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[guest822]

Brilliant! Are we possibly the best nation for producing so much quality "light music"? Vide Hyperion's marvelous series of discs...

 ???

Yes.

[cilgwyn]

Moeran: Violin Concerto   Albert Sammons (Violin) BBC SO /Boult    St Andrews Hall,Norwich,28th April 1946

Moeran: Fantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings  Leon Goossens & the Carter String Trio    London,1947

Moeran: Serenade in G for Orchestra   LSO /Basil Cameron  Promenade Concert,Royal Albert Hall,Sept 2nd 1948

Symposium Cd

Playing now: Serenade in G


This cd of old recordings is great! The transfers are very good Very clear with not too much filtering (ie: elimination of sausage frying noises,et al). There's the odd mishap ( one bit that sounds like a needle jumping a groove) and the audience's are nice & quiet during the music! (They can't wait for the interval to clear their throat's though! :o ;D) But the real treat,apart from the fine performances is the inclusion of the posh radio announcer! ("The Cemposer ceming beck onto the pletform!") The kind that Lionel was referring to that make the Queen sound like Arthur Mullard! The recording of the Serenade is of the first performance,at a Prom,and "has the added distinction of containing the Intermezzo and the Forlana". I'm not an expert on the history of this work & perhaps someone else here can shed more light on the history of this work? It sounds lovely here! The whole disc is a delight,I might add! I tend to avoid live recordings,generally;but this one is very enjoyable indeed! :)

The author of the booklet notes (Lionel Hill) adds "that over the following months (following the broadcast) I moved Heaven and Earth to get HMV or Decca to record a performance with Sammons and Barbirolli-all to no avail". :( (The performance of the Moeran Violin Concerto is glorious!)

[guest822]

Moeran: Violin Concerto   Albert Sammons (Violin) BBC SO /Boult    St Andrews Hall,Norwich,28th April 1946

Moeran: Fantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings  Leon Goossens & the Carter String Trio    London,1947

Moeran: Serenade in G for Orchestra   LSO /Basil Cameron  Promenade Concert,Royal Albert Hall,Sept 2nd 1948

Symposium Cd

Playing now: Serenade in G


This cd of old recordings is great! The transfers are very good Very clear with not too much filtering (ie: elimination of sausage frying noises,et al). There's the odd mishap ( one bit that sounds like a needle jumping a groove) and the audience's are nice & quiet during the music! (They can't wait for the interval to clear their throat's though! :o ;D) But the real treat,apart from the fine performances is the inclusion of the posh radio announcer! ("The Cemposer ceming beck onto the pletform!") The kind that Lionel was referring to that make the Queen sound like Arthur Mullard! The recording of the Serenade is of the first performance,at a Prom,and "has the added distinction of containing the Intermezzo and the Forlana". I'm not an expert on the history of this work & perhaps someone else here can shed more light on the history of this work? It sounds lovely here! The whole disc is a delight,I might add! I tend to avoid live recordings,generally;but this one is very enjoyable indeed! :)

The author of the booklet notes (Lionel Hill) adds "that over the following months (following the broadcast) I moved Heaven and Earth to get HMV or Decca to record a performance with Sammons and Barbirolli-all to no avail". :( (The performance of the Moeran Violin Concerto is glorious!)

Thank you for that entertaining and informative post! The published version of Moeran's Serenade omitted the second movement Intermezzo and the sixth movement Forlana. There is a modern recording of the original 1948 version including both these movements on Naxos with the Ulster Orchestra under JoAnn Falletta (which I have). Paul Conway's liner note in that recording states, "Serenade in G was completed in 1948 and first performed on 2nd September of that year by the London Symphony Orchestra under Basil Cameron at a Promenade Concert in the Royal Albert Hall. On that occasion eight movements were played. When the piece was being considered for publication, however, it was thought to be too long. The Intermezzo and Forlana were therefore excised and the Serenade was subsequently played in a six-movement form until a new edition of the score, published in 1996, restored the two movements to the places Moeran intended for them. The inclusion of the Intermezzo and Forlana movements significantly alters the character of the suite, deepening and intensifying what would otherwise have been an example of purely light music... Although some of the Serenadeʼs movements have a convoluted history – the Minuet and Rigadoon originally belonged to a 1932 four-movement orchestral suite entitled Farrago which the composer subsequently withdrew – the piece works convincingly as a suite".

So there we are!

