# SS 28.11.15 - Simpson #9



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Robert Simpson (1921 - 1997)*

Symphony No. 9

1. Symphony No. 9

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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)

I'm posting this one a little early because of the holiday weekend here in the states and I will be away from the internet until Monday. Also, there is apparently only one recording of this work and as it does not appear to be available on YouTube or Spotify so it may be hard for some to find a recording. Perhaps someone will can find and post a link for those who do not have it on CD.

I've only heard two Symphonies from Simpson before, Numbers 3 and 5 so this will be entirely new for me.

I will be listening to what I believe is the only recording available...

View attachment 78154


Vernon Handley/Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I'm fortunate in having the Simpson symphonies in one box and it has become one of my favourite cycles. I've said it before, but had Hyperion not worked closely with the composer in recording his output then there would have been only a handful of his works available which would have been a great pity. One bonus with the Hyperion disc is that it includes an interview with Simpson in which he discusses the symphony. The work itself is one of my favourites of his, not least because of its use of variation form in both halves of its one long movement.










I have located at least the final part of the symphony on youtube - link below:


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

The Hyperion CD for me as well. I remember these symphonies as not making a big impression on me. Curious to see if time has changed my opinion.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I'm looking forward to this one! Simpson's work is very difficult to find 

Symphony 9 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
performers unknown

[grrrr... they're blocked, except the last one, I think]


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Sadly I don't own this work on CD nor can I find it on streaming so I will have to pass on this week's Saturday Symphony.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

D Smith said:


> Sadly I don't own this work on CD nor can I find it on streaming so I will have to pass on this week's Saturday Symphony.


At YT re Simpson 9, I found what appears to be the final 20% or so of the work, marked 5/5. Couldn't find parts 1 to 4. One comment, "Why does it take 10 minutes to tune?" No doubt, the first 3 1/2 minutes of 5/5 led to that.


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Not on (the soon defunct) Rdio for streming. Found the same thing Brotagonist did on YouTube.

ADD: Investigation shows at this point, they had ~10 people particpating and 3-4 voted for Simpson. I'm pleased to see lesser known works get through, but this may be why we have a work that's hard to locate.

http://www.talkclassical.com/11038-tc-150-top-recommended-73.html


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

^ Thanks for the link Vaneyes (and Brotagonist) but for a work I've never heard before, I would want to listen to the whole piece. I found his 4th symphony on streaming so may listen to that instead.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

I have no possibility to listen as well, so I'll listen to Simpson's 3rd instead, London Symphony Orchestra.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I figured this would be a very hard one for everyone to listen too. As GreenMamba said it's nice to see some lesser known works get through but with something that has only been recorded once it's really a shame more people won't be able to check it out since it doesn't appear to be available in it's entirety on a major streaming services. 

As D Smith and Kivimees have done feel free to listen to one of his other Symphonies and maybe treat it as a Robert Simpson appreciation weekend for those who have never heard anything from him. Feel free to explore...


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Symphony 4 is available on Naxos Library.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Kivimees said:


> I have no possibility to listen as well, so I'll listen to Simpson's 3rd instead, London Symphony Orchestra.


I shall join you with this symphony via Spotify
Great shame about the scarcity of this weeks SS


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Luckily my local library has it. However I can't pick it until mid next week. Meanwhile clip from youtube would be my choice.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Lousy Hyperion, expecting people to _actually pay for_ music! :lol:


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

I'd be happy to share my copy temporarily via a YT video if I knew how. Does anyone know how come people are able to upload videos longer than the standard 7-10 minutes.
I think I'll join you guys this week. I stumble upon this guy when a few of the hyperion discs were on sale at the local Oxfam shop. And added to complete the set as they appeared at reasonable prices on Amazon.
I'm still a little ambivalent to this guy's work but I am slowly warming to it.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

OK peeps. If anyone fancies a listen to this symphony just PM me. Thanks Mahlerian for the idea.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

This was my first listening to the symphony (thanks MG!) and I was impressed. I'll definitely want to take another listen later.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2015)

Mahlerian said:


> This was my first listening to the symphony (thanks MG!) and I was impressed. I'll definitely want to take another listen later.


If you were impressed, then my natural first assumptions about Robert Simpson must be false. I kinda assumed he was one of those standard "pastoral" 20th century Brits that you would hate.

Perhaps I should actually listen to music before making assumptions :lol:


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

nathanb said:


> If you were impressed, then my natural first assumptions about Robert Simpson must be false. I kinda assumed he was one of those standard "pastoral" 20th century Brits that you would hate.
> 
> Perhaps I should actually listen to music before making assumptions :lol:


I like a good bit of Vaughan Williams, some Holst, a good bit of Britten (more the vocal works)...I don't know if I really have shown a tendency towards hating British music.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

nathanb said:


> If you were impressed, then my natural first assumptions about Robert Simpson must be false. I kinda assumed he was one of those standard "pastoral" 20th century Brits that you would hate.


