# SS 16.01.15 - Bax #1



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Arnold Bax (1883 - 1953)*

Symphony No. 1

1. Allegro moderato e feroce - Moderato expressivo - Tempo I
2. Lento solenne
3. Allegro maestoso - Allegro vivace ma non troppo

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

This is a new one on me. I bought this CD some weeks back especially for this occasion so I'm really looking forward to this weekend.

View attachment 61303


David-Lloyd Jones/Royal Scottish National Orchestra


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Excellent! It already looks to be a great weekend.

Here's my choice:


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

realdealblues said:


> This is a new one on me. I bought this CD some weeks back especially for this occasion so I'm really looking forward to this weekend.
> 
> View attachment 61303
> 
> ...


I'll be listening to this version as well.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I don't know the first thing about this composer, except that a friend used to be into a lot of obscure English composers like Bax, Walton and others.

I will listen to Bryden Thomson, London Philharmonic Orchestra performing Bax's Symphony 1.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Handley


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

I've been listening to this symphony repeatedly for the last couple weeks.

I have two versions, both of which are excellent: Thomson/LPO and Handley/BBC Philharmonic.


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

Mahlerian said:


> BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Handley


I'll be listening to the Handley too


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Will listen Thomson & LPO


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Travlin' south at the moment, don't have any Bax on my travlin' hard-drive, would have played Handley if I was at home!

/ptr


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## Richannes Wrahms (Jan 6, 2014)

I find it curious that it was this one and not the third the one that made it to the list. I'll be listening to the Handley, following along with the score.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*Bax*: Symphony 1 (Dedicated to John Ireland), w. BBCPO/Handley (rec. September 5, 2003, Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=U-gFuNi8Doo#t=17


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Yes it will be Handley for me also


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I'll skip it. Bax bores the hell out of me.


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## Jeff W (Jan 20, 2014)

Vaneyes said:


> *Bax*: Symphony 1 (Dedicated to John Ireland), w. BBCPO/Handley (rec. September 5, 2003, Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester).
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=U-gFuNi8Doo#t=17


I'll listen to this one as I don't have this in my library. Thanks for the link!


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Triplets said:


> I'll skip it. Bax bores the hell out of me.


Well, high adventure isn't for _everyone. _


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

This is also my choice. A really great performance and a fine recording overall.










Kevin


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

I can't pass an opportunity to enjoy a rare appearance on SS for one of the greatest British symphony cycles.

Will listen to London PO/Myer Fredman later.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

realdealblues said:


> This is a new one on me. I bought this CD some weeks back especially for this occasion so I'm really looking forward to this weekend.
> 
> View attachment 61303
> 
> ...


Same recording for me. I'm rather inexperienced with Bax (in-Bax-perienced?). Lovely orchestration.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Marschallin Blair said:


> Well, high adventure isn't for _everyone. _


Right, I don't want to be excited from more distracted from more interesting diversions, such as rearranging my sock drawer.


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## Admiral (Dec 27, 2014)

I have the Naxos CD (yea! Royal Scottish!) but I don't know how it'll sound after the Ring Cycle that I'm doing this week.
Maybe a nice bracing tonic, we'll see -

is the scheme that we all listen tomorrow and report back?


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2015)

I recently listened to a bunch of Bax - whilst on my own quest to listen to my entire music collection alphabetically. I have to say, I find his symphonies to be on the less interesting side of his works. If I must have orchestral Bax, I would rather listen to his piano concertos or his best tone poems, honestly.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

arcaneholocaust said:


> I recently listened to a bunch of Bax - whilst on my own quest to listen to my entire music collection alphabetically. I have to say, I find his symphonies to be on the less interesting side of his works. If I must have orchestral Bax, I would rather listen to his piano concertos or his best tone poems, honestly.


I was more taken with _In the Fairy Hills_ and _The Garden of Fand_ on the Naxos disc.

(These English composers! Scratch the respectable surface and you'll find a mystical weirdo underneath every time.)


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

I'm also going with the Naxos release with the Royal Scottish Nat'l Orchestra. It is one of the only ones on Rdio. I have heard very little Bax.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Triplets said:


> Right, I don't want to be excited from more distracted from more interesting diversions, such as rearranging my sock drawer.


LOL. I have no problem once in a while dropping in on a thread where it seems like a completely unanimous enthused love-fest for a particular work or composer is in full spate, and there making some comment which at least reminds people the love-fest is not universal... that is no less mean, or no less healthy than reminding a group all in agreement on some political plank or an ideology that not everyone is on board that boat.

But with this progressively plod through the TC list of symphonies series, it is a given that not everyone will be on board with all the rep put up for listening from week to week.

I did PM a TC colleague who is on board for this one, saying only, "Better you than me." They said they couldn't see anything in these second-tier late romantic early 20th century British composers, and ditto a host of those second tier later Russian Romantics which seem to be in a small wave of fashion at the moment, but that they were was listening to this Bax symphony "out of a sense of duty."

But each to their own -- and if you are going to drop in on that party, maybe a "Better you than me," or "Each to their own," is getting the point across well enough without taking it, uh, further -- unless you are going for the title of Ms./Mr. Buzz Kill ;-)


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## Richannes Wrahms (Jan 6, 2014)

^and you clearly have dropped that message "out of a sense of duty" too.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

PetrB said:


> LOL. I have no problem once in a while dropping in on a thread where it seems like a completely unanimous enthused love-fest for a particular work or composer is in full spate, and there making some comment which at least reminds people the love-fest is not universal... that is no less mean, or no less healthy than reminding a group all in agreement on some political plank or an ideology that not everyone is on board that boat.
> 
> But with this progressively plod through the TC list of symphonies series, it is a given that not everyone will be on board with all the rep put up for listening from week to week.
> 
> ...


I don't want to beat up on Bax more than I already have. However, after reading many Critics that praised his work, I bought several of the Naxos discs of his Orchestral works and yes, out of a sense of duty, I tried, and retried, to get it, and I don't. Some Composers are considered second rate for a reason.
Some of his larger Chamber pieces have interested me more. The music sounds less congested and transparent, although it's been a while since I listened to those works either.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I haven't seen a good Baxing Match in years. This was a good one and it wasn't even on "pay for view".


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Enough with the unnecessary and useless criticism of Bax. Re the symphony:

Loved this work. I heard it a few times before, but never gave it a close listen.

Anyone else get the sense of, well, just _loudness_? Some seriously liberal use of _fffff_ going on. Also, never noticed how particularly gloomy this work is -- until the final moments, of course.

Oh, and that _Lento_? An extraordinary elegy. The initial harp progression that returns is haunting.


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