[cilgwyn]

Moeran: Violin Concerto   Albert Sammons (Violin) BBC SO /Boult    St Andrews Hall,Norwich,28th April 1946

Moeran: Fantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings  Leon Goossens & the Carter String Trio    London,1947

Moeran: Serenade in G for Orchestra   LSO /Basil Cameron  Promenade Concert,Royal Albert Hall,Sept 2nd 1948

Symposium Cd

Playing now: Serenade in G


This cd of old recordings is great! The transfers are very good Very clear with not too much filtering (ie: elimination of sausage frying noises,et al). There's the odd mishap ( one bit that sounds like a needle jumping a groove) and the audience's are nice & quiet during the music! (They can't wait for the interval to clear their throat's though! :o ;D) But the real treat,apart from the fine performances is the inclusion of the posh radio announcer! ("The Cemposer ceming beck onto the pletform!") The kind that Lionel was referring to that make the Queen sound like Arthur Mullard! The recording of the Serenade is of the first performance,at a Prom,and "has the added distinction of containing the Intermezzo and the Forlana". I'm not an expert on the history of this work & perhaps someone else here can shed more light on the history of this work? It sounds lovely here! The whole disc is a delight,I might add! I tend to avoid live recordings,generally;but this one is very enjoyable indeed! :)

The author of the booklet notes (Lionel Hill) adds "that over the following months (following the broadcast) I moved Heaven and Earth to get HMV or Decca to record a performance with Sammons and Barbirolli-all to no avail". :( (The performance of the Moeran Violin Concerto is glorious!)

Thank you for that entertaining and informative post! The published version of Moeran's Serenade omitted the second movement Intermezzo and the sixth movement Forlana. There is a modern recording of the original 1948 version including both these movements on Naxos with the Ulster Orchestra under JoAnn Falletta (which I have). Paul Conway's liner note in that recording states, "Serenade in G was completed in 1948 and first performed on 2nd September of that year by the London Symphony Orchestra under Basil Cameron at a Promenade Concert in the Royal Albert Hall. On that occasion eight movements were played. When the piece was being considered for publication, however, it was thought to be too long. The Intermezzo and Forlana were therefore excised and the Serenade was subsequently played in a six-movement form until a new edition of the score, published in 1996, restored the two movements to the places Moeran intended for them. The inclusion of the Intermezzo and Forlana movements significantly alters the character of the suite, deepening and intensifying what would otherwise have been an example of purely light music... Although some of the Serenadeʼs movements have a convoluted history – the Minuet and Rigadoon originally belonged to a 1932 four-movement orchestral suite entitled Farrago which the composer subsequently withdrew – the piece works convincingly as a suite".

So there we are!

Thank you,Lionel! I must get around to aquiring that Naxos cd! I enjoyed the Serenade on the Symposium cd. Rob Barnett describes the Serenade as "one of Moeran's less impressive works". It might not be up there with the Symphony & Concertos;but I enjoy everything I hear by Moeran! Rob Barnett also suggests that the work has more of a kinship with Warlock,of Capriol,and Vaughan Williams. Only earlier to day I enjoyed a cd of Malcolm Sargent conducting Elgar's Serenade,Warlock's Capriol Suite and Holst's St Paul Suite and Beni Mora. I was wishing that Sargent had made more commercial recording's of British music by the end of it! (The cd also has a very nice Monet on the front!!)  I would have looked a bit harder to get that information,normally,by the way;but the heat here is getting to me a bit! I'm feeling like a basted chicken here! (No stuffing jokes please!! ;D) That said,not having to worry about heating bills for a few months is a definite plus!! :)

[guest822]

Moeran: Violin Concerto   Albert Sammons (Violin) BBC SO /Boult    St Andrews Hall,Norwich,28th April 1946

Moeran: Fantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings  Leon Goossens & the Carter String Trio    London,1947

Moeran: Serenade in G for Orchestra   LSO /Basil Cameron  Promenade Concert,Royal Albert Hall,Sept 2nd 1948

Symposium Cd

Playing now: Serenade in G


This cd of old recordings is great! The transfers are very good Very clear with not too much filtering (ie: elimination of sausage frying noises,et al). There's the odd mishap ( one bit that sounds like a needle jumping a groove) and the audience's are nice & quiet during the music! (They can't wait for the interval to clear their throat's though! :o ;D) But the real treat,apart from the fine performances is the inclusion of the posh radio announcer! ("The Cemposer ceming beck onto the pletform!") The kind that Lionel was referring to that make the Queen sound like Arthur Mullard! The recording of the Serenade is of the first performance,at a Prom,and "has the added distinction of containing the Intermezzo and the Forlana". I'm not an expert on the history of this work & perhaps someone else here can shed more light on the history of this work? It sounds lovely here! The whole disc is a delight,I might add! I tend to avoid live recordings,generally;but this one is very enjoyable indeed! :)

The author of the booklet notes (Lionel Hill) adds "that over the following months (following the broadcast) I moved Heaven and Earth to get HMV or Decca to record a performance with Sammons and Barbirolli-all to no avail". :( (The performance of the Moeran Violin Concerto is glorious!)

