Customer Reviews

Bax: Symphony No. 3 / The Happy Forest

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Two or three of Sir Arnold Bax's (1883-1953) big works suffer from the embarrassment of a too-complicated first movement. The Violin Concerto (1937) is one: Its First Movement consists of an "Overture," so called, interrupted by a "Ballade," so called, interrupted by a Scherzo. The Third Symphony (1929) is another. Here, the First Movement consists of episodes - Lento Moderato... Allegro Moderato... Allegro feroce... etc. - that, unless the transitions come under exceedingly careful control, individually subvert the sense of a unified musical sequence. David Lloyd-Jones' success in the Naxos recording of this symphony arises from his imposition on that wayward opening phase of the Third something like a genuine organic unity. In this he beats out John Barbirolli, Edward Downes, and Bryden Thomson, all of whom over the decades have also set down playback versions of this score. Lloyd-Jones discovers the First Movement's unity in the derivation of all its episodes from the serpentine bassoon melody with which it commences. This twisting minor-key improvisation almost immediately forms a canon with the other woodwinds, and eventually develops into a fully fledged orchestral fugue. Again, Lloyd-Jones understands that the stretto of the fugue is the climax of the movement, the rest being denouement. With the central slow movement of the Third, no problem exists, as in the First Movement. This is a nocturne, as crystalline and timeless as anything that the obsessively otherworldly Bax ever wrote. Our insightful conductor also takes the Finale with a clear view of its inner-structure and its relation to the first two parts of the symphony. The "Epilogue" of the Third is legendary; so poignantly beautiful did it strike the early auditors of this work that one of them, Ralph Vaughan-Williams, quoted it in his own Piano Concerto, although he later rewrote the work so that the allusion to Bax was less direct quotation than passing reference. It is a shame that the usually intractable First Movement of the Third has kept it from a firmer place in the repertory. And yet, of the seven Bax symphonies, the Third has been the most frequently played in the concert hall. Naxos appends Bax's sunny orchestral sketch, "The Happy Forest," inspired by Theocritus and Swinburne, among others, as the honorable makeweight of this recorded program. It's well worth exploration and cheap at the price.

Bax's third symphony is not an easy work; it is full of tempo changes and subtle rubati that make the job of the conductor difficult. From the interpretation viewpoint, it is compounded by the total absense of metronome markings in the score.

David Lloyd-Jones does an excellent job. But what persuades me about his version is that it most closely approximates John Barbirolli's interpretation back in the early 1940s. Bax had heard this symphony performed many times in the 1930s (it was famous enough for the British Council to award it a recording grant); he was a friend of Barbirolli and it is fair to say that Barbirolli's version closely met with Bax's approval.

Lloyd-Jones' reading is certainly an improvement over the quirky, idiosyncratic version put out by Bryden Thomson (and recorded in an echoing acoustic that makes a mess of Bax's harmonic rhythm (and even the physical rhythm where it counts in the first and third movements). It is also better than Downes' impersonal, passion-free version back in the 1970s where he succeeds in completely losing any sense of climax. This work is torn between angry outbursts and long periods of respite and reflection, and Lloyd-Jones has the right touch to bring this off. He does not lose the climax of the first movement which everyone else seems to and he maintains the tensions such that those moments of tranquil feel well-earned. The Epilogue (which almost amounts to a 4th movement), like the opening of the second movement, is magical. What's even more magical is the price.

Probably the most famous example of literary landscape painting is the opening chapter of "The Return of the Native." In music we have countless examples from Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony to Smetana's "My Country" and Copland's "Quiet City." But I want to introduce you to one of the most imposing: the first movement of Bax's <Symphony no. 3>, which paints a bleak and very impressive picture of the moors of Scotland. Paired as it is with the tone poem <The Happy Forest>, this Naxos release (8.553608) is highly recommended. Compare the instrumentation of the first movement with the tone poem, the latter being perhaps a little influenced by Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe." One British critic comments that many find Bax cannot sustain musical interest in his longer works as well as in his tone poems. You be the judge here.

In this recording, David-Lloyd-Jones leads the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. There is another version on Chandos at twice the price, but you cannot go wrong with this one.

