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.  

 

 

 

 

Masterpieces in Miniature (SACD review)

Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony; Yuja Wang, piano. SFS Media 821936-0060-2.

First off, I have to admit a bias: I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Francisco Symphony has always been my hometown orchestra, so to speak. I remember first hearing them while I was kid back in the early Fifties, a school (or Sunday school) outing to one of the symphony's annual Nutcracker specials, if memory serves me right. In any case, even though the Bay Area has a multitude of fine orchestras, I have always considered the San Francisco Symphony the king of the hill, one of the greatest orchestras ever. Maybe that's why I felt my opinion vindicated when a few years ago Gramophone magazine listed the San Francisco Symphony among the ten best orchestras in the world. Yeah, well, I could have told them that.

In Masterpieces in Miniature Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas and his orchestra present twelve short favorite pieces by twelve familiar composers, each of the pieces a polished little gem under the conductor and ensemble. Tilson Thomas imbues them with energy, subtlety, refinement, and grace as the occasion demands, and the orchestra plays them with vigor, nuance, culture, and élan always. Together, the conductor and orchestra provide a polish and sparkle to make even the most timeworn of these warhorses sound fresh again.

Since I haven't the time or the energy to comment on every piece of music on the program, I'll just mention what they are and point out a few favorites. The disc includes Henry Litolff's Scherzo from Concerto symphonique No. 4, with Yuja Wang, piano; Gustav Mahler's Blumine; Gabriel Fauré's Pavane; Claude Debussy's La Plus que lente; Franz Schubert's Entr' acte No.3 from Rosamunde; Charles Ives and Henry Brant's The Alcotts from A Concord Symphony; Sergei Rachmaninov's Vocalise; Antonin Dvorák's Legend No. 6; Jean Sibelius's Valse triste; Frederick Delius's On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring; Edvard Grieg's The Last Spring; and Leo Delibes's Cortége de Bacchus from his ballet Sylvia.

Pianist Yuja Wang gets things off to a rollicking good start in Litolff's Scherzo, taken at a pace that might have left some ensembles behind. Not here. The music comes off in a sprightly, witty fashion, and the only thing that disappointed me was that Wang doesn't appear on any more of the program's selections.

Tilson Thomas shows his skills as a seasoned Mahler interpreter in Blumine, which the composer probably wrote originally as a stand-alone piece, then later incorporated into his First Symphony, only later cut. It works best as we hear it here, vaguely melancholic and atmospheric, with a wonderful trumpet solo.

Under Tilson Thomas, Faure's Pavane flows gracefully and stylishly along; Schubert's Entr'acte is as beautiful and lyrical as one could want; Rachmaninov's Vocalise for orchestra sounds expectedly enchanting; Sibelius's Valse triste comes across appropriately sad and wistful; and Delibes's Cortege de Bacchus seems almost Elgarian, even though it predates Elgar by some years.

Anybody's recording of Delius's On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring has stiff competition from its original advocate, Sir Thomas Beecham, yet Tilson Thomas manages pretty well to convey its sensitive changes of color, expression, and inflection. Otherwise, the music can merely come off as repetitious and meandering. Despite the pleasing character and vitality of some of the other pieces on the disc, this one touched me the most with its delicate beauty.

Producer Jack Vad and engineers Roni Jiles, Gus Pollek, Dann Thompson, and Jonathon Stevens recorded all the works live at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, California. They recorded "The Alcotts" in 96 kHz/24-bit audio in February 2010 and the rest in PCM 192 kHz/24-bit audio in September 2013 and May 2014. What's more, they recorded the music for hybrid two-channel (regular CD and SACD) and multichannel (SACD) playback from an SACD. I listened in two-channel SACD.

It's all a rather elaborate recording considering the engineers captured the resultant sound before a live audience. Fortunately, the audience is pretty quiet throughout the performances; the only offset is that the engineers had to record the orchestra somewhat closely, so we don't get quite as much sense of place, environment, or dimensionality as we might like. There is, however, just enough hall resonance to make everything sound fairly natural, with no jagged edges, forwardness, or brightness. Stereo spread is understandably wide, the dynamics and impact appear strong. The frequency response covers most of the spectrum nicely (although the top and bottom ends seem slightly rolled off), and the overall clarity is fine despite some softness in the presentation. An inevitable eruption of unnecessary applause occurs only after the final number.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click here:

The Best of Delius (CD review)

David Lloyd-Jones, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and English Northern Philharmonia; Richard Studt, Bournemouth Sinfonietta; Myer Fredman, New Zealand Symphony. Naxos 8.556837.

