I must confess to having
been rather dissatisfied by this disc,
especially in light of the fact that
Apex’s four disc "Great British Music"
set with Andrew Davis conducting the
BBC Symphony Orchestra (including the
major non-symphonic orchestral works
by Elgar, Holst, Britten and Delius)
contains some of the best performances
of these works I’ve encountered. The
first disc of the ‘English String Classics’
series, conducted by Christopher Warren-Green,
is performed well enough but has nothing
to recommend it; it lacks radiance and
spirit in most of the works (and particularly
in Butterworth’s The Banks of Green
Willow and Elgar’s Serenade).
After being slightly disappointed by
this, I had been hoping that the second
disc would improve upon the first. Alas,
not so.
The second disc again
opens with Vaughan Williams – the Five
Variants of Dives and Lazarus, where
Vaughan Williams, characteristically
enough, takes a simple folk-song and
transforms it into a miniature contrapuntal
masterpiece. The sound the RPO produces
is full and rich, though occasionally
a little thick and muffled, and the
intonation is slightly insecure in places.
There is great presence from the double
basses and harp, and the solo violin
in the third variant is beautifully
lyrical. Yet despite this technically
accomplished performance, the piece
somehow lacks soul, and this results
in a rather uninspired rendition with
no depth or ambience.
The ensuing Capriol
Suite by Peter Warlock is a work
that demands great commitment and effort
from the players. From the very opening
of the Basse-Danse, it is clear
that the conductor is not investing
this work with the required vivacity
and character, nor giving full rein
to the inherent rhythmic drive of the
piece. Mannered, and deeply inflexible,
this is an inhibited version of a work
that calls for great freedom and exhilaration.
The final phrase of the movement is
a case in point - the musical equivalent
of blowing a raspberry, this retort
should really catch one, but here it
falls completely flat, lack-lustre and
meaningless. The main problem with the
Pavane is the rigid, forced phrasing,
which lacks fluidity. Mundane, it has
neither panache nor finesse. The next
movement, Tordion has a little
more spring in it, and one feels that
Gould has got into the piece more once
we reach Bransles. Yet the poetic
Pieds-en-l’air is played apparently
devoid of feeling. Too brisk, it is
not dreamy enough. The rollicking finale,
Mattachins is given a restrained,
lethargic and dull performance that
lacks energy and does not at all invoke
the roistering spirit of the movement.
Delius’s Two Aquarelles
are similarly let down. Although the
works, as presented here, might sound
quite good to someone who is unfamiliar
with them, to one who knows, for example,
the Barbirolli or Beecham versions,
these are but shadows of how the work
is meant to sound. The first Aquarelle
is bereft of subtlety, soul and emotion,
and the second is withdrawn and inhibited.
In the Tippett Little
Music for Strings, the fairly translucent
strings are a little shambolic, particularly
during the opening leaps in pitch, and
one wonders whether sufficient rehearsal
time had been allocated. Elgar’s deeply
moving and lachrymose Sospiri,
which follows, doesn’t sob or sigh enough
– one of the most intense pieces that
Sir Edward wrote, it is here completely
devoid of any angst. Subdued, the string
sound is thin, and not rich, smooth
or vibrant enough.
I have similar complaints
regarding Holst’s Brook Green
suite. The Prelude is too plodding
and earthbound. It doesn’t dance enough,
lacking in lightness and delicacy, and
although the string sound in the Air
lilts pleasantly it is not rich enough
and is lethargic - too relaxed and devoid
of that essential intensity. The Dance
is even worse – the tone is too harsh
and rough, the individual lines are
not allowed to sing out, and the whole
movement is rushed and a little messy.
The disc concludes
with Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro,
usually a gorgeously tender and gracefully
athletic work. This distinctly unromantic
and rather pedestrian version is too
aggressive and wanting in delicacy and
clarity. I am not at all keen on the
articulation – both in general, and
specifically of the viola solo a minute
or so in.
The grotesque error
in the programme notes, which claims
that Reed premiered Elgar’s violin concerto,
when it was of course Kreisler, only
compounds the inadequacy of this disc.
Clio Gould seems to be playing this
music safe – no risks are taken; no
emotion, spirit or joy is injected into
these works, which lie dull and lifeless
as a result. The notes are all there,
and usually well-played, but the soul
is out.
I would therefore advise
turning to alternate versions for all
of the works featured here – of which
there is fortunately an abundance in
every case. For a greater sense of radiance,
presence, reverberation and purpose
in the Vaughan Williams, turn to Del
Mar on EMI or, for far better phrasing,
to Hickox on Chandos. Brabbins conducts
the Nash in a snappier, livelier and
overall more sensitive and focused version
of the Capriol Suite on Hyperion.
Many outstanding versions of both Sospiri
and Introduction are available,
including Sir Andrew Davis with the
BBC Symphony Orchestra on Teldec for
Sospiri, and Boult for a buoyant
live performance of Introduction
on BBC Classics. A swift-paced but vivacious
version of the Brook Green Suite
is given by Del Mar on the HMV label
or a more flowing and lyrical rendition
by Menuhin on EMI Eminence.
Em Marshall
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Clio Gould
