The British Composers Thread

[Roy Bland]

1982?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfHwRCeyZt0

[calyptorhynchus]

Just listening to another old favourite. There are several discs of the melancholy Captain's music, including Jordi Savall's, but I enjoy this one the most:

[Symphonic Addict]

Looks interesting. To be released on 15 August:

[Symphonic Addict]

To be released on 26 June:

[JBS]

To be released on 26 June:

I think I recognize that scene: the Dee as it runs through Llangollen.
Years ago our tour of the UK went through there. I have a photo or two taken a bit further up, above the bridge.

[Roasted Swan]

Prompted by a series of posts on The Land of Lost Content Blog [https://landofllostcontent.blogspot.com/] I've been revisiting some Constant Lambert.  Rightly the blog calls him a "major-minor composer" but goodness me he was a ferocious talent!  Given that he died aged just 46 he packed an enormous amount in in just about every musical field from writing to performing/conducting to composing to musicological work.  And of course the Royal Ballet as it exists today owes much to him.  Yet to know anything about him today is to be know about a niche.  I guess the truth is that except for composing pretty much everything else is transient and in the field of composing perhaps his work seems most dated and least 'unique' with other contemporaries making a more lasting impact.  But there is still much to enjoy here.....  This is the disc the blog says should be a start-off...



but these are fine too.....

[Symphonic Addict]

I recall liking Romeo and Juliet quite a lot. Such a sparkling and witty score. Also, his both piano concertos (one with 9 instruments and the other with orchestra).

[Roasted Swan]

I recall liking Romeo and Juliet quite a lot. Such a sparkling and witty score. Also, his both piano concertos (one with 9 instruments and the other with orchestra).

Yes its an impressive score - all the more so when you realise Lambert was just 21 when he wrote it for Diaghilev and the Ballets Russe. 

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Interesting commentary on Lambert. I've got quite a few recordings of his music on disc --- mainly Hyperion discs. I'll have to revisit his music as it's been ages since I've listened to any of it.

[Irons]

My two favourite books ever on the subject of music, both slim volumes which say something of my concentration span, are Colin Wilson On Music and Constant Lambert's Music Ho! Neither author holds conventional views which is one of the reasons I enjoy them so much.

[vandermolen]

His score for 'Anna Karenina'is excellent as well.

[calyptorhynchus]

To be released on 26 June:

Just downloaded and listened to this one, highly recommended, especially the pieces by Williams and Mathias.

[Roy Bland]

seems interesting
https://saintsfunder.st-andrews.ac.uk/p/ctdrecording/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLYJbRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF4RWY5djhVZXFvMm5xSnhoAR6o1KHy9pXp7TIOUWcjruc-CHVkBo3eB71A2leey8_HLPxNvtZ4V7VsLdYP6A_aem_TfVclsXaAp0G9-yxdEQY3Q

[Symphonic Addict]

This ongoing Potter series looks promising, although I haven't listened to any recording of it yet. To be released on 14 August:



Symphony in C minor (1834)
Ricercate on a Favorite French Theme for Piano and Orchestra in F major
Symphony in D major (1833)

[Symphonic Addict]

A very interesting program. To be released on 10 October:

[kyjo]

This ongoing Potter series looks promising, although I haven't listened to any recording of it yet. To be released on 14 August:



Symphony in C minor (1834)
Ricercate on a Favorite French Theme for Piano and Orchestra in F major
Symphony in D major (1833)

Wonderful news! Almost everything I've heard by Potter has been intriguing, inventive, or at the very least simply enjoyable. His symphonies are some of the more interesting ones I know by a lesser-known mid-19th century composer alongside those of Berwald, Franciszek Mirecki (in C minor), and Woldemar Bargiel (in C major).

[kyjo]

A very interesting program. To be released on 10 October:

Even though we already have multiple fine recordings of these works already, putting the three of them together on one disc makes for some intelligent programming! We haven't seen a new recording of the Walton Sinfonia Concertante in quite a while - though it may not be top-tier Walton, it's still thoroughly enjoyable. Also, it's rather uncharacteristic of BIS to be recording English music, which is fine by me as long as they don't forget about their previous devotion to Nordic music!

[Symphonic Addict]

To be released on 7 November:

Works for chamber orchestra



The only works I know by her are the string quartets and they are incredible pieces. Contemporary music with real purpose.

[calyptorhynchus]

To be released on 7 November:

Works for chamber orchestra



The only works I know by her are the string quartets and they are incredible pieces. Contemporary music with real purpose.

A movement from one of her string quartets has as the musical direction 'Swing it man'!

[calyptorhynchus]

Just got to thinking about Carlo Martelli (born 1935). His Symphony was recorded on Dutton in 2011 and it's very good, and a few of his pieces, including film music, are also available. There is a disc of his String Quartets, but it seems to be OOP, and I have ordered a 2nd hand copy.

If you read his Wikipedia page you'll see he suffered a terrible loss of his manuscripts at one point that makes various other composers (Howells, Brian, Madetoja) who lost MSs of single works seem lucky.

However my question was, is he still alive? If so he must be 90! I'd like to write appreciatively to him if I could find an address.