These two works are still little known and this disc is a good way to get
to know them in lively intimate performances which have the woodland rustic
spirit of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. Other reference works include the
early Schubert symphonies.
Do not be entirely convinced by Mogens Wenzel Anderson's otherwise convincing
notes when he claims that 'we are far from the world of Romanticism'. I disagree.
There are many moments especially in the first serenade when the world of
the Brahms first symphony is evoked. Pre-echoes of the orchestral music of
Othmar Schoeck are also to be heard. Adrian Boult (Bostock was a Boult pupil)
recorded both these works for HMV in the 1970s but Boult's big and beefy
LPO do not convey so well the beguiling charm of these two works. They are
neglected and can be warmly recommended for the explorer ready to be rewarded.
Reviewer
Rob Barnett