Bax: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Arnold Bax (Composer), Bryden Thomson (Conductor), Ulster Orchestra (Orchestra)

Product Details

• Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra
• Conductor: Bryden Thomson
• Composer: Arnold Bax
• Audio CD (November 25, 2003)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B0000DIXRZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #235,187 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

MusicWeb-International, Brian Wilson, June 2008

If there is room for only one Bax recording in your collection, this should be it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly competitive performances, December 21, 2008

By	G.D. (Norway) - See all my reviews

Along with their new release of the symphonies come these reissues of orchestral works, repackaged and recombined (in order to complement rather than compete with the new Handley release, I assume). Volume 3 provides us with some of his most tone poems.

November Woods and The Happy Forest present, as the titles might imply, different aspects of Bax' ability to depict nature in its various forms and moods. They are indeed atmospheric works, the former bleak and dark, the latter rustic and sunny, but with more than a touch of Baxian mysticism. These are indeed vintage Bax, more so than the Delian Summer Music.

The Garden of Fand and Tintagel are possibly the most famous of his 22 symphonic poems, and they are both arguably masterpieces. The Garden of Fand is deeply steeped in influences from Celtic mythology, enhanced by impressionistic effects. It is quite simply a glorious work. Tintagel, perhaps his most famous piece, draws instead on King Arthur, and is more Wagnerian than impressionist (though reminiscences of Debussy are not that hard to detect).

Bryden Thomson and the Ulster orchestra play these works at least as well as Lloyd-Jones on Naxos and indeed there isn't much to distinguish them from the newer set under Vernon Handley. Sound quality is excellent, too. Strongly recommended.