Symphonic Music: October 2008 Archives

George Frederick McKay
(1899-1970)

Violin Concerto (1940) 26:01
Sinfonietta #4 (1942) 17:46
Song Over The Great Plains (1953) 13:59
Suite on Sixteenth Century Hymn Tunes (1962) 20:32

Brian Reagin, Violin
National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine/John McLaughlin Williams
Naxos 8.559225

In a non-pejorative sense, the movie music we associate with "cowboy," travel and nature films of Western America owe much to this composer. His expansive style and evocative musical picture-painting can be heard most clearly in the "Song Over The Great Plains", an orchestral piece with solo piano commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Although McKay wrote programs to accompany some of his music, and noted that the song of a meadow-lark inspired this particular piece, the music can be enjoyed fully even without explanations.

Naxos has released three other CDs of the music of McKay in their American Classics series: 8.559143, 8.559052, 8.559330. All are well worth exploring.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Robert Simpson
(1921-1997)

Symphony #6 (1977)
Symphony #7 (1977)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
Hyperion CDA66280 59:00

It has to be said that Simpson's symphonies are something of an acquired taste, so it's a case of try before you buy. It's difficult to provide any signposts, other than perhaps the slightest traces of such composers as Sibelius, Nielsen and Hindemith. The two symphonies presented here, each running about half an hour, are continuous with recognisable sections. Each develops considerable tension which Simpson resolves in different ways. I was immediately hooked when I heard this music but have not always persuaded others. This CD was the first of the series of recordings of Simpson's eleven symphonies, all of which remain available.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Granville Bantock
(1868-1946)

Pagan Symphony (1923-8)
Fifine at the Fair (1911)
Two Heroic Ballads (1944)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
Hyperion CDA66630 79:38

The late Vernon Handley, dedicated champion of British music, made a number of CDs of Bantock's output for Hyperion. The music presented here is extrovert with memorable tunes and frequently thrilling orchestration. Add to that wonderful playing, superb recording and an unusually well-filled CD. I also recommend the Celtic Symphony, the Hebridean Symphony, The Cyprian Goddess, and Thalaba the Destroyer.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Ernest Bloch
(1880-1959)

Symphony in C Sharp minor (1901-2)
Schelomo (1917) ¹

¹ Torleif Thedéen, cello
Malmö Symphony Orchestra/Lev Markiz
BIS BIS-CD-576 78:25

The early Symphony in C Sharp minor, running nearly 54 minutes, is a remarkable accomplishment. Bloch's influences, as heard here, include Richard Strauss and Mahler. Although he may go a little over the top occasionally, the symphony is full of memorable ideas. Schelomo is probably his best-known work and receives a fine performance. As you'd expect from this source, the recording is excellent.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Alexander von Zemlinsky
(1871-1942)

Symphony #1 in D Minor (1892)
Symphony #2 in B Flat Major (1897)

Gürzenich Orchestra/James Conlon
Köln Philharmonic Orchestra/James Conlon
EMI Encore 341446-2 75:36

These two early symphonies by a composer in his twenties show a wide range of influences including Brahms, Dvořák, and Bruckner. They are clearly products of their time, the second appearing in the year of Brahms' death. Zemlinsky's style was to undergo significant change and so the listener familiar with such works as the Lyric Symphony or A Florentine Tragedy will not find many points of similarity. The American conductor James Conlon has recorded much of Zemlinsky's music and makes a persuasive case for this music. These performances are also available in a 3-CD set of Zemlinsky's orchestral works.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Johannes Frederik Frøhlich
(1806-1860)

Symphony in E Flat, Op. 33 (1830)

Niels Gade
(1817-1890)

Symphony #4, Op. 20 (1849-50)

Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra/Christopher Hogwood
Chandos CHAN9609 55:38

The Danish Frøhlich, not to be confused with an Austrian and a Swiss with a similar name, wrote but one symphony, thought to be the first Romantic symphony by a Dane. It's a very cheerful work, reminiscent in orchestration and mood to similar works by Berwald. The Gade work is similarly lacking in gloom and, like most of Gade's eight symphonies, owes more than a little to Mendelssohn.

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Carl Ruggles
(1876-1971)

Sun-treader (1926-31)

William Schuman
(1910-1992)

Violin Concerto (1959) ¹

Walter Piston
(1894-1976)

Symphony #2 (1943)

¹ Paul Zukofsky, violin
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas
Deutshe Grammophon 429860-2 74:43

Ruggles' music is not easy to love but even if you find it not to your taste, the rest of the CD will more than make up for it. The Schuman Violin Concerto is variously anguished, calm, strident, lyrical, violent, and similar in many ways to the first Shostakovich Violin Concerto. There are other recordings if you can't find this one. Less often recorded is the Piston symphony, in three movements, at whose heart is an adagio which is unmistakably American. For my money, it's Piston's best symphony. The performances are exemplary.

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Jarmil Burghauser
(1921-1997)

Seven Reliefs for Large Orchestra (1962)

Václav Dobiáš
(1900-1978)

Symphony #2 (1956-57)

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Karel Ancerl
Supraphon SU3700-2 67:48

The Burghauser work is a series of short movements which include nothing dissonant enough to upset your maiden aunt. The main event is the 50+ minute symphony by Dobiáš: it might remind you of Khachaturian, Shostakovich, or even Janácek. This is another from Supraphon's extensive back catalog of Ancerl recordings which make one wish for more recordings of music by some of the unfamiliar names among them.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

George Dyson
(1883-1964)

Violin Concerto
Children's Suite after Walter De La Mare

Lydia Mordkovich, violin
City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox
Chandos CHAN9369 62:23

Although written in 1942, this beautiful violin concerto would make lovers of Elgar and Stanford very happy with its lyrical style and noble spirit. Dyson's concerto has four movements, instead of the usual three. It opens with a very introspective first movement that seems initially like a symphony with violin accompaniment. The second movement is a jolly jig, followed by a very somber third movement, song-like in its orchestral introduction and carried through in the solo part. The last movement is a joyous, lighthearted dance. It leaves the listener in good spirits.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan
  Reissued as part of CHAN10337: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by Dyson: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Constant Lambert
(1905-1951)

Pomona: Ballet in One Act (1927)
Tiresias: Ballet in Three Acts (1950)

Michael Cleaver, piano
English Northern Philharmonia/David Lloyd-Jones
Hyperion CDA67049 74:02

Tiresias is an exciting and strange work that is sometimes jazzy and always full of orchestral color . It sounds at times like Stravinsky and at other times it has different contemporaneous flavors, mostly French, but is always engaging. There are passages with bitonality, polytonality, crackling and varied percussion sounds, rude brass choirs, dark strings (absent violins and violas), and sometimes tender meandering winds and extended piano parts. The Greek myth of Tiresias is the inspiration, of course, but it also stands alone as a musical work of interest. It sounds as if it were written during the musically explosive nineteen-twenties, but it was really written shortly before the too-early death of Lambert.

Read the full Classical Net review.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]