The British Composers Thread

[Dundonnell]

Just received my copies of two recent Dutton releases-the Symphony in A minor by Thomas F. Dunhill coupled with Richard Arnell's "Lord Byron-a symphonic study" and Erik Chisholm's 2nd Symphony "Ossian" coupled with a song cycle "The Unreturning Spring" by Trevor Hold and two short pieces by Eric Fogg "Sea Sheen" and "Merok".

Not quite sure what I make of the Dunhill yet except that it does sound like an attempt to write a serious symphony by someone who was more used to writing light music. The Arnell, on the other hand, is bracing music, as we are now discovering, by a master orchestrator.

The other CD really is an odd collection. Chisholm's symphony dates from 1939 and is quite a grim work in the style of that time, reflecting the tensions of the thirties, flecked by tragedy-a little Baxian perhaps?. The Hold song-cycle was written between 1961-1963 and is much more modern sounding music, influenced perhaps by late Britten and certainly by Messiaen. Finally, the two pieces by Eric Fogg return the listener to much lighter music from 1919 and 1929 respectively. Fogg-who died when he fell in front of a tube train at London's Waterloo Station on the day before his intended second marriage(!)-wrote "Sea Sheen" when he was in his teens. The work was published when he was 17 in 1920(although the CD booklet says that it was first performed in Bournemouth on 24 March 1919 when he would have only just been 16!).  I am not sure that putting these three works together quite works and I certainly will not play the CD right through again-the contrasts seem to jar!

If anyone else buys these two CDs I would be interested to learn of different reactions to the music!

[vandermolen]

Just received my copies of two recent Dutton releases-the Symphony in A minor by Thomas F. Dunhill coupled with Richard Arnell's "Lord Byron-a symphonic study" and Erik Chisholm's 2nd Symphony "Ossian" coupled with a song cycle "The Unreturning Spring" by Trevor Hold and two short pieces by Eric Fogg "Sea Sheen" and "Merok".

Not quite sure what I make of the Dunhill yet except that it does sound like an attempt to write a serious symphony by someone who was more used to writing light music. The Arnell, on the other hand, is bracing music, as we are now discovering, by a master orchestrator.

The other CD really is an odd collection. Chisholm's symphony dates from 1939 and is quite a grim work in the style of that time, reflecting the tensions of the thirties, flecked by tragedy-a little Baxian perhaps?. The Hold song-cycle was written between 1961-1963 and is much more modern sounding music, influenced perhaps by late Britten and certainly by Messiaen. Finally, the two pieces by Eric Fogg return the listener to much lighter music from 1919 and 1929 respectively. Fogg-who died when he fell in front of a tube train at London's Waterloo Station on the day before his intended second marriage(!)-wrote "Sea Sheen" when he was in his teens. The work was published when he was 17 in 1920(although the CD booklet says that it was first performed in Bournemouth on 24 March 1919 when he would have only just been 16!).  I am not sure that putting these three works together quite works and I certainly will not play the CD right through again-the contrasts seem to jar!

If anyone else buys these two CDs I would be interested to learn of different reactions to the music!

My identical package arrived this morning (surprise surprise!). I'll let you know what I think in due course.

[Hector]

Did anyone mention John Foulds?

Eugen d'Albert, och aye?

Georges Onslow's father was English.

Beethoven had links to England and was given a Broadwood.

Berlioz married an Irish actress when Ireland was part of the UK.

Dame Ethel Smyth?

Balfe?

[karlhenning]

Georges Onslow's father was English.

Old Eleven-Waters, eh? (Onze-l'eau . . . .)

[Mark]

Did anyone mention John Foulds?

Not heard much Foulds, but liked what little I have.

Which reminds me, tune in to Radio 3 on November 11th at 6:30pm for the first performance in over 80 years of Fould's massive, A World Requiem. I'll capture it on my PVR and (eventually, along with several BBC Proms concerts from the 2007 season) post it up here for download.

[Dundonnell]

Not heard much Foulds, but liked what little I have.

Which reminds me, tune in to Radio 3 on November 11th at 6:30pm for the first performance in over 80 years of Fould's massive, A World Requiem. I'll capture it on my PVR and (eventually, along with several BBC Proms concerts from the 2007 season) post it up here for download.

I understand that Chandos are recording the concert for future CD release.

[Mark]

I understand that Chandos are recording the concert for future CD release.

Great. In the meantime, let's have it for free.

[Hector]

Not heard much Foulds, but liked what little I have.

Which reminds me, tune in to Radio 3 on November 11th at 6:30pm for the first performance in over 80 years of Fould's massive, A World Requiem. I'll capture it on my PVR and (eventually, along with several BBC Proms concerts from the 2007 season) post it up here for download.

That's a Sunday. I'll do the same.

[Hector]

Old Eleven-Waters, eh? (Onze-l'eau . . . .)

He should have been Surlent, surely (surlently?). His career might have lasted longer.

Listening to his 4th Symphony the other evening and the theme of the last movement was left, pleasingly, in my memory.

