Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986)

[foxandpeng]

Rubbra 3, and this Lyrita recording, is amongst my favourite English symphonies. There is a tuneful accessibility about it, which demands engagement, and never fails to leave a smile.

[relm1]

Rubbra 3, and this Lyrita recording, is amongst my favourite English symphonies. There is a tuneful accessibility about it, which demands engagement, and never fails to leave a smile.

I LOVE this disc which I have.  Very good music.

[vandermolen]

Rubbra 3, and this Lyrita recording, is amongst my favourite English symphonies. There is a tuneful accessibility about it, which demands engagement, and never fails to leave a smile.

Indeed! I like Resurgam as well and find it rather moving. I like that Lyrita CD but prefer the4th Symphony in recordings conducted by Hickox and, best of all, by Rubbra himself. Still, that Del Mar CD is one of the great Rubbra discs.

[DaveF]

The second sonata is an absolute riot!  Especially the ever-so-slightly corny flamenco finale.

[kyjo]

The second sonata is an absolute riot!  Especially the ever-so-slightly corny flamenco finale.

Interesting! "Corny" is one of the last words I would typically associate with Rubbra's music!

[DaveF]

Interesting! "Corny" is one of the last words I would typically associate with Rubbra's music!

You would be surprised!  He used to say that he had a lost Spanish ancestor who influenced his music occasionally.  He specifically mentioned the beginning of Ode to the Queen, although I don't hear it so clearly there.

[Maestro267]

I've ordered the remaining four discs of the Hickox/Chandos symphony cycle. I had 3/7 and 5/8 already.

[calyptorhynchus]

I went to a lot of of trouble ten years ago to get that Violin Sonatas disc when it was OOP. I should just have waited for it to get reissued.

[Maestro267]

Three of the discs arrived this morning: 4/10/11, 2/6 and 9. Just No. 1 left which might be here Monday.

This is absolutely right up my street, like the other great British symphonies and cycles of the 20th century.

[foxandpeng]

Three of the discs arrived this morning: 4/10/11, 2/6 and 9. Just No. 1 left which might be here Monday.

This is absolutely right up my street, like the other great British symphonies and cycles of the 20th century.

Happy listening! Rubbra is one of my favourite English composers 😊

[ChamberNut]

I don't know much about his music, but first listen to his String Quartet No. 2 in E flat, Op 73 is truly exquisite!

[Vox Maris]

I don't know much about his music, but first listen to his String Quartet No. 2 in E flat, Op 73 is truly exquisite!

Yes! Rubbra's SQs are all exquisite and very much worth seeking out. I don't own the Maggini cycle, but do own this one from the Sterling String Quartet on Conifer and it is excellent:

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I don't know much about his music, but first listen to his String Quartet No. 2 in E flat, Op 73 is truly exquisite!

Yes, that quartet is a good piece and it was instantly attractive, which I don't usually find to be the case with Rubbra. I often need several listens to warm to his work. I have it played by the Dante Qt., on a disc with the less friendly 4th Quartet and some other chamber pieces.

[Spotted Horses]

I don't know much about his music, but first listen to his String Quartet No. 2 in E flat, Op 73 is truly exquisite!

You've reminded me that I collected the Rubbra/Maggini recordings a few years ago and never got to them. Today listened to the Quartet No 1 in the recording by the Dante Quartet (Dutton) and by the Maggini Quartet (Naxos). Beautiful works which seem to highlight the influence of early music composition techniques on Rubbra. Maggini seemed generally more assertive in style, Dante more etherial. Annoyingly only one of the two volumes of the Dante seems to be available for streaming or download, the Sterling not at all. I do want hear the Sterling as an alternative so I had to scrounge for a used copy of the physical media. Probably I will do the same for the second volume of the Dante.

[Irons]

You've reminded me that I collected the Rubbra/Maggini recordings a few years ago and never got to them. Today listened to the Quartet No 1 in the recording by the Dante Quartet (Dutton) and by the Maggini Quartet (Naxos). Beautiful works which seem to highlight the influence of early music composition techniques on Rubbra. Maggini seemed generally more assertive in style, Dante more etherial. Annoyingly only one of the two volumes of the Dante seems to be available for streaming or download, the Sterling not at all. I do want hear the Sterling as an alternative so I had to scrounge for a used copy of the physical media. Probably I will do the same for the second volume of the Dante.

Thanks to above post listened Quartet No.1 (Dante SQ) and enjoyed the recording very much.

[Albion]

I am not usually much of a chamber music fan but I've just put the Maggini Quartet's big Naxos box of British String Quartets (plus other chamber works) in my already-bulging Amazon basket having read so many positive reviews of their recordings. I DO love the chamber music of Brahms, Dvorak, Stanford and York Bowen so this will give me the impetus to learn some new repertoire which might lead me to explore further into the genre. Can anybody give a critique of what I can expect from the Naxos box?

 

[vandermolen]

I am not usually much of a chamber music fan but I've just put the Maggini Quartet's big Naxos box of British String Quartets (plus other chamber works) in my already-bulging Amazon basket having read so many positive reviews of their recordings. I DO love the chamber music of Brahms, Dvorak, Stanford and York Bowen so this will give me the impetus to learn some new repertoire which might lead me to explore further into the genre. Can anybody give a critique of what I can expect from the Naxos box?

 

I don't have the Naxos box but nice to see you posting here again.

[Roasted Swan]

I am not usually much of a chamber music fan but I've just put the Maggini Quartet's big Naxos box of British String Quartets (plus other chamber works) in my already-bulging Amazon basket having read so many positive reviews of their recordings. I DO love the chamber music of Brahms, Dvorak, Stanford and York Bowen so this will give me the impetus to learn some new repertoire which might lead me to explore further into the genre. Can anybody give a critique of what I can expect from the Naxos box?

 

Of course you can debate if Quartet X's version of (say) Britten 1 is preferable to the Maggini's or whatever.  But the simple fact is that this is the best and most comprehensive single quartet survey of key British quartet music ever produced.  The playing is uniformly excellent, the interpretations never less than convincing, and the engineering discreetly fine too.  The only possible quibble/sorrow is that this does focus on relatively mainstream British composers.  But you would have to be churlish to do anything but celebrate the enduring qualities on display here.  So much to enjoy!

[Albion]

Of course you can debate if Quartet X's version of (say) Britten 1 is preferable to the Maggini's or whatever.  But the simple fact is that this is the best and most comprehensive single quartet survey of key British quartet music ever produced.  The playing is uniformly excellent, the interpretations never less than convincing, and the engineering discreetly fine too.  The only possible quibble/sorrow is that this does focus on relatively mainstream British composers.  But you would have to be churlish to do anything but celebrate the enduring qualities on display here.  So much to enjoy!

Thanks for this! So it'll be frozen jacket spuds, beans and cheese for another week then as I dump all my cash into accumulating yet more excellent music...

    

[Albion]

I don't have the Naxos box but nice to see you posting here again.

Thanks, Vandermolen, that means a lot after what has been happening to me in 2024. I hope to keep posting for the foreseeable...