By Karl W. Nehring
Perhaps
it can all be traced back to the British Invasion back in the 60s, the Beatles
and Stones and all that, but in any event, my wife and I have pretty much
become dyed-in-the-wool Anglophiles over the years. William Wordsworth, John
Mayall, Ian Fleming, Monty Python, Eric Clapton, Fawlty Towers,
John Le Carré, All Creatures Great and Small. Agatha Christie, Black
Adder, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Keeping Up
Appearances, John McLaughlin, The Good Neighbors, J.R.R. Tolkien, Are
You Being Served?, Jeff Beck, Endeavour, Inspector Morse, Inspector
Lewis, Miss Marple, Malcolm Arnold, Dr. Who, D.C.I. Banks,
Sherlock, J.K. Rowling, Boaty McBoatface, Planet Earth, Top
Gear, Mum, Hold the Sunset, All Creatures Great and Small (redux),
The Great British Baking Show… And then there is As Time Goes By,
which our local PBS station aired for years and years every weeknight at 11,
over and over and over again. In October, 2020, the inevitable finally
happened; they announced that after many, many years, they were no longer going
to be showing it. Tears and tribulation in the Nehring household! By Christmas,
we had purchased the complete DVD set, and are blessedly back to watching an
episode every weeknight at 11, which we plan to keep doing for the rest of our
married life. (Our oldest daughter, now 40, recently remarked that she felt as
though Dame Judy Dench was her dear British auntie).
As
far as classical music, I am also something of an Anglophile, which I can trace
back to the time in the mid 70s when I checked out a library copy of Sir Adrian
Boult conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of Symphony
No. 3 (“Pastoral”) by Ralph Vaughan Williams, partly because the composer
had the same first name as my late father. I was immediately transfixed by the
sheer beauty and allusive atmosphere of the music, and soon sought out more
recordings by RVW and other composers from across the pond. I discovered a vast
universe of richly rewarding music and have acquired many wonderful recordings
by English composers as well as their British brother and sister composers over
the years. Allow me to present then for your edification three recent releases
of English symphonic music that nobly represent the depth and diversity of this
music.
Vaughan
Williams: Symphony No. 5; Scenes Adapted from Bunyans’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
Emily Portman, folk voice; Kitty Whately, mezzo-soprano; Marcus Farnsworth,
baritone; BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Singers Quartet; Martyn Brabbins, BBC
Symphony Orchestra. Hyperion CDA68325.
Vaughan
Williams (1872-1958) composed nine symphonies, all of which are excellent. Nos.
3, 4, 5, and 6 are, to my humble mind at least,
masterpieces that belong in every serious classical music collection. Of those fab four, Symphony No. 5 is
foremost. There are many fine recordings available, with my personal favorites
being two older versions led by Previn (RCA and Telarc), a more recent version
led by Michael Collins on BIS, which is paired with a fine concerto by Finzi,
and the CD I am most likely to pop into my player because of its amazing
program, featuring James Spano leading the Atlanta forces, also on Telarc.
This
new Hyperion release need not hang its head in such company, as it is a fine
performance captured in first-rate sound quality. Overall, Brabbins’s
interpretation seems a bit on the subdued side, a little slow, a little soft,
but that is not really a mark against it. Under his baton, the music flows
smoothly and holds together as an organic whole, the movements seeming to fit
together perfectly. Spellbinding!
Another
appealing feature of this release is the inclusion of scenes adapted from RVW’s
music for John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (which was actually the first
RVW music I ever heard, having attended a live performance in 1969 about which
I now recall virtually nothing, alas). This is music not often heard, of which
there is enough here to be enjoyed on its own or to serve as an appetizer for
the complete work (I can vouch for the Hickox version on Chandos). Overall,
this new release from Hyperion is a fine addition to the catalog of RVW
recordings and is well worth an audition, especially for those who are
unfamiliar with Pilgrim’s Progress.
English
Music for Strings: Britten, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge;
Bridge, Lament; Berkeley, Serenade for Strings; Bliss, Music
for Strings. John Wilson, Sinfonia of London. Chandos CHSA 5264.
There are a number of recordings
of English string music available on the market, with many English composers
having composed music in this genre and many conductors having taken a crack at
recording their favorite pieces. Some of those recordings have attained
near-legendary status, foremost among them the recordings by the late Sir John
Barbirolli on EMI. This new Chandos recording from conductor John Wilson and
his hand-picked recording orchestra (string orchestra, in this case) is a
21st-century candidate for entry into the English String Music Hall of Fame,
being outstanding in both performance and engineering.
