Sir Arnold Bax

[Klaze]

I have been listening to Bax's 4th Symphony - a great performance by Bryden Thomson and the Ulster SO (pity the rest of the cycle wasn't with them) with an equally impressive 'Tintagel'. The 4th is usually seen as the weakest of the 7 and most diffuse - but I am very fond of it and play it more than the others, much as I love nos 3 and 5.

A strange work. The first time i heard it, I considered it his weakest by far. But upon repeated listens I have started to enjoy it much more and my mind doesnt wander off so much, although I keep preferring the other ones. I've only heard the Handley recording though...

[vandermolen]

A strange work. The first time i heard it, I considered it his weakest by far. But upon repeated listens I have started to enjoy it much more and my mind doesnt wander off so much, although I keep preferring the other ones. I've only heard the Handley recording though...

There are actually two Handley versions. Try the Thomson if you get the chance.

[Klaze]

I may just do that! I have some of Bax's other orchestral works by Thomson which i enjoy a lot.
I understand the Lyrita recordings of the symphonies are also highly regarded, but there is no No.4, correct?

[cilgwyn]

Not as far as I know! Funnily enough,it's my favourite!

[vandermolen]

I may just do that! I have some of Bax's other orchestral works by Thomson which i enjoy a lot.
I understand the Lyrita recordings of the symphonies are also highly regarded, but there is no No.4, correct?

No 3 or 4 as there were already LP recordings of those when the Lyrita series first came out.

[vandermolen]

Frederic Austin (1872-1952) was a friend of Bax and his 1934 'The Sea Venturers' is very much in the spirit of Bax, as is the earlier Symphony of 1913. In fact I enjoyed every work on the new Dutton CD featuring Frederic Austin's music.
(having trouble posting the image from Amazon)

Here's the link anyway:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frederic-Austin-Symphony-Venturers-Rhapsody/dp/B007FOYFDC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331677675&sr=1-1

[eyeresist]

Very interesting, though sometimes I must wonder if the number of unheard composers is in fact infinite!

[cilgwyn]

Very interesting, though sometimes I must wonder if the number of unheard composers is in fact infinite!

Yes,anyone for some Gaze Cooper?!!!
And he's just the thin edge of the wedge!!!
This reminds me of some critic [?] (can't remember who) describing Havergal Brian as "the most overrated underrated,least neglected neglected composer of all time". Or something along those lines (I'm not Mr Memory & I didn't copy it down!).
I like Brian & Bax,incidentally! And I'm not,in any way, suggesting I agree with that 'critic'!

[Dundonnell]

Yes,anyone for some Gaze Cooper?!!!
And he's just the thin edge of the wedge!!!
This reminds me of some critic [?] (can't remember who) describing Havergal Brian as "the most overrated underrated,least neglected neglected composer of all time". Or something along those lines (I'm not Mr Memory & I didn't copy it down!).
I like Brian & Bax,incidentally! And I'm not,in any way, suggesting I agree with that 'critic'!

It is very hard to judge on the basis of hearing only two pieces of music by Gaze Cooper, both in amateur performances and poorly recorded.

I hope that I am not offending anyone here by saying that his music sounds quite appalling, amateurish drivel, in fact

[cilgwyn]

I am deeply upset!!! Actually,I have heard some archive recordings & to be fair they were extremely amateur & poorly recorded,to put it mildly,so I will give the bloke the benefit of the doubt......for now!!!! But some reports I have come across are decidedly less than encouraging! The fact is,some neglected composers are probably just c***! (Still,maybe he had other talents? Teaching was one,apparently.....or,cooking?!! )  Regarding 'unheard composers', 'eyeresist' makes a valid point. Bax,Bantock,Brian and even Holbrooke,are all reasonably well known to British music lovers,even if they are only names,to some. If you read books & magazines about such music you will have glimpsed their names. But then there are obviously other composers who,by comparison,would make the above mentioned composers look like mainstream composers!
Of course,I'm trying to think of an example,but their names elude me!

As to Gaze Cooper.Look out! Drivel,or not. A complete recorded cycle could be on the cards within the next five ten years,the way things are going! Our bookshelves could be literally groaning with his drivel & he wrote quite allot!!! There could even be a Gaze Cooper thread here with two posts!
Great name,though,even if it was an affectation!

Okay,back to Bax!

[Sergeant Rock]

The next work on the disc is The Happy Forest...

I feel vindicated in feeling for more than three decades that Downes really did The Happy Forest proud...

Totally agree with you. Interesting that a Musicweb reviewer mentioned a possible reissue of the Downes (would be great) as the Music web put in a disclaimer after I had reported back what Caracacus Downes (maybe a relative of Edward's  )had said about tentative negotiations for a reissue (see Music web bulletin board).

I'm reading the entire Bax thread again. The symphonies are finally working for me (at least 2 and 6 so far) so I was curious about favored versions. So, it's now four years later; was the Downes Third/Happy Forest ever reissued?

Sarge

[vandermolen]

I'm reading the entire Bax thread again. The symphonies are finally working for me (at least 2 and 6 so far) so I was curious about favored versions. So, it's now four years later; was the Downes Third/Happy Forest ever reissued?

