# SS 27.01.18 - Bax #5



## 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. 5 

1. Poco lento - Allegro con fuoco
2. Poco lento - Molto tranquillo
3. Poco moderato - Allegro - Epilogue

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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)

Another weekend is here and this weekend it's English composer Arnold Bax whom we haven't seen on here in over a year. This time it's his 5th symphony which was dedicated to Jean Sibelius. I myself haven't heard this one in probably a year as well so it will be nice to revisit. Hope everyone will grab a recording and give this work a listen.

I'll be giving this one a spin:







David Lloyd-Jones/Royal Scottish National Orchestra


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

I've been on a Bax kick lately, so the timing of this one is perfect. 

I'll go with Vernon Handley & the BBC Philharmonic.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I shall give this version a try


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll give Leppard/London Philharmonic a spin.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

I'll give a spin to these two recordings over the weekend:

View attachment 101149


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## Torkelburger (Jan 14, 2014)

D Smith said:


> I'll give Leppard/London Philharmonic a spin.


I'll also spin Leppard/London Phil


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

going with Thomson and London Philharmonic


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Going also with Thomson and London Philharmonic .


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Listened to the Handley recording. A very accomplished work. Certainly not slavishly derivative, with a high degree of technical accomplishment and variety throughout. I really should like this, but somehow when it’s over I can’t remember anything much about it.

I listened to Copland’s Organ Symphony (1924) afterwards, and that struck me as a lot more individual and memorable.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Thomson for me as well. Not my favourite Bax symphony (that would be 6 and 3), but well worth hearing.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Handley for me. Not a great symphony but pleasant enough.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Haydn man said:


> View attachment 101146
> 
> I shall give this version a try


I have Thomson/Bax box set, so I will #5 from it.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Malx said:


> I'll give a spin to these two recordings over the weekend:
> 
> View attachment 101149



View attachment 101177


Having listened to both of the above recordings with a bit of time in between, I am a little surprised to say I thought Lloyd-Jones got more out of the work than the reliable Handley. 
Handley and the BBC PO aren't at all bad but I felt they didn't get beyond the notes if that makes sense. Lloyd-Jones and the RSNO just seem to make the piece more of an event for this listener, making more sense of the Sibelius dedication in the sound world produced. It seemed to me Handley was a little rushed.
One little thing I noticed in the first movement, my memory (sometimes faulty), suggested I heard a few phrases that reminded me of Shostakovich.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

David Lloyd-Jones.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Going with the recording of David Lloyd Jones in the English Symphonies Collection:


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

The Lloyd-Jones recording on Naxos is great. The Bax 5th is a fine work with an atmospheric slow movement and a rousing ending.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I'll go for Handley. This is admittedly for me one of Bax's Cinderella symphonies - I prefer and know 6&7 and 3 better - but I think it needs a spin or two. I liked Lloyd Jones too, especially in the tone poems, but Handley is the god of the English repertoire!


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

Is it me or does the main theme of the first movement of the Shostakovich No. 7 sound very much like the beginning of Bax's 5th


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

JACE said:


> I've been on a Bax kick lately, so the timing of this one is perfect.
> 
> I'll go with Vernon Handley & the BBC Philharmonic.


I'll go with Vernon Handley too. I'll also return to the interview disc afterwards.

Bax has the excellent fortune of having multiple recorded cycles with excellent interpreters & orchestras - Handley, Thomson and Lloyd-Jones. Not to mention Leppard, Boult and Fredman ef al. who continute excellent loose recordings too of various Symphonies.


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## KJ von NNJ (Oct 13, 2017)

I just listened to the 4th on Naxos. Don't have the 5th yet. I have the first 4 symphonies (all Naxos) and am currently browsing in order to complete the set. Thinking of the Naxos 5,6 and 7. 
Thompson and Handley are obviously tempting. The Handley interview disc alone is a must hear for me. 
Some wonderful classic recordings from others too. 

I'm kind of surprised that Bax left me a bit cold in the past. Now I'm wondering what I thought I was hearing. Nice to hear things with new ears!


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

KJ - I suspect your feelings on Bax have been similar to mine. For me a lot of the respected British symphonists can seem quite opaque and bluntly bland. But I persevered with Vaughan Williams many moons ago, and he's now one of my favourites, and the Walton First and the Moeran G minor are for me now important pieces.

So I suspect Bax and (maybe especially?) Rubbra, will pay dividends in the long run. Bax 7 gets a bad press, but I like it a lot.

The Naxos set are very good, with the added bonus of a wide selection of the tone poems. I prefer Handley, but not by much!


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## KJ von NNJ (Oct 13, 2017)

I recently listened to the Bax 5th, 6th and 7th symphonies. The Lloyd Jones Naxos recordings. 
It is the first time hearing them for me.
The 5th is the toughest nut to crack of the three, at least on first listen. It is dedicated most fittingly, to Sibelius. I must return to it again in order to gain a clearer view on it. It certainly is mysterious and impressive with its Nordic influences.
The 6th and 7th I enjoyed straight away. They are truly great symphonies in every respect in my opinion. I look forward to returning to them. The 7th is coupled with Tintagel. Great performances, excellent sonics. What a recording! I'm truly happy to have this great music in my collection. I now have the entire Naxos/Lloyd-Jones recordings of the Bax symphonies.
Thanks to all for peaking my interest.


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## KJ von NNJ (Oct 13, 2017)

I gave the Bax 5th another listen today and came away with a clearer idea of it's soundworld. It certainly has plenty of tension but I noticed some sweetness this time. There is a certain concentration that runs throughout the work. After the relatively sunny 4th, Bax got plenty serious for the 5th. I think it is a marvelous work that can only get better with a little more familiarity. It is a work with plenty of variety that escaped me on first hearing it. The work of a master composer IMHO.
I also listened to the 6th and 7th again. The two tone poems, In the Twilight and Summer Music that are coupled with the Lloyd Jones 6th are beautiful works. A great recording all around. I also listened to Tintagel again. Three times! One of these listens was the Vernon Handley BBC recording from the box set. Lloyd Jones is really good, Handley is superb. I don't have the Handley set (I listened to it on U-tube). I suppose as I get more familiar with this music Handley and those Lyrita's will become all the more tempting. Not to mention Thompson as well. This music is definitely growing on me and I have begun to investigate some other music by Bax.


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