# TC Listening Club Part 12: Symphony No. 4 (Bax)



## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

This work chosen by maestro267

PURCHASE OPTIONS

Here are some available purchasing options. Any additions to this list welcome:

Bax: Symphony No. 4/Nympholept (Lloyd-Jones, RSNO) (Naxos)
Bax: Symphony No. 4/Tintagel (Thomson, Ulster Orchestra) (Chandos)
Bax: The Symphonies (Handley, BBC Phil. Orch.) (Chandos)

YouTube LINKS

For those who require them:

1. 



2. 



3. 




OTHER INFORMATION

(The following taken from AllMusicGuide)
For stylistic reasons Bax is usually grouped with the "English pastoralist" composers. But his ardent, surging romanticism makes him really quite another matter when it comes to his more emotional pieces. Bax was drawn to the wild northwestern coasts of Britain and Ireland, where the Atlantic Ocean, in his words "an enormous grey allurement, tender and terrible, " meets ragged rocks in a clash now drowsy, sometimes crashingly violent. This symphony was completed in 1930, following a stay at Morar on Scotland's west coast. Significantly, this location was associated with Mary Gleaves, Bax's girlfriend from 1928 until his death; the initial stages of a love affair often inspired Bax's most powerful writing. The symphony is one of Bax's happiest and yet most passionate works, and the sound of the sea is never long absent. More than forty minutes long, the work is in three large movements. The symphony opens in an Allegro moderato tempo with arrestingly powerful, surging music on full orchestra, complete with deep tones from an organ. Bax groups themes together here; the first group's themes all seem to reflect the sea. The second group of themes comprises two slower tunes, wherein Bax reveals his penchant for delicate scoring effects. The moods of these themes shift throughout: for instance, the lively first-group theme with a Scottish snap to its rhythm later becames a long, simple tune. The second movement, Lento moderato, again evokes the sea in dreamy ebb and flow. Bax includes a lengthy quotation of his piano piece, "A Romance." The final movement, Allegro; Tempo di marcia trionfale is, indeed, a brazen, joyous march, almost barbaric at times, yet at other times subsiding with great orchestral mastery to delicate solos. Bax's music requires superior performing forces, particularly a conductor who can keenly balance the many subtle dynamic effects Bax employs. In the right hands, this is a symphony of rich, overwhelming splendor.


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## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

UPCOMING

The schedule for the next four Listening Club sessions will be:

PART 13: Symphony No. 5 (Sibelius) chosen by Sonata and starting 04/09/12
PART 14: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (Britten) chosen by Petwhac and starting 11/09/12
PART 15: Das Lied von der Erde (Mahler) chosen by Stlukesguildohio and starting 18/09/12
PART 16: TBC by Sid James before 17/09/12 and starting 25/09/12

OTHER THREADS

You can still participate in past Listening Club threads here:

http://www.talkclassical.com/19793-tc-listening-club-week.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/19883-tc-listening-club-week.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/19986-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20078-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20189-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20318-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20413-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20541-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20697-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20858-tc-listening-club-part.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/20971-tc-listening-club-part.html

NOMINATIONS

To sign up and nominate pieces for listening, use the following thread or PM crmoorhead.

http://www.talkclassical.com/19752-listening-club.html

If a member does not nominate a piece before the deadline in the schedule, you will lose your turn and a piece will be selected at random from the list of pieces nominated by other members. Nominations must be available on YouTube.


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## Petwhac (Jun 9, 2010)

I am enjoying listening to this. I have to admit I am hardly acquainted with Bax. I'll do some more listening this week- there is a lot going on in there.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

OK,
Another composer I hadn't experienced before.
Had a listen yesterday, and again today.
What can I say?
It's pleasant, but doesn't move me
I will listen to Bax again, however he hasn't "grabbed" me
6 out of 10
What I love about this project is the exposure to some many different syles/types of music
It's my favourite part of the forum
Thanks crmoorhead for organising this


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## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

No probs cwarhc! I enjoy doing it, but the responses lately have not been great. I think that there are a few folks who listen to the pieces and don't respond, but the there is a tendency for people to lose interest. I will run the club until Part 15 then reassess the format and/or continuing it at all. More pieces, or tying in the pieces to the message board discussions might make people more interested in taking part. Topics for discussion might also be a good idea. With the nominations I have ATM, a lot of people are not giving me nominations now when their turn comes. Most of these aren't really very active on the board. 

I am also enjoying listening to pieces unfamiliar to me - I have been introduced to several composers I haven't got the chance to listen to yet. I also really enjoy researching and reading about new pieces. Some of them are really fascinating, but it is also great to look at the pieces in context.


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## Avengeil (Aug 16, 2011)

I just listened to it today, I found it quite interesting but I'll have to give it another go to see if I find a point in listening to it....

What do you find in Bax? (this work or even in general)


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