Arnold BAX (1880-1953)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1934) [37:56]
Stanley BATE (1911-1959)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1953) [22:18]
Lionel Handy (cello)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Martin Yates
rec. Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, Scotland - no recording date given
LYRITA SRCD.351 [60:23]
This welcome Lyrita release contains a pair of cello concertos
from two English composers who experienced differing fortunes throughout their
career. Arnold Bax is by far the most renowned of the two. Disappointingly
his considerable number of recordings has not translated into concert and
recital performances. Stanley Bate is not widely known although in the last
five or six years several of his works (Third
Symphony; Viola
Concerto; Sinfonietta No. 1 and Second Piano Concerto on CDLX7282) have
been released on Dutton Epoch.
In the 1930s Bax was at the peak of his compositional powers. With his tone
poems some years behind him Bax’s Cello Concerto from 1934 was written
between his Symphonies No.
5 and No.
6, a period during which he was writing some interesting chamber scores
including a String Quintet and an Octet for horn, piano and string sextet.
At the prompting of pianist Harriet Cohen, Bax wrote the Cello Concerto for
the Spanish virtuoso Gaspar Cassadó, a task he found extremely challenging.
Cassadó the dedicatee premièred the work the same year at the Queen’s
Hall, London with the London Symphony Orchestra under Hamilton Harty. Cassadó
soon became uninterested in the concerto, however, it was taken up by renowned
soloist Beatrice
Harrison who performed it on two occasions at the Proms. Music writer
Mark Morris in his book A
Guide to 20th Century Composers (1996) has expressed the view “The
Edwardian flavour of the Cello Concerto rambles too much to be of real interest.”
Rarely appearing on concert programmes today there is, however, an excellent
account played by soloist Raphael Wallfisch with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
under Bryden Thomson that he recorded in 1986-87 at London for Chandos. The
opening Allegro moderato with its fresh, outdoor feel contrasted
with a yearning intimacy reminds me at times of the Delius Cello Concerto
from over a decade earlier. A nocturne, the central movement marked Lento
has a wistful rather illusive quality and the closing Allegro molto
extrovert on the surface contains an undertow of nervous tension.
As a pupil at the Royal College of Music, London Bate’s list of teachers
included Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arthur Benjamin, R.O. Morris and Gordon Jacob;
all of whom had studied with Stanford. Bate later studied privately in Paris
with Nadia Boulanger and also with Hindemith in Berlin at the Hochschüle für
Musik. Bate was one of a group of British composers who stayed in the USA
during the Second World War years; an absence that undoubtedly harmed his
career in Britain. Returning to London in 1949 Bate’s music was for
the most part ignored and experiencing severe personal difficulties he committed
suicide in 1959. Bate’s entry in Grove Music Online ends with the rather
pointed comment, “Bate was highly prolific, but his music, with a few
exceptions, lacks enduring quality.” In 1949 Bate had returned to England
and lived in London writing his Cello Concerto in 1953. It was introduced
the following year at the Eastman School of Music, New York. The booklet notes
do not state the name of the soloist. Here Bate uses the orchestra only sparingly
helping to keep the focus of attention on the soloist who plays virtually
continuously. Marked Allegro the first movement, evocative of an
English coastal scene in winter, has a squally, windswept quality combined
with a nervous, rather agitated character. Reminding me of the sound-world
of Alan Rawsthorne the arresting dark and intense central Andante
has long lyrical lines for the soloist. In the final movement Allegro
vivace with its powerful undercurrents and sense of imminent storm.
Compared to Raphael Wallfisch in the Bax (review),
Lionel Handy’s intonation is nowhere near as pinpoint but it feels as
if he is searching deeper into both scores, providing a greater sense of engagement.
I admire the wealth of tone colours which Handy produces in a performance
that feels unerringly spontaneous. With strong assurance the Royal Scottish
National Orchestra excels under Martin Yates and provides sensitive accompaniment
throughout. Recorded at Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow the engineering team for
Lyrita produces sound quality which is relatively clear with an ideal balance
between cello and orchestra. Written by Paul Conway the essay in the booklet
is to a high standard, yet, curiously no recording date is given in the liner-notes.
Reviving two worthy English cello concertos Lyrita continues to do English
music a great service.
Michael Cookson
Previous review: Nick
Barnard
| Support us financially by purchasing this through MusicWeb for £11.75 postage paid world-wide. |
 |