Those "standard" types that you refer to were anything but standard. It is just an overly simplistic, generic description which describes very little, and like all such descriptions is mostly wrong. All you have to do is consider Elgar, Bantock, Bax, Britten, Tippett, Holst, Howells etc., etc. Even Vaughan Williams' Pastoral symphony has nothing to do with the cow-staring-over-the-gate pastoral idea, rather it is a reflection of his experiences in the battle fields of first world war France where he served as an ambulance driver.


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## Classical Music Fan (Nov 21, 2015)

Only got to listen to the ten minute segment, but my library has both the recording and the score. might pick up both.


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2015)

Becca said:


> Those "standard" types that you refer to were anything but standard. It is just an overly simplistic, generic description which describes very little, and like all such descriptions is mostly wrong. All you have to do is consider Elgar, Bantock, Bax, Britten, Tippett, Holst, Howells etc., etc. Even Vaughan Williams' Pastoral symphony has nothing to do with the cow-staring-over-the-gate pastoral idea, rather it is a reflection of his experiences in the battle fields of first world war France where he served as an ambulance driver.


That's cute, but I was referring to the contemporaries of Simpson. Neo-romantics like Alwyn, Finzi, Rubbra, Moeran, etc. All of whom write extremely pleasant music. Few of whom have something unique to say. And thus, as I recall, if it wasn't Mahlerian, perhaps it was PetrB, but this notion is not something I made up.

Obviously I love Britten because I'm not a heathen.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

nathanb said:


> That's cute, but I was referring to the contemporaries of Simpson. Neo-romantics like Alwyn, Finzi, Rubbra, Moeran, etc. All of whom write extremely pleasant music. Few of whom have something unique to say. And thus, as I recall, if it wasn't Mahlerian, perhaps it was PetrB, but this notion is not something I made up.
> 
> Obviously I love Britten because I'm not a heathen.


Unfortunately, it isn't possible for me to give Becca's post a second "like".


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2015)

Kivimees said:


> Unfortunately, it isn't possible for me to give Becca's post a second "like".


Unfortunately, Becca's post is responding to an invisible post, because it sure has no relevance to mine.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

nathanb said:


> That's cute, but I was referring to the contemporaries of Simpson. Neo-romantics like Alwyn, Finzi, Rubbra, Moeran, etc. All of whom write extremely pleasant music. Few of whom have something unique to say. And thus, as I recall, if it wasn't Mahlerian, perhaps it was PetrB, but this notion is not something I made up.
> 
> Obviously I love Britten because I'm not a heathen.


Moeran I would agree with, Rubbra I wouldn't


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2015)

Becca said:


> Moeran I would agree with, Rubbra I wouldn't


I don't dislike any of those, really. I just find almost all of their work to be the sort that begs the question "Why am I listening to this when I have x?"; I think many of us find them to be "clone composers" who write good tunes, but, barring their best works - the Alwyn harp concerto, the Finzi clarinet concerto, and so on, you can really get all those jollies elsewhere. For instance, from many of the composers YOUR post listed 

In essence, my post meant to say nothing good nor bad about R. Simpson, but rather that I always assumed (for no reason) that he was a similar composer to the others I've mentioned. And I had the impression that Mahlerian (but perhaps I was just channeling PetrB or some guy or whoever) had a distaste for those fellows.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

nathanb said:


> Unfortunately, Becca's post is responding to an invisible post, because it sure has no relevance to mine.


But it does. :tiphat:


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## MrTortoise (Dec 25, 2008)

MagneticGhost: Thanks for providing the recording, I enjoyed it and look forward to hearing more Simpson.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

MrTortoise said:


> MagneticGhost: Thanks for providing the recording, I enjoyed it and look forward to hearing more Simpson.


You're welcome good sir.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I went with this:

*
Simpson - Symphony No. 3
LSO, Horenstein*
[NMC, 2006]










I found a good deal to enjoy in this symphony. The fourth is also on Spotify so I shall listen to that before too long. I hadn't heard any of Robert Simpson's orchestral works before, but I am familiar with some of his string quartets and other chamber works, all of which I have enjoyed. The clarinet quintet is included on this disc too.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Surprised by so many people who could not find a copy. I found mine a few months back at a library sale. So I suppose that is a sign there are not many recordings.









It has a 15 minute discussion of the work by the composer at the end. Nothing incredibly in-depth, but walks you through most of the symphony and what precisely was going on, what he intended, etc.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

*Robert Simpson
Symphony No. 9*
Handley, Bournemouth SO [Hyperion, 1988]

I have listened to this twice through this afternoon (and to Simpson's commentary at the end). An excellent work it is, too. Thanks indeed to Magnetic Ghost for supplying a copy for me to listen to.


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## nightscape (Jun 22, 2013)

realdealblues said:


> I will be listening to what I believe is the only recording available...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I bought this CD _years_ ago. At that time I had never heard of the composer but it was during a time in my life where I was just grabbing things off the classical music shelves at Borders Books. Never listened to it, now this gives me an excuse!


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