It seems only a few years ago when Arnold Bax was considered to be an unfashionable and neglected composer. Then, beginning in the 1960s, Edward Downes recorded this exact coupling withe the BBCSO, and then the Lyrita label issued all the others with the exception of Number 3 and Number 4. A new recording of this symphony, a truly heavyweight composition, is always welcome and will doubtless be compared with Downes and the later 1980s Bryden Thomson with the LPO on Chandos. The first movement is brilliantly performed but to my mind the conductor has a tendency to force the pace a little which becomes much more noticable in the final movement, the Epilogue. The elegaic Epilogue was an essential feature of most of Bax's symphonies, and in that of the Third Symphony there is underlying throb, an ostinato, tiredly plodding underneath the main theme which makes the movemet and symphony end with a air of disillusionment but has a grim resignation. It is no wonder why Sir Henry Wood chose this work as part of his patriotic music selection during WWII. On this recording, the natural pace of the music appears to be pushed by the conductor against the underlying ostinato. This is a shame as the playing, particularly the woodwind and brass, is spot on. The final repeated motiv of woodwind, celesta and harp against the agitated strings and muted heavy brass thereby loses something of its magic. This is a particular event that Bax recalled when he shared a cottage in the woods with the Irish poet AE. They were sitting quietly together one day in the cottage and they both heard mysterious fairy music which Bax later stated in his autobiography 'Farewell my Youth' that he could write down with normal musical notation. As this episode is the music's source of inspiration, I would have to turn to either the Downes or Thomson versions who to my mind retain this image of faery bells, and the music seems unencumbered by the consciousness of forced musical pace. I do not believe that offered the other two interpretations, I would ever choose this new one over them. The tone poem is excellent in every way but Thomson's version is equally fine.

David Lloyd-Jones gives a commanding and sensitive performance of the 3rd Symphony. It flows easily, sensitive in delicate moments, rising to passion and vehemence in the climaxes. His tempi and treatment are closest to the Barbirolli interpretation on Dutton transferred from 78s - obviously not the definitive recording but definitive performance in my view, as Bax and Barbirolli were great friends. Lloyd-Jones fully captures the magic of the second movement and the lyrically beautiful, if simple, epilogue to the third movement. He also brings off the contrast and tension between moments of respite and violent outbursts, characterising this sympony, with finesse.
This is a superior performance to Bryden Thompson's with his well-known quirky tempi (he managed to make Elgar's 2nd Symphony last 1/4 hour longer than anyone elses - now thankfully deleted). Thompson makes a complete hash of the third movement, his tempi bear no resemblance to Bax's score markings. Further, Thompson's rendering was recorded in a venue with almost a cathedral acoustic - fine for works conforming to early harmonic principles but far too blurry for chromatically romantic composers such as Bax. It almost sounds like Bax played in the Sistine Chapel without its drapes.
So, for sheer value for price, the Lloyd Jones performance is outstanding.

Bax's third symphony might, in fact, be the pinnacle of his cycle (no. 6 is the most obvious competitor); at least it is probably the most melodically memorable - in particular perhaps the astonishingly beautiful epilogue. Again, I have to admit that I haven't heard the celebrated Handley cycle, but at least a strength of this performance is the tight reins Lloyd-Jones keep on a score that might easily come across as a little to episodic. The approach is - as on the previous installments in the series - purposeful, clearly argued and with surging forward momentum. And the Royal Scottish National Orchestra responds with some gorgeous playing; resplendent textures, polished and vibrant and enthusiastic-sounding.

The first movement opens with dreamlike, misty figures, but picks up pace (containing a wonderfully wistful second subject) and ends in a thrilling, swaggering coda. The second movement contains some gorgeous landscape painting, but always with a somewhat dark undertone that is excellently brought out in these performances. The finale starts out with spirit and panache (and several extremely tricky gestures and moves superbly navigated by Lloyd-Jones), but turns into one of the most achingly beautiful epilogues ever written, realized with alluring poetry and wonderful orchestral playing - yes, it is less lingering and delicate than on the Thomson recording, but I have to say that I found this version as effective.

The coupling is one of Bax's less consequential and, frankly, less memorable works, the tone poem The Happy Forest, but it receives a spirited performance with swagger, charisma and an impish touch. The sound quality is rich and detailed throughout, not, perhaps, crystal clear but good enough to help ensure a top recommendation for this absorbing release. Wonderful.

The first movement of the 3rd symphony justifies the investment on the CD

The music is so distant, and at the same time so close, that drives you into the description.

Good quality of recording and a clean performance

I'm sorry to disagree, but this is a great symphony, agruably Bax's best, in a mediocre performance and murky recording. Especially disappointing is the all important third movement.

The standard against which all performances must be judged is Bryden Thomsons Chandos version, followed by the recently reissued Dutton Barbirolli from 60 some years ago. The latter is a very different perfomance, marred some by the technical quality of this mono recording, entirely understandable for it's age.

The chief virtue of this Naxos recording is it's price.

Maybe people who haven't heard Bax before will but it, like it and go on the the magical, mystical, crystal clear Thomson recordings of the Bax symphonies.