Bantock: Thalaba the Destroyer [Import]

Royal Philharmonic (Artist), Vernon Handley (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 11, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B00005RT4E
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,367 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Continuing Hyperion's pioneering Bantock series, Vernon Handley and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra provide another lavish feast for the senses. Bantock's musical language is heart-on-sleeve Romanticism sometimes colored by Oriental references with, nevertheless, an identifiably English accent. Vernon Handley's passionate advocacy of this music ensures committed performances from the RPO.

Hyperion's recording is everything one has come to expect from this company, enabling detail to register fully within a natural perspective. The major part of the program is given over to the extended tone poem Thalaba the Destroyer, but the other items are no less fascinating, from the evocation of the desert at night in the Prelude to Omar Khayyám through to the magically scored, powerful Processional and the Straussian-sounding Prelude to The Song of Songs. Thalaba (1899) shows the clear influence of Tchaikovsky in its expressive and musical vocabulary. It is an involving musical tale worthy of more frequent performance in the concert hall. The disc from the same forces that includes both the Celtic and Hebridean symphonies forms the ideal complement to this recording. --Colin Clarke

From International Record Review - subscribe now

Granville Bantock, once a powerful force in the British Musical Renaissance, was a prolific and uneven composer. For much of the past century he had fallen so thoroughly out of fashion it was difficult to find more than a handful of recordings of his works, let alone be sure how well those works represented him. Nowadays – and largely if not wholly due to Vernon Handley's championing of him via a whole series of Hyperion CDs, of which this is the latest – it's possible to exercise some discrimination. So it seems a pity that the Prelude to his extended choral-orchestral setting of The Song of Songs was chosen to open this disc. The work as a whole may be an important one. (Who can say? – none of the vocal portion has been heard since 1936: but the subject ought to have been congenial to Bantock's talents.) Heard on its own, though, the Prelude exudes a solemn, dull decadence. High-minded expression is undone by fleshly chromatics in curious textures, too closely spaced to let in air and yet too thin for languor, where the lines never quite meld enough to create a satisfying harmonic rhythm. In his typically informative and generously researched notes Lewis Foreman (who is credited with 'developing' the programme on this well-filled disc) likens it to the Prelude of Bantock's Sappho song cycle, but that is an altogether finer piece.Everything else is more interesting, and indeed more fun. Histories of the British Musical Renaissance sometimes note (as much for purposes of ridicule as anything) that at the start of his career Bantock planned a cycle of 24 symphonic poems on Southey's fustian Indian epic, The Curse of Kehama. Only two Orchestral Scenes survive of that project, and one of them is here: 'Processional', composed about 1893 and thus the earliest piece of Bantock yet to be disinterred in modern times. It's a spirited essay in barbaric funeral march, with a contrasting trio evoking wives and followers throwing themselves on a dead hero's funeral pyre, in strains only just removed from the Palm Court. Altogether it's a relishable display of rodomontade, as is the largest work on the disc, the ambitious early tone poem Thalaba the Destroyer – composed in 1899, on another Southey oriental effusion. This was last played in public as far back as 1902: a new performing score and parts had to be originated from Bantock's manuscript. 'Processional' and Thalaba both demonstrate the young Bantock's sure and flamboyant command of a large orchestra, with sonorous brass and 'oriental' percussion. They also remind us how strongly the influences of Wagner and the Russian nationalists – above all, Tchaikovsky – were installed at the Royal Academy of Music in the 1890s, where Bantock, Holbrooke and Bax all learned their trade. Quite a contrast to the earnest Brahmsians at the Royal College. It's amusing to note the Tchaikovskyisms in Thalaba, culled from Manfred, Hamlet, the Fourth Symphony and elsewhere. Possibly the piece is too long for its material, but Handley induces the RPO to play as if they believed every bar of it was white-hot inspiration, and when the brass let up from their climaxes, something more personal emerges, notably in the section 'Thalaba wanders desolately amid the tombs'. The dream-like mood here presages some of Bantock's Celtic works based on Marjorie Kennedy-Fraser's Songs of the Hebrides; and 'Caristiona' (1920), the first of a pair of Hebridean Sea Poems, proves a satisfying and quite touching elegy for small orchestra. The Thalaba episode also anticipates the 'Phantom Camel Caravan', an intermezzo with wordless chorus from Bantock's vast setting of Fitzgerald's Omar Khayyám – once his most famous work. While Norman Del Mar's 1979 BBC broadcast of the entire score demonstrated pretty clearly that Omar, with its longueurs and occasional splendours, deserves probably one cracking revival per generation, the 'Caravan', in its haunting quasi-minimalism, is a most original invention for its time. In music such as this, one starts to see Bantock not as a deft exponent of musical fancy dress but rather as a proto-Hovhaness, or even a kind of John Tavener of his time (as, indeed, Tavener is probably the Bantock of ours). With first-rate recording and performances, there is much here for collectors of British music to enjoy. Calum MacDonald

