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766  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: May 18, 2021, 11:42:47 pm
   for today..
That man had great hair! ;D
767  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: Musical Parodies on: May 18, 2021, 10:41:07 pm
Malcolm Arnold's A Grand,Grand Festival Overture is an absolute riot! Which reminds me! I downloaded some files of the Hoffnung Festival's which I put on cdr-s,and I must get around to listening to them!! It also reminds me that I must get some vacumn cleaner bags! It's like one of those reality shows where people go back to Edwardian times,here! What with all the sweeping and wringing out sheets and trousers with me bare 'ands!! :( ;D
768  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958) on: May 18, 2021, 10:29:18 pm
You'll be pleased to know I have no intention of speculating,as to whether,whether Tommy Cooper would have enjoyed Joseph Holbrooke!!
769  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958) on: May 18, 2021, 10:15:13 pm
I was just thinking of your observation about the length of the Prelude! ("What do you think of it so far?!!") Well,despite the jibe about a Cockney Wagner,and some of the unenthusiastic posts I've read about Holbrooke,at a rival forum (not that one!) I would say it's definitely not rubbish! Funnily enough mentioning Eric Morecambe! I'm really not sure he would have enjoyed that kind of music?! But,then again,you never know?!! Apparently Rued Langgaard (often referred to as Denmark's answer to Havergal Brian) is one of Dame Edna Everage's favourite composers! Now I don't know whether that's a good thing or bad?!! :-\ ::) Not being a fan,myself! (Eric & Ernie,yes!)

http://langgaard.dk/intro/edna.htm

If you ever do decide to sample Rued Langgaard,I would,thoroughly,recommend the Chandos cd of symphonies 4,5 & 6 as an introduction! I'm sure you've got piles of other interesting music to listen to first,though!! ;D :) Hope your gout isn't troubling you at the moment!
770  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958) on: May 18, 2021, 08:39:39 pm
I have to nail my colours to the mast (as opposed to the fence!) and opine that while Holbrooke was gifted and more than just competent, Rachmaninov was a genius! That’s not to say that Holbrooke’s setting is not still very worthy of a modern recording – it most certainly is.

I stand by to be vilified by the Holbrookeistas!

Thanks for a really great and detailed post, Lionel - I'd expect nothing less!

 ;)

Yes, I would concur that in no way could Holbrooke be bracketed with Rachmaninov in terms of his overall achievement or level of "gift", "talent" or "genius". But, as you quite rightly and diplomatically say, Holbrooke's setting certainly deserves a top-flight modern recording, complete with stier horn in B, soprano concertina (miked-up, lol), mushroom bells, two grand pianos and celesta!

 :)

I agree that the extensive Prelude is a miscalculation - either it stands on its own or it effectively "plays its hand" too freely: when you come to the later choral sections the sense of déjà vu is just too overwhelming!

 :o

Nevertheless, I truly love it for it's sheer madness and oddity, especially some of the vocal writing and in particular the orchestration. As such an oddity, it strikes a chord (hmmm, notes to self: must book that next therapy session; perhaps I should write booklet-notes for CPO). It must have hit the 1906 Birmingham Festival audience with one heck of a big welly after the comparative sanity of Elgar's The Kingdom and Bantock's Omar Khayyam. But then, I always love the under-dog. Why else would I keep blathering on about Cowen, lol...



 ::)

Do not fear: "Vilification" ain't in my vocabulary - four syllabubs is usually my limit these days...



...mmmmmm, posh or what?



 ;D
Maybe it is a bit too long;but it's still one of my favourite Holbrooke compositions. It's the sort of piece I would kill to hear with a world class orchestra. Unfortunately,I won't!! :( ;D Hear,I mean! Not kill! (Although,my millionaire landlord had better keep away from dark,lonely alleyways,just in case?!! :o ;D) It's also the kind of piece that shows how cruel the "Cockney Wagner" jibe was. In fact,my first impression was that the main influences were Russian or even French? Or a bit of both? Particularly,the former! I think it is a wonderful piece of music. It builds up to a thrilling climax. The Slovak lot do quite a nice job of it,to my ears. Think! It could have been worse? It could have been the Plovdiv Philharmonic?! :o As to the choral work that follows?!! (What choral work? Has the Prelude finished yet?!! ;D) I prefer it to the Rachmaninov;and I think Holbrooke captures the atmosphere of Poe's work more effectively than Rachmaninov. That said,as a commmited Holbrooke fan (I'm typing this inside a padded cell,by the way!) I agree with Lionel,that Rachmaninov's "one wot he wrote" (albeit,long hairy legs as opposed to short fat ones!! :o ;D) is,indisputably,the finer work! That said,they are both enjoyable works and should be enjoyed on their own terms. Although Eric Morecambe might have disagreed?!!
771  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: May 07, 2021, 10:59:05 pm
Kienz: Don Quixote  Cpo 3 cds

Cd:3 of this opera set. Nearing the end of the set! Actually,it's only been on this long,really,because I'm wearing cordless headphones and doing other things. The opera is long....but not that long!! ;D
Thought! If they can pull this opera out of obscurity (and Kienzl,who isn't exactly a household name) at some expense presumably,and pull out all the stops,as has been obviously done here,wouldn't it be possible to do the same for one of Holbrooke's Cauldron of Annwn cycle?
772  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Sir Arthur Sullivan: songs on: May 07, 2021, 06:21:59 pm
It could also be used as tracing paper,I seem to remember?!
Oh yes, I'd forgotten that.  ;D It was much better for use as tracing paper than for, er... the purpose for which it was actually devised!
Why didn't they just make tracing paper instead?!!
773  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: May 07, 2021, 06:15:08 pm
Kienzl: Don Quixote   Cpo 3cds

