The Bridge is a Sleeper and a Teaser!
Bob Zeidler | Charlton, MA United States | 05/20/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For Americans (well, at least for me), Chandos for the last fifteen years or so has served the purpose of introducing a wide range of 20th century British music, much as the Westminster and Musical Heritage Society transfers of Lyrita LP's did at an earlier time. Overall, recorded quality is excellent to outstanding, and repertoire is wide-ranging. Conductors such as Vernon Handley (here) and Bryden Thompson and Richard Hickox (elsewhere) have brought several heretofore provincial British orchestras to very high levels of performance standards.
This Chandos recording has fabulous execution and sound. If you are looking for an excellent, well-recorded performance of Britten's well-known incidental music for Peter Grimes, in an offbeat coupling, look no further. The "Four Sea Interludes" and "Passacaglia" are given vigorous, virtuosic play here.
Bax's "On The Sea-Shore" is also excellent, but perhaps not at the top level of other of his tone poems such as "Tintagel," "Roscatha" or "In The Faery Hills," or, perhaps his most famous, "The Garden of Fand." Nonetheless, it is a perfect companion piece in this concept album of 20th-century British music evoking the sea.
The sleeper/teaser of the album is Bridge's "The Sea." Written a scant six years after Debussy's "La Mer" (1911 vs. 1905), Bridge's vision of the sea is as equally evocative and considerably more bracing than Debussy's. It is full of inspiration and craft, and some remarkable harmonies for its time. (It in a way looks forward to Gershwin a decade or more hence, in that there are a few subtle bluesy chords that surprise and delight.) The piece never sags or runs out of inspiration, even in the quieter and more meditative sections. At the end of the final section ("Storm"), a grand theme from the opening movement ("Seascape") is recalled, leading to a socko ending for which, had I been there for the premiere, I'd be up on my feet. (The booklet notes point out that the 10-year-old Britten had attended a 1924 performance conducted by Bridge and had been "knocked sideways" by the piece. The rest, as they say, is history: Bridge was Britten's teacher, and Britten in turn memorialized Bridge in his string-orchestra "Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge.")
"The Sea" would appear to be a neglected masterpiece, and in this respect represents a true "find." It will definitely lead me to investigate Bridge's other works.
Bob Zeidler"
Three English masterpieces in one CD
gaspar | Tenerife, Canary Islands SPAIN | 05/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sea has always been a great source of inspiration by both painters and musicians. Very usually, the result of this inspiration is a masterpiece. Here we have three "seas" masterpieces, full of colour and craftsmanship, by three distinguished British composers. Both storms are very different but both splendid.
Particularly, Bridges'Suite is really impressive, from the first bar to the end. His mastery in orchestral handling is that of a genius. The cyclic theme of the first movement, which reappears at the end, unifies perfectly the whole work. In fact, and not by chance, Bridge was an exact contemporary of Respighi (I love impressionistic music).Moonlight is wonderfully evocative.
Baxs'work is splendid too, full of mystery and melancholy, with an imponent climax of irresistible tension.
The performance is excellent and exemplary, as always in Vernon Handley and the orchestras he conducts.
This is another one of my favourite CD'S, and I do have a lot..."
Just a heads up: this has been reissued/remastered at cheape
tjguitar | 04/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A few months ago, Chandos reissued this at a cheaper price with additional music (from Charles Villers Stanford)
Handley Conducts Bax, Bridge, Britten & Stanford
"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1