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Ron Dough
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« on: 23:58:37, 19-04-2007 » |
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Just when I'm convinced that this series has faded away, out comes another week of symphonies by a British composer. Next week's cycle is something of a surprise which should please Messrs Grew and Barrett both; step forward Mr Humphrey Searle. All the symphonies are conducted by Alun Francis, which might suggest that the CPO recordings are to be used, but unless the Radio Times information is incorrect, at least two of the symphonies are to be played by the BBCPhil rather than the BBCSSO, so are either studio or concert recordings.
I've still not found my way into these works, finding the language tougher than any of his comtemporaries: I can accept readily that they are of a high quality, but they have yet to press any buttons for me.
A point of interest which I've mentioned before is that in the early fifties Walton, already a very successful composer though feeling that his best might be past, requested that Searle might give him some lessons: to my ears the results are clearly audible in Walton's later output.
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Bryn
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« Reply #1 on: 22:07:59, 20-04-2007 » |
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Ron, my copy of the RT shows only the 5th as being played by the Phil. However, the online schedule shows the 5th as being played by the BBCSSO, so I reckon the recordings issued by CPO it is to be.
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Sydney Grew
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« Reply #2 on: 01:22:58, 21-04-2007 » |
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Next week's cycle is something of a surprise . . . step forward Mr Humphrey Searle. We thank you for drawing this to our (and indeed every one's) attention Mr. Dough, especially since we have been known to miss whole fortnights of Radio 3 output at a time, videlicet the recent Roslavetz series of which we deeply regret having become aware too late for the Listen Agains, even. |
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Tony Watson
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« Reply #3 on: 01:31:42, 21-04-2007 » |
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Mr Grew,
I know that you have defended your use of "we" and "our" elsewhere on this MB with reference to Sweet's grammar of 1903 but I wonder whether you have read the relevant article in Fowler's guide of 1926. (I have a copy of Sweet's Anglo-Saxon reader somewhere in the house. A distinguished scholar of his time but, I fear, he was cast aside early on in the 20th century.)
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time_is_now
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« Reply #4 on: 01:38:13, 21-04-2007 » |
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we have been known to miss whole fortnights of Radio 3 output at a time, videlicet the recent Roslavetz series of which we deeply regret having become aware too late for the Listen Agains, even. ... or should that be 'Listens Again'? |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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pim_derks
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« Reply #5 on: 01:40:27, 21-04-2007 » |
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Humphrey Searle. All the symphonies are conducted by Alun Francis, which might suggest that the CPO recordings are to be used, but unless the Radio Times information is incorrect, at least two of the symphonies are to be played by the BBCPhil rather than the BBCSSO, so are either studio or concert recordings. Thank you for the information, Ron.  Searle is an interesting composer. He was a pupil of Anton Webern. I believe Richard Hickox conducted one of his symphonies about ten years ago, but I can't remember which one. It was broadcast by the BBC on a Sunday, I believe. I do have a recording of Hickox conducting the first movement of the Second Symphony on the Classic Widows disc issued by CHANDOS in 1995. Did he ever make a complete recording of the piece? I really don't know.  |
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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time_is_now
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« Reply #6 on: 01:43:18, 21-04-2007 » |
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Pim,
''Classic Widows'?! Can you explain? ...
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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MT Wessel
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« Reply #7 on: 02:18:00, 21-04-2007 » |
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« Last Edit: 02:11:22, 23-04-2007 by MT Wessel »
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lignum crucis arbour scientiae
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Sydney Grew
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« Reply #8 on: 02:34:34, 21-04-2007 » |
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A distinguished scholar of his time [Henry Sweet] but, I fear, he was cast aside early on in the 20th century.)
That must have been in 1908, when a great poisonous dust cloud enveloped the Earth. Hoyle describes how it happened. The critical faculties were the worst affected. Since then we have been in accelerating and probably terminal decline. |
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time_is_now
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« Reply #9 on: 02:49:42, 21-04-2007 » |
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We are glad that Mr Grew has brought this up again. Does he not think that some of the qualities he has recently noted in the work and indeed the character of Shostakovich might be if not exactly justified then at least explained by these circumstances? Indeed, is justification really the issue when arguably all that is left to an artist is to register the decline?
Of course, some of us find perverse strength in such registration. But then some of us are young, and possibly foolish.
Given the recent concern with 'staying on topic' in these quarters, we feel obliged as well as curious to ask Mr Grew in conclusion how he understands the work and indeed the minds of Messrs Searle and Roslavet{s/z} to have been marked, if at all, by the 'fall-out' (both actual and metaphorical) from Hoyle's poisoned dust.
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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George Garnett
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« Reply #11 on: 21:22:02, 25-04-2007 » |
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A point of interest which I've mentioned before is that in the early fifties Walton....requested that Searle might give him some lessons.... An experience which Walton shares with at least one of our number here, I believe? |
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martle
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« Reply #12 on: 22:06:14, 25-04-2007 » |
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Wow! Who?? Would LOVE to hear about that!
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Green. Always green.
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ahinton
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« Reply #13 on: 22:11:27, 25-04-2007 » |
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Wow! Who?? Would LOVE to hear about that!
Not sure who that may be (although I'm not unnaturally curious), but I did have lessons from Searle (even though the circumstances of my "requesting" of these was obviously very different to that of Walton)... Best, Alistair |
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #14 on: 22:14:43, 25-04-2007 » |
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(although I'm not unnaturally curious)
Er, do you mean you're [not unnaturally] curious, or that you're not [unnaturally curious]? confusedly, Ollie |
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