Cd: 2 The bits for falsetto base are a bit odd,to be honest!! I haven't had time to read all the booklet notes,so I'm not sure why they are written into the score?  (Thankfully,they're not as as annoying as Ivan Rebroff as Orlofsky in that Carlos Kleiber recording!) I did try to read Don Quixote once. My parents had a Pelican edition. I didn't get very far (Page one! ::)). I quite like Der Evangelimann (The Jelly Man! ;D) but I think this is a much finer score. It's full of interesting ideas so I don't keep wondering when it's going to end? Which is always a good sign!
I wouldn't rush to buy a copy,though,Lionel! If you see it in the remainder bin with Bucks Fizz and Des O' Connor,you could pick it up,though?!! ;D The Cpo set not the bin! ;D
774  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Sir Arthur Sullivan: songs on: May 07, 2021, 05:45:13 pm
I look forward to it with keen anticipation... I wonder what it can be about. ???

Probably nothing of any great import...

 ;D

...still, it'll be handy if the Izal runs out (remember that? My grandma swore by it, whilst we swore at it): the paper used for the magazine is probably about the same impenetrable consistency. Ouch!



 :o :o :o
My grandfather (my mother's father) used to swear by Izal (and no wonder! :o ;D) and they always had it in the loo when I visited! I can remember kids using it to write on at school. It could also be used as tracing paper,I seem to remember?!
775  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: May 07, 2021, 03:52:35 pm
Indeed! And Walford Davies might have found it very funny,for all we know?! Thank you for your PM! Very funny! ;D ;D ;D
776  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: May 07, 2021, 03:45:55 pm
It's Boult for me (the stereo cycle on EMI), closely followed by Previn, when it comes to recorded cycles. I have the Handley and Haitink cycles as well but I've never been able to really warm up to them.
Or, then again, perhaps not!  ;D
Here's one who does like Handley's VW! :) Although,the mono ones Boult recorded are my favourites,actually. Although,I like the stereo ones,of course! I like Barbirolli's recordings,very much. Previn for some of them. I'm a big fan of Bryden Thomson's cycle! Although,some are better than others. Although,that's hardly a surprise! I like Haitink for the Sea Symphony and Sinfonia Antartica. My favourite recording of the Sea Symphony is probably Boult's first recording,though! And the mono Boult,Barbirolli and Previn,for the Sinfonia Antartica. I haven't really warmed to any of Haitink's other recordings. But each to his own! I like Henry Wood in the London Symphony. And the Hickox,too. (Brabbins recording for Hyperion is well worth hearing).
777  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: May 07, 2021, 03:30:15 pm
I also agree about the usefulness of a**** too; I talk out of mine all the time, as visitors to this forum can attest!
 ;D
That makes two of us! ;D That reminds me of something Vaughan Williams said! Which you may know?!! On being told,by Walford Davies,that he composed his Solemn Melody on his knees,Vaughan Williams replied that he wrote the Mass in G on his backside! ;D There was also a chap who played tunes with it,of course! There was a film about him with Leonard Rossiter which I have't seen! And I'm not sure I want to?! I'll stick to Miss Jones! :o ;D
778  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958) on: May 07, 2021, 03:05:24 pm
Remember when York Bowen was just a name,too? For some reason I often think of Yorkie Bars,when I see his name?! Not a bad name association,I would think?! Haven't had one for years!
779  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958) on: May 07, 2021, 02:54:33 pm
Good! :) The recording of Byron is by far the worst performance on those cds,to my ears! Albeit,reading between the lines (as it were) there is a poignancy to the piece,which I found rather moving,in lieu of Holbrooke's subsequent descent into obscurity and neglect! I should point out! I would not recommend those Marco Polo recordings to anyone coming new to Holbrooke!! :o ;D
For pioneering zeal,I suppose I should put in a word for the Symposium cd of 78rpm recordings of Holbrooke. I quite enjoy that one! Why they even bothered to record that extract from the Symphony No 3 I don't know?! ::) ;D The stand out for me is that lady (I forget who?) singing the Cradle Song* from Bronwen.

* Dorothy Vane!
780  Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to? on: May 07, 2021, 02:42:48 pm
Now,I didn't know that,Lionel! :o Sometimes ignorance is Bliss,eh?! (And I don't mean that Bliss! Although,he is! ;D :))  That said,I like to try and separate a composer's music from his politics. I know,it can be difficult,if not impossible,for some! I like the music of Franz Schimdt,for example! I quite like Kienzl's Der Evangelimann. A little uneven,perhaps;but,I think,very enjoyable,in the old,and very good,emi electrola recording. (It seems to include a ragbab of styles!) His Don Quixote is far superior to my ears. I've been curious about it for a long time;but wondered whether it might be a little long winded,or uneven? But no,it grabbed me straight away and there's always something interesting to hear. Quite a find,imo. And I only wish all neglected operas would receive recordings as good as this one! Must admit,I'm an ignoramus when it comes to libretto! A cursory read. A dip in,here and there! But,I tend to concentrate on the music I'm hearing. With my mouth hanging open,and a straw in my mouth,of course! ::) ;D (The two at once?!! :o)
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