Completed a year after Arnold Bax's 3rd Symphony, his 4th, from 1930, was to mark the mid-point of Bax's symphonic cycle. It has been regarded as the weakest of the seven symphonies because it is in a lighter vein, lacking the brooding and almost oppressive atmosphere of the three on either side of it. This unjust opinion fails to allow a symphonic composer a little bit of light relief in portraying his love of the sea, and produce a fundamentally happy and extrovert work - notwithstanding some hints of darkness in the second movement. The triumphal march with with the symphony ends is most unlike the quiet, introspective, questioning epilogues that conclude most of the symphonies.
The work had its premiere in 1932 with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron.
This is the final Bax symphony I've posted, having completed all seven with a mixture of recordings from Lyrita and Chandos. If you have a chance to listen to all of them you will find an enormous range of expression and emotion, and dazzling orchestration deployed with consummate technique.
Click on the sleevenote scan below for more information. Other music by Bax - including the symphonies - on this blog can be found here.
Cartridge: Shelter 5000 MC
Phono amp: Graham Slee Accession MC
Turntable: CTC Classic 301 with SME M2-12R
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Hello Bob
ReplyDeleteReleased in the early days of the digital era Thomson's 4th, the first release of his Bax symphony cycle, sounds most analogue-ish in your upload. So impressed I purchased a copy. Although not listened back to back with CD yet, I immediately noticed a wider stereo image from the LP. Would be most interested in hearing your views on CD compared with digital LPs, something far as I'm aware has not been discussed in the usual places.
I think Thomson's "Tintagel" is the strongest recording of this work by the way.
L
Thanks for commenting here - not many people do, preferring to do so on YouTube . . . I can't say that I've noticed the wider image off this record compared with the CD, but then I've not listened to the CD for a long time (or its rip, as all my CDs are stored away with the audio on a Squeezebox Server). Logic would say that a digital LP would sound identical to the CD (albeit with a worse S/N ratio!). But I guess the mastering process for LP would introduce it's own variations in sound.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased my video persuaded you to buy a copy of the record for yourself. I hope it's a good copy. I like Thomson's Tintagel, but I have a soft spot for Boult on Lyrita (I did a video of Bax's Northern Ballad No. 1 from that LP a while ago) and also Barbirolli's 1967 EMI which hits all the right spots for me. But it's good to have the choice (including Lloyd-Jones on Naxos and Handley on Chandos).
BTW have you heard anything by Eduard Tubin? I've just got a BIS record of his 5 Symphony - what fantastic music (and a superb pressing too)! This one will definitely make to my channel soon ;o)
Cheers,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteI placed comment here as unable to find your email address on "about" page as you advised me to do - I must visit Specsavers! Perhaps differences in LP/CD is system related? I agree Boult's Tintagel is excellent, I am frustrated that Sir Adrian didn't record the symphonies. Thomson comes out best in his more forceful November Woods however.
I only have Tubin's 2&7. I look forward to your upload of 5. Similar to Tubin, I do not know Rubbra's symphonies as well as I should, so may not be typical but I enjoyed a recent find of his concise 10th on RCA RL 25027. Shocked to discover that this symphony is without representation on YT.
Keep up the good work!
L
Hi again - you have to click the View Email button on the YT channel About page . . . Yes, it's a pity Boult wasn't asked to record the Bax symphonies, though from what I've heard he wasn't their greatest fan (despite being the dedicatee of no.6 and giving the premiere of no.7). I've just got Downes version of no.3 on RCA - a bit crackly at the start of sides, but not too bad overall. I'll probably post it at some point.
ReplyDeleteI have Rubbra's 2nd and 7th (from Lyrita) - not heard the 10th. So much music, so little time! I've sometimes thought that by videoing the equipment playing (which is what people like, apparently) rather than just producing audio-only uploads I've limited the number of YT posts I can make because they take a lot longer to produce - I try and do two a week, one for each of my channels, but I made an extra effort to release all the Bax symphonies a lot quicker ;o)
Hopefully you'll like what I have coming up!
Cheers,
Bob