Bax: Symphony No. 4; Nympholept; Overture to a Picaresque Comedy

Bax (Artist), Lloyd-Jones (Artist), Royal Scottish Nat'l Orch (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 21, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B000063TS3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #127,095 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Fourth, October 30, 2002

By	Joshua Grasso (Oxford, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

So far, this is my favorite Bax release on Naxos. I only discovered Bax two years ago, so each recording I run across is a revelation. But this disc is truly exceptional. I guess I can understand why these works aren't popular in the way Elgar or Vaughan-Williams are, but on the other hand, everything is here: melody, drama, masterful orchestration, narrative brillance, and length that is completely justified by the material. This is a bargain disc in every meaning of the word--I can't imagine a release with a more enjoyable program.

It starts out with the "Overture to a Picaresque Comedy," which is sheer genius--an overflowing of Straussian spirits which is more than pastiche. The orchestration is brilliant, and the tunes are unforgettable. Next is the dreamy, otherworldly "Nympholept," which displays Bax's genius in musical narration (even when you don't know the story). But the highlight is his very original (in my mind) Fourth Symphony, with an opening that is unmatched in his symphonic oeuvre. The symphony conjures up images and impressions of the sea, but is quite unlike La Mer; instead, it flits between drama and legend, romance and introspection. The symphony grows with each listen, and so far, I consider it among his strongest and most inpsired symphonies.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra plays with fire and gusto, led by the extremely capable David Lloyd-Jones. I will probably never see a live performance of Bax's Fourth in Ohio, but this disc more than makes up for it. Yet another success in Naxos's brilliant British music series!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent contemporary performance, April 17, 2004

By	Wildfire "quattro-media" (UK) - See all my reviews

David Lloyd-Jones is carrying off his Bax Symphony cycle with panache. This is a committed, thoroughly competent performance of both 4th Symphony and Nympholet. Compared with a BBC Radio 3 performance of Nympholet years ago it is lighter, airier and more in character with the work's programme.
It compares well with Bryden Thompson's 4th, one of Thompson's best renderings of a Bax Symphony, very worthy of consideration, though the recording acoustic is a little blurry.

However, at Naxos prices, one can hardly go wrong with the Lloyd-Jones.