British Symphonists on CD: The Winners and the Losers

[Dundonnell]

In response to cilgwyn's points about Holbrooke........

Musical fashion is an odd thing and the world of the cd company and that of the concert-hall can be very, very far apart. Music which would stand little chance of being programmed in concert can end up on disc if an enterprising company decides to invest in a recording.

What factors determine a decision will vary from company to company, owner to owner, repertoire adviser to adviser. A company-presumably-have to be convinced that the music is worth recording and will sell enough copies. There will be a balancing act between taking a punt on unfamiliar music which may not sell and unfamiliar music which stands a very good chance of catching wider public attention. If there is someone of some standing and reputation pushing the music and acting as the composer's advocate, or a trust set up with the explicit purpose of promoting the music and (even better) able to seek sources of funding for a recording then a company will be more enthusiastic about a particular proposal.

We cannot know all the ins-and-outs of the business of financing a recording. Money can sometimes come from some very odd sources. You will recall that it was the Rex Foundation, set up by members of The Grateful Dead and Friends, which put money into the recording of some if not all of Hyperion's recording of the Robert Simpson symphonies and the recordings by various labels of some of the Havergal Brian symphonies.

Who financed a small company in upstate New York-Albany-in recording all the George Lloyd orchestral compositions? Why did CPO chose to record all the Benjamin Frankel and Humphrey Searle symphonies? Well, I do know a little about that ;D Their names were brought to the attention of Burkhard Schmilgun and he liked what he heard.

If there is a conductor with a passion for a particular composer's music that is another huge plus. Martin Yates was a pupil of Richard Arnell and clearly has an ongoing commitment to record as much Arnell as possible.

....and there has been a tide of fashion running in favour of a group of late 19th century born British composers who wrote rich, romantic music(Delius, German, Bantock, Scott, Foulds, Bax, Bowen) which may yet bring us more Holbrooke :) That same apparent preference of romantic or neo-romantic music seems to have enabled composers like Alwyn, Bate and Arnell to be recorded....and now, perhaps, Alan Bush.

Will it spread to embrace Cooke, Wordsworth or Jones ??? ???  I have absolutely no idea ::)

[Dundonnell]

I don't think anyone's pointed out that the Grace Williams symphony on Lyrita is no. 2, not 1. But what a wonderful list, and it mostly makes me very happy to see what has been achieved (and makes me realise how much music I have, since I have virtually every recording mentioned!)

Indeed it is ::)

Corrected. Thank you :)

(I am delighted that this thread is getting some attention.....even if it involves correcting my mistakes ;D ;D ;D)

[Dundonnell]

Patric Standford has just been promoted a Division. His Symphony No.2 "A Christmas Carol Symphony" is on a Naxos disc :)

[kyjo]

I believe Roger Sacheverell Coke, Walter Gaze Cooper, and Stanley Wilson deserve a place on the list as well :).
While British symphonists such as Parry, Stanford, Bax, Alwyn, Arnold, Simpson, Rubbra, Lloyd, (on a more "sung" note) Elgar, VW, and Walton have gotten plenty of attention on CD, it is very rare to hear any of their symphonies in American concert halls (even the latter three) :(. The same is true for American symphonists as well-all we seem to get are the standards from Germany, Austria, and Russia ::). Ah well, enough about that!

[Dundonnell]

They may do but until I hear some of their music, preferably performed "professionally" I cannot be sure.

The list cannot possibly be definitive. It was very much a personal assessment :) Anybody can and might argue the case for additions but I shall leave it as it is if you don't mind.

[kyjo]

I have no problem with you leaving the list the way it is :). I can see why you omitted them-none of their symphonies can be heard anywhere, sadly :(. I have high hopes for all three of these composers' music, but as you so rightly say, we need professional recordings of it to be sure of its quality!

[Grandenorm]

You mention 10 symphonies by Holbrooke. I am aware only of 9 - and some of these might not really count as "symphonies":

Dramatic Choral Symphony - Hommage to E.A. Poe. (in my opinion the true Symphony No. 1, though unnumbered) 4 movts.
Symphony No. 1 "Les Hommages" (in reality a rescoring for large orchestra of an earlier suite for strings, each movt. being in the style of a different composer) 4 movts.
Symphony No. 2 "Apollo and the Seaman" - 3 movts.
Symphony No. 3 "Ships" - 3 movts.
Symphony No. 4 "The Little One - Homage to Schubert" - 3 movts.
Symphony No. 5 "Wild Wales", for brass band (really no more than suite) - 4 movts.
Symphony No. 6 "Old England" for Military Band (another suite) - 4 movts.
Symphony No. 7 "Al Aaraaf" for strings (an arrangement of the String Sextet in D) - 4 movts.
Symphony No. 8 "Dance Symphony" (in reality a Piano Concerto) - Full Score & orchestral parts missing; only 2-piano score extant - 3 movts.

[Dundonnell]

You mention 10 symphonies by Holbrooke. I am aware only of 9 - and some of these might not really count as "symphonies":

Dramatic Choral Symphony - Hommage to E.A. Poe. (in my opinion the true Symphony No. 1, though unnumbered) 4 mocts.
Symphony No. 1 "Les Hommages" (in reality a rescoring for large orchestra of an earlier suite for strings, each movt. being in the style of a different composer) 4 movts.
Symphony No. 2 "Apollo and the Seaman" - 3 movts.
Symphony No. 3 "Ships" - 3 movts.
Symphony No. 4 "The Little One - Homage to Schubert" - 3 movts.
Symphony No. 5 "Wild Wales", for brass band (really no more than suite) - 4 movts.
Symphony No. 6 "Old England" for Military Band (another suite) - 4 movts.
Symphony No. 7 "Al Aaraaf" for strings (an arrangement of the String Sextet in D) - 4 movts.
Symphony No. 8 "Dance Symphony" (in reality a Piano Concerto) - Full Score & orchestral parts missing; only 2-piano score extant - 3 movts.

I was giving him the benefit of the doubt regarding the choral symphony "Milton", op.131 which the composer was working on between 1938 and 1946. We are told that the work was probably/possibly unfinished. I have no idea how much, if any, of it remains.

[guest128]

The Lorelt label has issued the Symphony by Minna Keal (absent from the list, unless I missed it).

[Dundonnell]

I am afraid that I have not had the opportunity of hearing that symphony :(

[jimfin]

Minna Keal's Wikipedia entry must win the record for the briefest I have ever seen!

[guest182]

Clifford and Bainton - try before you buy: http://www.avaxhome.ws/music/classical/early_20th_century/CliffordAndBaintonVol1.html

[jimfin]

The Clifford Symphony is wonderful, reminds me of Walton's 1st, but with a style of its own and lots of energy. I am still struggling to enjoy Bainton. But the disc is well worth it, and I have just bought the second volume (not of symphonies, but other pieces by the same two composers)

[suffolkcoastal]

Unless I missed them, what about composers such as Potter and Macfarren. One of the Potter's is commericially released.

[Dundonnell]

Absolutely take your point about Potter and Macfarren. Albion will know more than I about whether the scores of the nine Macfarren symphonies are still extant.

I do tend to restrict my list-making to composers who were active during the 20th century :)