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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Disc Not To Be Missed,
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This review is from: Bax: Tone Poems, Volume 2 (Audio CD)
The music for this disc was recorded in 2006 and November of 2007 making this the final disc of music conducted by the late Vernon Handley. It is perhaps fitting that Maestro Handley's final disc is music of Sir Arnold Bax, one of the composers her championed.
The Three Northern Ballads were composed in the late 1920s and early 1930's. The first is evocative of a northern landscape but also includes a march melody that seems to recall a heroic saga. The second begins with a melody that calls up a misty landscape. The music goes on to explore this rugged landscape, slightly reminiscent of Sibelius, with some engaging melodies. The Third Ballad portrays a Scottish landscape and begins in a similar vein as the Second with a mysterious melody but the mood soon alters with the introduction of trumpets. There is the impression that Bax is also including a bit of history in his depiction as the orchestral becomes a mixture of triumph and despair with the ever-present depiction of nature. The music rises to a great crescendo with organ as the piece closes. Nympholet (from 1912, orchestrated in 1915) is an impressionistic piece that one could describe as a depiction of a summer day. In fact, Bax included some lines on the score about a haunted wood where nymphs dwell and dance. The music is characterized by dance melodies and hushed evocations of nature. Red Autumn is a premiere recording of a piano duet orchestrated for this recording. It is typical of Bax's nature music. The Happy Forest (1914, orchestrated in 1922) was inspired by a short story and is full of good humor and lyrical beauty. The music evokes a world of shepherds and satyrs in an Arcadian landscape marvelously. Into the Twilight (1908) establishes its nocturnal mood from the start with quiet, lyrical melodies. The passages for celesta and flute have a marvelous effect of mystery and as the melody is augmented by tympani and strings the music does tend to remind one of Rosenkavalier. After a dance-like interlude the music becomes quiet and fades away. The BBC Philharmonic play beautifully and these performances act as a memorial to Vernon Handley who brought the music of Arnold Bax into prominence.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the inner world of Arnold Bax, vol. 2,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Bax: Tone Poems, Volume 2 (Audio CD)
Vernon Handley, a Baxian of great distinction as established by his top notch cycle of the symphonies, offers all three of the Northern Ballads, Into the Twilight, The Happy Forest, Red Autumn, Nympholept, In the Faery Hills, November Woods, The Garden of Fand and Sinfonietta on two Chandos cd's of which this is the second volume (see also Arnold Bax: Tone Poems). These discs offer fine performances by the BBC Philharmonic, and are considered the latest word in Bax given the conductor's credentials and the 2005-2007 recording dates.
There are, however, several options when it comes to the Bax tone poems, including recordings from Boult, Thomson, and David Lloyd-Jones and all of them are at least very good. Boult's pioneering Lyrita disc is a long-time favorite recorded in excellent stereo sound (Boult conducts Bax), and I would recommend it as a very solid choice. Boult authoritatively covers four of the strongest of Bax's works in this category: the first of the three Northern Ballads, The Garden of Fand, Tintagel and November Woods, along with the brief Mediterranean. Bryden Thomson's recordings of the tone poems date from the early to mid 1980's (see, for example Bax: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3) and (Bax: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4). His recordings of the symphonies came on the heels of several classic Lyrita recordings from the likes of Norman Del, Myer Fredman and Raymond Leppard, however, he proved to be a great Baxian who most effectively communicated the atmospheric vs the dramatic in Bax's music. For this reason, his recordings of the tone poems, which are essentially atmospheric pieces, are among the best I've heard. He presents the brooding and mysterious elements in these wonderful scores in a way like no other, all recorded in excellent sound. Boult brings unparalleled drama to the tone poems, but that doesn't mean that his is the only way to approach these works. Handley's way is a little more relaxed and atmospheric, but not quite to the degree of Thomson. One can argue the relative merits of each of these Bax masters, however, one of the things these Handley discs have in their favor is the order in which the works are programmed. Nothing sounds insignificant here as Handley makes very persuasive arguments for the lesser known tone poems which are presented as parts of an organic whole. Each work flows very well into the next, and what we are left with is an extended view into the mysterious inner world of the composer. Although Handley's two discs encompass eleven of Bax's twenty-two tone poems, one of the finer ones, and one of the composer's own favorites, The Tale the Pine Trees Knew, is not among those included. It is, however, included in the second of the Bryden Thomson anthologies referenced above, and in the Lloyd-Jones disc as well (Bax: Symphonic Poems). In short, I wouldn't want to be without the Boult, Handley or Thomson discs as all are beautiful in their own way. Five stars.
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