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Amazon.co.uk Review
Naxos's hugely welcome Bax symphony cycle continues. Number 4 is his "sea symphony", touched with the sights and sounds of Morar on the west coast of Scotland where the work was completed in 1931. It may not be the most immediately appealing of the Bax symphonies, but that's hardly down to any lack of surging passion (for example, at the close of the first movement and the opening of the last) especially given the forward momentum David Lloyd-Jones imparts to his reading, knitting together the wealth of ideas and episodes. The slow movement, nostalgic, wistful and stormy, is quintessential Bax. Throughout, the playing is urgent, committed and downright impressive, while the recording possesses both clarity and richness.
There's more nature music in the evocative 1912 Nympholept, which describes an ensnaring by nymphs in a haunted wood. The sense of mystery and pagan magic make it a counterpart to Bax's beguiling Spring Fire, which also should be better-known. In contrast, the Overture to a Picaresque Comedy is by turns playful, touching and riotous, in the style of Strauss's Til Eulenspiegel. It's as roguish as the title suggests and great fun. Both works are far more than makeweights, especially in the RSNO's hands.--Andrew Green
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The CD opens with one of Bax's most enjoyable works, 'Overture to a Picaresque Comedy', a frolicsome tumble that recalls Richard Strauss' Eulenspiegel.
Next up is 'Nympholept', one of Bax's more overtly Celtic works. Melodic invention is to the forefront.
And then we arrive at the main course, the 4th Symphony. Sometimes described as his 'sea' symphony, the work is certainly atmospheric. It doesn't have the impact of his 2nd or 5th symphonies, but is still a major English symphonic statement.
As with all of this series, David Lloyd-Jones teases impeccible performances of all three works from the RSNO. The recorded sound is first rate.
For me there are now only two serious rivals for best conductor of Bax's symphonic works. Vernon Handley (4CD + interview disc on Chandos) and Lloyd-Jones on Naxos. Both bring Bax's works to life in a way that previous conductors simply haven't managed. I would not like to have to choose between the two.
The Handley set arguably has slightly better sound, but the Lloyd-Jones contains more of the tone-poems as fill ups.
The choice is yours, but whichever you choose, you are unlikely to be disappointed.
Hopefully Lloyd-Jones will go on to record some of the concerted works... Well, one can but hope....
Next up is 'Nympholept', one of Bax's more overtly Celtic works. Melodic invention is to the forefront.
And then we arrive at the main course, the 4th Symphony. Sometimes described as his 'sea' symphony, the work is certainly atmospheric. It doesn't have the impact of his 2nd or 5th symphonies, but is still a major English symphonic statement.
As with all of this series, David Lloyd-Jones teases impeccible performances of all three works from the RSNO. The recorded sound is first rate.
For me there are now only two serious rivals for best conductor of Bax's symphonic works. Vernon Handley (4CD + interview disc on Chandos) and Lloyd-Jones on Naxos. Both bring Bax's works to life in a way that previous conductors simply haven't managed. I would not like to have to choose between the two.
The Handley set arguably has slightly better sound, but the Lloyd-Jones contains more of the tone-poems as fill ups.
The choice is yours, but whichever you choose, you are unlikely to be disappointed.
Hopefully Lloyd-Jones will go on to record some of the concerted works... Well, one can but hope....
3 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This disc hits the ground running with the 'Overture to a Picareque Comedy' which zings along through nine minutes of musical slapstick mixed with melodrama. It sounds like a highly successful distillation of the film score for a 1930's or 40's romantic adventure. One quibble, the sound mix comes across as being rather bright and a little shrill.
It is good to be able to compare Bax's Tone poem 'Nympholept' with his Symphony No 4, Despite the supposed woodland inspiration of Nympholept both are filled with sea music of the highest order. The style of the Tone Poem composed between 1912 and 1915 is decidedly impressionistic and Bax revists this style, with some added rigour, in the Symphony which was completed in 1931.
For me Nympholept is the strongest of Bax's tone poems and is superbly performed and recorded here (no more brightness problems). The actual music in the Symphony is of similar quality. The problem is quickly revealed. While Bax was able to structure such music into a 16 minute long work he was unable to convincingly structure it in a 40 minute long symphony. The Symphony is one brilliant episode after another, but is a symphony only in name. I am left wishing that he had produced several shorter works from the same material.
In short, the symphony is a pleasant but meandering listen. I would have given it five stars based on quality of inspiration and performance. The structural problems of the work means it drops a star.