Thank you for that entertaining and informative post! The published version of Moeran's Serenade omitted the second movement Intermezzo and the sixth movement Forlana. There is a modern recording of the original 1948 version including both these movements on Naxos with the Ulster Orchestra under JoAnn Falletta (which I have). Paul Conway's liner note in that recording states, "Serenade in G was completed in 1948 and first performed on 2nd September of that year by the London Symphony Orchestra under Basil Cameron at a Promenade Concert in the Royal Albert Hall. On that occasion eight movements were played. When the piece was being considered for publication, however, it was thought to be too long. The Intermezzo and Forlana were therefore excised and the Serenade was subsequently played in a six-movement form until a new edition of the score, published in 1996, restored the two movements to the places Moeran intended for them. The inclusion of the Intermezzo and Forlana movements significantly alters the character of the suite, deepening and intensifying what would otherwise have been an example of purely light music... Although some of the Serenadeʼs movements have a convoluted history – the Minuet and Rigadoon originally belonged to a 1932 four-movement orchestral suite entitled Farrago which the composer subsequently withdrew – the piece works convincingly as a suite".

So there we are!

Thank you,Lionel! I must get around to aquiring that Naxos cd! I enjoyed the Serenade on the Symposium cd. Rob Barnett describes the Serenade as "one of Moeran's less impressive works". It might not be up there with the Symphony & Concertos;but I enjoy everything I hear by Moeran! Rob Barnett also suggests that the work has more of a kinship with Warlock,of Capriol,and Vaughan Williams. Only earlier to day I enjoyed a cd of Malcolm Sargent conducting Elgar's Serenade,Warlock's Capriol Suite and Holst's St Paul Suite and Beni Mora. I was wishing that Sargent had made more commercial recording's of British music by the end of it! (The cd also has a very nice Monet on the front!!)  I would have looked a bit harder to get that information,normally,by the way;but the heat here is getting to me a bit! I'm feeling like a basted chicken here! (No stuffing jokes please!! ;D) That said,not having to worry about heating bills for a few months is a definite plus!! :)

You're very welcome ;D The main coupling on that Naxos CD is Moeran's Cello Concerto (another lovely work) played by Guy Johnston. The catalogue number is 8573034:



I can't say I agree with Rob Barnett about the status of the Serenade as "less impressive"; it does precisely what it sets out to do, in my view. Elsewhere in his liner note Paul Conway does draw a parallel with the Capriol Suite, which he means as a compliment, I'm sure. I know I would!

I agree with you about it being a shame Sargent didn't record more English music. Apart from Coleridge-Taylor (of course!) I have a couple of excellent recordings he made of the Enigma Variations: a mono one with the London Symphony Orchestra on Decca made in 1953, and a stereo version with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Also, that splendid Holst Beni Mora with BBC Symphony that you refer to.  And then, of course, there are all those Gilbert & Sullivan recordings which we've discussed at length!

You say, "No stuffing jokes please". As if I would!!  ;D ;)

[guest822]

Brilliant! Are we possibly the best nation for producing so much quality "light music"? Vide Hyperion's marvelous series of discs...

 ???

Yes.

This post from Albion prompted me to invest in a download of said Hyperion series:



Seventy-seven tracks of delightfulness! The only slight criticism I might have is that the Eric Coates marches are a played a tad below the tempi that Coates himself adopted and which were adhered to by the superb John Wilson in his recent compendium of Coates's works. This music takes me back to my childhood in that it's the stuff that emerged from my parents' wireless (and the horn on the gramphone) but it's not just nostalgia; this is really good music which is worthy of anyone's attention unless they are a complete snob who will only listen only to the output of Milton Babbitt (and others of that ilk). Opinionated? Moi?  :o

[Albion]

Brilliant! Are we possibly the best nation for producing so much quality "light music"? Vide Hyperion's marvelous series of discs...

