Phew. The series can be reviewed here. That was a ton of music. And really it’s a testament to how much excellent music there is from that small little corner of the world up there off the coast of mainland … Continue reading The English Symphony in Review
performed by the Maggini Quartet Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was born September 8, 1934 in Salford, Lancashire. He told his parents at the ripe young age of four that he wanted to be a composer, after having seen Gilbert & … Continue reading Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: Naxos Quartet no. 1, op. 229
performed by the Arditti Quartet Brian Ferneyhough may well be one of the most important composers to emerge from the latter half of this century. Simultaneously famous and infamous, he is a controversial figure of world renown, bent on making … Continue reading Brian Ferneyhough: String Quartet no. 2
performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Vernon Handley, or below by the London Symphony Orchestra under Jascha Horenstein This is the work that started it all. By ‘it’, I mean my fascination with the work of Robert Simpson and … Continue reading Simpson Symphony no. 3
performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Richard Hickox, or below by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland under Andrew Penny We had a chance to hear Arnold’s second horn concerto a few months ago, but he was yet another … Continue reading Arnold Symphony No. 1, Op 22
performed by the Delmé Quartet (Sorry, no YouTube this week, but I’m going to be linking below to program notes from Hyperion, who sells physical and digital copies of this music here. It’s also available on iTunes.) I’m very glad … Continue reading Simpson String Quartet no. 1
performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the composer’s baton, or below with the London Symphony Orchestra under Richard Hickox They have an original development of their own, and they will be looked at in the future as being something … Continue reading William Alwyn: Symphony no. 1
performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Martin Yates in a world premiere recording, which you can purchase here. (Sorry, folks. No YouTube today either.) Richard Anthony Sayer “Tony” Arnell was born on September 15, 1917 in Hampstead, London. … Continue reading Richard Arnell: Symphony no. 4
performed by the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra under Alexander Walker, or below by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Myer Fredman It’s not the Gothic. Yet. William Havergal Brian was born 29 January, 1876 in Dresden, Stoke-on-Trent. Wikipedia says he “was … Continue reading Havergal Brian: Symphony no. 6 ‘Sinfonia Tragica’
performed by the Auryn Quartet, or below by the Badke Quartet, with Tamsin Waley-Cohen as first violin We’ve actually featured Britten before, but only once, and we didn’t give anything of a bio, so here’s something short. Benjamin Britten was … Continue reading Britten String Quartet no. 2 in C, Op. 36
performed by The Holywell Ensemble (Golly Gee Willikers, another with no YouTube. I should check on that more often, but I also won’t let the free availability of music on YouTube influence what I share, especially if I’ve spent the money … Continue reading John Ireland: piano trio no. 3 in E
performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under Hans-Hubert Schonzeler, or below by the Hallé Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli, in what is frustratingly only the last two movements. I highly recommend just purchasing the album it’s on, from iTunes) He … Continue reading Edmund Rubbra: Symphony no. 5
performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Richard Hickox, or below by the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Colin Davis Sir Michael Kemp Tippett was born on 2 January, 1905 in Eastcote, London. His father was a singer, or rather a … Continue reading Sir Michael Tippett: Symphony no. 1
performed by the Munich Symphony Orchestra under Douglas Bostock Ruth Dorothy Louisa Gipps was born on 20 February 1921 in Bexhill-on-Sea. She was a child prodigy, showing exceptional talents as a performer, winning competitions in which she was much younger … Continue reading Ruth Gipps: Symphony no. 2
performed by the Dartington Piano Trio, or below by Yehudi Menuhin, violin; Maurice Gendron, cello; Benjamin Britten, piano We’ve visited Frank Bridge before, a number of years ago, but that was a while ago, and I didn’t discuss his upbringing and … Continue reading Bridge Piano Trio no. 2
performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under André Previn, or below by the London Philharmonic under Bryden Thomson …Walton’s Symphony No 1 is a free, strong, individual utterance, as far beyond mere imitation as, say, the Brahms First is in … Continue reading Sir William Walton: Symphony no. 1 in B flat minor
performed by the Ulster Orchestra under Bryden Thomson As mentioned in Monday’s revisit article, I was so taken with Bax’s first symphony that I felt we would benefit from one more of his symphonies, but which? Well, of his seven, the … Continue reading Bax Symphony no. 4
performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Bryden Thomson It’s odd, you know. A few things, really. For one, that this piece, somehow, was the 23rd piece I chose to write about back when I started writing this blog, when I … Continue reading Revisit: Bax Symphony no. 1
performed by the Divertimenti Ensemble (Sorry, again no YouTube here, but go support good record labels like Hyperion and buy the album if it’s something you feel you may like. I’ll be honest. There are some works that I’d purchase … Continue reading Herbert Howells: String Quartet no. 3 ‘In Gloucestershire’
performed by the Coull String Quartet and Allan Schiller, piano; or below by the Sorrel Quartet with Ian Brown, piano Alice Elgar was quite right: it is a new urgency, pointed and refined by the discipline of writing chamber music, a … Continue reading Elgar Piano Quintet in Am, op. 84
performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult third and fourth movements here Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on 12 October, 1872 at Down Ampney, Gloucestershire to Rev. Arthur Vaughan Williams, of English and Welsh ancestry, with backgrounds … Continue reading Ralph Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony
Fugue for Thought 