Sir Arthur Bliss

[vandermolen]

Is the Groves the one with Brian Blessed?  I forget which one I have but remember Brian Blessed is the narrator.

Oh nooooooo  (as has been pointed out already)
Blessed is completely OTT. However, otherwise, Kibblewhite's Cala performance is excellent.
This is the one to have (also in the Charles Groves boxed set)

[relm1]

Oh nooooooo  (as has been pointed out already)
Blessed is completely OTT. However, otherwise, Kibblewhite's Cala performance is excellent.
This is the one to have (also in the Charles Groves boxed set)

Ok thanks!  I think I might have both!  I have a lot of CD's and they aren't well organized (stacked) so not easy to know! 

[Lisztianwagner]

My pleasure. Try to hear the Groves version of 'Morning Heroes' - I prefer it to the Davis performance, especially at the climax of the last movement which is comparatively puny under Davis.

Yup!

Davis' recording sounded very fine to me, but it's true that I don't know other versions to compare; thank you, then I'll try the Groves too.

[vandermolen]

Ok thanks!  I think I might have both!  I have a lot of CD's and they aren't well organized (stacked) so not easy to know!

I'm sure that they are better organised than mine are! 

[vandermolen]

Davis' recording sounded very fine to me, but it's true that I don't know other versions to compare; thank you, then I'll try the Groves too.

Davis's recording is fine in many respects but, for me, he retrospectively ruins it at the end. The return of the canon fire (timpani) over the Somme is, for me, the most moving moment in 'Morning Heroes' but it barely registers in Davis's performance (a complete misjudgement IMO). Groves and Kibblewhite make much more of that spine-tingling episode. The Davis has a v good filler 'Hymn to Apollo' with an interesting analysis in the notes, suggesting that Bliss was still suffering from survivor's guilt (his much-loved brother Kennard had been killed in the First World War but Bliss had survived) and the Hymn to Apollo is an appeal for forgiveness - interesting!

[Albion]

I fell onto another tower of CDs which unearthed a load of Arthur Bliss including all the ballets (I'd completely forgotten that I had two versions of "The Lady of Shalott" on Carlton and Dutton), recorded orchestral music (mainly Naxos, EMI and Lyrita), minus the "Edinburgh Overture", and Andrew Davis' three choral discs for Chandos. I have no problems with Davis in Bliss and wish that he'd record the "Golden Cantata" and "Tobias and the Angel" (I've tried to find the Pristine Audio release of the latter without success, and I don't want a bloody download from Amazon)...

[vandermolen]

I fell onto another tower of CDs which unearthed a load of Arthur Bliss including all the ballets (I'd completely forgotten that I had two versions of "The Lady of Shalott" on Carlton and Dutton), recorded orchestral music (mainly Naxos, EMI and Lyrita), minus the "Edinburgh Overture", and Andrew Davis' three choral discs for Chandos. I have no problems with Davis in Bliss and wish that he'd record the "Golden Cantata" and "Tobias and the Angel" (I've tried to find the Pristine Audio release of the latter without success, and I don't want a bloody download from Amazon)...

Do you have an emergency action plan for extracting yourself from under a pile of CDs?
I also have both those versions of the Lady of Shalott. I like the Churchill tribute piece on the Dutton CD (also on an old Unicorn one with the Piano Concerto). Did you see the charming TV documentary about the first performance of the ballet (featuring young dancers from a ballet school)? Bliss himself features although sadly he died before the performance although Lady Bliss was in attendance. I'll see if I can find the link.

Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1sVp8yATww

[Albion]

Do you have an emergency action plan for extracting yourself from under a pile of CDs?
I also have both those versions of the Lady of Shalott. I like the Churchill tribute piece on the Dutton CD (also on an old Unicorn one with the Piano Concerto). Did you see the charming TV documentary about the first performance of the ballet (featuring young dancers from a ballet school)? Bliss himself features although sadly he died before the performance although Lady Bliss was in attendance. I'll see if I can find the link.

Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1sVp8yATww

Many thanks for this. I tried to take out an insurance policy in case of CD-tower related injury, but they only did streaming and download...

[foxandpeng]

Do you have an emergency action plan for extracting yourself from under a pile of CDs?

Hehe.

Go digital. Always the solution 😝

[Symphonic Addict]

It reminded me of this chapter of The Simpsons

[Albion]

It reminded me of this chapter of The Simpsons

   

Yep, that just about sums it up. As the towers are quite randomly mixed, unless I fall on them I've got to shunt one load of CDs to another if I can even locate what I want. I don't remember CDs being so heavy. As it is, I've assembled all my Bliss discs in one place and am now listening to the lovely Naxos disc of Music for Strings, the Cello Concerto and Two Studies. Now that David Lloyd Jones has sadly left us it's unlikely that we'll get more from Naxos, but there's plenty more for Andrew Davis to get his teeth into for Chandos...

[W.A. Mozart]

What do you think about the colour symphony?

David Lloyd-Jones conducting the English Northern Philharmonia

[foxandpeng]

What do you think about the colour symphony?

David Lloyd-Jones conducting the English Northern Philharmonia

Just about the only Bliss I know well, apart from Adam Zero. I do like both but need to expand my knowledge of Bliss.

[Roasted Swan]

Just about the only Bliss I know well, apart from Adam Zero. I do like both but need to expand my knowledge of Bliss.

Great work.  But add Moringing Heroes and Checkmate and John Blow Meditations at least asap!!

[Lisztianwagner]

What do you think about the colour symphony?

David Lloyd-Jones conducting the English Northern Philharmonia

It's an excellent work, I appreciate its variety of tones and nuances very much. The first movement is rather slow in rhythm, yet vivid and majestic, alternating quiet, slightly melancholic sections to others intense and grandiose, with vigorous crescendi; a great contrast with the incredibly lively, energetic, sometimes very fiery and aggressive second movement; the third part shows a gentler, calmer pace compared to the previous one, depicting a reflective, but changing atmosphere; the fourth movement is very powerful and moving, and despite the tonal structure, its beginning with a dodecaphonic series is a little gem. 

[foxandpeng]

Great work.  But add Moringing Heroes and Checkmate and John Blow Meditations at least asap!!

Thank you 😊

[W.A. Mozart]

its beginning with a dodecaphonic series is a little gem. 

In which segment does it use dodecaphony?

[Roasted Swan]

In which segment does it use dodecaphony?

the theme that opens the last movement outlines all 12 semitones much in the same way Walton creates a different thematic "row" in the finale of his 2nd Symphony.  In neither case is it developed in a "serial" manner.

[vandermolen]

Just about the only Bliss I know well, apart from Adam Zero. I do like both but need to expand my knowledge of Bliss.

What do you think about the colour symphony?

David Lloyd-Jones conducting the English Northern Philharmonia

That recording features in the book 'Top 1000 Classical CDs you must hear before you die'. I like the accompanying work 'Adam Zero' as well.

[vandermolen]

Great work.  But add Moringing Heroes and Checkmate and John Blow Meditations at least asap!!

To which I'd add the lovely Clarinet Quintet, Hymn to Apollo and 'Things to Come' (suite from the film, preferably in Bliss's own arrangement).