The first few bars of the
opening of Benjamin Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
immediately establish the commitment and power that the musicians and
engineering team bring to these performances. First you hear the energetic
PLUCKS, then you can virtually see the players DIG IN with their bows as Wilson
gets things off to a bang-up start. If you have ever seen a string orchestra
perform in concert, you are no doubt familiar with how the players really can
become animated as they play, wielding their bows with both passion and
precision. This recording lets you see that in your mind’s eye as they work
their way through music by the four Bs of English music: Britten (1913-1976),
Bridge (1879-1941), Berkeley (1903-1989), and Bliss (1891-1975). As a bonus,
not only are the musicianship and engineering superb, but the liner notes offer
helpful context and commentary on the composers and their compositions. This is
a highly recommendable release in every respect, not just for those who enjoy
string music, although especially for them. You know who you are.
Matthew
Taylor: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5; Romanza for Strings. Kenneth
Woods, English Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Nimbus
Alliance NI 6406.
As I
have written before, it is really exciting to discover a composer whose music
just sounds so extraordinarily right to you that you immediately want to
hear more. Such is the case with Matthew Taylor (b. 1964) and the three
remarkable compositions on this supremely satisfying new Nimbus CD. American
conductor Kenneth Woods leads the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in the Symphony
No. 4 and Romanza for Strings, while in Symphony No. 5 he
leads the orchestra of which he is Music Director, the English Symphony
Orchestra. All three compositions make a strong impression, each in a different
way.
Symphony
No. 4 is a one-movement work that features three distinct sections. Taylor
writes in the liner notes that “the work was written in memory of my old friend
and fellow symphonist John McCabe, and is dedicated to John’s widow Monica.
John and I shared many musical enthusiasms, Haydn and Nielsen in particular and
both of these composers made an impact on this work: there is an attempt to
create a Nielsenesque sweep at the start of the first movement and the finale
includes a few pranks which Haydn might have enjoyed. However, there is little
that is consciously elegiac in character as I have always felt that the best
way to pay tribute is to adopt an approach that is essentially celebratory in
spirit. In fact No. 4 is arguably my most friendly symphony so far.”
What I find especially attractive about this work is the way Taylor is able to
use so many elements of the orchestra to provide color and contrast. In this
respect, he reminds me of Mahler, although his music is far different. The
orchestra is large, and the music starts with plenty of energy featuring some
pounding tympani. Overall, though, the music is not typically loud and
overwhelming; rather, it is often intimate and beguiling, especially in its
central adagio, with some especially beautiful playing by the strings and
winds, augmented at times by brass, before the symphony ends with a finale that
is playful and optimistic.
By
contrast, Taylor’s Symphony No. 5 is more serious in tone. Taylor writes
of this symphony that “exposure to the Beethoven’s Fifth at the age of
about five was undoubtedly one of the defining moments in my life. Though
unable to play any musical instrument at that age or grasp what an orchestra
was, I was instantly knocked sideways by the power and expressive force of this
music. Now, almost fifty years later, even if Schumann remains probably my
favorite composer, the life force of Beethoven’s music is a massive influence
when writing large scale instrumental works.”
It is in the traditional four-movement structure, with the central two
movements each dedicated by the composer to departed friends and the final
movement to Taylor’s mother (who died as he was working on the final pages of
the symphony), which helps to explain the more serious tone. Still, for the
most part, this is not a somber symphony, at least not until the very end. The
first movement has plenty of rhythmic energy and drive with once again (as in Symphony
No 4.) there are moments where Taylor deftly employs small forces to draw
us in to his musical world. The second movement has an aura of mystery, while
the third employs strings and solo flute to create a wistful but slightly
uneasy atmosphere. The finale, marked Adagio, is the longest movement
and the most intense. The ending is particularly affecting, forlornly fading
into nothingness.
Sandwiched
between the two symphonies is the 7-minute Romanza for Strings, an
orchestration of a movement from one of Taylor’s string quartets. It is a
pleasant piece that provides a peaceful interlude before the serious business
of the Symphony No. 5.
The
sound quality throughout is very good, with excellent frequency balance and
reasonable imaging. The liner notes are interesting in that they feature
remarks by a fellow composer, the conductor, the composer himself, as well as
remarks about the conductor, composer, both orchestras, and even the artist
whose painting graces the cover. Well done, Nimbus!
