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Fricker String Quartets

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guest251
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« on: December 29, 2016, 08:23:39 am »

On their way in February 2017 from Naxos.
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Naxos/8571374
Now more symphonies please!!
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cilgwyn
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« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2017, 12:51:52 pm »

On their way in February 2017 from Naxos.
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Naxos/8571374
Now more symphonies please!!
Yes please!
I posted this last night at the GMG Forum. I was a bit shocked to discover that the 'thread' I was posting on was not actually a thread as such,but in actual fact a 'catalogue' of his works by Dundonnell! There I was expecting a string of posts. Well,at least one!!

"Whoa! I just thought I'd post here after listening to a cd-r of Fricker's Symphonies 1 & 3. I was expecting a slightly longer thread!! ??? ;D For some reason these works finally 'clicked' with me. I enjoyed (if that's the right word?) both. Powerful,brooding music. A shame the third isn't available on cd. I did know this from a cassette tape I made of a R3 broadcast,some years ago".

Needless to say,I was still listening to Fricker's First and third symphonies this morning. I've had downloads of this composer on my pc for years and up till now;apart from the third,which I quite liked,it's never really appealed to me. Anyway,last night I was going through a pile of cd-r's and I thought I'd have another go,half expecting to take them off!! Now suddenly I'm hooked. Not the usual sort of music I listen to. It's a bit grey and thorny. Or is it? Actually,there's quite a bit more than that,lurking under the apparently grey monotone surface. Pianos,percussion and drum thwacks for example. It's also very exciting music at times. Full of energy. Some of the faster sections certainly pack a punch. The momentum never stops. Like with all the best symphonies,you feel you are on a journey from beginning to end. The slow movements are brooding edifices that really build up! Great for late night listening. They open up real vistas of the mind;and in their own way they are quite beautiful.
In other words I think Dundonnell really is onto something here!! Or as a school boy might say,"Cor!" ;D Come on Lyrita or somebody. More Fricker please!!
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Dundonnell
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« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2017, 01:08:57 pm »

Well, apart from agreeing whole-heartedly with you (and with myself), what more can I say. There was a time-in the late 1950s and the earlyish 1960s when Fricker was regarded by informed writers on music as one of the most promising of British composers. He did not go down the same road of writing increasingly "difficult" music as did, say Iain Hamilton or the serialist Humphrey Searle, but his departure to work in the US removed him from the attention of some of the musical establishment, unlike the younger Alun Hoddinott (to whom one might compare him to some extent) and he was out of favour from the 1980s onwards in common with so many of his contemporaries. Fricker deserves more exposure and a modern set of his 5 symphonies. But if we cannot get that then I would settle on Nos 1-4 from Lyrita.
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« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2017, 04:57:42 pm »

Whole-heartedly agree: Fricker was interesting from the start. I was very pleased finding the lp with his 1st Symphony in the early seventees or late sixtees from last century. It was a RCA Redlabel lp of a performance of the Louisville Orch with Whitney conducting.
It took years before I heard his other symphonies. Yes, please, more Fricker!
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« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2017, 06:18:00 pm »

Whilst there's no particular shortage of British composers of whom one might with good reason say the same or similar, I do believe that the fate of Fricker's work to be quite astonishingly disappointing and hi persistent near-neglect wholly undeserved.
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« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2017, 10:12:05 pm »

Whilst there's no particular shortage of British composers of whom one might with good reason say the same or similar, I do believe that the fate of Fricker's work to be quite astonishingly disappointing and hi persistent near-neglect wholly undeserved.

We are at least fortunate that the vast majority of Fricker's orchestral works are available in off-air recordings. The significant exceptions are two late works: the Concerto for Orchestra of 1986, which was performed at the Cheltenham Festival and then ignored, and the Piano Concerto No.2 of 1989, which has never been performed. There are also two major choral compositions which remain unavailable: the Magnificat for soprano, contralto, tenor and orchestra of 1967 and (certainly for me most frustratingly) the huge Oratorio "Whispers at These Curtains" for baritone, boys; choir, chorus and orchestra of 1984, performed at the Three Choirs Festival but never repeated.
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« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2017, 10:29:29 pm »

its a shame that more orchestras don't have a unique arrangement like Lyrita. 
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« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2017, 01:15:59 pm »

I was delighted when I saw that this had once been released on Lp. I thought,'Great,I can buy it on one of those Louisville reissue cds! Whitney's performances aren't up there with the greatest,I suppose;but they're usually atmospheric with a certain pioneering zeal about them.Alas,according to an old post on another forum,somewhere on the internet,by our very own Dundonnell (no less!) the Louisville reissue series fizzled out before they could get to this! :( I can certainly find no sign of a cd reissue on Amazon or ebay! :( Oh well,I've got it on a cd-r,thanks to one of the members here;and in very good sound. I've coupled with his power packed third symphony.