Happy soul, Georges (who wouldn't be with his money?).

[Mark]

That's a Sunday. I'll do the same.

Good man. Then at least one of us will have it covered.

[karlhenning]

Thanks for this, Karl. I trust Moody's work is easily enough sourced on CD?

The recording I should most warmly recommend is Cappella Romana singing the Akáthistos Hymn on a two-for-one-priced Gothic recording.

One brief work is available on each of two discs by the superb vocal group, Tapestry (the Telarc recordings The Fourth River and Come Into My Garden), and I think similarly there is a fleeting Moody presence on a brace of Trio Mediaeval discs.

Red Byrd and Capella Amsterdam do a fine job of Ivan's Passion and Resurrection; only be cautioned that it is a full-price Hyperion disc.

[Mark]

The recording I should most warmly recommend is Cappella Romana singing the Akáthistos Hymn on a two-for-one-priced Gothic recording.

One brief work is available on each of two discs by the superb vocal group, Tapestry (the Telarc recordings The Fourth River and Come Into My Garden), and I think similarly there is a fleeting Moody presence on a brace of Trio Mediaeval discs.

Red Byrd and Capella Amsterdam do a fine job of Ivan's Passion and Resurrection; only be cautioned that it is a full-price Hyperion disc.

Much appreciated, Karl.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Interesting post. Totally agree about Marco Polo/Naxos Havergal Brian Series. The Ivanovs series on Campion has also evidently run into the sands. My favourite Brian symphonies (of the ones I know) Nos 1,3,6-10, 16,22.

Good to see two other Brian enthusiasts. Funny that Dundonnell remembers being a very strange teenager, obsessed by Brian. He was not alone. In the absence of any music I read Malcolm MacDonald's description of Symphony no. 16 aloud to my friends... I'm talking about the early 'eighties here, and Amsterdam (I'm Dutch). Later on we did get hold of the Lyrita 6 & 16, and what a revelation that was!

Brian symphonies that really stand out for me are 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 24, 27, 28, 30, 31. I like the tone-poem Elegy very much, and Brian's songs are often haunting. And anyone who has heard the comic opera The Tigers, won't forget that work either.

Apart from Brian, I love Delius (Requiem, Idyll, Cynara, Sea-Drift, Songs of Sunset et cetera), Bax, (symphonies and tone-poems) RVW (symphonies 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and other pieces, like The lark ascending and the Tallis Fantasia), Moeran (symphony, concerti) and Elgar (symphonies, concerti).

[vandermolen]

That's a Sunday. I'll do the same.

I'm going to the concert; will let you know what it's like.

[Hector]

I'm going to the concert; will let you know what it's like.

Get a PVR and Freeview. You can record the whole thing!

[Dundonnell]

Good to see two other Brian enthusiasts. Funny that Dundonnell remembers being a very strange teenager, obsessed by Brian. He was not alone. In the absence of any music I read Malcolm MacDonald's description of Symphony no. 16 aloud to my friends... I'm talking about the early 'eighties here, and Amsterdam (I'm Dutch). Later on we did get hold of the Lyrita 6 & 16, and what a revelation that was!

Brian symphonies that really stand out for me are 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 24, 27, 28, 30, 31. I like the tone-poem Elegy very much, and Brian's songs are often haunting. And anyone who has heard the comic opera The Tigers, won't forget that work either.

Apart from Brian, I love Delius (Requiem, Idyll, Cynara, Sea-Drift, Songs of Sunset et cetera), Bax, (symphonies and tone-poems) RVW (symphonies 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and other pieces, like The lark ascending and the Tallis Fantasia), Moeran (symphony, concerti) and Elgar (symphonies, concerti).

No, I don't remember being a very strange teenager! It is only in retrospect that I think we might have been! At the time everyone else was strange!

It is nice to hear that you read extracts aloud from Malcolm's book in the 1980s. He and I discussed compositions which-like you at that time-we had not actually heard but which just sounded so amazing that he determined that he would do his best to find out more...which of course he has!

[Mark]

Get a PVR and Freeview. You can record the whole thing!

[Mark]

For those who haven't yet heard this, please do consider the following Lyrita reissue:



Not the greatest interpretation of the Cello Concerto (I've yet to hear the Clarinet Concerto), but a vast improvement on Wallfisch's outing with Handley on Chandos.

Unreservedly recommended.

[drogulus]

I listened to Vaughan Williams today (Tallis Fantasia etc on Naxos). I don't know what I am missing in his music but I find it boring. Nothing seems to happen. It's all white snow to me.

     It's a fantasia, which tells you not to expect a lot of development of the symphonic kind. You're right, not much happens, but it doesn't happen beautifully, which is all that matters. You could liken it to Elgar's Elegy or Sospiri, two of Elgar's loveliest works for strings, though on a larger scale.


     

[Mark]

You're right, not much happens, but it doesn't happen beautifully, which is all that matters.

And that's beautifully put.