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A NON-EXPERT BUT FIRMLY-HELD OPINION..., October 14, 2002

By 

Larry L. Looney (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bantock: Thalaba the Destroyer (Audio CD)

First of all, I want to thank the folks at Hyperion, along with Vernon Handley and all of the musicians involved, for providing such an amazing array of recordings to serve as an introduction, for me, to the work of this composer. I have only two of the discs so far, but it's my goal to acquire most of them, based on the beauty I've found here -- both in the compositions themselves and in the performances. As I've mentioned above, I would NEVER claim to be an expert on classical music -- I have my favorite composers that I enjoy, but the depth of my knowledge and experience is far outclassed by more others than I would care to imagine.

That being said, I was struck by the evocative qualities of Bantock's compositions as much as by their sheer beauty. I've found a certain sweet naivete in the works of several British composers -- and this is something I find honest and charming, not something I see as a detraction, or amateurish in any way whatsoever. The fascination that Bantock obviously felt for 'things Eastern' is evident in the two excerpts from his 'Omar Khayyam' work found here, as well as in the lengthy title piece. The composer integrates middle-eastern themes into his work in a way that displays his genuine respect and affection for them -- as well as the more romantic, exotic attraction that pulled on him.

When I first listened to this disc, I was struck by what I felt was an extremely low volume level. As the disc played on, however, I found that this was necessary to accommodate the amazingly wide dynamic range of the performance. Now when I insert this disc into my player, I know to 'turn it right up' --and the results are stunning. Hyperion has a richly deserved fine reputation for their recording quality -- and this disc displays that nicely.

I can't begin to claim to hear Tchaikovsky's influence here, or another composer's influence there, in any of these works -- I don't doubt for a moment that they're there, but the enjoyment I receive every time I listen to this disc (or to my other Bantock cd, on Hyperion as well, with the Hebridean & Celtic Symphonies) is of such a level that it really doesn't matter to me. Every composer that has ever set pen to a blank score has been influenced by the great artists that he or she admired during their formative years (and throughout their careers as well, no doubt) -- those influences are absorbed and re-made by the best of them, and even with them 'on board', some incredibly creative works have been produced throughout musical history. This is true in any genre, not just in classical music.

The enjoyment of the listener -- the extent to which they are moved, and their lives enriched by the experience -- that's the yardstick.

This is an amazing recording ?I've been listening to it repeatedly for several months now, and I'm nowhere near tired of it yet.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Fabulous Bantock Disc, January 15, 2002

By 

D. A Wend (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bantock: Thalaba the Destroyer (Audio CD)

I have all of the Hyperion Sir Granville Bantock recordings, so I was looking forward to this disc; I was not disappointed. The majority of the works recorded here are excerpted from larger works. The Prelude from the Song of Songs, Carisona No. 1 and Processional No. 1 are typical of Bantock: lyrical and tuneful music that is masterly in expression. The excerpts from Omar Khayyam are evocative of the Middle East and exotic without being banal. The Prelude is a nocturne as if to depict the night breeze of the desert. The Camel Caravan is very effective, particularly with the use of camel bells, the use of a chorus give the piece a rousing quality.

Thalaba the Destroyer is the principle work on this disc and is a marvelous tone poem. Although Bantock was influenced by Tchaikovsky in writing this music it is not an imitation of the Russian composer. Thalaba is characteristic of Bantock`s approach to conveying a dramatic picture. The story behind this work is good versus evil with Thalaba as the sole survivor of his family, with a duty to avenge his father who has been killed by the demon Okba.

