Search - Hamilton Harty, Bryden Thomson, Ulster Orchestra :: In Ireland: Orchestral Works by Sir Hamilton Harty

Excellent set of interesting music

G.D. | Norway | 12/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Hamilton Harty might have had a greater career as a conductor than as a composer, but this set of orchestral works is nothing if not interesting. The style is derivative - to the extent that there is hard to recognize anything like a personal voice at all; where one work might come straight out of Dvorak, the next is a Rachmaninov pastiche (and Tchaikovsky is a recurring presence). But there is never any doubt about the skillfulness of the composer and his orchestrating abilities. Harty certainly knew how to keep the compositional reins tight, and none of the pieces are really prone to the meandering often associated with minor composers. In short, while (mostly) not very profound, the music is always enjoyable and entertaining.



The first disc couples his concertos for violin and piano. The obvious model for the violin concerto is Tchaikovsky, and while it is fun to hear once, it is not a particularly memorable piece. The piano concerto is indebted to Rachmaninov, or perhaps even more some of the lesser-known piano concertos of the same period (Bortkiewicz, Glazunov and Blumenfeld). It is a worthwhile piece, which deserves a hearing, but by no means a great one.



The second disc contains overall more interesting music. The Children of Lir is a much later work than anything else on this disc, and probably the work where Harty came closest to writing a masterpiece. While it is, again, derivative, this is actually a splendid work which would deserve a place at the fringes of the standard repertoire. The variations on a Dublin air and the London Air are lightweights which could have been written by a different composer altogether. They are slight, but never less than enjoyable. The Ode to a Nightingale is another splendid work, a poetic and deeply romantic setting which would grace any concert programme.



None of the first two discs display a particularly Irish influence (at least not in general) - more a general romantic, often Tchaikovskian voice. The Irish influences are more prominent on the third disc (but actually not overly so). The Irish symphony is a rather Dvorakian work. It is, perhaps, more a suite than a genuine symphony, but display obvious craftsmanship and the invention never flags (again, Harty knew how to develop a theme and orchestrate it - he also seems to know when to stop). With the Wild Geese is a sentimental, Tchaikovsky-inspired piece, and indeed it would have been worthy of that composer. The Comedy Overture is a slighter work, but enjoyable nonetheless.



The performances are outstanding, and particular praise should go to Heather Harper in The Children of Lir and the Ode to a Nightingale. The recordings are some years old, but they are still in demonstration class - Chandos is usually excellent, but these disc stands out even in the Chandos catalogue for the sound quality. In short, absolute top score to performance and sound. If I were to start with the individual discs, the second one is probably the best, but the third is very enjoyable as well. But you cannot seriously go wrong by acquiring the whole set. (rating: Disc one: 4 stars, disc two: 5 stars, disc 3: 4,5 stars"