The Art-Music, Literature and Linguistics Forum
March 29, 2024, 08:30:43 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
News: Here you may discover hundreds of little-known composers, hear thousands of long-forgotten compositions, contribute your own rare recordings, and discuss the Arts, Literature and Linguistics in an erudite and decorous atmosphere full of freedom and delight.
 
  Home Help Search Gallery Staff List Login Register  
  Show Posts
Pages: 1 ... 32 33 [34] 35 36 ... 111
496  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Sir Arthur Bliss (1891-1975) on: August 02, 2021, 10:58:14 am
Bliss is IMO among this country's finest composers. His music is always inventive and imaginative and yes what a superb orchestrator. His chamber music is especially fine and always a very rewarding experience, in the Clarinet and Oboe Quintets are IMO amongst the very finest chamber works written by British composers. He maintained a high standard throughout his composing career, one just has to listen to the Cello Concerto composed in his late 70's. His neglect in the concert hall and on radio is puzzling.

I thought I'd revive this thread, given that the old boy's 130 today: I fully concur with the opinion above. His music never seems to get an airing in concert and yet most of his music has been recorded - a similar situation to Arnold Bax's. Naxos made some excellent recordings with David Lloyd-Jones and Christopher Lyndon-Gee (mainly focusing on the wonderful ballet scores but including great pieces like A Colour Symphony and Meditations on a Theme by John Blow) and Chandos has given us excellent recordings of Morning Heroes, The Beatitudes and Mary of Magdala. Just like Walton, he started out as an enfant terrible and gradually became "Establishment" - nothing wrong with that! A new complete recording of his opera The Olympians (1949) would be very welcome (excerpts are in BIMA).

 :)
497  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: August 02, 2021, 08:17:40 am
The finale of Concerto in Three Rhythms (1932) by Dana Suesse (1909-87) orchestrated by Ferde Grofé on the radio. Suesse is not a composer I've heard before - it's great stuff!



 :D
498  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Holst Perfect Fool Opera on: August 01, 2021, 07:45:10 pm
My heart did sink,somewhat,when I looked the forthcoming cd up,and read Imogen Holst's comments made at the time of the Groves broadcast! This gorgeous,colourful score really does need to heard in stereo;but,I thought,oh well,I quite like old mono recordings and maybe it will be a good performance? It is true,that an old mono opera (or operetta) recording can,sometimes,be better than a newer,stereo one? (I'm not referring to sound quality,of course!) But from what you have told us here,I think I will be sticking to Handley,too! I noticed that the Groves performance is on Youtube. It did say that the recording was incomplete! Actually,I've just looked at it,and that's where I read what Imogen Holst wrote! Someone's mum was one of the 'girls',though! Nice! :) It's just a pity that a rare chance to hear the work was marred in such a way! Dear oh dear! ::) I was so hoping that Lyrita would release this opera! But,unlike those mono G & S broadcasts from 1966,which are very,very good,this one sounds like one to.............I was going to say avoid;but I thnk I'll sample it online?!! :(

My thoughts exactly. Handley's version is complete, in stereo and beautifully performed - a far better advocacy for the opera one would have thought. And yes, the BBC archive is there to be mined - the treasures that are currently preserved in aspic...



 ::)
499  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / William Wordsworth on Toccata on: August 01, 2021, 11:13:18 am
A good review of volume 3 - https://www.britishmusicsociety.co.uk/2021/07/william-wordsworth-cello-concerto-symphony-no-5/

Wordsworth is not a composer that I listen to often, but this is a really worthwhile recording project. Along with Jones and Hoddinott, he still needs the advocacy of enterprising A & R departments...

 :)
500  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: Too much music? on: July 31, 2021, 06:56:20 pm
at the end of the day, the important thing is that you enjoy what you're listening to at the moment.

How true!