The booklet notes are very good and provide a background on each of the tracks. It astonishes that music this good has not received the attention it deserves. This new disc is a great introduction to Bantock's music and will be a welcomed addition to those already familiar with his music.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Underwhelmed, August 11, 2002

By 

Jdaniel1371 "jdaniel1371" (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bantock: Thalaba the Destroyer (Audio CD)

Bantock: Thalaba the Destroyer
Preludes to "The Song of Songs" and "Omar Khayyam
Camel Caravan from "Omar Khayyam"
"Caristiona"
"Processional"

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
Hyperion 67250

Bantock has been hit and miss for me. His "Celtic Symphony" and tone poem,
"The Witch of Atlas" are polished, individual and evocative. The "Hebridean
Symphony" begins in an inspired and compelling manner-with its pre-dawn
wisps of horn and violin melody floating over darkly adumbrative seas-but
when Bantock's morning mists burn off, the grand hull of the HMS Richard
Strauss suddenly looms uncomfortably close.

Derivation is fine as long as we're not reminded too much of old loves.
"Thalaba the Destroyer" was written in 1899 at which time Bantock had
conducted a series of all-Tchaikovsky concerts. Both conductor and audience
enjoyed quite an enthusiasm for the Russian at the time, and with "Thalaba,"
Bantock quite unapologetically tips his hat to him.

From the air-cleaving brass punctuations to the sizzling string tremolos, I
can sense an extraordinary commitment on the part of the RPO's members as
only a fellow musician can. Handley has always been a favorite of mine;
turning in performances that are both vivid and tight, yet never emotionally
undernourished. Zeinab's theme, (Thalaba's mother), is a wonderful extended
melody repeated with a counter-melody that creates some exquisite

suspensions. With Oneiza's music, (Thalaba's girlfriend), Bantock gives us
a fetching oboe melody over luminous strings. It's during the ensuing good
vs. evil battle music that one can hear most clearly that Bantock has
left Tchaikovsky atop the hill to bark orders down to the troops; but
still, unlike the stylistically piecemeal Hebridean Symphony, Thalaba the
Destroyer remains homogenous enough not to jar this listener's suspension
of disbelief.

It's the other pieces-the preludes "Song of Songs" and "Omar Khayyam," the

"Camel Caravan," "Caristonia," and "Processional"-where I find my mind
wandering. IMHO the titles are more exotic than the music itself; and for
all the talk about Eastern exotisism the percussion section is used quite
traditionally-to cap a climax or to limn offbeats. Are my post-Edwardian
let-it-all-hang-out sensibilities not cutting Bantock enough slack? No.
It's not just the conservatism. Beecham wrote of Bantock's music as:

"...a flow of genial melody, unmistakably of the `stagey' sort, a solid but
lively handling of the orchestra, and a by no means too common capacity for
passing swiftly and easily from one contrasting mood to another."

To be sure, Bantock writes with taste, his orchestrations delight, and
emotions ebb and flow like the River of Life itself. But rivers carry with
them bits and pieces of upstream memories gained along the way, and rivers
eventually empty into something grander than themselves. Bantock's music
"passes swiftly...from one contrasting mood to another" alright, but I find
his particular brand of through-composition in these pieces ultimately
unsatisfying because I don't hear or even sense any overall unity or
development. Not even the hidden kind.

Certainly it's possible to create music that is both amorphous and unified,
(think of Delius' Irmelin Prelude, VW's "Fen County," or Schreker's
Intermezzo from "Der ferne Klang"), as these composers at least buffet

their clouds here and there with wisps of repeated melodic or
rhythmic motifs and discreet symphonic development. Even Sibelius savors his
spring water for a few moments before swallowing.

Without any development or reiteration, pieces like Bantock's "Caristiona"
can seem like a river of unrelated and inchoate preludes. Regarding the few
strophic sections to be found in the marches within "Camel Caravan" and the
"Processional," I found myself ironically *yearning* for more variation. My
thrill regarding Bantock's prodigious orchestral techniques
aside--when splashed by his occasional grand gestures or when riding the
falls into his climactic seas, I sometimes find little to hold on to.

If you don't have any Bantock, I would recommend trying out an earlier
Hyperion release featuring the uneven but ultimately satisfying Hebridian
Symphony. IMHO the fillers, (including the Celtic Symphony), are much more
successful than those included with
"Thalaba the Destroyer."

John Smyth