Sir Arnold Bax

[Roasted Swan]

On the Facebook Arnold Bax group it was announced yesterday that Chandos will be recording Spring Fire with John Wilson and the BBC PO using a new critical edition of the score.  The work was never published in Bax's lifetime and the manuscripts used for the various recordings are riddled with errors so this is an important new recording.  Not really convinced that Wilson will have the nuance for this Bax work mind.  I suspect fast and loud or quiet and slow will be the order of the day........  Don't know if/what the coupling(s) might be.

[kyjo]

On the Facebook Arnold Bax group it was announced yesterday that Chandos will be recording Spring Fire with John Wilson and the BBC PO using a new critical edition of the score.  The work was never published in Bax's lifetime and the manuscripts used for the various recordings are riddled with errors so this is an important new recording.  Not really convinced that Wilson will have the nuance for this Bax work mind.  I suspect fast and loud or quiet and slow will be the order of the day........  Don't know if/what the coupling(s) might be.

Interesting! Regardless, I must say that I don't find "Spring Fire" to be one of Bax's stronger works. Sure, it's got atmosphere in spades, but it lacks the memorability and staying power of his greatest works IMO. As far as English depictions of spring go, I prefer Bridge's "Enter Spring", Foulds' "April-England", and Frederic Austin's Symphonic Rhapsody "Spring".

[Roasted Swan]

Interesting! Regardless, I must say that I don't find "Spring Fire" to be one of Bax's stronger works. Sure, it's got atmosphere in spades, but it lacks the memorability and staying power of his greatest works IMO. As far as English depictions of spring go, I prefer Bridge's "Enter Spring", Foulds' "April-England", and Frederic Austin's Symphonic Rhapsody "Spring".

I wouldn't disagree with you and ultimately neither would Bax (since he never really pursued getting it played or published).  But what I think is fascinating is the sense of a "path-not-trodden".  There is literally no other British work of this era that attempts this kind of opulent impressionistic romantiscism (is that a thing....?!)  All rather glorious and indulgent but the more rugged 'chillier' Bax is even more impressive I reckon. 

Enter Spring is most certainly a nailed-on masterpiece.

[vandermolen]

Interesting! Regardless, I must say that I don't find "Spring Fire" to be one of Bax's stronger works. Sure, it's got atmosphere in spades, but it lacks the memorability and staying power of his greatest works IMO. As far as English depictions of spring go, I prefer Bridge's "Enter Spring", Foulds' "April-England", and Frederic Austin's Symphonic Rhapsody "Spring".

Totally agree!

[springrite]

I love Spring Fire but only when I for some reason need a certain kind of "mood music". At times, the youthful naïveté of the work is just want I needed.

Now that we are deep into winter, I have listened to Winter Legends three times. It has become one of my favorite winter music.

But the three works I return to the most are:

Symphony #6
Garden of Fand
November Woods

[kyjo]

It's difficult for me to rank my order of preference for the Bax symphonies - I like several of them just about equally and I don't feel there's a "standout" greatest work in the cycle. Nevertheless, I'll give it a go:

2 (just all-around marvelous)
1 (his finest symphonic slow movement IMO - chilling!)
6
7 (underrated, and has a beautifully valedictory ending)
3 (a bit diffuse in places but the sunset-like Epilogue is likely my favorite passage in the whole cycle)
5
4 (though I still enjoy it overall and need to revisit it soon - it has a great opening for sure!)

And, I might as well list other firm favorites of mine in Bax's output:

Tone Poems: Tintagel, November Woods, In Memoriam, Christmas Eve in the Mountains, Northern Ballad No. 2 (also: Overture to a Picaresque Comedy)

Piano and Orchestra: Winter Legends, Saga Fragment, Morning Song (Maytime in Sussex), Concertino (orch. Graham Parlett)

Chamber: Piano Quintet, Harp Quintet, String Quartet No. 1, Viola Sonata, Cello Sonata in E-flat, Legend-Sonata for cello and piano, Octet, Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Harp, and String Quartet

IMO the best of Bax's generally under-appreciated chamber output is fully on par with his pivotal orchestral works!

[DavidW]

I think my favorite works are Tintagel, November Woods, and Symphony #6.

[Maestro267]

I do need to listen to the tone poems more, in order to be as familiar with them as I am with the symphonies. I also need to start collecting the chamber music. I have the string quartets but nothing else in that realm.

[DavidW]

I do need to listen to the tone poems more, in order to be as familiar with them as I am with the symphonies. I also need to start collecting the chamber music. I have the string quartets but nothing else in that realm.

Try the piano quintet!

[relm1]

It's difficult for me to rank my order of preference for the Bax symphonies - I like several of them just about equally and I don't feel there's a "standout" greatest work in the cycle. Nevertheless, I'll give it a go:

2 (just all-around marvelous)
1 (his finest symphonic slow movement IMO - chilling!)
6
7 (underrated, and has a beautifully valedictory ending)
3 (a bit diffuse in places but the sunset-like Epilogue is likely my favorite passage in the whole cycle)
5
4 (though I still enjoy it overall and need to revisit it soon - it has a great opening for sure!)