Revisiting this review in 2007 -
As regards the structure of the symphony the weaknesses may not all be Bax's. Vernon Handley makes a more convincing case for the structure of this Symphony in his set of Bax symphonies on Chandos. It may be that the conductor here, David Lloyd-Jones, has failed to do the symphony justice in this recording.
It is good to be able to compare Bax's Tone poem 'Nympholept' with his Symphony No 4, Despite the supposed woodland inspiration of Nympholept both are filled with sea music of the highest order. The style of the Tone Poem composed between 1912 and 1915 is decidedly impressionistic and Bax revists this style, with some added rigour, in the Symphony which was completed in 1931.
For me Nympholept is the strongest of Bax's tone poems and is superbly performed and recorded here (no more brightness problems). The actual music in the Symphony is of similar quality. The problem is quickly revealed. While Bax was able to structure such music into a 16 minute long work he was unable to convincingly structure it in a 40 minute long symphony. The Symphony is one brilliant episode after another, but is a symphony only in name. I am left wishing that he had produced several shorter works from the same material.
In short, the symphony is a pleasant but meandering listen. I would have given it five stars based on quality of inspiration and performance. The structural problems of the work means it drops a star.
Revisiting this review in 2007 -
As regards the structure of the symphony the weaknesses may not all be Bax's. Vernon Handley makes a more convincing case for the structure of this Symphony in his set of Bax symphonies on Chandos. It may be that the conductor here, David Lloyd-Jones, has failed to do the symphony justice in this recording.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Magnificent Fourth
31 Oct 2002
Format:Audio CD
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!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
An excellent contemporary performance
17 April 2004
Format:Audio CD
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.
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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A very fine recording, but outshone by the competition
14 Jan 2010
Format:Audio CD
Naxos's cycle of the symphonies of Arnold Bax with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under David Lloyd-Jones is one of the greatest achievements of their impressive catalogue, with performances that can easily match and often surpass the eminently impressive Bryden Thomson ones (I have to admit that I haven't yet heard the celebrated Handley cycle). That said, I am unsure whether this recording of the fourth is among the best of the series - it is, firstly, not Bax's strongest symphony (though it is still a mightily impressive work of vivid colors, lush textures and fantastic atmospheres), and secondly it was featured on what was, perhaps, the strongest installment in the Thomson series - in this case I have to say that Lloyd-Jones doesn't quite manage to match the older Chandos recording.
But it is still a very good performance, exhibiting many of the same qualities - one drawback, however, is the choice of tempi; Lloyd-Jones is generally faster than Thomson, and while newcomers might not notice, comparisons reveal that Thomson's account is just a little more atmospheric and natural-sounding, in particular in the first movement, and thereby achieves a clarity and sinewy power that, at least to a certain extent, eludes Lloyd-Jones. That said, there are many magnificent touches to this version, and Lloyd-Jones manages to bind the slightly episodic work together convincingly (the finale is marvelous).
Nympholept is an alluring, vibrant and colorful tone poem, and if it is not among Bax's very best it is still a splendid work, and it receives convincing advocacy here. The Overture to a Picaresque Comedy is a brilliant work, however, delightfully swaggering and sporting an absolutely fabulous, gorgeous middle theme. On the other hand, Lloyd-Jones and his Scottish players are just a little bit rushed here, losing some of the color nuances and textural details. The sound quality is good, but not as clear and vivid as on some of the earlier installments in the series. Still, this is a very fine release, strongly recommended on its own terms and an absolute must for followers of this series.
But it is still a very good performance, exhibiting many of the same qualities - one drawback, however, is the choice of tempi; Lloyd-Jones is generally faster than Thomson, and while newcomers might not notice, comparisons reveal that Thomson's account is just a little more atmospheric and natural-sounding, in particular in the first movement, and thereby achieves a clarity and sinewy power that, at least to a certain extent, eludes Lloyd-Jones. That said, there are many magnificent touches to this version, and Lloyd-Jones manages to bind the slightly episodic work together convincingly (the finale is marvelous).
Nympholept is an alluring, vibrant and colorful tone poem, and if it is not among Bax's very best it is still a splendid work, and it receives convincing advocacy here. The Overture to a Picaresque Comedy is a brilliant work, however, delightfully swaggering and sporting an absolutely fabulous, gorgeous middle theme. On the other hand, Lloyd-Jones and his Scottish players are just a little bit rushed here, losing some of the color nuances and textural details. The sound quality is good, but not as clear and vivid as on some of the earlier installments in the series. Still, this is a very fine release, strongly recommended on its own terms and an absolute must for followers of this series.
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