 :)
501  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Holst Perfect Fool Opera on: July 31, 2021, 04:32:35 pm
It is a total mystery to me why the Handley version - excellent in most respects - has never been licensed for issue on CD, or even given away as a cover-mount on BBC Music Magazine. It was given high priority billing at Christmas when it was first broadcast, and has been comprehensively forgotten since.

It hasn't been forgotten here! Yes, I would prefer the Handley version to be commercially released as well, together with Barry Wordsworth's wonderful interpretation of Hecuba's Lament (also broadcast in 1995) - just the right length for a CD! I presume that the Lyrita release has no coupling item.

 ;)
502  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Holst Perfect Fool Opera on: July 31, 2021, 12:24:26 pm
I assume the three broadcasts listed (1967, 1968 and 1974) are of the same performance -

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=holst+perfect+fool+groves#top

 :)

Ah, the perils of scanning in copies of the Radio Times and not checking afterwards:

Fourth of six programmes ot of Hoist's less frequently beard music



 :D
503  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: Too much music? on: July 31, 2021, 11:03:30 am
only to ultimately donate them to the local university's music library. I hope some young music student there is as crazy as me and has a good obsessive time with the music like I did.

Wonderful sentiments. I'm sure good use will have been made of your generosity.

 8)
504  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: July 31, 2021, 09:18:01 am
I agree with all you say about Cyril Scott. It is a disgrace that he was neglected for so long but his re-emergence as a significant voice seems to have come in fits and starts.

My favourite discs of Scott are the four volumes of orchestral/ concertante works on Chandos - beautiful cover images too!









 :)
505  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Holst Perfect Fool Opera on: July 31, 2021, 08:12:12 am
Lyrita will be issuing Sir Charles Groves’ BBCNSO recording of Holst’s Perfect Fool opera on 3rd September

Excellent. This will complement Vernon Handley's 1995 broadcast which is in BIMA.

 :)
506  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: July 30, 2021, 08:02:05 pm

I somehow fear such cultural references may be lost on many, but quite frankly who cares?

It's all out there to explore.

 ;)

Is there such a word as "googleable"? 

Bloogledebubbleplerumble...



 ::)
507  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: July 30, 2021, 07:33:39 pm
Frank Bridge: Phantasie Trio in C Minor for violin,cello and piano    The Dartington Piano Trio (with Patrick Ireland,Viola)      Hyperion  :)

A little of what you fancy does you good! And as Hylda Baker used to say,I can say that without fear of contraception! :o ;D

Ooooh, yer big girl's blouse!



 ;D

I somehow fear such cultural references may be lost on many, but quite frankly who cares?



It's all out there to explore.

 ;)
508  Assorted items / Concerts / Re: Three Choirs Festival 2021 on: July 30, 2021, 03:47:46 pm

No doubt the BBC is basking in the prospect of a post-lockdown Proms season...
...and simply can't be ars*d with such provincial doings. The Metrolopis is everything!
 >:(

I'm sure that's correct. What a bunch of 'Fanny's doughnuts' they are.

The Culture Committee of the BBC circa 2021...



...nope, no discernible brain-activity taking place. Still, yummy!

 :D :D :D
509  Assorted items / Concerts / Re: Three Choirs Festival 2021 on: July 30, 2021, 03:29:47 pm
...damn the BBC for not "showing an interest" in the Three Choirs Festival.

Worra bunch of useless toss-pots.

 ::)
You never spoke a truer word. I despair of the BBC (as I do of so much else... :( )

Important music festivals, etc., should be recorded for broadcast de rigueur. No doubt the BBC is basking in the prospect of a post-lockdown Proms season...



...and simply can't be ars*d with such provincial doings. The Metrolopis is everything!

BAH!!!

 >:(
510  Assorted items / Concerts / Re: Three Choirs Festival 2021 on: July 30, 2021, 03:08:37 pm
...damn the BBC for not "showing an interest" in the Three Choirs Festival.



Worra bunch of useless toss-pots.

 ::)
Pages: 1 ... 32 33 [34] 35 36 ... 111
Powered by EzPortal
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum


Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy