Music for Strings: Sinfonia of London/John Wilson (SACD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (for Double String Orchestra); Howells: Concerto for String Orchestra; Delius: Late Swallows (slow movement of String Quartet arranged 1962-63 for string orchestra by Eric Fenby); Elgar: Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47 for Strings (Quartet and Orchestra).  John Mills, violin; Michael Trainor, violin; Andriy Viytovych, viola; Richard Harwood, cello; John Wilson, Sinfonia of London. Chandos CHSA 5291

 

The Sinfonia of London is not one of the established London orchestras such as the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, or the similarly-named London Sinfonietta. Rather, the Sinfonia of London is a pickup orchestra that assembles for specific recording or concert performances. It was originally assembled in the 1950s to record film scores (a lucrative source of income for orchestral musicians) and is now in its third incarnation, which was formed by the British conductor John Wilson (b. 1952) in 2018 to undertake recording projects. Its members include musicians from the more well-known London orchestras as well as some skilled chamber musicians and soloists. Wilson and the orchestra have thus far released several recordings for Chandos. This time around it is strings only for a recording of several compositions of quintessentially British music for string orchestra. We previously reviewed an excellent release by Wilson and players featuring music for strings by the four B’s of English music, a review that you can read here.

 

Two of the pieces on this latest offering, those by RVW and Elgar, are compositions that have been recorded many, many, times by many, many conductors – English, British, European, American, Russian… My guess would be that many, if not most classical music fans have several favorite recordings of both in their collections. These performances by Wilson and his players are top-drawer and could well elbow their way into many a favorites list. The Tallis Fantasia, no matter how many times it has been recorded, is an absolutely stunning piece of music that should never be taken for granted. Finding both the performance and the engineering on this new Chandos SACD to be truly excellent, I thought it would be useful to do a quick comparison with another, older recording. (Note: This SACD has been recorded in 24-bit/96 kHz 5.0-channel surround sound; however, I listened to the CD layer only). The CD I quickly pulled down from my shelf turned out to be quite a bit older: a 1985 Argo “ADRM” remastering of a 1972 recording by Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in- the-Fields. To be honest, I was truly surprised at how well the 50-year-old recording held up. No doubt the newer recording is better in absolute terms, and for those with multichannel surround-sound audio systems and/or headphone/earbud setups (I see that on Amazon Music, for example, the album can be streamed in Dolby Atmos format, and would assume that Apple Music offers something similar), the opportunity for a potentially more immersive is offered by the SACD format (as well as some of the various higher-end streaming services for those so inclined). 

 

In terms of performance, both groups sounded excellent, and the total timing for the Tallis Fantasia was within five seconds: Wilson, 15:08; Marriner, 15:13. As I reflect back on my times spent listening to the Wilson/Sinfonia of London performance of this beloved piece, I am reminded of a remark I once read long ago that Toscanini was said to made – intended derisively – about the way Bruno Walter conducted the music of Mozart: “When he comes to something beautiful, he melts.” When I hear a beautiful performance of the Tallis Fantasia, I melt. And somehow, I have this notion – perhaps I am a sentimental, airheaded fool – that even though these fine string players, the cream of the London crop, gather together as a focused group to record this most beloved English composition, they cannot help but play their hearts out. This is an outstanding performance of a transcendent piece of music. 

 

I will definitely add the Wilson disc to add to my collection, but it won’t go on the shelf near the Marriner disc in the “V” section of my collection; instead, it will go in the “D” section, tucked in amongst my Delius CDs. But first, a word about the Howells Concerto for String Orchestra, which is the longest selection on the program at just over 28 minutes. Herbert Howells (1892-1983) was deeply impressed by both the Tallis Fantasia and Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for Strings. Although he is known today more for his large-scale choral works, he also wrote for orchestra, organ, and had a long career as a teacher. He began work on his Concerto for String Orchestra in 1934 as a tribute to Elgar, who had recently died. In 1935, Howells suffered the tragic loss of his one-year-old son Michael; subsequently, the middle slow movement bore the dedication In Memoriam: E.E. (1934) and M.K.H. (1935). It is moving music, even anguished in some passages, sandwiched between two much more lively and energetic movements in the typical fast-slow-fast concerto format. 

 

Although Frederick Delius (1862-1934) first composed his String Quartet in 1916, giving the slow movement the title “Late Swallows,” kt was not until 1962, the centenary of the composer’s birth, that the conductor Sir John Barbirolli suggested that Late Swallows be arranged for string orchestra. This arrangement was completed by Delius’s associate and biographer Eric Fenby (1906-1997) in 1963. Like most of Delius’s music, it just seems to have a flow to it that sounds natural and unfettered. As you listen, you are not really aware of melody as such, but the music you hear is melodic and beautiful. By contrast, the Introduction and Allegro by Sir Edward Elgar (1887-1934) sounds quite structured, with various themes and musical ideas working themselves out as the piece progresses. But that is not to imply that the piece sounds at all stuffy or academic. Quite the opposite is the case -- it crackles with energy and gives the performers the opportunity to play with great gusto, which the Sinfonia of London players do, but with a disciplined gusto under Wilson’s baton. 

 

The booklet enclosed with the disc includes background notes in English, German, and French on the music, plus information about the orchestra and conductor in English only. For some strange reason, of the four composers whose music is presented on the program, only Howells rates a photo in the booklet (while Wilson gets three photos spanning four interior pages, plus the back cover page). Perhaps the fact that the inside back cover page states “Generously Supported by the Herbert Howells Trust” explains this apparent anomaly. But that’s a minor quibble indeed. This is a well-played, well-recorded collection of an interesting mix of familiar and less-familiar but nonetheless compelling music for strings.