Sarge

No and it's a disgrace that RCA never issued it on CD  In my view it's the best performance of both The Happy Forest and The Symphony.

RCA never issued Morton Gould's great version of Miaskovsky's Symphony 21 either (commissioned for the Chicago SO during the war - they perform it on the CD with Rimsky Korsakov's 'Antar' - both wonderful performances). Tjeknavorian's recording of Khachaturian's Symphony No 1 with the LSO was also never issued on CD by RCA. It was much better than the version on an ASV CD.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Quote from: vandermolen on Today at 19:49:42

No and it's a disgrace that RCA never issued it on CD  In my view it's the best performance of both The Happy Forest and The Symphony.



Yep.

[vandermolen]

Have been greatly enjoying Bax's 'Christmas Eve' or 'Christmas Eve in the Mountains' - a work I find very powerful and moving. Bax apparently uses the traditional plainchant of the Credo which R Strauss used in Thus Spake Zarathustra. Personally I much prefer Bax to Richard Strauss though.  Bryden Thomson's great LPO recording on Chandos is available in various combinations. There is a great CD with Nympholept on too - actually my favourite BAX CD, even though the works are unfamiliar.

[cilgwyn]

No and it's a disgrace that RCA never issued it on CD  In my view it's the best performance of both The Happy Forest and The Symphony.

RCA never issued Morton Gould's great version of Miaskovsky's Symphony 21 either (commissioned for the Chicago SO during the war - they perform it on the CD with Rimsky Korsakov's 'Antar' - both wonderful performances). Tjeknavorian's recording of Khachaturian's Symphony No 1 with the LSO was also never issued on CD by RCA. It was much better than the version on an ASV CD.

They're reissue policy is awful! I remember they took years to release their 'complete' Tjeknavorian recording of 'Gayne' (the spelling on the cd!). Ok! I know it's not really 'complete' & there are authenticity issues,but the playing was fantastic & as a youngster this was one of my most played Lp sets. Meanwhile,the RCA First Symphony languishes in their vaults.
The ASV got praised at the time. I remember when I eventually got it,feeling it was a big disappointment. There simply is no comparison! Simple as that!

Still,things do get released eventually. Melodiya have recently treated Svetlanov's marvellous 'Lyadov' recordings to their first ever cd release. Online reviews are already praising it right up to the hilt!

[cilgwyn]

Off topic a bit,but I wish Downes could have done a bit more Bax. I rather like his performances of Bax & Bantock on the short lived BBC Radio Classics label. He also did a lovely recording of Boughton's gorgeous Second Symphony 'Deirdre' (also on BBCRC).

[vandermolen]

Off topic a bit,but I wish Downes could have done a bit more Bax. I rather like his performances of Bax & Bantock on the short lived BBC Radio Classics label. He also did a lovely recording of Boughton's gorgeous Second Symphony 'Deirdre' (also on BBCRC).

Yes, I agree about Downes. That was one of my favourite BBC Radio Classics CDs as I especially liked Downes's performance of Bantock's 'Pagan Symphony.

[Lisztianwagner]

Although I haven't been very familiar with his music yet, there are four Bax's compositions I absolutely love: Tintagel, A Legend, Symphonic Variations and November Woods; the last one particularly impressed me with its beautiful, haunting melodies (there Bax seems to merge the influences of Wagner, Debussy and Sibelius; absolutely brilliant).

[cilgwyn]

Yes, I agree about Downes. That was one of my favourite BBC Radio Classics CDs as I especially liked Downes's performance of Bantock's 'Pagan Symphony.

So did I actually! Also,the Bax & Bantock chosen for the release,seemed to go very well with each other.The Hyperion cd had 'Fifine at the Fair;not one of my favourite Bantock inspirations (I think I preferred the Beechan,in a way! ) & Bantock's Pagan Symphony seemed to lead on very nicely from Bax's Northern Ballads (on the BBCRC cd). All three share what you might call a 'legendary' atmosphere,even if Bantock's inspiration is,at times,a little more perfumed & from warmer climes.

And yes,Lisztianwagner,I agree.At his best Bax's music is brilliantly individual. I only wish the concert promoters could get to see it our way! The reviews I saw for the Bax 2 Prom were pretty good though,overall!

Of course,this is the Khatchaturian thread!

[vandermolen]

So did I actually! Also,the Bax & Bantock chosen for the release,seemed to go very well with each other.The Hyperion cd had 'Fifine at the Fair;not one of my favourite Bantock inspirations (I think I preferred the Beechan,in a way! ) & Bantock's Pagan Symphony seemed to lead on very nicely from Bax's Northern Ballads (on the BBCRC cd). All three share what you might call a 'legendary' atmosphere,even if Bantock's inspiration is,at times,a little more perfumed & from warmer climes.

And yes,Lisztianwagner,I agree.At his best Bax's music is brilliantly individual. I only wish the concert promoters could get to see it our way! The reviews I saw for the Bax 2 Prom were pretty good though,overall!

Of course,this is the Khatchaturian thread!

I was lucky to be at the Bax (Symphony No 2) concert which was great. Agree about your 'legendary' comments re Bantock/Bax. Am not too keen on Fifine either although it has some nice sections.