NB: I'm sure (but I may be wrong?) that Fricker's Fifth was once released on Lp by the pirate Aries Lp (notorious for releasing Havergal Brian symphonies performed by pseudonymous orchestras,in the late 70's-80's,I think?




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« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2017, 01:18:35 pm »

its a shame that more orchestras don't have a unique arrangement like Lyrita. 

Lyrita-or rather its parent company-made the remarkable deal with both the BBC and the Musicians' Union. The deal covers the recordings made privately at home by the late Richard Itter, the founder and owner of Lyrita, between the mid 1950s and mid 1990s.

The BBC has often considered mining its own archive to issue cds and has done so (usually fairly briefly) on a number of occasions. But it ran into a number of problems. Actually locating these recordings (easier perhaps for recordings by well-known artists at, say, the Proms) than for the more obscure repertoire-where the tapes might actually be lost. The nightmare of getting permission, as appropriate, from those involved or their representatives. It turned out to be a bureaucratic nightmare and both cost and labour intensive. Itter's tapes were perfectly preserved although they have to be remastered for cd.

There have certainly been individual deals done. I can think of the John Fould's "World Requiem" (Chandos) and the Havergal Brian Gothic Symphony (Hyperion) where the companies did a deal with the BBC to issue recordings of the live performance. Lyrita has obviously made a similar deal for the Grace Williams "Missa Cambrensis".

I have discussed this many times with the former Controller of Music for BBC Scotland. He tells me that the idea is fine, the actual implementation a minefield.
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« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2017, 01:25:23 pm »

Cilgwyn....yes, I have that LP in its original Louisville First Edition version.

The reason that the programme of reissuing the Louisville recordings onto cd "fizzled out" is that the company involved went-as far as I know-bust :( (I think that we ought to remember-me especially!!-is that these small companies operate on very narrow margins of profitability and frequently teeter on the edge. We/I demand new recordings of this or that. The company replies...."Yes, absolutely.....and where is the money coming from???????"

The Symphony No.5 IS now on cd coupled by Lyrita with "The Vision of Judgment" :)
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« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2017, 03:41:28 pm »

What is very annoying is that I DID have that Fricker Lp............ for a while!! I remember I bought it from a market stall. (Now it's coming back to me......looking at the artwork!) I remember playing it once or twice and deciding it was too thorny,too astringent for me!! :( What a wimp,eh?!! ::) I remember the same lady had stacks of Lyrita Lps in pristine condition,for next to nothing;when they were still unavailable,or hard to get on cd ( ie before Lyrita did that deal with Nimbus to reissue their entire back catalogue). ) and for next to nothing,when people were asking large sums for the Lps. I remember she said she didn't know much about classical music! Did I buy a load of them? No!! ::) :( One or two at the most!
Yes,I'm going to have to buy that Lyrita cd of The Vision of Judgement. It would be great to have those symphonies in state of the art digital sound though!! Lyrita reissues of 1-4 are certainly better than nothing. Maybe having them on cd might ignite interest somewhere and we'll finally get some recordings?!
I'm going to make a cd-r of Symphonies 1 & 2 now. Thank you to the members who supplied these recordings.
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« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2017, 03:49:50 pm »

I have no doubt that Martyn Brabbins (who has conducted the Symphony No.1) would do all five IF offered the chance. But by whom would that choice be offered?

Havergal Brian and his music has attracted admirers with considerable personal financial assets. These generous folk largely finance recordings of Brian's music through the HBS.
I can understand their reasons for doing so and can only applaud their generosity.

.......but, oh if other composers enjoyed such support ::)

Btw....I happen to think the Symphony No.1 is a masterpiece-dynamic, confident and exciting!
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« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2017, 05:04:53 pm »

Yes! :) I just listened to Symphony No 2. Over at the GMG Forum vandermolen was telling me that he likes the Second. Apparently "it has a terific,very exciting,final section". He is  not exaggerating! :o Yes.......very exciting indeed!!! Edge of seat stuff!!
If you'll excuse me,I've got to listen through these symphonies again,now!! ;D

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« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2017, 11:52:17 am »

You know what, Cilgwyn? I step into my "personal music hall"  ;D and play the 1st symphony again from the lp.
Whitney may not have been the most famous of conductors, he at least performed with his orchestra many compositions we would have never have heard otherwise.

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« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2017, 01:42:44 pm »

You lucky person.......and you've even got a turntable (although,I've still got a cassette deck!! ;D). Prop the Lp up in front of you while you're listening. Well,that's what I used to do!! :(
(My Emerson Lake & Palmer albums look so small now!! ??? :().
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