If you are still unfamiliar with the music of English composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934), this budget-priced Naxos disc might be a good place to start. Delius was writer of mostly short, pastoral works, long on quiet, languid atmosphere and short on excitement or bombast. "Summer Night on the River" is the one title by him that best sums up his style. Listening to his music is like floating gently down a river on a warm summer's evening, going nowhere in particular but simply enjoying the ride.

The various brief works on the disc represent the essence of the composer, things like the aforementioned "Summer Night on the River," plus "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring," "Florida Suite: By the River," "The Walk to the Paradise Garden," "Winter Night (Sleigh Ride)," "Idylle Printemps," and others. David Lloyd-Jones and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and English Northern Philharmonia play most of the music, with Richard Studt and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and Myer Fredman and the New Zealand Symphony filling in on a few other tunes. They all do justice to the gentle qualities of the music.

The sonics are fairly typical of what Naxos does, sounding fine but not in the first order of audio recordings. It's slightly soft, warm, and resonant, which, in fact, tends to fit the mood of the music.

The only minor drawback to the Naxos collection is that for about the same price you can get most of this music and more played by the master, Sir Thomas Beecham, on a low-priced EMI two-disc set. Beecham championed Delius in the early part of the twentieth century and pretty much put him on the map. Ironically, perhaps, while the Beecham recordings are early stereo from 1956-57, they actually sound better, more transparent, than most of the newer Naxos material, recorded between 1999-2004. Anyway, it's still good to have the Naxos disc with us; the more Delius in the camp, the better.

JJP

Delius: Favourite Orchestral Works (CD review)

John Cameron, baritone; Maureen Forrester, contralto; Sir Thomas Beecham, Beecham Choral Society, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI 50999 0 94653 2 9 (2-disc set).

There is no mistaking the music of Frederick Delius (1862-1934). He was an English pastoral impressionist who created bucolic images of quiet moods and lingering beauty. His works persist in the mind long after one hears them. True, many of his melodies can sound alike, but, then, one can say much the same of the music of Mozart or Haydn or Vivaldi or any other great composer. Listening to Delius is like floating gently down a stream in springtime, with nowhere special to go and nothing more to do than enjoy the ride. Delius's music meanders peacefully to and fro, with no intent on getting anywhere at any particular time. Lazy music? Certainly not. Let's say it's music for a lazy day, but by no means lazy in construction or execution.

At the turn of the twentieth century, hardly anybody had heard of Delius. Then British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) came to his rescue, seeing in the music of the neglected composer a source of unusual distinction and romance. Over the course of the next fifty-odd years, Beecham would champion Delius to a degree unprecedented in the musical world. When Beecham died in 1961, some people worried that Delius's music might die with him, but that hasn't been the case. This 2011 reissue from EMI of Favourite Orchestral Works, along with continued releases from Chandos, Naxos, Decca, ASV, Dutton, Unicorn, EMI, and others, demonstrates that the public still demands to hear Delius's material. It's just that no other conductor quite understands the music as well as Beecham did. The present two-disc set offers Beecham's stereo Delius recordings, and they make a pretty good case for the composer's worth.

The titles of the pieces say it all: "Over the Hills and Far Away," "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring," "Summer Night on the River," "A Song Before Sunrise," "Brigg Fair: An English Rhapsody," "Florida Suite," "Summer Evening," "Marche-Caprice," "Dance Rhapsody No. 2," "Fennimore and Gerda--Intermezzo," "Irmelin Prelude." Even "Sleigh Ride," which sounds as though it's going to be a fast and exciting romp, turns into a placid ramble. The second disc ends with "Songs of Sunset," eight lovely vocal/choral/orchestra tracks with baritone John Cameron, contralto Maureen Forrester, and the Beecham Choral Society teaming with Beecham and his Royal Philharmonic to conclude the program in high style.

Of the many Delius recordings on the market, it is still those of Beecham that reign supreme. He imparts to the music a perfect magic, making every performance sparkle, helping the music to convey all the delicate, tranquil, sometimes vivacious atmosphere the composer intended and more.

The 1956-57 recordings, the last of many Delius recordings Beecham made in his lifetime, these in stereo, hold up nicely, continuing to impart a transparency that shames many of today's digital efforts. While this is not to say they couldn't sometimes benefit from a greater weight and range, they do sound better than they have any right to sound. The folks at EMI have released all of the recordings in the set before in various single and double-CD editions, but I believe this is the first time the company has put all of them together. At a very low price, the set makes a terrific way to start a Delius collection if one hasn't already begun one.

JJP