This disc is my introduction
to Lyrita and a world of well performed
and recorded English music which has
often been unavailable. Parry’s choral
music is well known to me as it is regularly
sung by choirs at Oxford’s Christ Church
Cathedral but apart from very occasionally
hearing his suites the orchestral music
is unknown to me. If you’re in a similar
state this wonderful CD is a great place
to start under a former Christ Church
student Sir Adrian Boult.
Overture to an Unwritten
Tragedy has Elgarian similarities
but there is an individual style. The
performance is great with fine-sounding
brass and, as in the famous Brahms symphonies,
the LSO play their hearts out for the
82 year old Sir Adrian.
An English Suite
at the beginning reminds me slightly
of Beecham’s Handel-inspired "Love
in Bath" suite and is very melodic
and enjoyable. The Saraband sees more
emotion with a possible Grieg influence.
I love the string sound evoked by Boult.
There’s an elegiac quality with Parry
looking back perhaps to that happier
and more carefree period before WWI.
The frolic is based on a folkdance but
still has masterly control and I’m reminded
again of Elgar in the caprice with the
full strings beautifully captured by
the engineers. There are shades of "Introduction
and Allegro" but feel this is not
fair as Parry was simply writing at
the same time and for a similar but
not slavishly similar medium. Pastoral
has a solo violin at the beginning and
is evocative of haymaking and the English
countryside. It is difficult to imagine
this music being played better. Across
its two minutes it is really moving
and things get even more emotional in
the Air. This lovely and charming piece
has shades of Beecham’s pieces but Boult’s
mastery in this idiom is even more striking
when I turned to Nimbus disc NI 5366
with William Boughton. Sadly there’s
no contest - very laboured playing and
absolutely none of the magic which is
abundant in the Lyrita CD.
Bridal March was
instantly recognized by my daughter
as written for a wedding. What a fine
piece this is with real aplomb and yet
an underlying tenderness; not bombastic
and boastful. Thrilling playing; lucky
the bride who has this music! There
is a nod to Felix Mendelssohn but not
overly so. Not wanting to harp on about
it but what a great orchestral conductor
was Sir Adrian as Toscanini acknowledged
when he took over the baton of the BBCSO
in the 1930s for his famous concerts
and records.
Lady Radnor’s Suite
appeared on another Nimbus disc NI
5168 under William Boughton. As
with the English Suite Boult
is undoubtedly a better advocate but
Boughton’s version is fine as far as
it goes. To be frank I don’t think you
can rate this piece as more than very
pleasant. It evokes English folk-music
and is ideal as a backdrop to tidying
up my CD and for driving. It is not
as strong as the other works here.
Symphonic Variations
is in a different class. I was most
impressed by this work. I love Variations
and apparently this was the first set
by a British composer. There are echoes
of Brahms who must have been hugely
influential
on other composers at that time - he
died that year, 1897. Elgar and Dvořák
also come to mind. I would have guessed
the latter in a ‘blind’ hearing. What
comes through the melodies is the splendid
brass and woodwinds under a Brahms conductor
and orchestra. It would have
been an added bonus to have had each
variation separately banded but this
seems a mite nitpicking. It’s a splendid
piece to end a fine disc.
Parry’s orchestral
music may not be startlingly original
or challenging but it is very melodic.
This disc makes for a good listen. I
enjoyed playing each piece several times.
Boult was a really fine conductor as
my colleague Colin Clarke said in his
review: Parry could have no finer advocate.
It’s been great for me to have a chance
to listen to new music and in such superb
performances and recordings. If this
is typical of Lyrita and I believe it
is; what a fine label and I’m so pleased
it’s generally available again. So forget
your 15th Beethoven and Brahms
sets and give this splendid record a
spin or two!
David R Dunsmore
see also review
by Colin Clarke
LYRITA
CATALOGUE
aLondon Symphony Orchestra, bLondon
Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult. 
