Richard Hickox,‎ BBC National Orchestra of Wales - Frank Bridge: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1-6 (2001-2005) (Repost)

Frank Bridge couldn't write a tacky note to save his life. It's instructive in this respect to compare this premiere recording of his early tone poem Mid of the Night to Hyperion's recent release of Granville Bantock's almost exactly contemporaneous Thalaba the Destroyer. Where Bantock stitches shameless cribs from Tchaikovsky into a ramshackle and repetitive musical structure, Bridge's thematic material covers large, well-sustained spans and consistently holds the listener's interest. The lovely central melody introduced by English horn against softly murmuring strings has real lyrical beauty, and Bridge times his climaxes with unerring precision. Isabella, dating from 1907 (three years later than Mid of the Night), features some splendidly passionate string writing and an even more tightly integrated structure.

Two Poems for Orchestra shows Bridge moving confidently toward his mature style, the first movement delicately dissonant and suffused with yearning, the ensuing scherzo bubbling with vitality and a freshness that never turns facile. Enter Spring, a masterpiece of the composer's full maturity (1927), has the kind of exhilarating, bracingly vital pastoral character encountered more readily in the music of Roussel (middle movement of the Second Symphony) or Milhaud than in the British "cowpat" school, as Constant Lambert contemptuously referred to it. Alas, it's the weakest performance on the disc. While Richard Hickox's swift tempos sound wholly convincing, the recording balances the various sections of the orchestra poorly, and climaxes lack clarity. For example, the forte harp figurations at figure 1 fail to penetrate the very light accompaniment, and the percussion (cymbals and bass drum) is completely missing from the big climax at figure 30 (as are the chimes at the end).

Both Britten's live performance on BBC's "Britten the Performer" series and Charles Groves' classic EMI recording reveal far more of Bridge's luminous orchestral textures and encompass the climaxes with greater transparency. On the other hand, the other three works, more simply scored as they are, come off much better, and a new series devoted to the complete orchestral works of this neglected master is simply too important a prospect for the problems with Enter Spring to preclude an overall recommendation. I do hope, though, that Chandos cleans up its sonic act for future releases. [2/5/2002]
–David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Recorded: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; 26 & 27 November 2000

Track List Vol. 1:
1. Enter Spring, rhapsody for orchestra
2. Isabella, symphonic poem for orchestra
Poems (2) for orchestra
3. I Andante moderato e semplice
4. II Allegro con brio
5. Mid of the Night, symphonic poem for orchestra





Recorded: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; 19 & 20 September 2001

Track List Vol. 2:
1. Dance Rhapsody (1908), for orchestra
Five Entr’actes (1910), from Emile Cammaerts’s play The Two Hunchbacks for orchestra
2. 1. Prelude to Act 1. Allegretto moderato - Lento
3. 2. Intermezzo from Act 2. Andantino
4. 3. Intermezzo from Act 3. Allegretto (marziale)
5. 4. Prelude to Act 3. Lento
6. 5. Entr'acte between Acts 2 and 3. Moderato
7. Dance Poem (1913), for orchestra
8. Norse Legend (1905/1938), for small orchestra
The Sea (1910–11), suite for orchestra
9. I. Seascape: Allegro ben moderato
10. II. Sea-Foam: Allegro vivo
11. III. Moonlight: Adagio ma non troppo
12. IV. Storm: Allegro energico - Allegro moderato e largamente





Recorded: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; 27 November 2000 (Sir Roger de Coverley) and 28 & 29 November 2002 (other works)

Track List Vol. 3:
1. Coronation March (1911), for orchestra
2. Summer (1914), tone poem for orchestra
3. Phantasm (1931), Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra
4. There Is a Willow Grows aslant a Brook (1927), Impression for Small Orchestra
Vignettes de Danse (1938), for small orchestra
5. I. Nicolette
6. II. Zoraida
7. III. Carmelita
8. Sir Roger de Coverley, H 155 (1922), Christmas dance for string orchestra,

Howard Shelley, piano





Recorded: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; 13 & 14 May 2003

Track List Vol. 4:
1. Rebus (1940), overture for orchestra
2. Oration (Concerto elegiaco) (1930), for cello & orchestra
3. Allegro moderato (1940–41), fragment of a symphony for string orchestra
4. Lament (1915), for String Orchestra
5. A Prayer (1916–18), for Chorus and Orchestra

Alban Gerhardt, cello





Recorded: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; 3 & 4 December 2003

Track List Vol. 5:
Suite for string orchestra, H 93 (1909–10)
1. 1. Prelude. Moderato - Un pochettino maestoso - Allegro ma non troppo - Tempo 1, tranquillo - Meno
2. 2. Intermezzo. Allegretto grazioso
3. 3. Nocturne. Adagio molto - Un pochettino animato - Tempo 1
4. 4. Finale. Allegro vivo - Poco meno mosso - Tempo 1
5. The Hag, H 14 (1902), song for baritone & orchestra
Songs (2) of Robert Bridges (1905–06), for baritone & orchestra
6. 1. I praise the tender flower, H 65a. Andante moderato - Pochettino più mosso - Tempo 1
7. 2. Thou didst delight my eyes, H 65b. Allegro appassionato - Moderato
Intermezzi (2) from 'Threads', H 151 (1921/1938)
8. 1. Andante molto moderato e tranquillo
9. 2. Tempo di valse - Animato
Old English Songs (2), H 119 (1916), for string orchestra,
10. Sally in Our Alley. Andante con moto - Poco tranquillo - Tempo 1
11. Cherry Ripe. Allegretto con moto
Entr'actes (2) (1906, 1926)
12. 1. Rosemary, H 68b. Andante espressivo e molto rubato - Allegro - Tempo 1 ma poco più tranquillo
13. 2. Canzonetta, H 169. Allegretto molto moderato e rubato - Allegro con moto - Tempo 1
14. Valse-Intermezzo, H 17 (1902), for strings in E minor
15. Todessehnsucht (1932/1936)
16. Sir Roger de Coverley, H 155 (1922/1939), Christmas dance for string orchestra

Roderick Williams, baritone





Recorded: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; 23 & 24 October 2004

Track List Vol. 6:
1. Blow out, you bugles, H 132 (1918), for tenor and orchestra
2. Adoration, H 57 (1905/1918), for tenor and orchestra
3. Where she lies asleep, H 114 (1914), for tenor and orchestra
4. Love went a-riding, H 115 (1914), for tenor and orchestra
5. Thy hand in mine, H 124 (1917/1923), for tenor and orchestra
6. Berceuse, H 9 (1901), for soprano and orchestra
7. Mantle of blue, H 131 (1918/1934), for high voice and orchestra
8. Day after day, H 164i (1922), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
9. Speak to me, my love!, H 164ii (1924), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
10. Berceuse, H 8 (1901/1902 /1928)
11. Chant d’espérance, H 18ii (1902)
12. Serenade, H 23 (1903)
The Pageant of London, H 98 (1911), Suite for wind orchestra
13. I Solemn March ‘Richard III leaving London
II First Discoveries
14. 1. Introduction. Moderato
15. 2. Pavane. Moderato
16. 3. La Romanesca [a Galliard]. Allegretto
17. III March ‘Henry VIII entering London
18. A Royal Night of Variety, H 184 (1934), Epilogue for orchestra

Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano
Philip Langridge, tenor



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