or 8 CDs in total. Wonderful music and actually going back to one of the disc with the seldom heard Violin Concerto I'm actually enjoying this concerto a lot. Have you heard it?

Odd Man Out is one of the greatest film scores ever composed I think. There's something about composers of Alwyn's generation that wrote film music. It seemed like legitimate music and there wasn't this Hollywood sheen over the scores like there has been for the past 30 years or so.

Right, I shall be listening to the Violin Concerto tonight!
"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

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 16, 2010, 06:58:13 AM
Oh yes, vandermolen, as I mentioned earlier, I own ALL of Hickox's Alwyn recordings. The individual releases that is. There's 7 or 8 CDs in total. Wonderful music and actually going back to one of the disc with the seldom heard Violin Concerto I'm actually enjoying this concerto a lot. Have you heard it?

Odd Man Out is one of the greatest film scores ever composed I think. There's something about composers of Alwyn's generation that wrote film music. It seemed like legitimate music and there wasn't this Hollywood sheen over the scores like there has been for the past 30 years or so.

The Violin Concerto is indeed a fine work - not sure that I ever played it before.  I especially liked the lyrical section about 6 minutes into the slow movement.  Thanks for the recommendation.  I shall be playing it again soon.
"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).

jowcol

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 16, 2010, 06:58:13 AM
Odd Man Out is one of the greatest film scores ever composed I think. There's something about composers of Alwyn's generation that wrote film music. It seemed like legitimate music and there wasn't this Hollywood sheen over the scores like there has been for the past 30 years or so.

Strongly agree.  I've not seen the movie, but I love the suite.

And, I may have mentioned this earlier, but I really adore Alwyn's 3rd-- I consider that one of the great 20th Century Symphonies.

Glad that Vandermolen found a slow movement!
"If it sounds good, it is good."
Duke Ellington

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on December 16, 2010, 02:02:42 PM
The Violin Concerto is indeed a fine work - not sure that I ever played it before.  I especially liked the lyrical section about 6 minutes into the slow movement.  Thanks for the recommendation.  I shall be playing it again soon.


I'm glad you enjoyed this work! It's very underrated I think even amongst Alwyn fans. Lydia Mordkovich does a fine job in this performance.

Mirror Image

Quote from: jowcol on December 16, 2010, 02:09:23 PM
Strongly agree.  I've not seen the movie, but I love the suite.

And, I may have mentioned this earlier, but I really adore Alwyn's 3rd-- I consider that one of the great 20th Century Symphonies.


Alwyn's 3rd is a fine work indeed. I love it. I also find it interesting how Alwyn devised his own approach to the 12-tone technique in this symphony. He made it sound so lyrical.





vandermolen

#53
Quote from: jowcol on December 16, 2010, 02:09:23 PM
Strongly agree.  I've not seen the movie, but I love the suite.

And, I may have mentioned this earlier, but I really adore Alwyn's 3rd-- I consider that one of the great 20th Century Symphonies.

Glad that Vandermolen found a slow movement!

Yes, I'm glad to find it too! Although there was an insufficient sense of looming catastrophe and mad, hopeless defiance for my taste :D

Alwyn's 3rd is a fine work. John Ireland said that it was the best Bristish symphony since Elgar Symphony No 2 (but what about Walton's 1st, Vaughan Williams's 4-6 and Moeran's Symphony?). I recently found a great old performance with Thomas Beecham conductiong what I think was the premiere of Alwyn's 3rd and I also enjoy the Hickox, Lloyd-Jones and Alwyn performances too.  I like the Dutton CD of Barbirolli conducting Symphony No 1 and 2 (my favourites I think). All the symphonies are great - 3 and 4 have terrific opening movements but one of them has a repetitive scherzo (No 4 I think - I'm at work( :o) so can't check) which I fInd a bit tedious.  Fine composer though.

