# SS 23.05.20 - Holmboe #5



## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

Vagn Holmboe (1909 - 1996)

Symphony #5, Op. 35

I. Allegro non troppo
II. Andante affetuoso
III. Vivace

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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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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

It is Holmboe time now. I picked his Symphony #5. He has done some (total 13) symphonies and we have not done any of those so far. I will listen BIS boxed set:








also in youtube:


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

A stupendous composer, possibly the very last of the very great Symphonists.

I don't think we have much choice in terms of recorded performances out there, but the advocacy of Owain Arwel Hughes has done Holmboe's cause a great service, and he makes me thankful we have at least one recording.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

CnC Bartok said:


> A stupendous composer, possibly the very last of the very great Symphonists.
> 
> I don't think we have much choice in terms of recorded performances out there, but the advocacy of Owain Arwel Hughes has done Holmboe's cause a great service, and he makes me thankful we have at least one recording.


Listening now. Never listened to much Holmboe. I'm enjoying this.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Owain Arwel Hughes for me - like CnC Bartok I have long been a fan and will use the SS selection as a suitable excuse for playing this symphony again.


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## DaddyGeorge (Mar 16, 2020)

CnC Bartok said:


> A stupendous composer, possibly the very last of the very great Symphonists.
> 
> I don't think we have much choice in terms of recorded performances out there, but the advocacy of Owain Arwel Hughes has done Holmboe's cause a great service, and he makes me thankful we have at least one recording.


A work unknown to me. I didn't even find another available version, so a clear choice for me as well - Owain Arwel Hughes.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

DaddyGeorge said:


> A work unknown to me. I didn't even find another available version, so a clear choice for me as well - Owain Arwel Hughes.


If you can actually find any further recordings, you're doing a better job than me!

Noting where you're from, oddly enough, I got my first ever Holmboe CD in Prague, of all places! This dates me, but there used to be a very good music shop on Staroměstské náměstí, and for some remarkable reason they stocked BIS CDs for just a little more than Supraphon. Happy hunting days.

Holmboe's great! The next three Symphonies are even stronger works as far as I am concerned, but there's a real and natural flow to his musical arguments that I find immensely appealing.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I'll be playing the same version (is there another?). I once tried hard but never liked Holmboe too much - the sounds are nice enough but I found little that was memorable. But I'm up for trying again as it has been a while.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Vagn Holmboe: Symphony No. 5 (Owain Hughes)

Try his one later


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

Same for me


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Ah well, it was enjoyable enough. Not great: the earth doesn't move even though the subject matter seems fitting for war time. Slightly like a Rubbra symphony but - perhaps being English - I do prefer Rubbra somewhat. But not as poor as I thought.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

[/QUOTE]

And this version for me


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Enthusiast said:


> I'll be playing the same version (is there another?).


Not that ArkivMusic is aware of. Surprised that Naxos has not jumped in yet, actually.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Thanks for picking this one Mika. I hadn't heard Holmboe before and quite enjoyed this work. I'll be exploring more Holmboe in the future.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Enjoyable Symphony with traditional type structure and flows along well
Not in the premier league but will come back to this composer again and would happily listen to another Holmboe Saturday Symphony if nominated


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I listened to some Holmboe a while back and, while it sounded good, I wasn't quite moved to revisit his works until now. I don't think I've ever heard his 5th Symphony, so this was a welcome chance to renew my acquaintance with this composer.

What I heard, first hearing:

1 _Allegro non Troppo_. An open, airy texture, moving along briskly via the impetus of an always-present motoric rhythm that seems to have a 6/4 beat. There are two or three musical lines at most times, weaving together well, with quite a few solo passages interspersed within the individual lines. The attractive textures and variety of orchestration hold the attention, even if the musical ideas aren't too memorable.

2 _Andante Affetuoso_. Opens with plaintive passages in the higher strings being answered by burlier chorales in the bass instruments, including the lower brass. Things move on after a bit with episodes played by various ensembles including the woodwinds. The music remains quite melancholy and develops, like the first movement, an underlying rhythm in the soft tympani. This suddenly explodes in volume, a bit of a shock, and remains loud, giving the tympanist a workout. Then it fades into a complex passage for the woodwinds, heard earlier in the movement but more developed here. This leads to the closing pages, which recall the opening of the movement.

3 _Vivace_. A vigorous fiddle passage promises a fugue but instead delivers a series of brilliant episodes with marked rhythms. Maybe no fugue, but like the first movement plenty of counterpoint. Lots of energy here, and it sure sounds like everybody's having a great time! The ending is abrupt, with a single thwack on the big drum.

I liked this a lot, even if I can't recall or hum many of the musical themes. It has an attractive sound, an individual style, lots of musical variety, great energy, a healthy outlook on things, and a nice combination of complexity and transparency. Above all, it keeps the attention and never overstays its welcome. Even if it's not quite a first-tier piece, its virtues more than repay the time spent hearing it.

Many thanks to SS for the intro!


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Good that most of listeners have enjoyed this interesting symphony, and I agree about it's not a masterpiece, but it has elements enough to find it engaging. The rhytmic vitality and fierceness are two of the Holmboe's signatures. The symphonies 6 and 8 are better, and I dare to say they're masterpieces.


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