Buy Dyson's Symphony!
K. Farrington | Missegre, France | 02/27/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I would advise anyone to buy this CD despite it containing less than 45 minutes of music. It has such a dry title, 'Symphony in G', but that is the only thing about it that is. This work was written in 1937, about the time Bax was working on his 7th Symphony and Vaughan Williams was between his 4th and 5th. George Dyson provides his listeners with a rich melodic work, full of interesting features and a sure mastery of tone colour and orchestration. The mood swings are quite marked, for Dyson was an unashamed romantic, hence his neglect since the end of WWII. The opening movement begins with a Straussian 'Schwung' which leads us into an energetic and vibrant movement, replete with balletic twists and rhythm, for Ernest Ansermet commented at the first performance 'Mais, c'est une ballet!'. The second movement is darker hued which is redolent of those Bax Andante when we feel a storm building up as the skies go to dusk. The third movement is lighter with a theme and variations making massive demands on the individual players of the orchestra. Maybe this movement has caused the lack of support for this work as Dyson has made no concessions to less than top notch performers, despite the number of players needed being no larger than Brahms in his 4th Symphony. The final movement rounds things off with a brass fanfare and a majestic dignified coda. Certainly the mood/s of the work and the general feeling throughout seem at odds with the Zeitgeist of 1937. This is a technically sure, romantic composer enjoying himself with the orchestra and not bringing any extra-musical documentary ideas like Vaughan Williams in his 4th and 6th symphonies (despite his denial!). The publishers, Novello, believed in the work, publishing a de luxe version on top quality paper, cloth boards, hand finished and you can hear why. This work stands comparison with more played contemporaneous works like Walton's First Symphony or Vaughan Williams Fifth and I believe that this Hickox recording will win this work many new friends. The total time of the CD is only 44:21 which to my mind is a bit niggardly of Chandos to release at full price. However, I am so delighted with the Symphony this is not enough to mark it down from a full marks category but I feel it is still worth a mention so that the manufacturers do know it has been noticed!"
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1