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16  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) on: July 02, 2022, 09:17:13 am
The composing career of Vaughan Williams was incredibly long and incredibly prolific. Many listeners are fully acquainted with the wonderful early works such as Toward the Unknown Region (1907), Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) and A Sea Symphony (1910) but are possibly unaware just how rich the earliest period is. Thankfully this repertoire has been covered by splendid modern recordings -

Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra (1896-1904) - Somm
A Cambridge Mass (1897-99) - Albion
String Quartet in C minor (1898) - Hyperion
Serenade in A minor (1898) - Dutton*
Quintet in D (1898) - Hyperion
Bucolic Suite (1900-01) - Dutton
The Garden of Proserpine (1901) - Albion
Heroic Elegy and Triumphal Epilogue (1901-02) - Dutton*
Willow-Wood (1903) - Naxos*
Piano Quintet in C minor (1903) - Hyperion*
The Solent (1903) - Albion

I would strongly recommend those marked with an asterisk, but all are well worth a hearing. Stanford was incredibly lucky with the pupils that came before him in the 1890s (whether or not they regarded themselves as quite so lucky is a moot point): Vaughan Williams, Holst, Coleridge-Taylor and Hurlstone were all quick out of the block and rapidly established their own musical personalities. Of these, the least known today is William Hurlstone, but he was as talented as the best of them, tragically dying at the age of thirty in 1906 (with Coleridge-Taylor dying in 1912 at the age of thirty-seven). The 1890s generation graduating from the Royal College of Music was quite astonishing. Vaughan Williams' output maintained its superlative quality right up until the end in 1958, but I hope that in this celebratory year his earliest-period music gets due recognition.

 :)
Very much agree about the 'Heroic Elegy...' and Piano Quintet - both of which are fine works.
17  Assorted items / Concerts / Re: John Blackwood McEwen: Symphony in A minor on YouTube on: March 31, 2022, 12:33:28 pm
It sounds rather good. I've recently been enjoying the Border Ballads, Solway Symphony and especially the valedictory 'Where the Wild Thyme Blows' which I find rather moving.
18  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Stanley Bate (1911-1959) on: March 15, 2022, 10:18:47 pm

I share people's enthusiasm for Bate.  The Dutton Bate and Bell Viola Concertos CD was marvellous.  A pity there is only Bell's South African Symphony on Marco Polo to go along with his Rosa Mystica Viola Concerto.

The Dutton Bate and Chisholm CD is even better in my opinion and the Fourth Symphony is equal to the Third, albeit less immediately appealing.  The 2nd and 3rd Piano Concertos are attractive, the Cello Concerto perhaps less so.

I would love to hear the Violin Concertos.  If I recall correctly the Third Concerto was composed for Yehudi Menuhin and Dutton were considering recording it several years ago.  There was a Dutch radio broadcast of the first or second Concerto in the 1950s I think.

The cellist who recorded the Cello Concerto used a Kickstarter appeal to raise the funds and himself prepared the score.  Perhaps this is what is needed to bring recordings of the Violin Concertos to pass.  I have read the scores do exist for them.


Totally agree with your second paragraph. The Bate/Chisholm CD on Dutton is my favourite Dutton release (Arnell's 3rd and 5th symphonies and Steinberg's 4th Symphony rate very highly as well.)
19  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Stanley Bate (1911-1959) on: March 08, 2022, 03:32:09 pm
I love his music, especially symphonies 3, 4 and the Viola and PC concerto No.2.
He definitely deserves the epithet of 'undeservedly neglected'. I consider his Third Symphony, in particular, to be a major contribution to 20th century symphonic music.

Agree with every word, here. Played both the Third Symphony and second piano concerto recently, and was stunned again. First class composer, should be far better known.
That Dutton CD featuring Bate's 3rd Symphony and Chisholm's extraordinary 'Pictures from Dante' is probably my all time favourite Dutton CD, along with the ones featuring Richard Arnell's 3rd Symphony and Maximilian Steinberg's Symphony No.4 'Turksib'.

Absolutely, and quite a distinctive voice! So much for the dismissive term "Cheltenham Symphonies". Both of the recorded symphonies are splendid, as in the Piano Concerto. More, please...

 :D
Totally agree with your 'Cheltenham Symphonies' comment. Bate's 4th Symphony and the Viola Concerto are also marvellous works, as is the 2nd Piano Concerto. One of the only photos I know of Bate is of him standing, looking perhaps rather uncomfortable, alongside a rather pleased-with-himself looking seated Vaughan Williams and acolytes at Cheltenham, probably at the time of the performance of Bate's 3rd Symphony, which made such a strong impression. There's something about that photo which I don't like but, no doubt, it's my own projections!

