Topic: The British Composers Thread

[steve ridgway]

Over 5,000 people signed the petition according to that tweet.

What’s the story? This is the only Malcolm Arnold recording I’m familiar with.

[vandermolen]

What’s the story? This is the only Malcolm Arnold recording I’m familiar with.

Why not try one of the symphonies?
The odd numbered ones + No.6 are my favourites.

[Roasted Swan]

What’s the story? This is the only Malcolm Arnold recording I’m familiar with.

Many stories associated with this performance/recording!  Arnold basically ghost-wrote quite a bit of the orchestral score for Jon Lord and also gave the RPO quite a rollicking for being a bit "snooty" about the idea of the work/performance.  As ever - Arnold was a great communicator and genuinely respected musicians from outside of his own sphere of work...  I love this piece - it must have been an amazing night!

[steve ridgway]

Arnold basically ghost-wrote quite a bit of the orchestral score for Jon Lord and also gave the RPO quite a rollicking for being a bit "snooty" about the idea of the work/performance.

Interesting - thanks for sharing that.

[relm1]

Many stories associated with this performance/recording!  Arnold basically ghost-wrote quite a bit of the orchestral score for Jon Lord and also gave the RPO quite a rollicking for being a bit "snooty" about the idea of the work/performance.  As ever - Arnold was a great communicator and genuinely respected musicians from outside of his own sphere of work...  I love this piece - it must have been an amazing night!

I love this work too and consider it co-composed by Arnold and Jon Lord.  There is just too much Arnold in it but also big 60's era rock band cadenza's because alot of rock includes power chords and improv.  What do you guys think of Flash Gordon soundtrack where the main theme and a few cues were by the top billed band, Queen, but all the orchestral underscore which is 75% of what's heard in the film is by the barely credited Howard Blake?  I think this was not unusual in that time.  For example, Moody Blues' Days of the Future Passed was 50% orchestral album from this period.  The group recorded and mixed their sessions first, then passed the finished tapes over to Peter Knight for composition and arranging complete with orchestral interludes and recorded with the London Festival Orchestra. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I love this work too and consider it co-composed by Arnold and Jon Lord.  There is just too much Arnold in it but also big 60's era rock band cadenza's because alot of rock includes power chords and improv.  What do you guys think of Flash Gordon soundtrack where the main theme and a few cues were by the top billed band, Queen, but all the orchestral underscore which is 75% of what's heard in the film is by the barely credited Howard Blake?  I think this was not unusual in that time.  For example, Moody Blues' Days of the Future Passed was 50% orchestral album from this period.  The group recorded and mixed their sessions first, then passed the finished tapes over to Peter Knight for composition and arranging complete with orchestral interludes and recorded with the London Festival Orchestra.

I haven't heard either the Deep Purple nor the Flash Gordon soundtracks, but LOVED the MB album "Days of the Future Passed".    Interesting to read your comments about how it was composed and recorded.

PD

[Roy Bland]

Coming soon?
https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/james-gilchrist-charts-a-century-of-british-song/

[relm1]

I haven't heard either the Deep Purple nor the Flash Gordon soundtracks, but LOVED the MB album "Days of the Future Passed".    Interesting to read your comments about how it was composed and recorded.

PD

I love that MB album too!  Saw them play it in concert as well, not as great as the 60's era album but great fun and beautiful songs.

[Roasted Swan]

I'm not often that enamoured of Douglas Bostock's conducting which I tend to find functional rather than revelatory.  But I did enjoy a first listen to this disc a lot;



Its a SACD of a concert he gave with a Swiss orchestra.  The opening Froissart is rather underwhelming in the above mentioned manner.  But the RVW 5 is beautiful - poised and luminous with some lovely playing.  Likewise the Holst Japanese Suite sounds more sophisticated than sometimes and also rather beautiful.  Really excellent sound throughout too.

[vandermolen]

I'm not often that enamoured of Douglas Bostock's conducting which I tend to find functional rather than revelatory.  But I did enjoy a first listen to this disc a lot;



Its a SACD of a concert he gave with a Swiss orchestra.  The opening Froissart is rather underwhelming in the above mentioned manner.  But the RVW 5 is beautiful - poised and luminous with some lovely playing.  Likewise the Holst Japanese Suite sounds more sophisticated than sometimes and also rather beautiful.  Really excellent sound throughout too.

