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This is really for the Holst Specialist (and I am) because it belongs to that body of works before Holst Found a Voice. The Gilbert and Sullivan influence that produced the suite de ballet Op 10. The Folksong influence that produced 'songs of the West' (but also a repertoire piece - 'Somerset Rhapsody') and Hindu period that produced Wagner with modern discords (the opera 'Sita') and the french influence (Gounod) that produced the Invocation for cello. Though in fact in that 'Venus' in waiting to come on in and in the tone poem 'Indra' the Planets are around the corner.
But the influence here is his work as a trombone -player. So he wrote this piece for trombone and organ, and it sounds more French than Holst (though 'Uranus' owed a lot to 'the sorcerer's apprentice'). What interested me is that one of his 'early horrors' it has had a life of its' own as a piece for trombone -payers, and never mind that it doesn't sound much like Holst.
Thanks for posting another 'early horror', the 'Cotswolds' symphony. As creditable an effort as the First of Greig or Rimsky Korsakov, and the finale (never mind the debt to Schumann) is a delight.
I mentioned the 'somerset Rhapsody'. A quite early piece but good enough to be in the repertoire. It was published as a companion piece to 'songs of the west' which did not make it into the repertoire.
I always like a live performance. Sound needs a Boost.
In case anyone was wondering whether the opening of the 'Somerset Rhapsody'was played on the oboe or a cor anglais, it is neither. Holst used the oboe d'amore, pitched between a regular oboe and the Cor Anglais. Rarely seen in works after the Baroque it was not unpopular in Bach's time.
It's a curious thing that Holst especially with his low -emotion and chilly later writing always seemed to want to be funny. In fact the only time he really seemed to be witty and clever in a subtle way was with the Fugal overture - sending up the Fugal style in a serious and clever way, and the theatrically creepy bit and chilly slow bit for strings is nicely followed by the perky picoolo and double bass restatement of the fugue subject. The problem with the current recordings is they take it too fast. There are TUNES in there but they get lost.
Holst suggested that it be an overture to the opera 'The perfect fool' and it's just right with its' sending up of musical conventions. I would suggests that it be Part of the 'Perfect Fool' ballet suite.
Yes, I think Boult (often tends to be a bit slow) paces it just about right.
The other undervalued work is the ballet, "the Lure" written during his American trip. doesn't even have an opus number I believe, and yet it is one of his best pieces. The story is a butterfly or moth gets terminally singed by a candle which is then snuffed out. Forget it. The music is what matters. In America Holst was asked to write a piece for Jazz Band and the Capriccio was ...well he wrote a folk tune an a military march with sone hopeless attempts to be jazzy. But here, he really does approach the Jazz -feeling. And there's some good music in it too.
You have to have a smile of pleasure at the galant -style done well. It was this time that saw the symphony and cencerto emerge out of the more interchangeable terms and usages of the baroque, and the accompanied Tune take over from the contrapuntual structures of the Baroque.
It struck me that even with Beethoven's 6th - well into the Romantic symphony - the fingerprints of the Galant-classical style are still there.
So what shall I post...hang on...
Yes...has to be this, for me. And I looked at two 'live' but one was the leader (cellist) who looked a bit of a show -off, and the other watched the conductor ALL the time. Why do they do that? The conductor is Not Interesting!! Errghh Nggh!! It is this celebrity -think that seems to obsess people like mobile phones???
Love the Barok horns and the Fortepiano contiunuo. Pity they spent so much time watching the leader, who has the sort of face that you want to hit.
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 08-12-2018 at 07:24 AM..
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Early Horror