PS I've just looked at the photo again (1955 Cheltenham Festival, first performance of Bate's 3rd Symphony) - it's just that nobody seems to be paying any attention to Bate who is, literally and metaphorically, an 'outsider'.
20  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Stanley Bate (1911-1959) on: March 08, 2022, 12:43:38 pm
I love his music, especially symphonies 3, 4 and the Viola and PC concerto No.2.
He definitely deserves the epithet of 'undeservedly neglected'. I consider his Third Symphony, in particular, to be a major contribution to 20th century symphonic music.

Agree with every word, here. Played both the Third Symphony and second piano concerto recently, and was stunned again. First class composer, should be far better known.
That Dutton CD featuring Bate's 3rd Symphony and Chisholm's extraordinary 'Pictures from Dante' is probably my all time favourite Dutton CD, along with the ones featuring Richard Arnell's 3rd Symphony and Maximilian Steinberg's Symphony No.4 'Turksib'.
21  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Sir George Dyson (1883-1964) on: July 22, 2021, 12:30:30 pm


Hey, it's here - found the thread after only seven years! Strongly recommended recordings of the major choral works:

In Honour of the City (1928); The Canterbury Pilgrims (1930) - Hickox, Chandos CHAN 9531(2)
Choral Symphony (1910); St Paul's Voyage to Melita (1932) - Hill, Naxos 8.573770
The Blacksmiths (1933); Sweet Thames, Run Softly (1954) - Willcocks, Somm CD014
Nebuchadnezzar (1934) - Hickox, Chandos CHAN10439
Quo Vadis (1936-45) - Hickox, Chandos CHAN 10061(2)


A wonderful composer.

 :)
I agree! I especially like the Symphony (both recordings), Concerto da Chiesa and Nebuchadnezzar.
22  Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Stanley Bate (1911-1959) on: April 21, 2020, 07:34:50 am
I love his music, especially symphonies 3,4 and the Viola and PC concerto No.2.
He definitely deserves the epithet of 'undeservedly neglected'. I consider his Third Symphony, in particular, to be a major contribution to 20th century symphonic music.
23  ARCHIVED TOPICS / Performance and technique / Re: Mariss Jansons. (1943-2019) on: December 05, 2019, 06:20:58 pm
I had no idea about his tragic Jewish background. I rate his Shostakovich symphonies box set very highly as well as his marvellous recording of Honegger's symphonies 2 and 3 'Liturgique'. A sad loss to classical music.
24  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Eller: Symphonic Poems on Ondine on: October 15, 2019, 04:16:50 pm
I've greatly enjoyed both of the recent Ondine releases of Eller's music. I wish they would record his First Symphony.
25  Assorted items / Concerts / Re: World premiere of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Symphony No. 9 „Mythos“ 11.01.2018 on: October 07, 2019, 06:37:07 pm
Coincidentally, my orchestral work "Mythos" was premiered 10 years ago in November, 2008. 
Excerpt:
https://picosong.com/wLgXm

I liked your 'Mythos' very much.
26  Assorted items / Concerts / Re: Walton's musical score to Henry V to be performed in London on: October 07, 2019, 06:33:35 pm
I noticed this and hope to get there if I can.
27  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Ben-Haim - Bloch - Korngold: Cello Concertos on: September 20, 2019, 07:46:09 pm
The CD fully lived up to expectations in all respects. I enjoyed the Ben-Haim almost as much as his marvellously inspiriting Violin Concerto and I had to play it again immediately. When I saw 'Cello Concerto' by Bloch I was expecting 'Schelomo' but this is nothing of the sort - a quite different work from 1954, originally planned for Trombone and Orchestra. Although not listed by Bloch as amongst his 'Jewish works' it has the characteristically soulful/biblical resonances of works like the 'Israel Symphony' and 'Voice in the Wilderness' - great discovery. I have always liked the short Korngold work and this is one of those recording I can play through from beginning to end with much emotional pleasure. Thanks Cesar for alerting us to this fine CD.
28  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Ben-Haim - Bloch - Korngold: Cello Concertos on: September 15, 2019, 08:16:36 pm


I'm pretty sure there are many fans of these composers on this forum. I'm especially eager for the Ben-Haim Cello Concerto and the Symphony for Cello and Orchestra by Bloch, which I didn't know at all. The Korngold, whilst recorded other times, fits the thematics of the CD.

Woohoo! What a terrific looking release. Thanks for posting it Cesar. I've greatly admired Ben-Haim's Violin Concerto and his two symphonies, the first of which I was lucky enough to hear in London a few weeks ago. The Bloch and Korngold remain firm favourites.
29  Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Weinberg (Vainberg) on: September 11, 2019, 09:34:38 pm
Could you provide a link to the recording of the 5th symphony?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weinberg-Prokofiev-Symphonies-Sinfonia-Iuventus/dp/B072MQKN11
30  Assorted items / YouTube performances / Gordon Jacob: Concerto for Three Hands on: September 02, 2019, 08:28:14 am
Unlike its Bliss and Arnold companions on LP it was never released on CD. An engaging and enjoyable score:
https://youtu.be/rtkjuNVYFyg
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