Good to know. I've always liked Bostock's Novak recordings as well as his Malcolm Arnold Symphony 5. I also prefer his recording of Alan Bush's enjoyable Symphony No.2 'Nottingham' to the alternative version.

[Benji]

Transplanting from WAYLT thread for anyone interested...

Revisiting an old fave...
John Foulds - Three Mantras and other works.

The Mantras being the big draw - if you're a fan of Holst, Walton, Bliss... I.e. the 'epically cinematic with mystical leanings' genre of early 20th century British music you need to hear this disc. It is top tier stuff, promise! The middle movement is where all the mysticism is concentrated and it is wonderfully serene.

PS there was a follow up to disc to this with the composer's excellent Dynamic Triptych (essentially a piano concerto). I see that Warner have since released both discs as a twofer under their Apex label.

PPS... On listening again I remember now Foulds had a bit of a thing for micro tonality and that adds an extra bit of spice! Some of the sonorities here wouldn't sound out of place in a John Adams piece - I got a bit of the flavour of Naive and Sentimental Music.

[Benji]

And actually listening to the Dynamic Triptych now and again blown away by how fantastic it is. This isn't some generously B grade work this is top level British music of the 20th century - genuinely puzzling that it isn't better known and Foulds generally.

[André]

Very nice work indeed. Foulds has a devoted following on GMG.

[ultralinear]

I see that Warner have since released both discs as a twofer under their Apex label.

Yes I have that, and also a download of the BBC broadcast of one of the last few concerts I attended before the world collapsed, in which Donohoe played Dynamic Triptych with the LPO conducted by Jurowski - another example of a concert performance opening up a work which previously had not really registered.  Must find time to play them both again.

[Benji]

Yes I have that, and also a download of the BBC broadcast of one of the last few concerts I attended before the world collapsed, in which Donohoe played Dynamic Triptych with the LPO conducted by Jurowski - another example of a concert performance opening up a work which previously had not really registered.  Must find time to play them both again.

Oh my, was that at the RFH?! How on earth did I miss that one - I'd have jumped on that. I can't wait to get back there.

[ultralinear]

Oh my, was that at the RFH?!

Yes, December 2019 - part of Jurowski's Revolution in the Head series.  2nd half was Shostakovich's 11th Symphony - which was what I went for - but the Foulds was a revelation.

I can't wait to get back there.

I fear it may be a long time.  Don't ever seem to see any mention of classical music in any proposal for re-opening society, and it's never going to be a politically acceptable priority to bail out the Southbank which by then will be 10s of millions in debt.  And Jurowski and Salonen both gone.  I really can't bear to think about it, but when I do, I'm sorry to say I get a very bad feeling.

[vandermolen]

Transplanting from WAYLT thread for anyone interested...

Revisiting an old fave...
John Foulds - Three Mantras and other works.

The Mantras being the big draw - if you're a fan of Holst, Walton, Bliss... I.e. the 'epically cinematic with mystical leanings' genre of early 20th century British music you need to hear this disc. It is top tier stuff, promise! The middle movement is where all the mysticism is concentrated and it is wonderfully serene.

PS there was a follow up to disc to this with the composer's excellent Dynamic Triptych (essentially a piano concerto). I see that Warner have since released both discs as a twofer under their Apex label.

PPS... On listening again I remember now Foulds had a bit of a thing for micro tonality and that adds an extra bit of spice! Some of the sonorities here wouldn't sound out of place in a John Adams piece - I got a bit of the flavour of Naive and Sentimental Music.

Those were two fine discs as were the two orchestral discs on Lyrita. I attended the live concert of 'A World Requiem' and found it very moving. I suspect that Foulds would be much better known had he lived in England and not died comparatively young. His Cello Sonata is another marvellous work.

[Maestro267]

Just noticed that the next volume of Daniel Jones symphonies, Nos. 3 & 5, is released in a few weeks on Lyrita. That will leave just the last two, 12 & 13, that have not yet had a commercial release.

[vandermolen]

Just noticed that the next volume of Daniel Jones symphonies, Nos. 3 & 5, is released in a few weeks on Lyrita. That will leave just the last two, 12 & 13, that have not yet had a commercial release.

I shall definitely be ordering that one 

[calyptorhynchus]

Does anyone know what has happened to Albion's British and Irish Music Archive.

I clicked on a saved link and it couldn't be found