 ???

Yes.

This post from Albion prompted me to invest in a download of said Hyperion series:



Seventy-seven tracks of delightfulness! The only slight criticism I might have is that the Eric Coates marches are a played a tad below the tempi that Coates himself adopted and which were adhered to by the superb John Wilson in his recent compendium of Coates's works. This music takes me back to my childhood in that it's the stuff that emerged from my parents' wireless (and the horn on the gramphone) but it's not just nostalgia; this is really good music which is worthy of anyone's attention unless they are a complete snob who will only listen only to the output of Milton Babbitt (and others of that ilk). Opinionated? Moi?  :o

A great four-volume series. "Lighter" music is Ronald Corp's conducting strong-point (enforced by his excellent discs of John Foulds for Dutton) and the selected repertoire is outstanding. Hours of pleasure by true masters of the genre...fabulous!

 ;D

[guest822]

Brilliant! Are we possibly the best nation for producing so much quality "light music"? Vide Hyperion's marvelous series of discs...

 ???

Yes.

This post from Albion prompted me to invest in a download of said Hyperion series:



Seventy-seven tracks of delightfulness! The only slight criticism I might have is that the Eric Coates marches are a played a tad below the tempi that Coates himself adopted and which were adhered to by the superb John Wilson in his recent compendium of Coates's works. This music takes me back to my childhood in that it's the stuff that emerged from my parents' wireless (and the horn on the gramphone) but it's not just nostalgia; this is really good music which is worthy of anyone's attention unless they are a complete snob who will only listen only to the output of Milton Babbitt (and others of that ilk). Opinionated? Moi?  :o

A great four-volume series. "Lighter" music is Ronald Corp's conducting strong-point (enforced by his excellent discs of John Foulds for Dutton) and the selected repertoire is outstanding. Hours of pleasure by true masters of the genre...fabulous!

 ;D

An addendum to my earlier post: it's great to hear in these recordings a proper 'gran cassa' too, which is so deep in pitch that you feel its reverberations as much as hear them. In many modern recordings you get something which sounds as if it's borrowed from a set of traps and played with a foot pedal.  >:(

[jimmatt]

I am listening to Luis Humberto Salgado's seven symphonies and two of his piano concertos, rewarding and interesting even if the orchestra is a bit off at times.

[Albion]

Vaughan Williams' Sinfonia Antartica and attempting to survive these abominable temperatures...



 8)

[BrianA]

I don't join in this thread very often but I felt moved to say that I'm currently into Holmboe's Symphony no 4, Sinfonia Sacra.  I don't always find it easy to get into Holmboe but he frequently rewards the effort.  This is a great piece.  I guarantee you that the fourth movement (Gloria in excelsis Deo) will get your blood flowing a little bit quicker.

[Albion]

I don't join in this thread very often but I felt moved to say that I'm currently into Holmboe's Symphony no 4, Sinfonia Sacra.  I don't always find it easy to get into Holmboe but he frequently rewards the effort.  This is a great piece.  I guarantee you that the fourth movement (Gloria in excelsis Deo) will get your blood flowing a little bit quicker.

Thanks Brian, not a composer I know at all - but on your recommendation I'll certainly explore!

 ;D

[Albion]

I am listening to Luis Humberto Salgado's seven symphonies and two of his piano concertos, rewarding and interesting even if the orchestra is a bit off at times.

Again, terra incognita to me - as, I suppose, Mackenzie, Bantock, Holbrooke and Cowen are to many folks. Musical exploration can be full of revelations...



 ;)

[jimmatt]

Now I am working on Eduard Tubin's orchestral works, such glory and such sad neglect in the "whatever sells tickets" concert world of today. I dare any of you to listen to the 5th symphony and not leap out of your  chair and mime playing the timpani! Impossible to resist. Also good in headphones on a power walk, have noticed some people respond a bit oddly when I start waving my arms, though.

[guest822]

Now I am working on Eduard Tubin's orchestral works, such glory and such sad neglect in the "whatever sells tickets" concert world of today. I dare any of you to listen to the 5th symphony and not leap out of your  chair and mime playing the timpani! Impossible to resist. Also good in headphones on a power walk, have noticed some people respond a bit oddly when I start waving my arms, though.

Thanks for the tip, Jim; sounds like my kind of stuff. I must investigate...

I do hope their odd responses do not include violence. You know how unreasonable some people can become when they encounter something even slightly out of the ordinary! :)