And, I might as well list other firm favorites of mine in Bax's output:

Tone Poems: Tintagel, November Woods, In Memoriam, Christmas Eve in the Mountains, Northern Ballad No. 2 (also: Overture to a Picaresque Comedy)

Piano and Orchestra: Winter Legends, Saga Fragment, Morning Song (Maytime in Sussex), Concertino (orch. Graham Parlett)

Chamber: Piano Quintet, Harp Quintet, String Quartet No. 1, Viola Sonata, Cello Sonata in E-flat, Legend-Sonata for cello and piano, Octet, Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Harp, and String Quartet

IMO the best of Bax's generally under-appreciated chamber output is fully on par with his pivotal orchestral works!

Might you suggest favorite recordings of each member of the cycle too?  I think my go to is Bryden Thomson.

[springrite]

Might you suggest favorite recordings of each member of the cycle too?  I think my go to is Bryden Thomson.

I have not compared each one separately, but I definitely prefer Handley in 6, which also happens to be my favorite. (It wasn't my favorite until I heard the Handley).

[Karl Henning]

I love Spring Fire but only when I for some reason need a certain kind of "mood music". At times, the youthful naïveté of the work is just want I needed.

Now that we are deep into winter, I have listened to Winter Legends three times. It has become one of my favorite winter music.

But the three works I return to the most are:

Symphony #6
Garden of Fand
November Woods

A little time has passed since I made my initial pass through the Naxos complete symphonies box, so I wanted to go back. I've listened to the first disc twice now over the past couple of days:
In the Faery Country
In the Garden of Fand
Symphony № 1

[Roasted Swan]

A little time has passed since I made my initial pass through the Naxos complete symphonies box, so I wanted to go back. I've listened to the first disc twice now over the past couple of days:
In the Faery Country
In the Garden of Fand
Symphony № 1

Call me a pedant - its In the Faery Hills.  Bax did a write piano piece called Country-Tune

[Karl Henning]

Call me a pedant - its In the Faery Hills.  Bax did a write piano piece called Country-Tune

Thanks for the emendation.

[kyjo]

Might you suggest favorite recordings of each member of the cycle too?  I think my go to is Bryden Thomson.

I'm generally not as opinionated as others when it comes to comparing recordings of works. I think most classical music enthusiasts get way too hung up over what the "definitive" performance of a work is instead of just sitting down and enjoying the music for what it is. But I will say that I generally prefer Handley's and Lloyd-Jones' more incisive, harder-edged approaches to Bax rather than Thomson's more languid, atmospheric approach (which, of course, has its merits and is preferred by most members here it seems). I think that Bax's music has enough atmosphere "built in" to it and needs an interpretation that focuses more on forward momentum and structural cohesion, qualities that Bax's music can sometimes lack in a less-than-great performance. BTW, I also very much like Fredman's and Leppard's Lyrita recordings of the 2nd and 5th symphonies, respectively.

[Roasted Swan]

I'm generally not as opinionated as others when it comes to comparing recordings of works. I think most classical music enthusiasts get way too hung up over what the "definitive" performance of a work is instead of just sitting down and enjoying the music for what it is. But I will say that I generally prefer Handley's and Lloyd-Jones' more incisive, harder-edged approaches to Bax rather than Thomson's more languid, atmospheric approach (which, of course, has its merits and is preferred by most members here it seems). I think that Bax's music has enough atmosphere "built in" to it and needs an interpretation that focuses more on forward momentum and structural cohesion, qualities that Bax's music can sometimes lack in a less-than-great performance. BTW, I also very much like Fredman's and Leppard's Lyrita recordings of the 2nd and 5th symphonies, respectively.

I tend to agree with you!  "Best of" in performing Arts is almost without exception a waste of time as the results must be subjective and tastes differ.  My only observation about the Lloyd-Jones readings is that they have the feel of a 'good' read-record by a good conductor and a good orchestra.  Bottom line is no-one who has recorded the Bax symphonies knew them as intimately as Handley.  But of course the curious thing is that that knowledge translated into something that at some points could feel a little too thought-out and 'careful'.  Famously Myer Fredman (or was it Leppard?) was drafted in to record for Lyrita at almost no notice at all yet many would argue those Lyrita performances (excepting Del Mar's clunky No.6) are still top of the pile.  They are for me - but I am so imprinted by those versions that any kind of detached evaluation I find impossible!

[springrite]

Sometimes it is not the "best of", but rather the one that speaks to "me".

In the case of Bax 6, for instance, the Handley does that to me. The Thomson is wonderful as well. It just did not do that same. That is all.

That is the most wonderful aspect of listening to music, isn't it? 

[Roasted Swan]

Sometimes it is not the "best of", but rather the one that speaks to "me".

In the case of Bax 6, for instance, the Handley does that to me. The Thomson is wonderful as well. It just did not do that same. That is all.

That is the most wonderful aspect of listening to music, isn't it? 

Perfectly put!

[Irons]

A Bax rarity.

I listened to side 1, taken up by Sonata for two pianos and Hardanger with reverse to come.

Side 2 has typical Bax imaginative titles; The Poisoned Fountain, The Devil that tempted Saint Anthony and Moy Mell (The Happy Plain: an Irish tone-poem.)

[springrite]

A Bax rarity.

I listened to side 1, taken up by Sonata for two pianos and Hardanger with reverse to come.

Side 2 has typical Bax imaginative titles; The Poisoned Fountain, The Devil that tempted Saint Anthony and Moy Mell (The Happy Plain: an Irish tone-poem.)

I have the CHANDOS recording with Jeremy Brown and Seta Tanyel playing essentially the same program. Very enjoyable works!