Bonus Recommendation:
Perhaps
it can all be traced back to the British Invasion back in the 60s, the Beatles
and Stones and all that, but in any event, my wife and I have pretty much
become dyed-in-the-wool Anglophiles over the years. William Wordsworth, John
Mayall, Ian Fleming, Monty Python, Eric Clapton, Fawlty Towers,
John Le Carré, All Creatures Great and Small. Agatha Christie, Black
Adder, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Keeping Up
Appearances, John McLaughlin, The Good Neighbors, J.R.R. Tolkien, Are
You Being Served?, Jeff Beck, Endeavour, Inspector Morse, Inspector
Lewis, Miss Marple, Malcolm Arnold, Dr. Who, D.C.I. Banks,
Sherlock, J.K. Rowling, Boaty McBoatface, Planet Earth, Top
Gear, Mum, Hold the Sunset, All Creatures Great and Small (redux),
The Great British Baking Show… And then there is As Time Goes By,
which our local PBS station aired for years and years every weeknight at 11,
over and over and over again. In October, 2020, the inevitable finally
happened; they announced that after many, many years, they were no longer going
to be showing it. Tears and tribulation in the Nehring household! By Christmas,
we had purchased the complete DVD set, and are blessedly back to watching an
episode every weeknight at 11, which we plan to keep doing for the rest of our
married life. (Our oldest daughter, now 40, recently remarked that she felt as
though Dame Judy Dench was her dear British auntie).
As
far as classical music, I am also something of an Anglophile, which I can trace
back to the time in the mid 70s when I checked out a library copy of Sir Adrian
Boult conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of Symphony
No. 3 (“Pastoral”) by Ralph Vaughan Williams, partly because the composer
had the same first name as my late father. I was immediately transfixed by the
sheer beauty and allusive atmosphere of the music, and soon sought out more
recordings by RVW and other composers from across the pond. I discovered a vast
universe of richly rewarding music and have acquired many wonderful recordings
by English composers as well as their British brother and sister composers over
the years. Allow me to present then for your edification three recent releases
of English symphonic music that nobly represent the depth and diversity of this
music.
Vaughan
Williams: Symphony No. 5; Scenes Adapted from Bunyans’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
Emily Portman, folk voice; Kitty Whately, mezzo-soprano; Marcus Farnsworth,
baritone; BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Singers Quartet; Martyn Brabbins, BBC
Symphony Orchestra. Hyperion CDA68325.
Williams (1872-1958) composed nine symphonies, all of which are excellent. Nos.
3, 4, 5, and 6 are, to my humble mind at least,
masterpieces that belong in every serious classical music collection. Of those fab four, Symphony No. 5 is
foremost. There are many fine recordings available, with my personal favorites
being two older versions led by Previn (RCA and Telarc), a more recent version
led by Michael Collins on BIS, which is paired with a fine concerto by Finzi,
and the CD I am most likely to pop into my player because of its amazing
program, featuring James Spano leading the Atlanta forces, also on Telarc.
This
new Hyperion release need not hang its head in such company, as it is a fine
performance captured in first-rate sound quality. Overall, Brabbins’s
interpretation seems a bit on the subdued side, a little slow, a little soft,
but that is not really a mark against it. Under his baton, the music flows
smoothly and holds together as an organic whole, the movements seeming to fit
together perfectly. Spellbinding!
Another
appealing feature of this release is the inclusion of scenes adapted from RVW’s
music for John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (which was actually the first
RVW music I ever heard, having attended a live performance in 1969 about which
I now recall virtually nothing, alas). This is music not often heard, of which
there is enough here to be enjoyed on its own or to serve as an appetizer for
the complete work (I can vouch for the Hickox version on Chandos). Overall,
this new release from Hyperion is a fine addition to the catalog of RVW
recordings and is well worth an audition, especially for those who are
unfamiliar with Pilgrim’s Progress.
English
Music for Strings: Britten, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge;
Bridge, Lament; Berkeley, Serenade for Strings; Bliss, Music
for Strings. John Wilson, Sinfonia of London. Chandos CHSA 5264.
of English string music available on the market, with many English composers
having composed music in this genre and many conductors having taken a crack at
recording their favorite pieces. Some of those recordings have attained
near-legendary status, foremost among them the recordings by the late Sir John
Barbirolli on EMI. This new Chandos recording from conductor John Wilson and
his hand-picked recording orchestra (string orchestra, in this case) is a
21st-century candidate for entry into the English String Music Hall of Fame,
being outstanding in both performance and engineering.