"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).

jowcol

Quote from: vandermolen on December 17, 2010, 02:43:28 AM
Yes, I'm glad to find it too! Although there was an insufficient sense of looming catastrophe and mad, hopeless defiance for my taste :D

Alwyn's 3rd is a fine work. John Ireland said that it was the best Bristish symphony since Elgar Symphony No 2 (but what about Walton's 1st, Vaughan Williams's 4-6 and Moeran's Symphony?). I recently found a great old performance with Thomas Beecham conductiong what I think was the premiere of Alwyn's 3rd and I also enjoy the Hickox, Lloyd-Jones and Alwyn performances too.  I like the Dutton CD of Barbirolli conducting Symphony No 1 and 2 (my favourites I think). All the symphonies are great - 3 and 4 have terrific opening movements but one of the has a repetitive scherzo (No 4 I think - I'm at work( :o) so can't check) which I fInd a bit tedious.  Fine composer though.

I think 4 is the one you are referring to.   3 has a really cool structure  as Mirror Image had pointed out, as it uses 8 tones in the first movement, the remaining 4 in the second, and bounces them against each other in the third.  And it really works-- it doesn't sound like an academic exercise. Also there is a nice SLOW movement in the middle that manages to get an impressive amount of lyrical content from a very limited palette.  It's worth another listen.
I must admit that I only keep the first movement of the 4th on my mp3 player.


The 5th is a different animal, but the last 5 minutes is incredible.  I really love the David Lloyd Jones disc with the 5th and Lyra Angelica-- although I've not compared versions with other conductors..
"If it sounds good, it is good."
Duke Ellington

vandermolen

Quote from: jowcol on December 17, 2010, 03:56:45 AM
I think 4 is the one you are referring to.   3 has a really cool structure  as Mirror Image had pointed out, as it uses 8 tones in the first movement, the remaining 4 in the second, and bounces them against each other in the third.  And it really works-- it doesn't sound like an academic exercise. Also there is a nice SLOW movement in the middle that manages to get an impressive amount of lyrical content from a very limited palette.  It's worth another listen.
I must admit that I only keep the first movement of the 4th on my mp3 player.


The 5th is a different animal, but the last 5 minutes is incredible.  I really love the David Lloyd Jones disc with the 5th and Lyra Angelica-- although I've not compared versions with other conductors..

That is a lovely CD (Naxos) perhaps one of the best Alwyn CDs around.  I like the concentrated Symphony No 5.  I heard Alwyn conducting a live performance on the radio in the late 1970s I guess.  I sent him a fan letter about it and received a very warm hearted reply.
"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

#56
Beecham's premiere performance of Alwyn's Third Symphony (the best British symphony since Elgar's 2nd, according to John Ireland - I don't agree) is a revelation. For some reason Barbirolli and Sargent wouldn't or couldn't conduct it - but this was fortunate, in a way, as Beecham's performance is in a class of its own - like the Koussevitsky recording of Hanson's Third Symphony - it has a sense of urgency unlike any other recorded performance.  I could have done without the Mozart and Grieg - but the Alwyn is sensational.
[asin]B0014FIHLO[/asin]
Been listening to this again today - such a fine performance (the first one ever). Apparently Alwyn rushe up to Beecham at the interval to say that he had never heard his music performed so brilliantly. Thought I'd bump the thread up anyway.
"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

There's been several Alwyn CDs on Naxos in the past couple years that I have not heard yet. Any thoughts?



madaboutmahler

At the music event I was talking about, which happened yesterday, Scarlet played Alwyn's Violin Sonatina, what a lovely piece. It interested me to listen to some more of his music, so I am youtube at the moment listening to various excerpts. Started off listening to some of the 3rd symphony which sounded absolutely great. Now, listening to the whole of the 'Four Elizabethan Dances' which I am enjoying incredibly much. Really wonderful, great music.

Definitely a composer I am very keen to explore! I'll make sure to purchase some of his music as soon as possible. Probably the Naxos Lloyd-Jones recording of the 3rd symphony to start with?

Really enjoying the 'Four Elizabethan Dances' at the moment! :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

vandermolen

Great new release of eloquent performances in historic recordings.

[asin]B00EXPCOKM[/asin]
"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).