Search - Arnold Bax, Frederick Delius, John [British Composer] Ireland :: Bax: Tingtagel; Delius: The Walk to the Paradise Garden; A Song of Summer; Irmelin Prelude and others

Expertly done postromantic English tone poems

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 07/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Any lover of Elgar, Delius, Bax, Ireland or just about any other postromantic English composer will find this collection of lush and expansive English tone poems irresistable and expertly done. The 2007 re-release matches the same program released nearly 20 years earlier that originated on a number of EMI LPs in the middle 1960s.



Recorded with the London Symphony and Hallé orchestras, these performances show why Sir John Barbirolli was among the patron saints of English music. Here are reminiscences of his authority in that area. The disk comprises Arnold Bax's "Tintangel", Frederick Delius' "The Walk to the Paradis Garden", "A Song of Summer", "Irmelin Prelude", "La Calinda" and "In a Summer Garden", and John Ireland's "A London Overture", one of many pieces Brits wrote to honor their most populous and famous city.



Many of these have been considered de riguer for years. Barbirolli's 1965 "Tintagel" is the classic portrait of the castle and his version of Ireland's overture is a masterpiece of tone painting and rhythm. The Delius, which had another, more famous advocate on both sides of the Atlantic in Sir Thomas Beecham, portrays more of a slightly italicized singing line with free expression than you'd have heard under Sir Thomas.



Otherwise the orchestral language is dynamic, expressing postromantic moods greater you'd find in the Vaughan Williams "Pastoral" symphony. The British understand Barbirolli and this kind of music better than us and here's what Gramophone magazine wrote when this music was released by EMI in 1988:



"It is encouraging that EMI are gradually transferring some of Barbirolli's finest recorded performances to CD... Here are some shorter works recorded over 20 years ago with the LSO and what lovely playing it is, most sensitively captured by the engineers. Bax's Tintagel is a classic performance; and although for some tastes J. B. lingered too lovingly in Delius, I for one am still deeply moved by this interpretation of A Song of Summer, while the Irmelin Prelude is exquisite. A nostalgic disc, both for the music and for the manner of its performance."



With an aside to lovers of Beecham's Delius that cannot yield to another conductor, this CD is for everyone else. With first rate reproduced sound for its era and a very modest asking price, you cay buy without regard. I'd say proceed if you have any interest."