The first few bars of the
opening of Benjamin Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
immediately establish the commitment and power that the musicians and
engineering team bring to these performances. First you hear the energetic
PLUCKS, then you can virtually see the players DIG IN with their bows as Wilson
gets things off to a bang-up start. If you have ever seen a string orchestra
perform in concert, you are no doubt familiar with how the players really can
become animated as they play, wielding their bows with both passion and
precision. This recording lets you see that in your mind’s eye as they work
their way through music by the four Bs of English music: Britten (1913-1976),
Bridge (1879-1941), Berkeley (1903-1989), and Bliss (1891-1975). As a bonus,
not only are the musicianship and engineering superb, but the liner notes offer
helpful context and commentary on the composers and their compositions. This is
a highly recommendable release in every respect, not just for those who enjoy
string music, although especially for them. You know who you are.
Matthew
Taylor: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5; Romanza for Strings. Kenneth
Woods, English Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Nimbus
Alliance NI 6406.
have written before, it is really exciting to discover a composer whose music
just sounds so extraordinarily right to you that you immediately want to
hear more. Such is the case with Matthew Taylor (b. 1964) and the three
remarkable compositions on this supremely satisfying new Nimbus CD. American
conductor Kenneth Woods leads the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in the Symphony
No. 4 and Romanza for Strings, while in Symphony No. 5 he
leads the orchestra of which he is Music Director, the English Symphony
Orchestra. All three compositions make a strong impression, each in a different
way.
Symphony
No. 4 is a one-movement work that features three distinct sections. Taylor
writes in the liner notes that “the work was written in memory of my old friend
and fellow symphonist John McCabe, and is dedicated to John’s widow Monica.
John and I shared many musical enthusiasms, Haydn and Nielsen in particular and
both of these composers made an impact on this work: there is an attempt to
create a Nielsenesque sweep at the start of the first movement and the finale
includes a few pranks which Haydn might have enjoyed. However, there is little
that is consciously elegiac in character as I have always felt that the best
way to pay tribute is to adopt an approach that is essentially celebratory in
spirit. In fact No. 4 is arguably my most friendly symphony so far.”
What I find especially attractive about this work is the way Taylor is able to
use so many elements of the orchestra to provide color and contrast. In this
respect, he reminds me of Mahler, although his music is far different. The
orchestra is large, and the music starts with plenty of energy featuring some
pounding tympani. Overall, though, the music is not typically loud and
overwhelming; rather, it is often intimate and beguiling, especially in its
central adagio, with some especially beautiful playing by the strings and
winds, augmented at times by brass, before the symphony ends with a finale that
is playful and optimistic.
By
contrast, Taylor’s Symphony No. 5 is more serious in tone. Taylor writes
of this symphony that “exposure to the Beethoven’s Fifth at the age of
about five was undoubtedly one of the defining moments in my life. Though
unable to play any musical instrument at that age or grasp what an orchestra
was, I was instantly knocked sideways by the power and expressive force of this
music. Now, almost fifty years later, even if Schumann remains probably my
favorite composer, the life force of Beethoven’s music is a massive influence
when writing large scale instrumental works.”
It is in the traditional four-movement structure, with the central two
movements each dedicated by the composer to departed friends and the final
movement to Taylor’s mother (who died as he was working on the final pages of
the symphony), which helps to explain the more serious tone. Still, for the
most part, this is not a somber symphony, at least not until the very end. The
first movement has plenty of rhythmic energy and drive with once again (as in Symphony
No 4.) there are moments where Taylor deftly employs small forces to draw
us in to his musical world. The second movement has an aura of mystery, while
the third employs strings and solo flute to create a wistful but slightly
uneasy atmosphere. The finale, marked Adagio, is the longest movement
and the most intense. The ending is particularly affecting, forlornly fading
into nothingness.
Sandwiched
between the two symphonies is the 7-minute Romanza for Strings, an
orchestration of a movement from one of Taylor’s string quartets. It is a
pleasant piece that provides a peaceful interlude before the serious business
of the Symphony No. 5.
The
sound quality throughout is very good, with excellent frequency balance and
reasonable imaging. The liner notes are interesting in that they feature
remarks by a fellow composer, the conductor, the composer himself, as well as
remarks about the conductor, composer, both orchestras, and even the artist
whose painting graces the cover. Well done, Nimbus!
Bonus Recommendation:
lingering longingly in the music of England, allow me to point out a wonderful
Chandos recording (CHAN 20156) featuring violinist Jennifer Pike and pianist
Martin Roscoe performing sonatas by Elgar and Vaughan Williams along with the
seldom-heard original violin and piano version of that incredibly lovely
composition by Vaughan Williams, The Lark Ascending. Both these
composers are more well-known for their large-scale works but both were capable
of expressing themselves in a chamber music setting, as this CD amply
demonstrates. This is music that goes straight to the heart while soothing the
mind and healing the spirit.
KWN
