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   Symphonies

John Gardner
(b. 1917)

Overture: Midsummer Ale, Op. 73 (1965)
Piano Concerto #1 in B Flat, Op. 34 (1956-7) ¹
Symphony #1 in D Minor, Op. 2 (1946-7)

¹ Peter Donohoe, piano
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones
Naxos 8.570406 71:54

Gardner is yet another composer to have emerged from relative obscurity in recent years and this CD was a 90^th birthday tribute in 2007. The compositions presented here, which work quite well as a concert, are in different styles. The breezy overture is succeeded by the piano concerto which has stylistic affinity with Britten's concerto. Although the CD is titled as one of Naxos' British Piano Concerto series, the main work is the symphony which runs about 41 minutes. Conceived during World War II, it is a dark work in the manner of Bax as in, for example, the slow movement of the first symphony or November Woods. There is much further information at the composer's website.

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Virgil Thomson
(1896-1989)

Symphony on a Hymn Tune (1928)
Symphony #2 in C Major (1931-1941)
Symphony #3 (1972)
Pilgrims and Pioneers (1964) (from film score "Journey to America")

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/James Sedares
Naxos 8.559022 64:21

Virgil Thomson, highly respected (often controversial) music critic, teacher and composer, was educated at Harvard and studied in France with Nadia Boulanger, one of the most influential teachers of some of the finest composers from several generations.

Paris in the 1920's was incredibly fertile ground for all of the arts, especially music. It was host to many ex-patriots from Stravinsky to Hemingway. It was in Paris where Thomson met Gertrude Stein with whom he would collaborate on two operas, "Four Saints In Three Acts", and "The Mother Of Us All". Thomson wrote music in all genres, from chamber music to film scores, from choral works to ballet.

The works in this fine Naxos "American Classics" disc are an excellent introduction to the symphonic music of Virgil Thomson. Hymn tunes, folk tunes, fanfares, popular melodies all appear in his early orchestral works. In the Symphony on a Hymn Tune, last movement, the bear even went over the mountain! The harmonies are wide open with intervals of fourths and fifths, and the orchestrations are exciting and colorful. Thomson's melodies are sweet and his treatments are witty. Not to be missed: the charming waltz from the much darker and more introspective Third Symphony. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra does a very fine job with these American pieces.

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

Adolf Fredrik Lindblad
(1801-1878)

Symphony #1 in C, Op. 19 (1831)
Symphony #2 in D (1855)

Uppsala Chamber Orchestra/Gérard Korsten
Marco Polo 8.225105 70:29

Like a number of Scandinavian composers of the nineteenth century, Lindblad studied in Germany where he became friendly with Mendelssohn. Lindblad's later work is mainly chamber music, partly as a result of his change of direction following what he saw as unwarranted criticism. These two symphonies have traces of Berwald and although less adventurous than that composer's work, they are highly attractive works full of good tunes, fine orchestration and general good humor: a pity they are the only symphonies he left us.

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Niels Wilhelm Gade
(1817-1890)

Symphony #5 in D minor, Op. 25 (25:46)
Symphony #6 in G minor, Op. 32 (24:02)

Roland Pöntinen, piano
Stockholm Sinfonietta/Neeme Järvi
BIS CD-356

Can this be a lost Schumann piano concerto? Is it really a concerto? No, it is a fine Romantic symphony with a very prominent piano part. Gade, one of the most important Danish composers of the 19^th century, was greatly influenced by Mendelssohn and, of course, Schumann. In this collection of Gade's symphonies, Symphony #5 stands out not only for its unusual inclusion of the piano, but also as a very fine example of Schumann-era composition.

Gade, wrote in almost all genres, and fortunately BIS and more recently Chandos have recorded all of his eight symphonies. Gade's string quartets are also recommended, as are his overtures.

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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.

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[ 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.

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[ 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.

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[ 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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